Annie and the Fur Trappers headline the Bay State Hot Jazz Festival in Medford this weekend. Their front woman spoke to GBH Music about the magic of ‘20s jazz, and what to expect at the free festival.

Va Lynda Robinson: All right, Annie! You are a St. Louis raised trumpet player, and you’re heading Annie and the Fur Trappers here in Boston now. You’re performing and preserving the music of the '20s and '30s, right?
 
Annie Linders: That’s our goal, yep, keeping it alive!

Va Lynda Robinson: I love the fact that part of your band is the washboard. Tell me about the instruments in your band.

Annie Linders: We kind of model it after what you would hear on the street in New Orleans, like bands that would be busking. So the main instruments we have are trumpet, clarinet and trombone. Those are the frontline horn section, and then backing that up, we have currently banjo, guitar, and bass. And then washboard! Our washboard player, Rob, he plays kind of depending on the feel of the venue and what they want. He also plays drum set and rhythm bones. When we play for a swing dance, he’ll play drum set because it’s a little bit easier to dance to.
 
Va Lynda Robinson: You do a lot of music for the Lindy Hop community.

Annie Linders: It’s pretty big in Boston! We play a lot with Boston Swing Central, where you can learn how to dance, which is pretty cool.

Va Lynda Robinson: You majored in music and music education at the University of Missouri at Columbia. Tell me about that.

Annie Linders: Well, I had my training in music education, like you said, and I think about halfway through my degree, I had the realization that I’m not really a morning person. And to be a full-time teacher, you kind of have to be someone who can wake up early! And, you know. Be out there 40 hours a week teaching. And so I had this realization kind of midway through that, yeah, I think I just want to perform. So I called my parents and told them, “That’s it, I’m changing my major to music performance!” And of course they put a stop to it. They talked some sense into me and they said, “Hey, you know, if something happens, you might need that teaching degree, get your license and everything.” And they were right in the end because I do still teach music, just not full time. But it’s on the side to supplement playing.

Va Lynda Robinson: So Annie, tell us what we can expect from you and your band at the Bay State Hot Jazz Festival?
 
Annie Linders: Yeah, actually I’ve been thinking about it... Because I haven’t written a set list yet! I was thinking for us to do like a history of the band because now we’ve released three studio albums and one EP. So we have a lot of music to choose from and we’re coming out with a new EP in October! It’s gonna be great. And yeah, two days, all during the day, and it’s free!

Al Davis: Now, the material that you’re going to play... is it your own material or some things that people can recognize?

Annie Linders: We mostly record standards from the '20s and '30s. We have a couple of originals to sprinkle in!

Al Davis: And you’ll all be dressed like it’s the '20s too?

Annie Linders: Yeah, I get my band to dress the part! They always try to sneak in tennis shoes or whatever. I have to tell them, “You gotta get your dress shoes out and try to look sharp,” you know? Just adds a little something to the music, I think.

Va Lynda Robinson: Well, your band is fantastic. I watched you on YouTube, and I think you guys are phenomenal. I just have to ask you one more thing, when you’re not playing the trumpet... you play hardcore bike polo.

Al Davis: Wait, I’m not familiar with that, what is that??!

Annie Linders: Yeah, so actually, this is a big thing in Boston, too. Hardcore bike polo is kind of what you would think of. It’s like hockey on bikes, basically. So you’re riding around with your left hand controlling the bike, and then your right hand is using a mallet to hit the ball. So it’s kind of like horse polo meets hockey. But of course, we can’t afford the horse. We play on a hockey court near Harvard every week. Boston has a huge club, way bigger than any other place I’ve lived.

Al Davis: Don’t you have to worry about balance? I mean, my goodness, you got the hockey stick in one hand and you’re riding the bike and trying to hit the ball?!

Annie Linders: It takes a high level of practice!

Va Lynda Robinson I have one last question for you, Annie. You and your band play traditional jazz and swing too. Which do you like best in terms of performing?

Annie Linders I really like playing the blues actually, which is intertwined with the swing and traditional jazz stuff happening around the same time. That must be the St. Louisan in me is that my favorite thing to play is the blues. It’ll be a big part of our set.

Al Davis Sounds really good and exciting! Tell us the location again of the festival.

Annie Linders Yeah, it’s the Medford Condon Shell, right on Mystic Avenue in Medford! It’s a really beautiful spot if you haven’t been through that way.

Al Davis Well, Annie, thank you so much. I’ve learned a lot about you and your band and your music... it has my curiosity way up! Thanks so much for talking to us!

Annie and the Fur Trappers headline the Bay State Hot Jazz Festival in Medford this weekend.