The Bridgetown Sextet…
…has been providing Portland and the Pacific Northwest with authentic and energetic 1920s and 30s jazz, stomp, blues, and swing for over 15 years, with a trademark sound evoking Creole New Orleans, the stomp of prohibition era Chicago, raucous and wild 1920s Memphis and Kansas City, fast-paced Harlem stride piano, and the tight swing of depression era Manhattan.
Performing music by icons of early jazz such as Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Clarence Williams, and Bix Beiderbecke, as well as lesser known musical stylists, territory bands, and innovators such as Bennie Moten, Alex Hill, and Jabbo Smith, the Sextet has cemented its reputation as a favorite among both listening audiences and dancers. The band has performed at the Portland Jazz Festival, Portland Lindy Exchange, Camp Jitterbug in Seattle, the Seaside Jazz Festival, and all the major Portland area clubs past and present including Jimmy Mak’s, the Blue Monk, Secret Society and Duff’s Garage.
NEWS
We’ve just finished tracking and mixing our fourth album which will be released in fall 2023 on LP and digitally! Stay tuned for details on the release. Here are some photos from the sessions direct to tape at the lovely Fremont Recording on Sauvie Island:
PRESS
“The Bridgetown Sextet’s new album release “Stomp, Defined” is the quintessential representation for the vintage jazz and swing renaissance exploding across the globe. […] What sets The Bridgetown Sextet apart as arguably the most talented vintage hot jazz and swing ensemble in the Pacific Northwest is their ability to not only harness, but intensify the unbridled energy of their musical antecedents.” – Jon Taylor, SwingPortland.com
“[The Bridgetown Sextet] swan dives into the authentic sound of the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s with a mix of New Orleans jazz, Prohibition-era Chicago, Harlem Stride piano and big-city swing. Led by young Portland jazz lions Andrew Oliver and Scott Kennedy, this band will curl your toes.” ~The Oregonian
“Scott Kennedy and Andrew Oliver are almost punk-rock in their attitude about Traditional Jazz and bringing back it’s visceral nature.” ~Matt Fleeger, Director, KMHD Jazz Radio
“[R]etro-gazing is always a dicey proposition, running the risk of being precious, irrelevant, or, usually, both. But the Bridgetown Sextet pulls off their time-travel whimsy by emphasizing musical chops rather than mutton chops. Their tunes are the work of fantastic players, boasting excellent stride piano from both Scott Kennedy and Andrew Oliver (who also each do double duty on drums), strict tempo from guitarist Doug Sammons and bassist Eric Gruber, and just the right shade of sassafras from John Moak on trombone and David Evans on clarinet and sax. Their new album, The New Old Fashioned, ably captures this combustible energy.” ~The Portland Mercury
“America may have outlawed the sale of booze in the 1920s and early ’30s, but that only made the music swing, sway, jump and jive that much harder than when imbibing beer was legal. If you want to get a feel for what the Land of the Free sounded like when Jelly rolled and Armstrong growled, . . . check out The Bridgetown Sextet.” ~The Portland Tribune
“Favorites of Portland’s swing dancing scene, this is a band that knows how to get the feet flying, thanks to the pumping piano and dapper drums of co-founders Andrew Oliver and local Harlem stride specialist Scott Kennedy. ~Willamette Week
Bridgetown Sextet 