The Uptown String Band: Ready to Strut for Southampton

Bringing their unique brand of Philadelphia String Music to Southampton Days, the Uptown String Band will occupy the Lion's Grove for nearly two hours on Tuesday, July 5th.   

Based out of Hulmeville for the past three decades , the Uptown String Band got their start all the way back in 1937 in Northeast Philadelphia.  They first performed in the city's annual Mummer's Parade in January 1938. 

Russell Coleman is the president of the Uptown String Band and plays the saxophone in the band. 

While he hasn't been around since the beginning,  he has seen his fair share of parades and concerts with the band.  Coleman, who's been a part of Uptown String for close to 30 years now, remembers playing Southampton Days as a kid.

"It's been quite a long time since we did Southampton Days though," he said.

Playing up and down the east coast from June all the way through to the New Year's parade, he said it's not always realistic for the band to make an appearance at Southampton's yearly celebration. 

"They've probably used a handful of different string bands throughout the years," said Coleman, referring to the Southampton Days Committee.  "This year it just happens that we're available on July 5th." 

And he's more than happy for the opportunity to be bringing the band back, this time at the helm. 

"We're excited to play so close to home, to put on a concert for people nearby," Coleman said.  "We probably do about 50 to 60 performances a year.  But we kind of pride ourselves on being the last Philadelphia-style string band in Bucks County. It's nice to have a chance to do a big show in the area."

Incorporating elements of swing, jazz, and big band into their performances, the Uptown String Band's music harkens back to the sound of yesteryear, back to the days of their inception.

"It's the old standards of our grandpops' days," said Coleman when discussing the band's repertoire.  "Upbeat, happy music - it's just stuck for 100 years."

Although the full 60-100 piece band that usually walks the Mummer's parade won't be in attendance for the Southampton concert, Coleman expects quite a large showing from Uptown String’s members.

"We'll probably have anywhere from 25-30 performers at Southampton Days," Coleman estimated.  "Enough to give us that full Philadelphia string band sound."

And if you happen to like what you hear, joining Coleman and his troupe isn't as hard as one might think.  

"It doesn't matter your level or experience," he said. "Anyone can be a Mummer."

The group gathers to practice every Tuesday night at the WIlliam Penn Firehouse in Hulmeville. Coleman invites anybody who is interested to attend an open rehearsal and try out.

"We always have a lot of fun, especially when we're playing out locally for our friends and people in the community," he said.

You can catch the Uptown String Band performing live on the Lion's Grove stage from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday July 5.