Review Centre: Swing Bands

"Andy came and performed for us and we all absolutely loved it. During the daytime he delivers a lovely, relaxed jazzy set and in the evening had everyone up dancing to the classic hits of Sinatra etc. All of my guests commented on how brilliant he was and I’d recommend him 100% He was such a nice guy too and went out of his way to accommodate all of our requirements. "

Reply by Andy King of Swing
Hi Joanne Thanks for leaving a lovely review. It was a pleasure to perform for you and your lovely family. Hope to see you again sometime. Regards Andy

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"To quote a thank-you from one of our guests, “Tim’s party went with a blast”. Green Street Jazz provided the music and song for a memorable evening. Excellent musicians, they provided a superb selection that matched the mood and wants of our guests. Compliments came from all quarters during the party, and we were delighted that our guests were so pleased with our choice. In preparing for the booking leader, Pete Duncan spoke with me to ensure that the band understood what was needed. They got it right. We could not have made a better choice. (10 / 10) Elliot Hirst"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"It was an absolutely fantastic day and I appreciate yours and Simone’s music on the day, the feedback received was nothing but positive, you really made the BBQ/party atmosphere how I imagined it to be. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"There have been many jazz musicians – saxophonists John Coltrane and George Brooks to name a couple – who have been intrigued by the melodic and rhythmic complexities of Hindustani classical music. Saxophonist Rainer Pusch, how!ever, belongs to the rare breed of Western musicians who have been influenced by Carnatic music. The Carnatic connection came later, but jazz caught Pusch’s interest at an early age. As a 12-year-old learning the tenor sax, a “very bad teacher” scared him into quitting lessons and starting to jam with friends. “At the age of 14 I got into jazz,” he told us. “I heard the first album by [American free jazz saxophonist] Pharaoh Sanders and this album [Pharaoh’s First] kicked me in.” Pusch got completely hooked after his brother smuggled him into The Cave, a jazz club in Heidelberg. “They had jam sessions every Tuesday,” he said. “It was 1968, the time of free jazz, underground music and the hippie era. Heidelberg was the headquarters of the US army in Europe, and there were a lot of army clubs, where I found my first steady work.” Playing for Americans every Friday and Saturday was an ideal start. It was a stroke of luck that Pusch met his “first jazz guru”, saxophonist Pony Poindexter. “Pony Poindexter’s wife worked for the army and they were living in Mannheim at the time,” Pusch said. “Pony had already subbed for Charlie Parker in Billy Eckstine’s big band, recorded with [guitarist] Wes Montgomery, the vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, and many others.” Pusch started taking lessons from Poindexter and, after a while, they started performing together. Poindexter was instrumental, in helping Pusch further his jazz education by introducing him to other American musicians. “He knew everybody,” Pusch recalled. “Through him, I met Dexter Gordon. Art Blakey sat in with us when we played an outdoor gig.” Later, in 1977, Pusch stayed with Poindexter in New York, where he met the cream of the city’s jazz scene. “He invited Philly Joe Jones to stay for two weeks in our Lower East Side loft; I met Eddie Jefferson, Bob Berg, Junior Cook,” Pusch said. He also took lessons from George Coleman, who had briefly been part of Miles Davis’s band in the early ’60s. On his return to Germany, Pusch released his first album as leader of his own outfit. However, his connection to America persisted; he would return to earn a degree in jazz composition and arrangement from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, in 1983. Pusch’s first album Journey Agent, released in 1981, was an assimilation of the styles typical of hard bop and post-bop American musicians he had met during the past decade. On the album, his quartet, which included piano, double bass and drums, performed originals and a cover of “Mixing Pot” by Brazilian musician Hermeto Pascoal. Mostly mid-tempo numbers, the tunes ranged from the ballad-like “Scientific” and earthy “B-flat Blues” to funky, Latin-inflected “Mixing”. “I’m influenced by all the players I like to listen to,” Pusch said. “That’s the secret about jazz. It isn’t only music; it’s a philosophy of personal self-development built on tolerance and the art of living in the moment.” He has performed in a variety of formats: duo, trio, quartet and big bands. Pusch is also a composer and arranger who has scored symphonic pieces for films. Pusch’s first major Indian encounter was in the late-’90s, when he performed at the Avignon Theatre Festival in France. “It had a focus on India, and members of the Kalakshetra College of Dance and Music were performing,” he said. “I got in touch with them and decided to go to Chennai to study.” Pusch received a scholarship from ICCR and moved with his family to Chennai in 1996. He would remain there for more than two years, studying Carnatic vocal from S Rajaram and rhythms from V Selvaganesh. “I got into the movie business and performed for many music directors, inclu!ding AR Rahman,” he said. There have been Carnatic saxo!phonists, like Kadri Gopalnath, before him, but Pusch is probably the first Westerner to perform the traditional south Indian style on the sax. He has also arranged compositions by Thyagaraja, Mysore Vasudeva and others, using a rhythm section comprised of guitar, bass and drums. “We respect the raga, but put it in a harmonic frame,” he said. “It’s not the style, but the attitude of the musician that counts. The future of music, art and culture lies in a respectful, well-understood and lived fusion. Not in a commercial, fast food con-fusion.”"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Just wanted to say a big thank you to you and the band. It was fabulous, everyone really enjoyed it."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Siamo rimasti incantati dalla voce di Federica e dalla bravura dei Belle Historie e, come noi, anche gli invitati al nostro matrimonio. Abbiamo ricevuto tanti complimenti per l’atmosfera incantevole che hanno saputo creare. Un sottofondo davvero elegante che non può non colpire!! Ottimi anche nella parte organizzativa e nella flessibilità che hanno dimostrato per adattarsi a tutte le nostre esigenze. Davvero consigliatissimi!!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for performing on our wedding day. The weather was great and the guests on the terrace enjoyed your sets. The guests comments were very complimentary, you were very much appreciated by them. It was exactly what I had envisaged so you fulfilled a dream for me. So once again please accept and extend our sincere thanks to all concerned."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Ragazzi molto bravi e di esperienza nel gestire il palco, clienti soddisfatti, sicuramente li faremo tornare nuovamente a trovarci, molto consigliati Grazie ancora ragazzi, a presto maria "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Amazing delivery of our favourite song that had so much personal meaning. Had our guests in tears. Thank you so much Sarah."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We chose "Matrimonio di Note" after seeing their bravura in another wedding, we varied the proposal which is still very wide and did not disappoint expectations. Marica was always available to advise us in the choices and the music was perfect, she gave a special touch to every important moment of our day. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

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

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Tasteful, upbeat jazz for our summer wedding. Flexible band setup options, very good players, thank you."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Questi ragazzi sono stati perfetti per la serata nel ristorante in cui lavoro, hanno creato un ambiente bellissimo con la loro musica. L'armonia tra i membri del trio è palpabile, creando una sinergia che trasmette passione ad ogni nota. Consiglierei vivamente questo trio a chiunque cerchi un'esperienza jazz indimenticabile!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"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"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The band were absolutely fantastic, and so friendly. Everyone keeps telling us how much fun they had, and how amazing the music was. (This wedding had the addition of Sarah-Jane , the female singer option)"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: