Review Centre: Saxophone Players

"Duo Vaires was honored to provide live music for a special Kiwanis Club event. We designed an elegant program blending timeless classical pieces with refined jazz standards, creating a sophisticated yet welcoming atmosphere for the members and guests. It was a pleasure to collaborate with such a distinguished organization"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Excellent solo saxophonist!! His talent ALWAYS transforms ZincHouse into a fun, easy listening, romantic & entertaining vibe!! HUGE THUMBS up for Courtney Watkins…CHEERS!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Dr. Saxy is an excellent saxophonist with a true heart for the community. As an MD, he has found himself highly involved already in the Clarinda, IA Community. I am a school band director and Dr Hinojosa instantly wanted to step in and help inspire the students. I went to go see him perform at a local restaurant. His passion for music is so clear, his tone is a pure, and song selection is fun and tasteful! Excellent musician and person. Would highly recommend this musician for any gigs!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Wedding Summer August 06, 2022, we wanted a non-traditional day, party atmosphere! Intimate Dance Summer Party, with the help of Matt and his amazing DJ companion they smashed it. The whole of Southbourne was rocking...literally! Nothing was too much trouble. They gathered a play list (rough idea) of tastes and no-no's and ran with it. He played inside and outside and moving all the equipment was no trouble at all. We had 102 guests, and give 5* review. Friends want to book for their future parties and weddings. A few FB comments: "wonderful wedding vibes", "truly fabulous one of the best weddings I have been to", "best wedding EVER", "what an amazing wedding" - thanks so much Matt!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Well done Saxyordon kept everyone happy , from young to old is there anthing you can't play , well worth the money great job 👏 "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"remember thinking how wonderful it must be to be so expressive - not merely to string sounds popular, folk, classical, and most notably gospel. together and then lend them to the evanescence I can still hear his haunting and beautiful Go fell It on the Mountain. of the top forty, but to make music - art, born of talent and determination and fuelled by a com- Ot all the years that I have known Booker I., pulsion to share it. Booker T. is blessed with that he has never waivered on three points - his commitment to the family, his need to play and com- guft. pose music, and his belief in God. These three At first, I thought that Booker 1. might be just ideas somehow come together and nourish each another jazz musician skilled with his instru- other. This album is dedicated to his tather, a ment and versed in the accomplishments ot brother, and his grandmother, all now deceased. say . . • John Coltrane. So, in July of nineteen- And when asked of his inspiration for most of seventy-five, my acceptance of an invitation to the material on this album, he replied: "This hear him play was half-hearted at best. Was I ever music has been in me for years; it's through the in for a surprise! It wasn't just his ease with com- grace of God that _ can now put it on this plex material. Nor was it his effortless coaxing of album". In fact, he says that he is drawn even spirited notes from that tenor saxophone. It was more closely to his mother after the tragedies of the exhilaration that you experienced. At once the past couple of years and has even composed frenzied and riveting, you went away thinking music born of this resurgence. that this music needs to be heard. Indeed, you If it is true that genuine interest in a particular felt privileged that you had heard it. subject generates boundless energy, then Booker Thereafter, I made it a point to hear Booker. 1. 1.'s music is without limits. He would say that play whenever I could. I quickly learned that the his religion is the fulcrum and the music is label "jazz" was too narrow for his music. There merely a satellite, an orbit to accentuate the main was always an infusion of other types of music- force. this: on one visit to New York, as friends are inclined to do, I called Booker 1. to meet for lunch and to catch up with what had been going on in our lives. We went to a restaurant just off Sixth Avenue and wound up talking from 2:30 pm until 8:00 pm. All those hours we talked about the saxophone, about music, and how this must-cian from Seattle was faring in the Apple. Another time, he called me at 2:00 am insisting that I listen to a new musical idea he had forged for himself. Next morning the telephone receiver was on the floor; I had tallen asleep. Embarras-sed, I mustered what I hoped was a believable apology. I don't think it mattered however. He'd played that night because he couldn't contain the energy, moved to share this wonderful gift of music. His music, this gift, will inspire you. It's at once bold and incisive, spirited and alarming. Booker 1. is daring enough to bring together in his own compositions things that are usually kept separate - jazz and religious music. It makes for a spritely, fun sound. The listener will be moved by the intensity, range and absolute beauty of the entire delivery. But caution: do not trust the titles, expect a surprise.. As music brings the warmth and light of beauty into our lives, this recording will warm our hearts and spirits. Through this light, perhaps we will see a little more of ourselves. Possibly, we will come to understand a bit more of each other. Either way, it is a wonderful gift. Booker 1. is a colossal talent! Gregg Gordon "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We couldn't have been happier with our saxophone player! He was incredibly professional, punctual, and such a pleasure to work with from start to finish. When our timeline ran behind on the wedding day, he was extremely accommodating and flexible, which helped take so much stress off our shoulders. His talent is amazing, our guests couldn't stop talking about how he could play virtually any genre and how incredible he sounded throughout the event. He was also happy to learn and perform specific songs we requested, which made the experience even more personal and memorable. The value he brought to our wedding was worth far more than what he charged. His pricing was very reasonable, especially considering the quality of his performance and the atmosphere he created. Every single one of our guests loved him, and we would recommend him without hesitation to anyone looking to elevate their wedding or special event. Thank you for making our day so unforgettable!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Dr. Saxy is a virtuoso saxofonista that delighted our party with great music and his elegant style. He played everyone's favorite songs and everyone expressed how amazing his performance was. Thank you for your first class entertainment. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I just saw Branco at Waverly’s restaurant in Englewood last night. I love saxophone music, and even though my tastes lean towards urban blues and New Orleans boogie I was completely captivated by Branco’s playing. If you need some mellow but engaging music for your event, Branco is your man."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Brilliantly talented, professional, and a good person. I cannot express my amazement in Lina Saroza. I decided to host a house party for ~20 guests that was a Murder Mystery party set in a 1920's jazz club. I was nervous at the cost of flying Lina across the country, but I can tell you it was worth every penny. Professionalism: Lina was flexible with the contracting and business agreement, allowing for us to outline contingencies and payment timelines. She always replied to my emails quickly, and it was easy to set up a phone call to finalize the details. Lina arrived early to do sound and equipment checks. She was a delight in engaging with party guests, and I have only heard overwhelmingly positive things from my friends about her. When creating a set list and timeline of events, Lina was well organized and knew each step of the party, even with the complex schedule that I had laid out. There were times when I wanted guests to focus on the murder mystery, and times when she was the main event, and she excelled at each! I also want to add that Lina spent the day sleeping/resting to ensure that she had energy for my party, which was late in the evening, even later when you consider her time change from the east coast. Performance: Lina knows how to get the party started! She dances with the crowd and can freestyle to almost any song! I asked her if she was able to accompany a dubstep song (SPACEFUNK by LSDREAM), and she absolutely rocked it. She also performed covers of pop songs and could jam out some amazing saxophone solos, often improvising to the music. I absolutely plan to have Lina back for future parties, and I could not recommend her more to others. She made the night so special and memorable and brought a lot of energy when it was time to boogie!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Cannot recommend highly enough,so many of our guests said Smooth absolutely made our event . Communication was fantastic, ditto communication and professionalism. You need a sax player …….choose Smooth Sax 5*"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Working with Alex was wonderful from start to finish. Communication was easy, and I felt completely comfortable sharing our vision for the day. His saxophone playing was beautiful and set the perfect tone as guests arrived and later during lunch. A special highlight was him playing a few Hawaiian songs my aunt would have loved—it meant so much to our family. Alex created a warm, comforting atmosphere, and I would absolutely recommend him to friends, family, or colleagues."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We got married on: 04/08/2017 💍 Professional and magical Manu, you made our ceremony very romantic, emotional, and special with your music. You completely adapted to what we wanted and exceeded our expectations. You are a true professional; not only did you set the mood for our cocktail hour, but you also surprised us by musically accompanying another singer without having met her before. What can we say about the special touch you gave to our dance by accompanying it with the saxophone? Without a doubt, you were the best choice. Your YouTube videos helped us a lot, and we didn't hesitate for a moment. With your professionalism, warmth, and music, you created an unforgettable atmosphere for us and everyone present. We recommend you 100% in all aspects."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We would like to Thank Nikita for the wonderful 2 hours ; our guests had a warm welcoming as they entered at the reception hall. He looked sharp, meeting my daughter wedding color theme . He knew his queue to walk around and played several songs. I'm very happy with his performance. Thank you Nikita Alessandra , Alyssa and Juliano"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"If I could rate it out of the scale I would, the way this wonderful gentleman plays soothes my emotional soul wanting to cry at how beautiful he plays. Love how he styles himself and how he has his set up, he walks around sometimes as well and is just calming around him when you see him play it's just beautiful. This will be in my head forever and I can hold it close and enjoy hearing him play."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: