Review Centre: Jazz Bands

"A wonderful evening on Friday 6 April in Kulturhuset Bølgen with Brazilian music that made the temperature rise to well over 30 degrees and the feeling of being in the middle of the beaches in Rio. A great master and composer - Jesper Hedegaard is just so deeply rooted in his material that Brazilian should be written as a nationality in his passport... Alexander Kraglund is a master of his instruments, violin, viola and harmonica, and the Brazilian supplement with bassist Sidiel Vieira and drummer Celso de Almeida makes it all complete. The concert was recorded for RadioJazz.dk"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Definitely the best "surprise" of the day. Strettino Jazz Band were fantastic during all the different phases of the wedding, from the ceremony to the cutting of the cake! The guys are absolutely fantastic and accommodated my every request. I would get married again just to hear them live again and enjoy them more! Absolutely highly recommended!!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"After just completing out wedding in Positano, Italy, we can’t speak highly enough of the crew at Good Time Soul Foundation and would highly recommend them. Importantly, everyone loved the music played by Good Time, meaning we had everyone up dancing all through the night, really enjoying themselves. The band were incredibly lovely and accommodating and just wanted my wife and I to enjoy our special day. Despite the fact that it was raining heavily during the ceremony, they stood out in the rain and played an acoustic set for us (we didn’t even need to ask). We worked with Good Time Soul F. for a number of years as our wedding was delayed many times due to COVID (initially from May 2020 to May 2023). In all of our dealings with Good Time, they were very prompt to reply and incredibly flexible/accommodating. In fact, despite our venue being difficult around certain issues, Good Time Soul Foundation communicated with them in the background and just reverted when things were resolved. Finally, no request for Good Time Soul F. was too large. Upon our request, they sang specific songs in Italian, they learned new songs, excluded songs from their playlist, etc. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"One of the greatest to ever grace the music space, we're thankful for her talent and will forever be indebted to her for her passion. The Kick-Back Tshwane FM 93.6 loves her to the moon and back."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Jack Bowers The Rick Holland—Evan Dobbins Little Big Band Trilby RPO Productions Five years after a sensational opening act (In Time's Shadow, 2006), trumpeter Rick Holland and trombonist Evan Dobbins have returned for an encore, Trilby, marshaling as before their irrepressible Little Big Band. As was noted of that earlier recording, "the only thing small about [this band] is its numbers." Baritone saxophonist Dean Keller, who shared that chair with Kerry Strayer on Shadow, also returns. The rest of the lineup is brand new, with Evan Dobbins' dad, the well-known educator Bill Dobbins (Eastman School of Music), replacing the splendid pianist John Nyerges. Besides shining at the keyboard, Bill Dobbins wrote "My Darling Darlene" and arranged half of the album's other ten numbers. Although he doesn't play this time around, Strayer composed "Rich's Call" and arranged Sonny Stitt's "Eternal Triangle" and Oscar Pettiford's "Tricotism," while Brent Wallarab wrote "Trilby" and arranged Benny Golson's "Stablemates." Bill Dobbins' engaging charts brighten three originals by Hendrik Meurkens—"Slidin," "Second Waltz," "The Cottage"—as well as Hal Crook's "Fused" and Alec Wilder's lovely standard, "While We're Young" (a reprise from the band's earlier album). Holland, who plays flugelhorn exclusively, solos strongly on seven numbers, striking the ball with assurance and perception on every turn at bat. Bill Dobbins ("Slidin," "The Cottage," "Trilby," "Darlene," "Tricotism") amplifies the message, as do Evan Dobbins ("Slidin," "Fused"), Doug Stone (alto on "Stablemates," clarinet on "Second Waltz," soprano on "Trilby" and "While We're Young"), tenor Mike Pendowski ("Eternal Triangle," "Fused," "Rich's Call"), trombonist Nick Finzer ("Second Waltz," "Tricotism"), bassist David Baron ("The Cottage," "Tricotism") and blue-chip drummer Rich Thompson ("Eternal Triangle," "Fused," "Rich's Call"). When they're not having their say, the ensemble is front and center, giving each of the charts its single-minded attention. The result is music that flows easily without miscue. Trilby marks a second triumph by the Holland / Dobbins Little Big Band, which, as was noted after its debut album, "is more big than little, in every sense of the word." Those who appreciate a tight, swinging band, even if slightly undersized, are sure to admire Trilby."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"BluChaCha best band ever! BluChaCha was perfect for our annual Holiday Party. The music was a perfect mix of our requests for some traditional holiday music along with basic samba/latin styled music as well. They were always accommodating to all my requests. Thank you for making our party such a success!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The Stray Horns are an excellent addition to an event or celebration. They have a presence that just turns heads anywhere they go. If you’re looking for something that people will talk about after the event, book the Stray Horns!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Really appreciated Brian's thoughtful presence! If you are looking to avoid an obnoxious DJ at your wedding, Brian is your person! Brian was open to the list of music that we compiled. He added when necessary to keep people dancing and he allowed us to make requests! Brian arrived the day of our wedding knowing just what to do for setup and was calm and confident. He was very adaptable to our needs and wishes, he was not just a DJ he set the tone for our wedding!!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked Darren for a family party... he was absolutely fabulous. Very professional and with a great song list. We had the most perfect afternoon, he created a lovely atmosphere and was very engaging with the family and his audience.. would highly recommend. thank you Darren x Read less. (10 / 10) Julie R"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Top Band und erstklassiger Auftritt anlässlich der Preisverleihung des Kalenders 2022 und erneut 2023 im Bürgerhaus in Mainz- Finthen.. Sehr gerne wieder im Projekt "Menschen mit Behinderungen malen"."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We hired Fan Club for our private Christmas party last month and they were awesome. Easy to deal with and performance was brilliant. Would happily recommend. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The Jersey SureCats are a great band and excellent entertainers. They are very talented musicians, and provided great enthusiasm and fun throughout their performance. The song list they provided also helped guide them in playing the type of music we were looking for. Being a professional musician myself, I am very picky about live music. With that said, I give the Jersey SureCats an outstanding rating for their coverage of the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. Rodney B. on February 22, 2016 5/5 stars"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"From planning to execution, D&M's team was a pleasure to work with at the Corporate Awards Ceremony. Their attention to detail and talented artists made the event shine."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Our recent corporate reception felt more welcoming and polished thanks to the live piano music. The pianist’s ability to read the room and adjust the style accordingly was impressive, adding the perfect balance of sophistication without overshadowing conversation. It was the ideal finishing touch to a successful event."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Could not recommend the Blue Moon Jazz Band enough, they were absolutely fantastic from the moment I sent my initial enquiry email. Raphael was so responsive and helpful with whatever question I asked, and he also helped me out a great deal with some of the legal admin I needed to do, which was so so appreciated. He really went above and beyond. As for the performance, well it was just incredible. They are all such talented players and had such a wide range of music they could play. It really made a difference as well to see the smiles on all their faces during their performance, they seemed to genuinely enjoy playing for us. We only had a wedding of 20 people, and this size of band really worked so well. Also really appreciated the band staying on an extra 1.5 hours despite them having long ways to travel afterwards. The best band in all of Italy!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: