The Shotgun Jazz Band, the brainchild of bandleader and trumpeter Marla Dixon, is one of the most in-demand, exciting traditional jazz bands to emerge in recent years. The cast is all-star: on rhythm, banjoist John Dixon, bassist Twerk Thompson, and David Boeddinghaus on piano. Horns and reeds up front include Dixon, the impeccable, tropical-flavored Charlie Halloran on trombone, the versatile James Evans on clarinet, voice, sax, and anything else lying around the house, the warm clarinetist Tom Fischer, and trumpeter Ben Polcer. Repertoire ranges from deep traditional cuts like Jelly Roll Morton’s “I Hate a Man Like You” to Randy Newman’s “Guilty.” The band’s ethos: New Orleans traditional jazz is party music to get dancers dancing, feet stomping, and toes tapping. The Shotgun Jazz Band can be heard regularly on Frenchmen Street and beyond, and have garnered a slew of accolades and prestigious festival plays, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.