Review Centre: 1940s Era Musicians & Bands

"The band was very good and professional, and gave us the exact soundtrack we wanted! We absolutely recommend them, both for the wedding ceremony and after, just to spend a nice evening listening to some good music!"

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"This very talented lady sang our first dance at our wedding and rearranged the song we wanted which made for a beautiful version of 'i'm gonna be (500 Miles)' by the Proclaimers. Awesome!"

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"Ho avuto l’occasione di assumerli per il mio matrimonio che è stato un momento speciale, ancora piu speciale con il catch up trio. Sono stati super. Grazie di tutto francesco "

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"We had a wonderful time! We had great feedback from our guests, who all loved you and the band! It was really great having you as part of our day."

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"‘Once again a MASSIVE thank you for coming to entertain our residents, friends, family and staff at Leycester House for our very first Christmas party. Everyone had a fantastic evening and we will of course be in touch again at some point next year!’ "

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" I am proud that the Rick Holland - Evan Dobbins Little Big Band calls Tala Vera cantina home once a month. Rick is a consummate professional as well as a top tier musician. His Band comprises the best players Rochester has to offer. Such talent coupled with an amazing book of swing and traditional jazz, presents a special evening of music every time they play at Tala Vera. Bernard Matthews, Owner of Tala Vera, Rochester, NY I have had the pleasure to do some arranging and writing for Rick's groups and I have to say that his groups are always chocked full of the best musicians around. It's a pleasure to have music played with precision and integrity - no matter what the style or genre. I would highly recommend any or Rick's groups for a jazz or commercial setting. Jim Martin, Grand Rapids, MI We had the pleasure of having the USO-10 piece play at our wedding in May 2017. From the minute we met Rick Holland and heard the band play we knew they were the band for us. It was a pleasure to work with Rick, who was so professional and helpful in many ways especially song choices from everything to cocktail music, our entrance song, first dance, parent dances to our exit song. The dance floor was never empty. We are thrilled with the USO and look forward to hearing them again in the near future!! Thank you for making our wedding so special! Maureen and Mark Deckman Sometimes it all just falls into place. The setting, the situation, the scene, the tone -- everything is going your way. That describes last night for me. And at the heart of this mid-week Xanadu was the Rick Holland Uptown Orchestra, a modest, brass-centric outfit led by the trumpet-blowing Holland that swung with equal parts effervescence and laid-back cool at Lovin Cup. And come to find out, five of his Hollands regular guys were sidelined, and the holes on the bandstand were plugged with subs --- hired music muscle like Po’ Boy Erik Jacobs on the slide trombone. By the time the Orchestra heaped on a helping of Count Basie, there was nowhere else I wanted to be. I dragged my mom out in the cold for this show and she was thrilled when they stomped on the Savoy. Holland led the affair with a relaxed air, coaxing more than conducting under his porkpie lid. He went around the bandstand numerous times so every cat there got his fair shake, including pianist extraordinaire Bill Dobbins. This is one sweet band, yes, yes. Frank De Blase, Roch City News 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 You get the feeling from Holland’s recordings, that Holland and his compatriots are not only talented musicians, but fully formed human beings with wit, style and elegance---folks whom you would enjoy sharing a fine dinner and stimulating conversation. Bill Barton, Green Mountain Jazz Messenger "Rick brought his quartet and the little big band to our wedding and reception. He was wonderful to work with, being both receptive to our requests and knowing where to fill in the gaps with his expertise. Not to mention I could call him anytime, and he worked around our schedule. They played a tasteful mix of songs great for just listening to and a few that got everyone up on the dance floor. In the end, everyone was raving about how great the band was. We couldn't be happier!" P.S. Lindsey was amazing, the two comments I heard most were "Wow, they are great!" and "That girl can sing!" Sam and Ellie Carrell I hired Rick Holland Productions for my wedding and I thank my lucky stars I did. They were just an absolute solid band. I live in Toronto so the 10 piece band crossed the border for my wedding - our wedding coordinator said she'd never heard a band that good over her decade long career. I like to think I'm a genius for finding them ?? Kian K., Toronto, ON, CA From the bride: "The music was wonderful! We could not have asked for a better band. Our guests were really impressed; the Uptown Society Orchestra really made our reception special.” From the groom: "What a professional group. Their exceptional musicianship brought a real element of class to the party. There is nothing like the sound of a live band, and this group made our reception better than we could have hoped for.” From the father of the bride: (Dennis Nowicki): "The band was fantastic -- they really exceeded our expectations." Anders Dahlberg and Stacy Nowicki, Wedding at the Chicago Art Museum The Uptown Society Orchestra may have had six members, but it sounded as if it had twice as many as members blew triumphantly throughout New Years' eve night. (Front page Kalamazoo Gazette, regarding the New Years Eve Festival 2004, Kalamazoo, Michigan) Bill Wood, Arts and Entertainment critic, Kalamazoo Gazette Amazing! Rick Holland Productions worked seamlessly with our wedding, where we had three separate "performances" that were adpated to by Rick's use of different members of the Little Big Band. We had a cocktail reception where a trio played, then a brass quartet accompanied our Wedding ceremony. After our guests were transported by horse-drawn carriage to a lake side reception site, the Little Little Big Band got things started and the full Little Big Band played the night away to the extreme pleasure of our entire party. They even let Joe Robinson jam with them in the chill of the autumn, fire-lit evening! Thank You so much Rick! Matthew Cooper, Bradford, PA Rick brought his quartet and the little big band to our wedding and reception. He was wonderful to work with, being both receptive to our requests and knowing where to fill in the gaps with his expertise. Not to mention I could call him anytime, and he worked around our schedule. They played a tasteful mix of songs great for just listening to and a few that got everyone up on the dance floor. In the end, everyone was raving about how great the band was. Lindsey Holland was amazing, the two comments I heard most were "Wow, they are great!" and "That girl can sing!"We couldn't be happier! Sam and Ellie Carrell When we heard the Uptown Society perform at a New Year's Eve concert we knew that we wanted them to play at our wedding. They had the perfect blend of jazz, swing and romantic ballads. They are excellent musicians and we were thrilled to find that they were available for our wedding. Our guests were thrilled that we hired them; we received so many compliments. Uptown Society provided a wonderful 'soundtrack' for our storybook wedding. Eric and Kim von Oeyen, Battle Creek, MI"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The Mellowtone Jazz Trio played for us at an evening reception for our son's Bar Mitzvah, and they were outstanding. We were aiming for a relaxed chilled out atmosphere in a marquee in our back garden, and their music provided the perfect backdrop. We had masses of compliments from family and friends, and we would not hesitate to recommend them. The process of inquiring and booking them was also simple and a pleasure. Thanks for a wonderful evening! "

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"Romeo provided a great music service to our school parent's meeting. The music was perfect for the atmosphere, happy and intimate at same time."

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"I found the band via Google. They were very professional. Arrived and set up on time. Everything was as expected. Excellent talent and the crowd loved them. I would book again. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Beautiful voice that will take you on a best of Jazz tour. "

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"'Chris was fantastic! All agreed he was cool, suave, talented and could belt out a great tune! My wife the birthday girl loved it' "

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"I asked David if I could watch one of the Studio Recording sessions for Hitchen Jazz Trio. I had already watched Hitchen Jazz Quartet at Villes-sur - Auzon Jazz Festival in 2021 and was super impressed by their show. When I came to the studio to watch the recording session, David and the guys were really friendly, and showed me and my kids how things are done in the studio. WOW!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Highly recommend these guys - punctual, easy to work with, and the music wonderful (just the right volume). They played 2 sets and went down a storm. Will certainly have them back sometime!"

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"You made our event! We had lots of great comments on your singing and the interaction with the audience was great. You went down a real treat. Thankyou"

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"Amazing!! Jazzona is an excellent trio that I highly recommend you hire for your next event! .... They went above and beyond to make sure we had a wonderful show! Plus they sound wonderful and was a joy to watch!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: