The Skiffle Minstrels Trio at the Hotel Henry Summer Jazz Concert Series

The award-winning and popular Western Swing band The Skiffle Minstrels have entertained the WNY region for the past decade with their unique focus on Texas Swing Jazz Music.  Equally unique is the trio version of this popular group with a loyal fan base.  The Skiffle Minstrel Trio consists of Dave Mussen on Guitar and Clarinet, Chris Jones on Fiddle and Guitar, and Paul Todaro on Upright Bass and vocals.  They perform Western Swing classics and jazz standards in a light, loose and compact style.

Paul Todaro

Paul is a devoted follower of Hank Williams, Hank Thompson, Hank Locklin, Hank Penny, Hank Snow, and all the other Hanks of country music. He is a self-taught bass player and a founding member of The Skiffle Minstrels. Paul enjoys the challenge of writing music in specific styles. He has written several vocal scores for the plays of Bertolt Brecht, hours of incidental music for the theatre, commercial jingles as well as old-timey country, and western swing songs for The Skiffle Minstrels.

Dave Mussen

Dave “Lockjaw” Mussen is a multi-instrumentalist who enjoys writing and playing music in a variety of genres. In addition to playing with The Skiffle Minstrels, Dave is a member of the Robot Holiday collective, and can be found stompin’ around town with his clarinet in the 12/8 Path’s eclectic Afro-Latin parade band.

Chris Jones

Over the last ten plus years Chris has sang and played guitar and banjo in several Mid-western bluegrass groups including “The Whistlepig Stringband” and “Pochontas County.”  He enjoyed playing theaters, music camps and festivals all across the Mid West and Canada. Chris studied traditional music at Chicago Illinois’s Old Town School of Folk Music in the early 90’s  All along Chris has been a fan of old time fiddle music. “Truly one of my favorite things in life to make music that makes people dance.”

To support this series and other local series JazzBuffalo is presenting, we are making available the ability to contribute to the Keep Local Jazz Alive Fund. The fund will help cover the costs of the free summer outdoor live jazz presented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please donate a suggested amount of $3-$5 per person, if you can, to help us make local live jazz possible. You can contribute via PayPal or Venmo:

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Venmo: @Jazz249