The Free Loaders | Dallas Jazz, Swing, Blues & New Orleans Band

Bio

Like Tom Waits doing jazz standards.

The Free Loaders have been a Dallas band since 2012, led by gravel-voiced crooner John Jay Myers, who sings from behind the drum kit. The music runs from the 1920s to “Uptown Funk”: jazz standards, swing and jump blues, New Orleans second-line, and the funk and soul hits that get a room on its feet.

We read the room. We can play three hours of lounge-style jazz for a dinner crowd, three hours of party for a dance floor, or build from one to the other over the night. We're the house band at The Free Man Cajun Café & Lounge in Deep Ellum, and the lineup scales from a tight trio to an 8-piece with a full horn section. Our album Howl (2015) features originals like “Howl” and “Sweet Little Ella.”

“Patrons who frequent the venue know that when The Free Loaders are on stage, the room will move.” CraveDFW, Feb 11, 2026, calling the band The Free Man’s house band and “musical anchor”

Based in Dallas, TX
Playing since 2012
Dallas Observer cover, 2025
Dallas Observer Music Awards nominee, 2015
Singer-drummer: John Jay Myers
Trio to 8-piece
Album: Howl (2015)
House band, The Free Man

John Jay Myers outside The Free Man, 2626 Commerce St, Deep Ellum

Lineup & formats

Built to fit the room.

The core is a 5-piece. We can scale down for a patio or a cocktail hour, or bring the full horn section for a ballroom.

Trio

Drums and vocals, guitar and vocals, bass. Intimate, swinging, and easy to fit into a small room or a restaurant corner.

Standard lineup

Our everyday band: guitar, bass, sax and trumpet, with John Jay Myers on drums and lead vocals.

6–7

Expanded

Add keys and more horns for a bigger, more colorful sound on stages and at private events.

Full horn section

The big band sound: trumpet, sax, trombone and clarinet up front. Ideal for weddings, galas and corporate nights.

John Jay Myers singing from behind the drum kit — John on drums and lead vocals, at the same time.

Every chair has a subJohn keeps a trusted sub for every position, so the date you book is the date we play.

Sound & productionWe can bring our own sound system, and for larger events we’ll handle hiring the right sound for the room.

Sets & timingStandard pricing covers a 3-hour window with three 45-minute sets. Early load-ins or long waits before showtime (for example, arriving mid-afternoon to set up and playing hours later) are quoted separately.

The Free Loaders in a night second-line parade through Deep Ellum, with tuba, sax and costumed dancers — Second-line through Deep Ellum. Photos: Mike Brooks (commiebike.com)

New Orleans-style receptions

Second-line / marching option

Throw a New Orleans-style reception with a marching second-line band: drums, tuba and horns parading right through the party.

What we play

From Ellington to Earth, Wind & Fire.

A deep book that moves easily between eras. Here's a taste of what you might hear on a typical night.

Jazz standards

Crooner classics for dinner and cocktails.

Fly Me to the Moon
At Last
All of Me
Autumn Leaves
The Nearness of You
Feeling Good

Swing & jump blues

Big, bouncing, built for dancing.

Jump, Jive an' Wail
Caldonia
Sing, Sing, Sing
Minnie the Moocher
It Don't Mean a Thing
I Put a Spell on You

New Orleans

Second-line grooves and Crescent City soul.

When the Saints Go Marching In
St. James Infirmary
Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
What a Wonderful World
Deep Ellum Blues

Funk & soul

The dance-floor closers.

Superstition
September
Brick House
Uptown Funk
Play That Funky Music
I Feel Good

Plus instrumentals like Caravan, A Night in Tunisia and Misirlou, and our own originals. Have a first-dance song or a must-play? Ask us.

Photos

On the bandstand.

John Jay Myers singing with The Free Loaders — At the mic

John Jay Myers in a fedora with the full band behind him backstage — The band

John Jay Myers drumming under string lights — Under the lights

Sax, trumpet and trombone playing live — The horn line

John Jay Myers belting a song with The Free Loaders — Belting one out

The Free Loaders outside The Free Man in Deep Ellum — Outside The Free Man, Deep Ellum

Full band playing a packed room — Full band, full room

John Jay Myers drumming with the horn section behind him — Photos: Mike Brooks (commiebike.com)

The Free Loaders performing at Standard Pour — Standard Pour, Dallas

John Jay Myers singing, seen through the window of The Free Man Cajun Cafe & Lounge — Through the window at The Free Man

John Jay Myers drumming and singing on The Free Man stage, with sax behind him — On The Free Man stage

Hi-res photos available on request.

Press

On the cover of the Dallas Observer.

“The Free Loaders have earned their praise in this city. They haven’t been sitting around on their asses all these years.” Dallas Observer, 2015

Nominated for Best Jazz Act, Dallas Observer Music Awards 2015
alongside Snarky Puppy (the winner), Funky Knuckles, the One O’Clock Lab Band and Yells at Eels

Read the story 2015 awards list

Perfect for

Wherever people gather.

Public shows & festivals

A crowd-pleasing set for stages, patios and festival lineups.

Bars, clubs & restaurants

Seasoned house-band pros who know how to keep people ordering and staying.

Private parties

Birthdays, anniversaries and backyard blowouts, set to your crowd.

Corporate events

Polished background jazz for the mixer, a dance party for the after-party, or a marching band to wake up the sales meeting.

Weddings

Cocktail hour to last dance, plus an optional New Orleans second-line send-off.

Stages we've played

The Free Man Cajun Café & Lounge, Deep Ellum (house band)
Granada Theater, Dallas (opened for Rusted Root, Oct 2015, and Rebirth Brass Band, May 2016)
Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival, Richardson (2026)
Legacy Hall, Plano
Rollertown Beerworks, Frisco
The Double Wide, Dallas
Standard Pour and The Londoner, Dallas

Booking & contact

Let's make your night.

bookingthefreeloaders@gmail.com

Tell us your date, venue or city, the type of event, roughly how many guests, and the band size you have in mind. We'll send availability and a quote for your event. Based in Dallas and playing all over DFW. We also travel outside Dallas–Fort Worth, with travel quoted separately from our standard rates.

Book the band Download the EPK (PDF)

The EPK is a 6-page PDF with our bio, lineups, set list highlights, photos and press, ready to forward to your venue or planner.

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