Comeback
Hicks continued to play in bands of other names, and he also began using the Hot Licks name again. Michael Goldberg reviewed Hicks' comeback album, Beatin' the Heat (2000):
When he first appeared on the scene in the '60s, Hicks was a young guy playing old sounds. But there was something fresh, even original about his approach then, and he hasn't lost his special touch. His voice and his sly, humorous point of view set him apart from any crowd. Now that he's an old-timer, his music seems even more solid and substantial. Dan Hicks has the coolest friends. On his wonderful new album, Beatin' the Heat (Surfdog), his first in years—Hicks gets some help from Elvis Costello, Rickie Lee Jones, Bette Midler, Tom Waits along with recent swing revivalist and onetime Stray Cats guitarist Brian Setzer. But Hicks—who for many years seemed to be hangin' around Mill Valley not doing a whole lot of anything—knows this may be his chance for a real comeback. He doesn't waste his shot, getting great work from his guests without letting them dominate. His voice—which suggests a straw boater hat, handlebar mustache, bow tie, seersucker suit and spats—is front and center, even when he's dueting with Costello or Jones. "Meet Me on the Corner," a highlight here, finds Setzer delivering a burning rockabilly guitar solo and Costello offering a frantic vocal, all the better to show off Hicks' singing and writing. Going head to head with Waits on "I'll Tell You Why That Is," a song way over in Waits' territory, Hicks still stands out. (Waits' vocal turn is a knockout too—not to be missed.) I even think some of the songs that feature no one but Hicks and his current version of the Hot Licks (Sid Page on violin, Kevin Smith on upright bass, Gregg Bissonette on drums, and Jessica Harper and Karla De Vito on background vocals), such as "Hummin' To Myself" and "He Don't Care," may be the strongest here... Hicks' arrangements make use of banjo, fiddle and Django Reinhardt–like jazz guitar at times. He uses doo-wop style harmony singers to play against affable lead vocals laced with dry, dry humor.
The Surfdog album reinvigorated Hicks, and the guests reflected their longtime admiration for the Hot Licks. This Surfdog success led to several more albums for Surfdog, including a 2007 downloadable compilation of Hicks's previously released duets. Today, Dan and the Hot Licks tour internationally and still reflect Hicks' original vision.
As a side venture, Dan occasionally plays jazz standards at intimate venues in the San Francisco Bay Area with Bayside Jazz. Backed by a combo of Hot Licks, Acoustic Warriors and other seasoned pros, he puts his spin on standards.
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