Anytime I can catch these guys in town, we go to hear the Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band. My friend Paul Woltz is on soprano and bass sax and is jointed by a very relaxed Bert Barr who makes playing trumpet look easy.

The Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band is a Dixieland jazz band from the Bellevue, WA area. Started in 1971 by Bert Barr, it has performed continuously since that time now appearing at over 25 festivals and concerts annually throughout the United Stated and abroad. Major festivals include The Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, Sun Valley Swing & Dixie, The Great Connecticut Jazz Festival, San Diego Jazz Festival, Pismo Beach Jazz and America’s Festival in Lacey, WA held over the 4th of July weekend. The full seven piece band has a worldwide reputation having performed in Japan, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Mexico and Canada.

Their first album, "Your Requests" was released in 1985, and the band has since released at least fifteen albums. The last album, "Chattanooga Stomp" was recorded in 2007. (Wikipedia)

I took some still shots too with a new camera that I was trying out.

The crowds are packed in, dancers doing their thang, and kids clappin’ their hands. And the price was right as this is a free concert which is part of the Crossroads Bellevue Summer Music program. Having come from the Midwest where music night was held at the city courthouse fountain, this kind of presentation takes me back. I really like Crossroads Bellevue on a number of levels, including for their support of local music. Maybe I’ll see you there when my group, the Dissonance, takes the stage on Friday, 28 August.