Squirrel Nut Zippers: Jim Mathus (vocals, guitar, tenor banjo, piano); Tom Maxwell (vocals, guitar, baritone saxophone, clarinet, resonator, chandelier); Katherine Whalen (vocals, banjo, baritone ukulele); Ken Mosher (guitar, alto & baritone saxophones, baritone ukulele, vocals); Don Raleigh (acoustic bass, gong); Chris Phillips (drums, percussion, spoken vocals).

Additional personnel: Andrew Bird (violin); Duke Heitger (cornet).

Recorded at Kingsway Studios, New Orleans, Louisiana and Mitch's, Brickhenge, North Carolina in October and November 1995.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

Personnel: James Mathus & His Knockdown Society (vocals, guitar, tenor banjo, piano); Ken Mosher (vocals, guitar, ukulele, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Tom Maxwell (vocals, guitar, clarinet, baritone saxophone); Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo, ukulele); Andrew Bird (violin); Duke Heitger (cornet); Chris Phillips (percussion); Don Raleigh (gong).

Audio Mixers: Mike Napolitano; Squirrel Nut Zippers.

Recording information: Kingsway Studios, New Orleans, LA (10/1995-11/1995); Mitch's, Brickhenge, NC (10/1995-11/1995).

Photographers: Chris Phillips; Roger Manley; Jean Christian Rostagni; Tom Maxwell.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Chris Phillips; Tom Maxwell.

Squirrel Nut Zippers' second album, Hot, was one of the most surprising success stories of 1997. Like the group's debut, The Inevitable, Hot is comprised entirely of good-natured, if slightly tongue-in-cheek, postmodern big-band music. The band has nailed the sound of jump blues and swinging jazz, and if the Zippers don't have the chops of real big bands, they do have enthusiasm and a sense of humor. Of course, for purists of the genre, that collegiate sense of humor might make Hot a little unbearable, especially those instances when Katharine Whalen sounds uncannily like Billie Holiday, only without the substance. For those willing to overlook such things, they'll find Hot to be a good time, filled with songs nearly as infectious as the group's breakthrough hit, "Hell." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

As the title of their second record implies, the Squirrel Nut Zippers practice a modern variant of the "hot" jazz sound of the 1920s and '30s. While the Zippers have a well-developed sense of humor (as evidenced on tracks like "Bad Businessman") and a lighthearted feel, they never cross over into camp, thus avoiding the self-conscious dead end that has been the downfall of so many '90s "loungecore" bands.

The other important fact separating the Squirrel Nut Zippers from the faux-jazz pack is that they can really play their instruments. Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Tom Maxwell handles guitar, baritone sax and clarinet with equal aplomb, and his bandmates' contributions on banjo, piano, ukulele and various other instruments betrays a musicianship that transcends any purist fears about inauthenticity. The vocal duties on HOT are shared by Maxwell, Jim Mathus and Katharine Whalen, all of whom lend a distinctive personality to the proceedings.