Review Centre: Jazz Bands

"Hi Greg, You guys did great! The crowd/everybody had a good time. Thanks! Joel Reams, Owner; Old Elburn Hall June 3, 2022"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"What more can I say – I am absolutely thrilled with your performance last night. I would say that rarely at a guild festival has anyone danced so intensively until such a late hour."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"You were a huge success at our event. Thank you for your flexibility and professionalism. Everyone was extremely enthusiastic, and thanks in part to your performance, the evening turned into a fantastic celebration."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hi Derek, Many thanks for your good wishes. Can't tell you how much we all enjoyed your music. It made the evening for us all. ... the response and dancing by the guests spoke for itself. There is no question that if we celebrate our anniversary again in the future, we will ask you back to celebrate with us. Our best regards to all the Dixielanders and again our thanks for making the evening the success it undoubtedly was."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Excellent. Couldn't be happier. Played several songs beautifully and really made our day very special."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I used master musicians for our micro wedding. We wanted elegant music that contributed to , rather than overpowered our ceremony. Using a violin and cello it was perfect. Their communication was excellent with multiple choices of instruments and and a huge music selection. Choosing which pieces of music was the only difficult part of the whole experience. They helped me make decisions and on the day the atmosphere they provided was perfect! They played on the sand in florida 85+ degree heat and were note perfect, then moved inside for the cocktail hour. They were amazing and I loved having them be an integral part of our special day."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Charlie Jennison's debut album for Maine's Invisible Music Records is a smooth piece of work. "Smooth" not in the sense of the saccharine stuff served up by contemporary jazz players, but smooth as in classy unpretentiousness in the playing. Jennison is an alumnus of the Do'ah Wild Music Ensemble, a New Hampshire group which recorded for Global Pacific label. He has since gravitated to jazz having recorded with singers Kathleen Kolman and Leila Percy, among others. Jennison has also worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry and Buddy DeFranco and is on the faculty of New Hampshire's Phillips Exeter Academy. Forsaking standard material for his first album, the play list is made up of ten Jennison originals all in various tempi and style, but which start getting repetitious along the way as ideas get thin. Some of the better pieces include "To You, From Me" which features Jennison on alto with some exciting drum breaks by Ken Clark. Another piece spotlighting Jennison's alto, which sounds like Phil Woods when Woods is in a mellow mood, is the lovely ballad "Georgie," with "My Anne" rivaling "Georgie" for sheer musical attractiveness. The tenor takes over on "Watch Your Step" with Jennison showing some incredible dexterity with daring fingering technique. There's a nice blues with a funky piano solo by Jim Butka and good bass strumming from John Hunter on "Amanda's Blues." Jennison brings out his soprano on "Rain in My Coffee" which has a light Latin beat with more good piano from Jim Butka. But virtually all tunes on this session take the same course. There's an introduction establishing the basic melody structure, followed by some technically compelling fingering after which there's a return to the melody. No matter how good the instrumentalist is —and Jennison is very good—unless the original material is superior, it's not going to hold one's attention for a whole sitting. And that is the case here. I have heard Jennison on other albums and he handles standard stuff very well. It would have behooved him to have put a couple of those on this CD. This would have strengthened the credibility of the original material."

Reply by Charlie Jennison Quartet
I appreciate Dave Nathan's willingness to review my flagship release and also recognize his candor in suggesting that the original material I wrote could have been strengthened by including some standard tunes as well. I would like to note that, in more than one instance, I used the framework of a jazz standard as the foundation for a new composition. For example, on the track, "To You, From Me," I employed the chord progression to Cole Porter's "You Do Something To Me." My tune, "Amanda's Blues" is also just a variation of a standard minor blues. With a lifetime of experience playing, I now recognize his observation of "virtually all tunes on this session take the same course," to be spot on. This was, after all, my first (and only) excursion into the realm of recorded jazz, and as a young player, I still had a lot to learn about crafting the presentation of material in a more interesting way. Now that I am getting close to 80 years old, I have decided to create another album of original material with the same players, kind of like a bookend to wrap up a successful career teaching and playing (although not recording). Look for a release sometime in 2026!

Rating: 8 / 10 Share this review:

"The band created a cozy atmosphere at my husband's fiftieth birthday party. Young and old enjoyed the music. The level of all band members is very high. Marcia sings flawlessly and makes contact with the audience in a natural way. Highly recommended!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"What a great time! Victoria and her crew were amazing and very adaptable! The music was great, everything went as planned. We will definitely call Victoria in the future for other events. "

Reply by Victoria Malenfant
Thank you Alan for trusting us with the music for this special event, we had a great time!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Peter Duncan's band, Green Street Jazz Trio plays a great mix of jazz standards, funk, blues and contemporary numbers with a cool laid back vibe and plenty of great solos. The interaction between the guitar and bass guitar is particularly strong, and their guests add an engaging extra dimension. Sarah Chaplin, Editor, 'Jazz in London'. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Non avremmo potuto desiderare di meglio per il nostro matrimonio! Domenico e Valentina, insieme alla loro band, sono stati la colonna sonora perfetta per il nostro giorno speciale. La loro bravura e la capacità di coinvolgere gli invitati sono state eccezionali. Hanno creato un'atmosfera di festa incredibile, facendo divertire tutti dal primo all'ultimo minuto e facendo ballare anche i più timidi! Li raccomandiamo vivamente a chiunque voglia un matrimonio non banale, all'insegna del divertimento e della buona musica"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Gerard was wonderfully professional and easy to work with. He even accommodated special requests which made our wedding day memorable. Thank you Gerard! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Celebrate Liveband provided a musical journey that captivated everyone at our event. Their expertise, versatility, and attention to detail made them a standout choice. An absolute delight!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Καταπληκτική δουλειά...μας έκανες να ζήσουμε το δικό μας παραμύθι...δάκρυα συγκίνησης από όλους μας...πόσο μάλλον που για εμένα ήταν έκπληξη η παρουσία σου ....βασιλιάδες για μια μέρα...χάρη σε εσένα και τους υπέροχους κουμπάρους μας που σε ανακάλυψαν και όλοι μαζί δημιούργησατε μια φανταστική βραδιά!!!!Σε ευχαριστούμε για όλα...."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Annelise is a superb singer & tailored herself totally to our needs."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: