The Courtesy Bandits

As young kids, many of our members perfected the art of playing out-of-tune power chords and tootling on wind instruments. After hearing each other at a high-school band recording session, jamming was demanded. They formed a strong group that was a self-proclaimed “splinter jazz ensemble,” made from the core musicias of a Jazz big band. Unlike the traditional Jazz combo, the Courtesy Bandis are heavily amplified, and exuberantly lyrical.
The Courtesy Bandits started in early 2009 when friends from middle school, all of whom participated in the elective rock band, (Ivey, Besessen, and the Lamports), met guitarist (Sharew) in jazz band their freshman year of high school. After months of dinking around, writing a few songs, and playing a number of small club gigs, the sextet was completed when vocalist (Lowman) joined to sing on the then newly composed song "Passing Me By". That fall, the band recorded their first EP "Class" with Isaac Slade of the Fray, as well as their recording engineer Joe Richmond, as prize for winning the Spare Parts battle of the bands that summer.