Founded in 1975, Eight to the Bar is a jazz band based out of Northford, Connecticut that has been a strong contributor to the resurgences of swing music in the United States. Initially, however, the band began as a Western swing band full of more traditional country instrumentation, including pedal steel guitar. Over the years, the twangy guitars were traded for a brass section, and the roots of what is now known as Eight to the Bar took flight. The band pays homage to 1930s jazz swing not only in its lively music, but in everything it does, down to its members' clothing and stage banter. The commitment to genuinely trying to recreate an era has resonated with swing music fans and in 2010, Eight to the Bar was voted "Best Live Band" by Hartford Magazine.
