Western Swing Happy Hour with the Skiffle Minstrels

The Skiffle Minstrels is Buffalo’s only Western Swing group. The music is a fun, upbeat mixture of country, jazz, and blues. The band features the tunes of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Hank Williams Sr., The Boogie Woogie of Louis Jordan, as well as big band tunes with a country kick from Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington.

The group was voted Best Band of 2018 by the Sportsmens Americana Music Foundation and over the last 15 years, have received multiple popularity and “best of” awards from local publications and music organizations. They are regulars at the Sportsmens Tavern and have played everywhere in the area from The Colored Musicians Club to Nietzsches – as well as venues and festivals in Central NY, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The current lineup includes Buffalo Music Hall of Famer Jim Whitford on Steel Guitar, multi-instrumentalist Dave Mussen on Clarinet, Midwest Fiddler Chris Jones, veteran jazz and polka drummer Bill Hutchison and original members Phil Knoerzer on guitar and leader Paul Todaro on Upright Bass.