Joe Ross and the Bird Watchers

The Bird Watchers are a New Orleans style honky-tonk dance band led by Joe Ross featuring a front line of traditional jazz musicians and a rhythm section that grew up on rock 'n' roll. They combine the best of early jazz, old-time country and jump blues plus new tunes that keep that feeling. Joe, who is also in the Haggis Brothers, sings, plays harmonica and acoustic guitar.  He is backed by Sean Wheatley (Haggis Brothers) on stand-up bass, Kelly Van Camp (Juke House Hounds) on drums, and sometimes Rob Mitchell on piano. The band is fueled by a horn section comprised of Dixieland veteran Bert Bertram on trombone, Terry Rogers (Ain't No Heaven Seven) on saxophone, Seattle jazz legend Ronnie Pierce on clarinet (back in the day Ronnie actually played with such legends as Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstein, the Mills Brothers to name a few) and Mercer Island author Charles Neff on cornet.