Review Centre: Jazz Bands

"The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art have used free outdoor jazz programs to draw the public to their facilities, but representatives of the museums say that this summer sparked a banner year in terms of attendance. “It was incredible,” said Dorrance Stalvey, director of music programs at LACMA. “We had upward of 2,000 people at some shows.” The museum--in its fourth year of offering jazz on a weekly basis-presented such artists as Horace Tapscott, Dr. Art Davis and Cecilia Coleman at its Friday evening shows, and big bands led by Bill Berry, Gerald Wilson and Bill Holman on Sunday afternoon programs. “This program was by far the most successful we’ve had,” said Dawn Setzer, spokesperson for MOCA. “We averaged about 1,500 people a show,” a figure up considerably from previous years’ events. Setzer said the primary reason for the increased turnout was the high-profile strictly-jazz lineup, presented on 11 consecutive Thursdays, that included Charles McPherson, Billy Higgins and Teddy Edwards. LACMA continues its Friday evening shows throughout the year, currently spotlighting a retrospective of bands that have played there, plus new acts. ‘Trane Time: The annual John Coltrane Festival takes place tonight at 8 at the World Stage, 4344 Degnan Blvd. in Leimert Park. On tap will be Ravi Coltrane, Dr. Art Davis’ estimable quintet with Doug Webb and Phil Vieux, and others. Information: (213) 293-2451. Davis will also appear at a benefit for Better Advantages for Students and Society (BASS), which awards a scholarship in his name. The event takes place on Sunday, 4 to 7 P.M., at Diva, 600 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Eugene was a hit and everyone enjoyed him at the party! He had a great playlist that got people dancing! His positive energy both on stage and off was nice to have and we’re glad we found him to book"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Ho avuto l’occasione di assumerli per il mio matrimonio che è stato un momento speciale, ancora piu speciale con il catch up trio. Sono stati super. Grazie di tutto francesco "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Our anniversary celebration couldn't have been more perfect. The musicians arrived discreetly, set everything up without disturbing anyone and created a beautiful musical backdrop throughout the evening. Their performance was refined, stylish and exactly the right volume for our guests to enjoy both the music and each other's company. We received compliments from everyone and would gladly book them again."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Band Saptham is the best rock fusion band in California, energetic performance is ou of words and superbly talented musicians . They know audience likes so well "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you Trip for Biscuits, you were amazing! From the after dinner duo, to the evening 5 piece band, it was perfect. With your unique style, your music added such great flare to our wedding. From randomly seeing you perform for the first time in the Bootlegger in Exeter, we absolutely loved your music & you certainly didn't disappoint for our big day!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"A huge thank you to Isobel Gathercole's band for the fabulous music last night! We have had so much feedback from those who attended saying how much they loved the event and in particular, the music. They looked great, sounded great and helped to create the most perfect atmosphere!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you for making our event a huge success- the music was riveting and highly appreciated by the guests and the hosts! Thanks a lot- would highly recommend you!"

Reply by Ontario saxophonist Igor Babich
Thank you very much for your wonderful feedback, Dima! I’m delighted to hear the music helped make your event a success. It was a real pleasure to be part of such a special day!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We had the absolute pleasure of having Valentina perform, and she truly brought the magic! Her voice, energy, and charisma lit up the room. Professional, talented, and an absolute joy to work with, Valentina exceeded all expectations and made our celebration unforgettable. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Sticks and Stone played a fantastic concert of our school. I am the Music Specialist at a K-4 school and this group had everyone engaged, bobbing along in their seats, learning, and enjoying the incredible sounds from the marimba. The musicians interacted so incredibly with the students, staff, and guests. It was a blast for everyone! I highly recommend Sticks and Stone for any school program, or any other type of event. They are spectacular! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We’d just like to say a massive thank you to you and your swing band for performing at our wedding at Beamish Hall. The overall presentation was extremely professional from start to finish and the standard of the music was superb – we had a lot of guests who are musicians including the bride, and they’re still all talking about the quality of your performance! We all thought that the way you got everyone involved with certain musical numbers was great fun and created a whole new dimension to the evening. We have had lots of guests comment on how much fun they had dancing and how incredible your performance was. Quite a few guests said that you were the best swing band they’ve seen at a wedding by a long way. We are also very grateful to you all for learning That’s Amoré for our first dance. It was an excellent rendition – so much so, that we danced to it twice! All in all, Mr Swing’s Dance Orchestra played a very big part in making our wedding day so special and unique! We will certainly be recommending you to everyone we know and I’m sure our guests will be too. You will be talked about with great delight for many years to come!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Darren's band played at our graduation ball at Crewe hall and were absolutely fantastic! They played fun and lively music at the drinks reception and gave the whole room a buzz of energy. The only downside was that we didn't have enough time to have them play for longer!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"BABIS , thank you very much for turning our wedding into a real fairy tale with both your magical saxophone and your positive energy. We wish you good work and that you continue to give us such beautiful moments. We will definitely meet again in the future. Our kisses from Grevena ❣️"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Matt and the Cocktail Hour Jazz Band were great and the perfect fit for our event! The communication from the band was excellent up until the very day of the event. Matt was flexible with timings and was very happy to work around whatever worked best for our event. I would highly recommend booking the Cocktail Hour Jazz Band for any events!"

Reply by The Cocktail Hour Jazz Band
Hi Zoe. Thank you so much for the kind review. We really enjoyed the experience and appreciated your hospitality and assistance with setting up before the gig. I hope we canwork together again soon. Best wishes, Matt

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for coming to my Birthday Party! We had fun ☺️"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: