"Amazing! I saw Sara Longo in a club in Paris and asked her to come to London. The concert was organized to easily, for my wife's birthday. Everything went wonderfully!!!!! Thank you Sara, hope to hear you soon again. Missing your voice!!!"
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
Report this review
"Thanks to Fête Laweit, we can say about the 1st edition of Ballucinant that it was more than successful! The group closed the festival , creating a wonderful and enchanting atmosphere. Constant dancing, and constant fun showed that they were the perfect group for the evening."
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"Thank you for singing for us at The Woolpack yesterday afternoon! We all enjoyed your performance and the selection of music was really lovely! My friends especially loved it, they came down especially for the jazz music! We would love to have you appear again at some time for us."
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"Luigi is a fantastic guy! Very charming and understanding, except from being a great musician of course. We gave him a brief what we want, what kind of music we like, what we want to be played when guests are coming, first dance music, etc, and Luigi was very helpful and knew exactly what to do and when. We highly recomend his services !!! No one will be disappointed."
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"Just wanted to say a huge ‘thank you’ for a great night on Saturday at Kate and Matt’s wedding. We had a fantastic evening and all of the guests enjoyed it. The acoustics in the National Railway Museum were very good. Would not hesitate in recommending your Yorkshire swing band in the future."
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
" 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:
"Saxophones, a rhythm section and vocals, swinging like crazy – that’s the aptly named FIVE STAR SWING ! As saxophone section in any band, they would take some beating. Beautiful tones and well-rehearsed by their leader, Chris Smith (Jnr), who has the singular talent of playing the trumpet with his right hand and the piano with his left at one and the same time ! He also happens to be a very experienced music writer having learnt his trade with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and Glenn Miller’s Brother, Herb. Add to the fact that he can also well handle a vocal, as can his wife, lead alto Simone Smith and tenor man Stephen Davies, who’s clarinet playing on “Sing, Sing, Sing” was superb – and it will give you some idea of the breadth of talent in this line-up. This is a band crying out to be danced to and it wasn’t long before the jivers took to the dance floor. Five Star Swing –a “must” for every dance club in the country."
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"THANK YOU for being such an incredible part of our wedding! The music set the perfect tone from the very start—elegant, lively, and full of joy. You created such a wonderful atmosphere during cocktail hour, and our guests kept telling us how much they loved having live jazz as part of the day."
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"Espetáculo! A banda é espetacular, boa musica, bons músicos. Pedimos uma canção especial para os festejados e a banda prontamente deu a disponibilidade para tocar a musica que cantariamos. Obrigado Recomendo vivamente!"
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"I cannot recommend Rihanna's Trio highly enough. I hosted an event for sixty people to celebrate my birthday. There we people of every age there and the music was absolutely amazing. I cannot recommend the group highly enough and would invite them to play at any future events in a heartbeat."
Reply by Rihanna’s Trio
Thank you very much Jean !!!! It was an amazing day , with amazing people !!! We are happy that we added a touch to the excellent event you organised !!!
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"Jazz and the Tonics came and performed at Leith's at Beaulieu for a corporate event on the 28th July 2018. They were professional and friendly to deal with and not only that but were AMAZING performers. Emily's voice is just out of this world with everyone complementing her. I would 100% recommend Jazz & The Tonics to other corporates or wedding parties."
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"Just wanted to thank you for a lovely evening, really positive feedback, everyone loved you. Will be in touch again to arrange another evening. Adriano - Sofalino Restaurant"
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"The Gatsby Cats were a perfect fit for our small relaxed wedding with a mix of family and friends. They played in a marquee and read the room really well, with one more chilled set just after dinner which was ideal for cocktails and conversation, followed by a second set which was more upbeat and got people up and dancing. We had several comments from all ages that they really enjoyed the music and Francesca had an amazing voice. All three were lovely and Francesca was very communicative in the preceding weeks. "
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"An atmospheric and Christmassy decorated theatre café forms the setting for this year's Yes Jazz Christmas Matinée. It is pleasantly busy. Many music lovers choose the warmth of the Yes Jazz theatre café of De Hofnar on this cold Sunday afternoon. Gipsy jazz is popular and Christmas music always goes down well. When these two come together, you can of course count on a special afternoon. And that is what it will be. The music is beautiful. A beautiful singer and three excellent musicians ensure a beautiful Christmas Matinée. This quartet clearly shows that many different types of music can be cast in the mould of the gipsy style. Django Reinhardt resonates in everything. The tight foundation is audible in Ronald Weel's rhythm guitar and on Daniël Gueli's double bass. You can build on this. The solo guitar and the singer provide the leading parts. Marcia Bamberg stands out because of her clear voice: crystal clear and velvety soft where necessary. The improvisations of the solo guitarist, John Lighart, are smooth and inventive. Sometimes very virtuoso. The repertoire is especially very versatile. From French chansons to well-known jazz standards. Of course, the big Christmas hits are not missing. Night and Day, After you’ve gone, but also Belle Histoire and La vie en rose come in beautiful arrangements from the Yes Jazz stage. Christmas has started well! "
Reply by Marcia Bamberg Swing Quartet
Dear Dick, What a wonderful and beautifully written review! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience of our Yes Jazz Christmas Matinée. ❤️ We're delighted that you enjoyed the musical variety, the gypsy jazz arrangements and the special Christmas atmosphere. It was such a pleasure for us to bring together French chansons, jazz standards and Christmas classics in our own Django-inspired style. Your lovely words about my voice and the musicianship of John, Ronald and Daniël mean a lot to us. We're very proud of the musical chemistry within the quartet, and it's wonderful to hear that this came across so clearly. And what a lovely thought: Christmas has started well! We couldn't agree more. Thank you for being part of this special afternoon and for such a warm review. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas season, filled with music! Warm musical regards, Marcia & the band 🎶
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:
"Dear Giampiero , ( the piano and synthesizer player) I listened to your beautiful C.D. and I wouldn't write to you unless I truly enjoyed it. Your very personal style and personality really shines in this musical world. Your harmonic reinterpretations are gorgeous, the joyous flights of the well composed scores for the synthesizer are marvelous , and its desperate dives are thrilling. I'm really pleased to tell you what I think . Last but not least I enjoy the wonderful singer who follows you marvelously. Thank you ."
Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: