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Back to Jazz Bands
UpFront Band

UpFront Band

4.96 
(22 reviews)
  • Portland, OR
  • Jazz Band
  • Travels up to 90 miles
  • Three hrs: Duo=$450 up to 5-piece=$1400 (varies)
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Steve Burpee (sax) and Chris Bidleman (piano) provides a wide range of music styles and can perform as a duo in nearly any setting.

Photo of the UpFront quartet that features Steve on Sax, Chris on Keyboards and vocals, Robert on drums and Ed on bass

4-piece band performing at fund raiser

The 4-piece playing at a wedding reception in The Dalles, OR

Steve Burpee (sax) and Chris Bidleman (piano) provides a wide range of music styles and can perform as a duo in nearly any setting. Here they are performing for a wedding at Silcox Hut on Mt Hood Oregon.

The trio playing at a roaring 20's party at a senior living facility

UpFront playing at private party outdoors near their pond

UpFront quartet performing at Maryhill Winery in Goldendale, WA on the terrace.

UpFront quintet performing at company Christmas party in the Portland City Grill in downtown Portland, OR.

UpFront quartet performing at English Estates winery in Vancouver, WA in outdoor concert for their guests. Ed Couture is sitting in with us on bass. Robert Schultz is playing a cajon drum that provides a much smaller footprint and lower sound levels for i

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Media Overview Reviews Booking Info
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Overview

UpFront Band is a versatile musical group and solo performers that have provided live music for events and weddings throughout Oregon and Washington. Their focus is on Jazz (smooth, standards, swing), Latin, ballroom dance and their own twist on classic rock-n-roll, roaring 20's, oldies and pop songs for receptions and classical music for wedding ceremonies. We will tailor our performance to your needs at reasonable rates.
Chris Bidleman (keyboard & vocal) and Steve Burpee (sax & vocal) the founders of The UpFront have been playing music together since Jr High. In 2002 they formed the Portland/Vancouver based band "UpFront". They are joined by Robert Schultz on drums and Ed Couture on bass.


22 Reviews

Verified Review
Brittany B. • December 18, 2020

Great variety, an awesome time!

Wow, what a great time. Steve and Christ played the night away for my husbands birthday. We got to hear a variety of jazz and were completed blow away. We cant say thank you enough for making a special night unforgettable!

Hired as:
Classical Duo, Easy Listening Band, Latin Jazz Band, Saxophone Player, Jazz Band
Verified Review
John K. • December 14, 2019

Perfect Professionals

They were so professional, I didn’t have to worry about any details with them. They totally set the mood of the party. They were perfect for this event.

Hired as:
1920s Era Entertainment
Verified Review
Kate H. • December 9, 2019

Great music and wonderful to work with!

Would certainly hire them again - had a great experience!

Hired as:
Jazz Band
Verified Review
Mallory B. • December 6, 2019

Wonderful Music

UpFront Band played wonderful jazz music for our annual Holiday Party. They were extremely professional, friendly, and easy to work with. I highly recommend this band!

Hired as:
Jazz Band
Erica P. • August 15, 2019

Friendly, Professional, Punctual and Great Music!

UpFront Band was amazing to work with. Chris was responsive and helpful during the planning process. On the day of the event they were punctual, friendly, and their music was fabulous. Our clients loved the event and the fact that they could request songs. Thank you UpFront!

Hired as:
Swing Band, Jazz Band
Carol R. • October 15, 2018

Jazz Duo Provides Perfect Ambiance

Prompt, professional, and perfect! We hired UpFront to provide a jazz duo to set the mood during a silent auction fundraiser. It couldn't have been better.

Hired as:
Jazz Band
Aileen W. • March 19, 2018

Up Front Band ROCKS!

Chris and the guys performed for our St. Paddy's Day Party and were just terrific. My guests thoroughly enjoyed everything about the group. Up Front Band were highly engaged with my folks and kept the music lively and festive for the party. I would highly recommend for any function you may looking to have some great live music played. They were punctual and highly communicative prior to the event. Pleasure to work with! Thanks guys!

Hired as:
Jazz Band
Verified Review
Noreen L. • January 29, 2018

PERFECT AND WONDERFUL

The Upfront Band was a perfect fit for my husband's Celebration of Life event! He wanted a Louisiana Jazz style theme. Chris and Steve provided exactly the music my husband would've wanted also throwing in a few other pieces that represented his life. Chris also explained a little history behind a Louizanna style funeral prossessional so people understood the flow of music.
The Upfront Band was the Best fit for my Event!!!!
Thank you Chris and Steve

Hired as:
Jazz Band
Verified Review
Jennifer F. • December 23, 2017

wonderful tonthe ears

It was great having the Chris finthe house with holiday Isis on a lovely piano that mevet gets used. Your website was easy to use. Thank you!

Hired as:
Pianist
Verified Review
Teresa Z. • July 27, 2017

Wonderful !!!

Excellent musicians , great coordination and an absolutely beautiful enviroment with this band!!

Hired as:
Pianist, Swing Band, Wedding Band, Jazz Band
Randa K. • June 20, 2017

I could dance all night long with the UpFront Band

I rented a small hall and hired this band to celebrate the graduations for myself and my son. Chris was great to work with. His message to me was 'this is your party and our band will accomodate whatever you like.' He sent me out a list of their pieces and I could choose the order of them if I wanted. I could also request the type of music that I prefered.
Their performance consisted of a sax and piano/voice with a synthesized drum. We had background music with dinner and danced following to absolutely great music. The band even stayed later because our party had a late start. They are really great performers who are personable and a pleasure to hire. I highly recommend this band although I hesitate to make this public statement in case they will be booked when I want them to play for our next occasion :)

Hired as:
Pianist
Natalia • June 4, 2017

Amazing Group!

Five stars all the way! Talented, great to work with, wonderful variety, punctual, proffessional and classy! Made our Gatsby themed party one to remember! So accommodating and even dressed to era;p Thank you for all you did to make our anniversary so sweet!

Hired as:
1920s Era Entertainment
Brad G. • August 2, 2016

Great wedding swing band!

Chris and the UpFront Band performed for our wedding reception. They performed as a 5-piece jazz/swing combo. They were outstanding! We are swing dancers and we wanted the music to swing. They delivered exactly what we requested. They sounded great and were fun and professional. During the planning process, I corresponded with Chris by e-mail. Chris was easy to work with, responsive to our requests, and ready with ideas and suggestions. I highly recommend the UpFront Band for special events for dancers and jazz lovers.

Hired as:
Swing Band
Verified Review
Misty • August 1, 2016

UpFront Band gets a thumbs up

I am the event coordinator for a large retirement community and I Hired UpFront band for my "Welcome to the Speakeasy" 1920's party. I was originally a bit worried about hiring a band with no singer. It really ended up not being necessary. The music on it's own was perfect. The residents tapped their toes and got up and danced, and told me all night long how much they where enjoying the party and the music. The band showed up on time and ready to play in no time. I will be hiring them again.

Hired as:
Jazz Band
Adeena W. • June 14, 2016

The Best of the Best!

I booked Steve and Chris (jazz duo) for the 2016 Portland Rose Festival Kick-Off Party that is held annually for Festival sponsors, partners and friends. I cannot speak highly enough of these two--not only were they an absolute pleasure to work with in getting them booked for the party, but they were a huge talking point at the party itself! They were such a huge hit. Every party attendee I talked to just raved about the outstanding music they were hearing--everybody loved the band! I would highly recommend UpFront for any occasion that is need of some seriously amazing tuneage!

Hired as:
Jazz Band
Verified Review
Johnmark G. • May 11, 2016

Great Band for Weddings, Celebrations and Parties

UpFront Band is the consummate wedding band. Specializing in jazz, their playlist is varied, including swing, old time rock 'n roll, pop, and even country. They follow the response of the crowd, and take requests. The guests have raved about their music, and the band was a major factor in our reception dinner and dance being a real party. They corresponded with us by email to get a sense of what we wanted, and accommodated our special requests... and were patient with some indecisiveness and changes of mind on our part. They provided a specific quote, and stuck to it, and were willing to stay for extra sets if the party went overtime, for an hourly rate. Not only that, these were just nice guys, who wanted to make sure we made memories to last a lifetime, and that everyone at our party had fun.

Hired as:
Oldies Music, Swing Band, Wedding Band, Jazz Band
Rachael D. • January 11, 2016

My Winter Wedding

I asked Chris to perform at my wedding ceremony on short notice and he did an amazing job. His timing was perfect for when I came down the aisle and I was so happy with how beautiful it was.

Hired as:
Pianist
Michael W. • December 22, 2014

Great wedding band for ballroom dancing

We hired Up Front for our wedding in early December 2014. Attentive, friendly, great repertoire, classy in dress and style, They have the talent to perform many different genres which is important for a wedding with guests aging 2-95. My wife and I like dancing, ballroom, Latin, blues and rock n roll; and they delivered. Not only was the music and talent outstanding but working with them through the whole seamless process was easy. We had seen them at 3 previous events and in all they were a hit and pleasant to listen and dance to. We highly recommend Up Front for any function! Everybody loved them.

Hired as:
Wedding Band
Verified Review
Laura B. • April 9, 2014

Upfront was the magic ingredient for a perfect party!

I hired Upfront to play for a ballroom dancing crowd...and was impressed with their talent! They were incredibly flexible with music selections, great at taking requests and brought great energy to our party. I would definitely hire them again!

Hired as:
Jazz Band
Carol • April 7, 2014

UpFront band was perfect for our event.

The UpFront band was fabulous for a our company event. Their choice of songs were perfect for our group. They were very professional and a pleasure to work with.

Hired as:
Jazz Band
Lucy G. • January 22, 2014

Impressed!

UpFront Band played for our company holiday party at Aquariva Restaurant on January 18, 2014. From the start, the band was quick to respond regarding services, pricing, and availability. I mainly coordinated with band member, Chris Bidleman, and he immediately established a trust that I could count on.

We decided to choose the four-piece configuration (keyboard, drums, sax, and guitar), and it was well worth it! All of the band members were friendly and eager to please; they followed our event timeline perfectly and took requests with ease.

I highly recommend UpFront Band to anyone who is planning an event, and I look forward to using them again in the future.

Hired as:
Jazz Band
Donna H. • January 21, 2014

Awesome Band!!!

The UpFront Band recently played at the Clark County Wedding Show and they are fantastic. Friendly, personable, easy to work with and extremely talented musicians! We look forward to working with them again and again!

Hired as:
Jazz Band, Wedding Band

+ 18 More Reviews

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Booking Info

  • Profile
  • Calendar
  • Personnel
  • Set List
  • Setup Requirements
  • Social

Price Range: Three hrs: Duo=$450 up to 5-piece=$1400 (varies)

Gig Length: 120 - 300 minutes

Languages: English

Insurance: Yes

Website: Visit website

Phone Number: Call

About

UpFront is a versatile musical group and solo performers that specializes in professional, live music and entertainment for any special occasion. Whether your special day brings together family from many age groups or your company wants to impress with top-notch entertainment, UpFront can help to make it an event you’ll always remember. Our band brings over 70 years of combined professional performing experience together in a way that adds a touch of class to any event.
Chris Bidleman (piano, keyboards, vocals) and Steve Burpee (saxophones, vocals), the founders of the band, have been playing music together since junior high school and in 2002 formed UpFront. Chris and Steve are joined by Robert Schultz on drums and are often fused together with good friends Ed Couture on bass and Larry Pindar on guitar. UpFront can provide different configurations of musicians--a duo of piano and sax for small events or wedding ceremonies, a jazz trio for the company meetings or a larger band that can get people out of their chairs and dancing to swing, latin, R&B and classic rock & roll.
UpFront has been featured on Portland's KINK.FM local music spotlight radio show. While we often focus on Jazz, there are no single labels to describe the wide range of musical styles we can perform. We can play oldies and pop tunes from every decade. We love to play cultural favorites, seasonal standards, and even classical music. Our play list currently has well over 400 songs, but we can play many, many more and we love to take song requests from the audience.
Your satisfaction is our first commitment. We can perform as a solo, duo, trio or larger band to meet your needs and budget. We will travel within the States of Washington and Oregon but are based in the Portland, OR / Vancouver, WA area.
Please enjoy listening to our sample music online at our website. Your satisfaction is our first commitment. UpFront would love to be part of your special event and to personally tailor a performance to your specific needs at reasonable rates. Please feel free to call or email anytime.

Services Offered

Jazz Band 1920s Era Entertainment 1930s Era Entertainment Bossa Nova Band Classical Duo Dixieland Band Easy Listening Band Funeral Music Latin Jazz Band New Orleans Style Entertainment Oldies Music Pianist Saxophone Player Swing Band Wedding Band

Past Booked Events

December 17, 2020 • 6:00pm - 7:30pm Birthday Party
December 12, 2019 • 6:30pm - 8:00pm Corporate Event
December 08, 2019 • 4:00pm - 6:00pm Christmas Party
December 05, 2019 • 5:00pm - 8:00pm Christmas Party
January 27, 2018 • 3:30pm - 4:30pm Funeral/Memorial Service
December 21, 2017 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm Christmas Party
July 22, 2017 • 3:00pm - 6:00pm Wedding Reception
July 22, 2016 • 4:00pm - 8:00pm Dinner Party
June 18, 2016 • 12:00pm - 2:30pm Nonprofit Event
April 16, 2016 Wedding Reception
June 06, 2015 House Party
August 30, 2014 Funeral Service
April 04, 2014 Private Party

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Set List

Sample songlist of styles. Well over 400 songs in our book:
JAZZ STANDARD
All of Me - Simons & Marks
Beyond The Sea - Bobby Darin
Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra
Misty - Erroll Garner
New York, New York - Frank Sinatra
Over The Rainbow - Harburg and Arlen
Satin Doll - Duke Ellington
Star Dust - Hoagy Carmichael
Summertime - Gershwin / Heyward
Take Five - Paul Desmond / Dave Brubeck

CONTEMPORARY JAZZ
Affirmation - Jose Feliciano
Feels So Good - Chuck Mangione
Harlem Nocturne - Hagen & Rogers
Mister Magic - Grover Washington
Morning Dance - Spyro Gyra
Revelation - Perry & Ferrante
Shaker Song - Spyro Gyra
Spooky - David Sanborn
The In Crowd - Ramsey Lewis
Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock

CLASSICAL & MUSICALS
Ave Maria - JS Bach
Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin - Wagner
Canon in D - Pachelbel
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - JS Bach
Themes from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart
Trumpet Tune - Purcell
Wedding March - Mendelssohn
I Dreamed A Dream - Les Miserables
Music Of The Night - Phantom of the Opera
Tonight - West Side Story

CULTURAL FAVORITES
Beer Barrel Polka - Brown, Timm, Zeman - Polka
Danny Boy - Traditional - Irish
Hawaiian Wedding Song - Traditional - Hawaiian
Irish Washerwoman - Traditional - Irish
La Vien Rose - Traditional - French
Lovely Hula Hands - Traditional - Hawaiian
MacNamar's Band - Traditional - Irish
O Sole Mio (My Sun) - De Capua - Italian
Tarantella - Traditional - Italian
Volare - Domenicio Modulas - Italian

POP, R&B
Another Star - Stevie Wonder
Classical Gas - Mason Williams
Copacobana - Barry Manilow
Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding
Fields of Gold - Sting
I Feel Good - James Brown
Just The Way You Are - Billy Joel
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett
Mercy, Mercy Me - Marvin Gaye
Pick Up The Pieces - AWB
Saturday In The Park - Chicago
Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond

CLASSIC ROCK
Bennie and the Jets - Elton John
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
Brown Sugar - Rolling Stones
Desperado - Eagles
Feelin' Alright - Joe Cocker
Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis
In The Midnight - Wilson Pickett
Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry
Let It Be - The Beatles
Peg - Steely Dan
Sea Of Love - Phil Phillips

SWING
Chattanooga Choo Choo - Gordon / Warren
Come Fly With Me - Van Heusen / Cahn
In The Mood - Glenn Miller
Kansas City - Various
Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller
Orange Colored Sky - Nat King Cole
Pennies From Heaven - Burke / Johnston
Puttin' On The Ritz - Irving Berlin
Stompin At The Savoy - Chick Webb
Take The "A" Train - Duke Ellington

LATIN
Besame Mucho - Velazquez
Black Orpheus - Louis Bonfi
Blue Bossa - Dorham
Corcovado (Quiet Nights) - Jobim
Girl From Ipanema - Jobim
Night and Day - Cole Porter
One Note Samba - Jobim
Spain - Chick Coreaa
Sway - Luis Demetrio
Summer Samba - Sergio

Team

Chris Bidleman Keyboards, piano, vocals - leader
Steve Burpee Steve Burpee — Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Alto Sax, vocals - leader
Robert Schultz Drums, percussion, cajon
Ed Couture Electric & Upright Bass, vocals
Larry Pindar Guitar, flute, sax, vocals

Setup Requirements

Cover for outdoor event is preferred

Electrical Power within 100 feet of performance area

Social

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