Review Centre: Crooners

" Cheryl R. • September 3, 2019 Mom's 90th Birthday Surprise Party!!! Hiring Johnny to handle the entertainment for Mom's 90th Birthday party was one of the best decisions ever! From the first time I spoke to him on call #1 until the minute he left the party that night he was immediately welcoming and passionate about what he does...I instantly felt like I knew him for years! We are a large family as I am one of nine children and we have many many extended who were to join us that day...so coordinating all them and covering some special shout outs to Mom's musical liking to making us feel like family....he made the party! I did my homework before I hired him and trust me when I tell you he is the best at what he does...he knows what he is doing and he professional, understanding, accommodating and any other positive adjective you can think of! Her for sure will be our go to for future events! He should be at your as well!!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Giuliano Ligabue and his band brought a touch of timeless charm to our wedding, enchanting us with his captivating voice reminiscent of the great crooners of yesteryears. His performance not only added sophistication to the atmosphere but also resonated with the hearts of all present. Giuliano's professionalism was matched only by his warmth and amiable nature, making him not just an artist but a delightful presence at our celebration. For aficionados of swing and jazz, Giuliano is the ultimate choice. He transformed our wedding into a mesmerizing journey through musical elegance, leaving us with memories to treasure for a lifetime. Grazie mille, Giuliano, for making our day truly magical."

Reply by Giuliano Ligabue
Thank you immensely for your wonderful review Susy! It fills my heart with joy to know that my band and I could bring a touch of timeless charm to your wedding day. I'm thrilled that my performance resonated with everyone present and added sophistication to the atmosphere. Your kind words about my professionalism and warmth mean the world to me. It was a pleasure to be a part of your celebration and to create lasting memories through music. Grazie mille for choosing me—I'm truly honored.

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Barry was unbelievable! When we selected a touch of class for our wedding we knew we were going to get what we wanted, but we did not know that it was going to be 10 times better than we expected! absolutely everyone at the wedding was dancing and having the best time! Our wedding was perfect and Barry had everything to do with that! We gave them a genre of music to play and they accommodated it exactly how we wanted. We had a smaller wedding and they were able to put together the exact size ensemble for the space provided!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Just a short note to thank you ever so much for the great show and dance for us here at the HAG. I have waited until today to write this as we had a meeting on Wednesday and it confirmed everything that I told everyone about the upcoming show and dance. I was told, the band said this was the first time you have played in a hanger and I must say, the acoustics were awesome and the sounds were great even where I was sitting. At the time I thought you had more than enough on your plate but how in hell did you save the song "At Last" for the very last number. It was the very song I would have requested and it back to my Junior and Senior days in high school. Nuf said about that. Yup, I might have had a small tear in my eye, hearing the music, you absolutely stunning! And the Band, exceeded my expectations. Got to get you guys back—Rick Holland is just a splendid musician!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you Darren for a great evening we hope to see you again soon Had great feedback from customers brilliant voice. Thank you (10 / 10) Diane ( Anchor In Tideswell ) "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Stanley sang for our wedding in May 2019 and was a hoot. He really made the event special with his singing!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"With all the hype going to Wynton Marsalis, you might not guess that there are other, lesser-known, straight-ahead trumpet players out there who are consistently ripping the hide off the ball. This, Rick Holland's auspicious debut, is an impressive effort. The trumpeter leads his quartet, backed by a solid Michigan-based rhythm section: pianist Terry Lower, bassist Ed Fedewwa, and drummer Larry Ochiltree, through a fiery trail of originals and standards, interspersed with some fine balladry. Holland's sensitive ear translates to some tight arrangements and a well-organized program. On flugelhorn, he boasts a rich, full tone that purrs with warmth. On the faster tunes, he steams. This is the kind of jazz that feels just right on a wintry day, with the fireplace in full throttle, and the feet resting on a cushion: it hits the spot perfectly, drenched with emotional power and skillful fortitude. Steve Loewy, All Music Guide"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

" All Music Review Thom Jurek The title of this set is an apt one. While much of the music presented by the Rick Holland-Evan Dobbins Little Big Band, it hearkens back -- in terms of its sophistication, confidence and outright jazz literacy, not nostalgically -- to an era when progressive jazz, and big bands (this one numbering 10 pieces) flourished on the scene. This is one sophisticated outfit. Featuring the arrangement and compositional skills of Brent Wallarab, Jim Martin, Bill Dobbins and Kerry Strayer, this band struts out the tradition and make some joyous, complex, and elegant music that reflects its own unique identity. The résumés of all these players are impressive and reflected in the confidence of the date. It opens with "SUNY-Triangle," a Martin composition that works its artful sleight-of-hand over Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Triste." Martin uses the rhythmically complex samba and drapes some tough, knotty twists and turns over it. The intro is a beautiful and raucous wake-up call, while the head of the tune, with its staggered entrances and exits -- including some fine soloing by John Viavattine on tenor and John Nyerges on piano -- give this tune a unique identity. "Creature Comfort" is a beautiful mid-tempo ballad by Wallarab with edgeless yet multi-dimensional dissonances written into its harmonics. It swings beautifully and includes a fine, punchy solo by tenorman Glenn Cashman. Besides the originals, there are some fine readings here as well. There's Wallarab's arrangement of Duke Ellington's "Black and Tan Fantasy" that's a thoroughly modern exercise losing none of Ellington's humor or rhythmic complexity. Likewise, Gerry Mulligan's haunting, wee-hours, "Night Lights," is given expert treatment here by Strayer, and Dean Keller's baritone saxophone playing combines Mulligan's sense of lyric and Ben Webster's sense of time. In Time's Shadow reveals that innovation need not sacrifice accessibility or swing. It is convincing evidence that the big band form is alive, well and full of surprises."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you for singing for us at The Woolpack yesterday afternoon! We all enjoyed your performance and the selection of music was really lovely! My friends especially loved it, they came down especially for the jazz music! We would love to have you appear again at some time for us."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thanks for last night. You absolutely smashed it. There's a lot of praise coming from the club for you. Thanks again" Bike Club , Mailin Bridge , 2017 (10 / 10) Bike club"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Sarah travelled to Settle to sing at my mum's funeral last week and her vocals were amazing and added so much. She helped me with the song choices, singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow during the service and Nella Fantasia unaccompanied at the graveside as well as leading on hymns and songs during the service. From the first time we spoke her warmth and compassion was clear and really helpful to me. As for her vocal, her voice is simply stunning and it added so much to the occasion, everyone there was deeply moved by them. I know my mum would have loved and it helped to make her send off so beautiful. Thanks so much Sarah for being part of it. Debbie Fox"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"A brilliant singer song writer who brings joy to everyone This brilliant young jazz singer excellently brought joy to the audience with a great manner and etiquette. While songs were greatly presented, the best part was he accepted song requests from audiences (he doesn't even need to look at the music; professional). If you look for a jazz band with a great singer for corporate events or some special moments with live music, you won't regret calling John."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for coming along to our event. Loved your music. My friends partner actually said he was gutted when you finished as he loved every song you were playing! Happy to give you a glowing review ! Kylie :) "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Vince is a consummate professional and engaging with the audience!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Huge Thank you to Darren Newbould for a fabulous evening of amazing music! You are just awesome! (10 / 10) Caroline"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: