The Band

We come from various places and play with many and varied bands, but there is one thing we have in common:
A love of early jazz and a love for New Orleans. 
We are proud to carrying on New Orleans' tradition of
making fun, passionate music!

  Sherri Colby (vocals) grew up singing early jazz songs.  She began her career performing with the Blue Street Jazz Band and quickly earned acclaim for her ability to capture the stylistic nuances of American musics from the first half of the 20th century. For the last twenty years she has traveled extensively performing the music she loves and running several bands ranging in style from bumpy jazz to swing standards. In 2006, she relocated to New Orleans with her husband, Matty Bottel, and in between gigs she is finishing up her doctoral dissertation on traditional jazz culture in New Orleans.

  Matty Bottel (banjo, guitar) was given a banjo by his grandmother and by the time he was 11 he had his first gig.  Matty was trained in the vibrant Sacramento, CA, traditional jazz scene, and has toured with several traditional jazz groups across North America, including the renowned Cats-n-Jammers and Blue Street jazz bands. His love of the old styles is infectious and he has been mentored by some of the world’s finest plectrum banjo players. After relocating to New Orleans in 2006, his skillful chord-melody style instantly made him a banjo player in high demand.

  Jason Jurzak (string bass) was raised in a musical household with all forms of music surrounding him. His father, a well-known traditional jazz trombone player, instilled in Jason a love for the early styles of American music. A multi-instrumentalist and composer, Jason has traveled the world playing everything from reggae to ragtime, and his compositions can be heard on PBS, NPR, and radio stations worldwide. In 2007, his love of early jazz brought him to New Orleans where he has quickly become a popular musician in the Frenchman Street music scene and traditional jazz clubs around the city. He now works with a wide variety of New Orleans musicians--from Meschiya Lake to Bonerama--and can be heard most every night of the week.

  Ben Polcer (trumpet, piano) grew up at listening to jazz greats at his father’s famous New York music club, The Eddie Condon Jazz Club.  After finishing his music degree at Michigan, he performed a variety of genres in New York before moving to New Orleans to play the early jazz music he loves in its birthplace.  He plays with a variety of traditional jazz bands across the city including the local swing-dance heroes, the Loose Marbles. Ben is now running his own band, The New Orleans Six. He brings to every performance his passion for the collective ensemble style that makes the New Orleans jazz sound so distinct.

 Sam Rocha (guitar, bass) A native son of Fresno in California’s central valley, Sam Rocha has been in love with music since he can recall. In addition to studying jazz on the acoustic bass, Sam has also extensively studied jazz tuba and sousaphone. Sam has performed at major jazz festivals all across the United States and Canada. He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area where he is an in-demand free lance musician with a variety of bands including the Hot Club of San Francisco. He still finds time to travel with the highly esteemed Blue Street Jazz Band, playing jazz festivals and offering clinics for aspiring young jazz musicians.

  Bruce Brackman (clarinet) is a native New Orleanian and the son of Louisiana's own Sweet Kathleen. Born to a local musical family, Bruce was raised up playing traditional New Orleans jazz—at his mother’s club and across the city.  His unique sound makes his playing instantly recognizable and he is in constant demand. Bruce has played for several of New Orleans' most celebrated trad jazz and swing bands including the Jazz Vipers, the Cotton Mouth Kings and the Palmetto Bug Stompers, as well as with brass bands including the word-famous Tremé Brass Band.

  Nate Ketner (clarinet, sax) was always driven to play music. He began his music studies and apprenticeships in California's central valley and soon moved to Los Angeles to hone his skills in one of the most competitive music scenes in the US. Since 2005, he has played, written, and arranged for more than 50 different groups, ranging from Jazz, Country, and Latin to Hip Hop, Funk, and Soul. But no matter where his talent has taken him, he is always keen to return to his love:  traditional jazz and the New Orleans style. In addition to playing with the Blue Street Jazz Band, Nate leads his own trad and dance bands and has worked with many notable traditional jazz musicians including John Reynolds, Corey Gem, and Lee Westinhofer. 

  Richard Scott (piano, trombone) remembers hearing a Dukes of Dixieland record when he was small and, with his grandfather’s musical encouragement, he enveloped himself in the old styles. He completed his music degree at James Madison University and played all across the Eastern US before he came to settle in New Orleans. One of the city's finest stride pianists, Richard also plays a variety of older music styles on accordion, trombone, and tuba.  His musical journey came full circle when he became the pianist for the Dukes of Dixieland, playing on the Steamboat Natchez weekly.

Richie Levinson (washboard) is a native of Massachusetts and a graduate of the New York University music program. His fascination with the roots of American rhythms led him to travel throughout West Africa documenting local drumming styles. A diverse musician, Richie plays everything from American traditional jazz to contemporary African popular music. With many musical projects in the works, Richie is in constant demand and splits his time between New York and New Orleans.