The South Seas Jazz Band from Bainbridge Island, WA

The South Seas plays jazz standards, Hawaiian instrumentals, Western swing, and mid-century pop — the music that lived somewhere between 1935 and 1965, filtered through a Pacific Northwest sensibility. At the center of the sound are a 1958 Fender Stringmaster lap steel and a vintage Fender Rhodes, surrounded by archtop guitar, bass, and brushed percussion. The result is warm, intimate, and entirely conversation-friendly — the kind of atmospheric music that sets a room rather than competes with it. Think Martin Denny. Think Arthur Lyman. The sophisticated cocktail-hour sound of another era, built around instruments most audiences have never heard live. Available as a duo, trio, or quartet for cocktail hours, weddings, wineries, private events, receptions, gallery openings, corporate functions, and community events throughout Western Washington. The band is based on Bainbridge Island and led by Jason Kuykendall, a Berklee-trained steel guitarist and 2025 NW-CMA Finalist. What to expect: entirely instrumental and volume-controlled — comfortable for conversation. The band arrives prepared and self-sufficient, with professional PA, all equipment, and setup/breakdown included. Sets run 45-60 minutes; multi-set background events run 2-3 hours. Sets can lean more Hawaiian, more jazz, or more Western swing depending on the room. Strong weekday and daytime availability. Recent venues: Eleven Winery, Art on the Green, Poulsbo Arts Festival, Liberty Shores Senior Living, Bainbridge Senior Living, and private events throughout Kitsap County.

• Now Is the Hour | Maori Traditional
• Tumbling Tumbleweeds | Bob Nolan
• Siboney | Ernesto Lecuona
• Ebb Tide | Robert Maxwell
• Harbor Lights | Jimmy Kennedy & Hugh Williams
• Sleepwalk | Santo & Johnny
• Cattle Call | Tex Owens
• Panhandle Rag | Leon McAuliffe
• Steel Guitar Rag | Bob Wills
• Don't Fence Me In | Cole Porter
• Hula Blues | Sonny Cunha
• Sand | Hawaiian Standard
• Pagan Love Song | Nacio Herb Brown
• Mapuana | Hawaiian Standard
• My Little Grass Shack | Hawaiian Standard
• South Sea Moon | Hawaiian Traditional
• Beyond the Reef | Jack Pitman
• Wave | Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Chloe | Neil Moret
• The Shadow of Your Smile | Johnny Mandel
• Just Friends | John Klenner
• After You've Gone | Turner Layton
• Nuages | Django Reinhardt
• Stardust | Hoagy Carmichael