ANDREW OLIVER’S BRIDGETOWN SEXTET OPENS SEASON SEPT. 20!
ANDREW OLIVER’S BRIDGETOWN SEXTET OPENS SEASON SEPT. 20! Tyson Stubelek, Eric Gruber, John Moak, David Evans, Andrew Oliver, Doug Sammons, and Sam Dechenne
By John Ochs
Get ready for an extraordinary afternoon of hot dancing, syncopated rhythm, and blazing brass! For our inaugural show of the 2026–27 season on September 20, we are proud to present Portland’s premier vintage-style hot-jazz collective, the Bridgetown Sextet. This will be the band’s fourth appearance in as many seasons.
The Bridgetown is a cohesive, long-standing unit whose members balance active performing careers with roles in music education, session work, and event production. This is a gathering of some of the best musicians in the Pacific Northwest, operating at the absolute peak of their powers.
Fresh off the main stages of the past year’s UK’s Whitley Bay International Jazz Fest, Monterey’s Jazz Bash By The Bay, Sedalia’s Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival and Davenport's historic Bix Beiderbecke Festival, pianist and bandleader Andrew Oliver brings his encyclopedic knowledge of Jelly Roll Morton, Harlem stride, Kansas City swing, and blues music straight to Seattle.
Supporting him is a powerhouse front line of horn men and rhythm makers featuring:
John Moak (trombone) has performed regularly in symphony orchestras, Broadway musicals, big bands, jazz ensembles, and recording studios since the 1980s, sharing stages with icons like Dave Brubeck, Aretha Franklin, and Ella Fitzgerald. Along the way he has taught at universities in Oklahoma, Florida and most recently at Portland State.
David Evans (clarinet/sax), another four-decade jazz man, has accompanied a wide range of performers including Gladys Knight, B.B. King, Mose Allison, and the Temptations. Currently on the faculty at Lewis & Clark College, he has served as an arranger and director of music shows in New Orleans (1986–94) and of lectures and workshops at the Smithsonian, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and at Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture.
Sam Dechenne (trumpet) returned to his native Portland a few years ago after making Boston his base while touring all over the world with a variety of ensembles as sideman, leader, arranger, and recording artist. Since his return, he has become a driving force behind Portland's live music revival as an event promoter and booking agent.
Doug Sammons (guitar, banjo, & vocals), co-leader of the Hot Lovin' Jazz Babies, has a deep background in traditional American string music and often pairs up for old-time vocal projects across the PNW. His rhythm anchors the ensemble's 1920s sound.
Eric Gruber (string bass), classically trained before transitioning into jazz, also performs with the folk- rock band Skybound Blue and the jazz trio All 4 Naught.
Tyson Stubelek (Drums) teaches jazz percussion at Portland University and privately at regional drum shops. He has toured with highly regarded international artists such as Danilo Perez and Esperanza Spalding.
To have a line-up of this caliber-fresh from the recording studio, hot off the national festival circuit, and steeped in decades of elite academic and commercial experience all converging at the Ballard Elks Lodge for the price of a modest admission ticket is exactly why jazz societies exist. PSTJS isn't just hosting a concert on September 20; you are hearing a masterclass in the living, breathing tradition of American Hot Jazz.
The Bridgetown avoids a "museum piece" approach. They treat early jazz exactly as it was born to be: raw, kinetic, joyful, and dangerously danceable. They will showcase material from their most recent album, delivering a living time capsule of 1920s and 30s Chicago, New Orleans, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Harlem jazz.
Bring your dancing shoes, enjoy the beautiful waterfront views of Shilshole Bay, and join us for a world-class afternoon of hot music! And bring a friend or two. By doing so, you'll do your part to keep traditional jazz alive in Seattle. Remember, those under 21 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult paying admission. Everyone is welcome!
