Review Centre: Saxophone Players

"We are just emerging from our post-wedding bubble and wanted to say an enormous thank you to you personally for your music on our wedding day. It was just the most magical day and really surpassed all of our expectations. We had always hoped that we’d have the dancefloor full all through the night and I think we achieved that very successfully! You were absolutely amazing all night long and so many of our guests have commented on how brilliant you were - both in the musical side of things, but also just bringing the most amazing energy to the dancefloor all night long - we can’t possibly thank you enough. So many of our guests have now said that they will absolutely be getting a saxophonist for their own weddings, so we will be putting them all in touch with you!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Igor is a great performer and a very polite individual. We had him perform at our Indian reception during the cocktail hour and are very happy with everything. Both of our families, friends and relatives loved the music he played and it was a perfect mix of bollywood and pop music. Thank you Igor, it was a pleasure working with you! Definitely recommend him 10/10"

Reply by Ontario saxophonist Igor Babich
Thank you so much Bhavya!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Everything was very amazing! The guests were thrilled! Would recommend again and again. Very nice, courteous, talented saxophonist!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We recently had Dan for our wedding drinks reception, he created exactly the kind of atmosphere we asked for and met any requests we had beforehand, I would definitely recommend and use again for another occasion! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The vibe was insane 🔥 Smooth, funky, chilled but still energetic. It just worked perfectly with the rooftop setting."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"All of this is an admittedly roundabout way of confessing that I wasn't prepared to be as delighted as I am with Go Tell It on the Mountain (Silkheart), an album of traditional hymns and originals with heaven-gazing titles by Booker T. Williams Jr., a New York-based tenor saxophonist originally from Seattle who performs as Booker T. The obsessive soul-searching implicit in the programming suggests an affinity with John Coltrane. But unlike too many of the saxophonists who aim for Coltrane's spiritual elevation, Booker T has a devilish sense of humor best illustrated by his "Say amen, Gracie" drollery on "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," a homey little melody he elongates and fragments with the comic élan of a Sonny Rollins. In fact, the classic album that Go Tell It on the Mountain most recalls is Way Out West, Rollins's 1958 album of cowboy tunes--and not just because Booker T, like Rollins before him, finds inspiration in unlikely places. It's also because Booker T's interaction with the bassist Saheb Sarbib and the drummer Andrew Cyrille is as carefree and almost as electrifying as Rollins's with Ray Brown and Shelly Manne thirty years ago (or better yet, with Wilbur Ware and Elvin Jones on A Night at the Village Vanguard, from around the same time). Despite the sarcasm implicit in Booker T's low-register bleats, his performances of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" and "Jesus Loves Me" exude sincerity, much the way Rollins's interpretations of oddball pop tunes do. For Booker T, as for Rollins, satire is a sign of respect, not condescension. Booker T is ecumenical: one of the album's most infectious cuts is "Halle Kalle Mazeltov," a hora whose modality he cagily exploits. The Spartan trio format means that Sarbib and Cyrille have to function as soloists as well as rhythm stalwarts, and both men shoulder the added burden gracefully, maintaining melodic continuity in a manner that bassists and drummers seldom do when they solo. Despite the length of some of the tracks (the title tune, which is just over sixteen minutes, is a Booker T original, not the folk song of the same name), Booker T's solos never deteriorate into self-indulgent braying. His sense of thematic exposition is too well developed for that-another cue he takes from Rollins. (And as if to underscore his lineage, the CD-only bonus track is Rollins's calypso "St. Thomas.") He switches to alto on his own "When Mama Cries I Cry," and his phrasing is impressively speechlike on this lighter horn. To the best of my knowledge, Booker T's only other recording has been as a sideman on Cold Sweat, a recent album of James Brown tunes (also featuring Craig Harris and David Murray) that illustrates the sloppiness jazz musicians are capable of when trying to show they can be Regular Guys. But Go Tell It on the Mountain is stunning enough to make me a believer in Booker T's potential. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Indigo Moon were great. Super range of songs and lovely saxophone playing. I would highly recommend."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"These ladies sparkled both visually and audibly. All our guests were talking about them. They created a wonderful atmosphere for our drinks reception."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Absolutely amazing saxophonist – a hit with everyone!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

" We had an incredible wedding day made all the better by Fifi and Ollie and their fabulous mixture of French chanson, guingette style music and 20's jazz. Easy to book and very adaptable to our changing requests and timings on the day, they were a joy to work with and really helped to bring a great element of fun to our special day. They went out of their way to help make sure we had a great time, playing impromptu requests with ease and our loved them! Thanks again, highly recommended! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Dave was exactly what I was looking for in the form of amazing talent and someone who could bring the vibes to the wedding day, which he did so with ease. Dave happily listened to my ideas and went with the flow, even though I changed my mind about 4 times! He was professional, knew exactly what he needed to do and where he needed to be and I could not fault him in anyway. 100% recommend."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"“Dave was an great asset to our garden party for 42 people. His repertoire is extensive and he entertained us brilliantly - all our guests loved his music. Dave is a very good communicator who keeps in touch and is very pleasant and accommodating. I would have no hesitation in recommending him if you’re looking for a nice guy who does a great job.”"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The perfect atmosphere at our wedding! Thanks to the music from De Jazz Centrale, the whole day felt like a relaxed festival experience, exactly how we envisioned it. The live jazz brought so much warmth and class to the afternoon, providing the perfect backdrop for all the beautiful moments. And as evening fell, the vinyl DJ truly brought that relaxed, vintage vibe that everyone enjoyed. Your music choice was spot-on, and it all felt so natural and relaxed. Thanks to De Jazz Centrale, the music at our wedding was truly one of the highlights. We heard from many of our guests how much they loved the atmosphere, and the music played a huge part in that. Talent and dedication! We're so glad De Jazz Centrale was a part of our special day!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Dr Saxy livened the entire scene with his mastery of the Saxophone. Really enjoyed eating my lunch with him playing in the background."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you for creating the atmosphere I envisioned, everything was perfect! Couldn’t have wished for a better musician to help us celebrate our wedding in Italy!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: