The Death and Taxes Swing Band Ignites Pure Excitement with a Swinging Performance at Roberts Hall

by Karen Custer

LYNN HAVEN, FL - They say that two things are certain in life and one is that The Death and Taxes Swing Band generates pure excitement and a swingin’ good time. They delivered a unique swing band performance on Saturday night, January 13th, at one of their favorite spots in Florida, Roberts Hall in Lynn Haven, a beautifully restored historic building.

The 5-piece band featured an incredibly talented, high-energy group of performers, led by vivacious Rebecca Roudman, an expressive, friendly, cross-over musician, playing electric cello like you’ve never heard before, all the while singing sultry vocals with a versatile vocal approach. Roudman was joined by her husband, Jason Eckl, on guitar, who is also the musical arranger, Colin Williams on bass guitar, Jeff Wheeler on drums and college student J. T., on trombone.

There were extra-danceable arrangements, a free dance lesson before the show given personally by Roudman and Williams, whose swing dancing brings to mind Fred Astaire, and a whole lot of foot-tapping rhythm. The audience was encouraged to dance the night away.

The band played an extensive repertoire including Route 66, Minnie the Moocher, Rock Around the Clock, Steppin’ Out with My Baby, Mack the Knife, Sixteen Tons, Istanbul (Not Constantinople), A-Tisket A-Tasket, Fever, Rehab, Every Day I Have the Blues, Straighten Up and Fly Right, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Johnny B. Goode and Orange Colored Sky.

Roudman and Eckl have also founded the band Dirty Cello and the San Francisco Yiddish Combo, which was formed with encouragement from fans to play more klezmer-type music, after Eckl wrote, “Klezmer Heritage Concerto.” The duo have performed all over the world in places such as Iceland, the bottom of a cave, a nudist resort, Hawaii, Paris, Scotland, Israel, Italy, China, Austria and Hungary.

Roudman is a renowned classical cellist who has been a member of the Oakland East-Bay Symphony and the Santa Rose Symphony and has performed on the soundtracks for the Bruce Willis film, Looper, and the Jeremy Renner film, Kill the Messenger.

It’s not every day that you can have so much fun dancing to your favorites from the 1940’s in the Grand Hall, the historic room and stage where Hank Williams Sr. performed years ago. Bravo!