The Bumper Jacksons

The Bumper Jacksons are a big, fat party. Hot and sweet, their early jazz and country repertoire paints America's story from New Orleans' brothels to Appalachian hollers. Unafraid to scrap together new sounds from forgotten 78's, the Bumper Jacksons boldly and elegantly balance paying homage to the traditions while fashioning their own unique, DIY style. Recognized as the region's "Best Traditional Folk Band" at the 2013 Washington Area Music Awards, the Bumper Jacksons re-imagine American roots music with both power and tenderness.

A Bumper Jacksons show is an exciting blend of the traditional and non-traditional; contemporary lyricism and form is coupled with the early sounds of western swing, street jazz, bluegrass and country blues. Their expansive roots repertoire and unique instrumentation will delight Americana enthusiasts of both traditional and progressive leanings. Trombones battle clarinets and kazoos. Playful, genre-exploding originals pepper their sets. Jess Eliot Myhre is a vocal powerhouse, rooted deeply in the study of early blues singers, and she is capable of surprising dexterity and vulnerability when she wants to break your heart. The big-bearded Chris Ousley balances this with a heavy dose of punk rock energy and humor - his "mouth horn," unpredictable falsetto interludes and originals like the "Bacon Adoration" keep the shows light, fresh and funny. Bursting at the seams with some of the richest threads of old America, Bumper Jacksons bring you into the center of a party where everyone's invited and the dance floor never sleeps.