Chicago Reedwoman Natalie Scharf

I encountered reedwoman Natalie Scharf after she joined the front line of the Chicago Cellar Boys. If you’re not aware of this band (and you should be), they are to Chicago what Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks are to New York. Granted, the CCBs is a smaller band than Vince’s—six versus eleven—but with several multi-instrumentalists in its midst they can compare favorably with the Nighthawks in many respects, including their enormous repertoire of ’20s pop and jazz tunes. Like the ’Hawks, the Cellar Boys have developed a large and loyal following and are always a favorite at festivals. To play in either band is to have reached the top in this genre. I met Natalie in person at the Bix Beiderbecke Festival in July and asked to interview her. Here’s the result. BH: How did you get involved in music? NS: I’m the daughter and granddaughter of musicians. My dad is a professional trumpet player, mostly in the style of Clifford Brown; his dad was also a jazz trumpet player, heavily influenced by Roy Eldridge. My grandmother was a piano player and arranger, and sang in the Chicago Symphony Chorus for 40+ years, and my mother plays the French horn. I’m also an only child, so most of my earliest socializing was with or around musicians. I was often toted along to various gigs, or there’d be rehearsals at our house, or I’d have playdates with the children of other musician