Founded in 2020, the Rhythm Wrecker Dance Band is a Portland, OR based swing and vintage jazz band led by drummer and swing dancer Eddie Montejo. Formed by dancers and for dancers, the Rhythm Wrecker Dance Band plays solid, four-to-the bar swing with a commitment to making authentic and energetic music for Lindy Hop - the quintessentially American dance created by the Black communities in Harlem, New York City giving physical form to the Swing Era (1933–1947). The Rhythm Wrecker Dance Band consists of Eddie Montejo (Drums), Breckenridge Cartwright (Double Bass), Alex Novie (Keys), Evan Landman (Electric Guitar), Jessica Hughes (Voice), Brad Davis (Trumpet), Bryant Buyers (Trombone), and Ray Griff (Tenor Sax).
The band is a staple of the regional swing scene playing for dancers up and down the I-5 corridor and recently headlined the 2023 Portland Lindy Exchange festival. In March 2023, the band began pre-production and recording at La Bija Factory of Sound in Portland, OR and is currently working on their first digital release. Stylistically, the band is inspired by the vintage sounds of Lionel Hampton, Louis Jordan, and Jimmie Lunceford with an emphasis on the brief but sweet 1940's "transition-era" sound that blended big band swing and jump blues, laying the foundation for what would become the original rock n' roll. The band pays loving tribute to the masterful Black and African American bandleaders and musicians of the time with adapted arrangements of well-known classics and lesser-known cuts like "Johnny Come Lately" (Ellington/Strayhorn), "Duck Fever" (Fred Jackson), and "I'm Rhythm Crazy Now" (Fletcher Henderson), conveying the spirit of Count Basie's famous line, "If you play a tune and a person don't tap their feet, don't play the tune!"
Notes on Seating: The Jack London provides two options for ticket purchasers. Reserved Seating is purchased on a table-by-table basis in the central part of the venue and is only available for select shows. Seating in the General Admission section is limited, first come first served, and may be standing room only.
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