[1] She tours with her eight-piece "little big band", Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers.

She formed the Red Hot Skillet Lickers in 1989 with Chris Siebert, who was a member of the washboard-jazz band Bo Grumpus with guitarist Craig Ventresco.

Smith combined "red hot" with Gid Tanner's 1920s country band, the Skillet Lickers.

[2][3] The band played rock and roll clubs, then became popular with the swing revival that started several years later.

Occasionally, Lavay expands the band to ten pieces (six horns and four rhythm) by adding a second trumpet and a baritone.