UpFront Band

We just hosted a large technical conference in Portland and booked the UpFront Band to play during our banquet dinner cruise for nearly 300 people. Chris and his group played a wonderful selection of jazz classics and hit the perfect balance of having a solid sound but no too loud which allowed people to still have conversations on the same deck.

I was so glad that I could trust Chris and the band to be set up on time, prepared. They were accommodating to the venue needs when we were unable to use certain spaces at certain times. They were fun, lively, and extremely professional. The music was a delight. They truly helped make our wedding what I had always dreamed of as a girl. Thank you!

The UpFront jazz trio was a nice touch to our 2-hour reception!

Working with the upfront band was so easy, they were so punctual and kind. They were amazing musicians and even learned my parents wedding song to make their anniversary party that much more special. They had a huge list of music, set up all their stuff so quickly and nicely and I didn’t have to manage them at all. Thank you so much for an amazing event. We will definitely hire this band again for parties in the future!

They were great, provided an awesome atmosphere, and I recommend.

Upfront band were so good. They played exactly the kind of music I had asked for and were so considerate of us and our guests! Would definitely call on them again!

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!

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.

Would certainly hire them again - had a great experience!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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

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!

Excellent musicians , great coordination and an absolutely beautiful enviroment with this 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 :)

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!