Stumptown Swing

Stumptown Swing takes audiences back to 1920s Paris, when gypsies with guitars, violins and upright basses made the leap from traditional French musette to American "hot jazz" and kept Parisians dancing to this evocative new sound.

Named after their hometown, Portland "Stumptown" OR, the quartet is closely associated with the network of Lindy Hop, Balboa and swing dance clubs that have made Portland a major center of the Swing Dance revival.  They are in demand as a live house band for the almost-nightly swing dance events throughout Portland.  In addition to Stumptown Swing's thumping dance-oriented set, the group frequently performs a concert set featuring a wider variety of tempos and styles, appearing at both jazz and world music festivals.

The band’s core is formed by Rio Con Brio partners Mike Burdette (guitar) and Tim Connell (mandolin).  They’re often joined by upright bass player Keith Brush and swing violinist Ben Blechman to form a quartet.  Stumptown also often features a rotating cast of Portland’s finest traditional swing musicians.  

The band’s sets feature a mélange of hot, cool and sultry classics, featuring hard-swinging grooves and gorgeous acoustic instruments played with intelligence and passion by four masters of their craft.  They love playing private events, swing dances and public concerts alike.