Eight to the Bar

Hi, there! Thanks for your interest in Eight to the Bar! Here's some current information about us:

This has been a very exciting year for Eight to the Bar! We've been together full-time for 48 years, have released 13 CDs, and are a well-known regional nightclub and private party band on both the East and West Coast as well as Europe, where we recently completed a tour of the Republic of Georgia at the invitation of the U.S. Embassy located there. We have been named "Best Live Band 2018" by Hartford Magazine (as well as "Best Live Band 2010"), "Best Band 2008" by Connecticut Magazine who has also named us "Best Vocal Group 2007 & 2006" and "Best Dance Band 2005".

Although we are known throughout the US and Europe as a swing band, we have been playing at weddings and private parties for years now. In fact, if you look at the "Show Dates" page, you'll see the word "private" very frequently and that word almost always refers to a wedding, corporate party or fundraiser.

For weddings and private parties we play a danceable mix of classic Motown, swing, classic rhythm & blues, forties standards, and some funk, highlighted by our four-part vocal section; (five of the six musicians double on vocals). The group has enough material to play an entire night of mostly Motown/classic rhythm & blues or mostly swing (or a mix of the two) depending on your preference.

To see our full wedding repertoire click here:

To hear our wedding demo click on any of the songs below

Just be/files/785740/currentweddingrepertoireforJanuary2024low the wedding demo is a video of us playing classic R&B/Motown and below that, a video of us playing swing.

Among the band's distinguished musicians is Collin Tilton, Van Morrison's original saxophone/flute player who appears on his quadruple platinum-selling  Moondance album (see Biography page).

When playing at weddings and private parties, we play up to 200 minutes of music, typically spread out over a 4-hour time  frame and broken up into three 60-65 minute sets with 2 breaks (one 25-minute dinner break + one 15-minute break later on) during which we provide and play CDs (or an IPod) so that you're never without music once we start. (We can also structure the sets differently , so long as they don't exceed 200 minutes of music). If you need material other than what is in our repertoire (for example, more contemporary music or a greater variety of musical styles than what we play), we can customize an iPod or CD of all your favorite songs at no extra charge and play it during the breaks. If you prefer to make your own iPod or CD, we'll be glad to play it on our iPod or CD player during the breaks.

Should you need music for a cocktail hour, we have a duo within the band (saxophone and keyboard) that can play an hour or more of background instrumental jazz. The full band is also able to offer overtime should you need it.

For current pricing, please call us at 203-484-4749 or email us at ettb2@comcast.net. We are willing to travel anywhere; prices will be affected by how far we have to go.

If you like our music, the next step would be to see the group live if possible (see the Show Dates page) and then finally go to contract.

Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions or problems.

We'd love to play for you!

All the Best,

Cynthia Lyon, founder/band leader/keyboard player

Eight to the Bar

To see our full wedding repertoire click here

To hear our wedding demo click on any of the 19 songs below (scroll down)

Just below the wedding demo is a video of us playing classic R&B/Motown and below that, a video of us playing swing.