Drawing its musical influences from American roots music - swing, boogie woogie, rhythm & blues, soul, Motown, - Eight to the Bar is known for its outstanding instrumentalists and sophisticated musical and vocal arrangements, highlighted by female vocals.
With the support of independently-produced albums and videos, Eight to the Bar has cultivated a large, enthusiastic following that has put them in clubs from Disneyland to Disney World as well as Europe and the Carribean. Their rigorous performing schedule (approximately 200 dates per year), has included opening spots for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Manhattan Transfer, Robert Cray, Neil Young, Roy Orbison, and Ray Charles.

Listening to Eight to the Bar is a lot like driving along a time-warped highway precisely halfway between Count Basie's Kansas City and the Supremes' Detroit, where the car radio picks up everything from "Take the A Train" to "I heard it Through the Grapevine." Their material, like their outlandish wardrobes and onstage choreo, is a colorful mixture of forties jive, fifties melodrama and sixties Motown.

Tom Smith, New Haven Advocate

"You Call This Swing?", Eight to the Bar's ninth record, was released in August of 2005. The CD features 12 of the world's best-known classic rock tunes, completely recreated and reinterpreted as swing tunes.

EIGHT TO THE BAR  is:

Keyboards, vocals

The band's founder and leader, Cynthia is ETTB's primary songwriter and arranger. She has also played with Amyl and the Icons and The Dirty Blondes of New York City.

Tenor and alto saxophones

Best known for his sax and flute playing on Van Morrison's million selling Moondance album, Collin also played with Etta James on the Rolling Stones 1978 U.S. Tour. Most recently, he served as horn arranger with Clarence Clemons and the Red Bank Rockers and has worked with a number of regional bands, notably the Shaboo All Stars. .

Vocals, percussion

The newest member of ETTB, Charmagne is a native of Hartford, CT and is currently studying voice at Hartford Conservatory. She has 3 CDs of mostly original r&b to her credit and has performed with Sean "P Diddy" Combs at his 3rd Annual All-Star Festival in Cancun, Mexico as well as opening for Brian McKnight, Deborah Cox, and Roy Ayers, to name a few. When ETTB is not working, she can be found at The Russell in Hartford, leading her own band, Neo Soul/Smooth R&B trio The NewSoul, or running a Monday night poetry event there. www.charmagne.net

Guitar, vocals

Tommy's exciting guitar playing and powerful singing is well known to New England audiences through his work with several New England bands, notably Cyclone Scotty. Tom also leads his own blues rock band, Tommy Whalen & the Ragged Edge.

Drums, percussion.

A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Shawn currently resides and teaches drums in Boston. Besides leading his own bands, he has toured extensively throughout the US and Europe and has played with a number of swing and classic r&b bands, notably Toni Lynn Washington, Eddie Kirkland and Johnnie Marshall.

Bass Guitar, vocals

A veteran bass player and teacher, Mike is best known for his dazzling work with Magill-LaPine jazz quartet, and a voice that can range from do-wop bass to swing soprano in the vocal trio.