Review Centre: 1940s Era Musicians & Bands

"I highly recommend Vincent Cassotta and this band for any event. We had this incredible band play for our Housewarming party at the end of September, 2023. Each member of the band was professional, dressed professionally, and arrived early with plenty of time to prepare. We have attended many concerts, as we love music, and this band plays the best jazz we have heard. In our home, they were very conscientious to choose the correct space for acoustics and assisted to make our visitors feel welcome. Many of those in attendance still speak about the “smooth” jazz and how they could have sat and listened to them for hours.Thank you to this talented group of musicians for making our event and the evening extra special. Warmly, Angela And Jeffery Foss "

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"If available, book today! Simon and the other members of the Trio were phenomenal! I cannot sing my praises enough. Between working with us for a first song and father/daughter and groom/mother dance. The music was great, everyone praised them. Like the title says, if they’re available for your gig than book them immediately, you will regret it if not!"

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"This is a short note post honeymoon to let you know that the Casablanca Steps were a HUGE hit at the wedding a few weeks ago. I loved it, Steve loved it, and all our guests were blown away. When we thought it couldn’t get any better the dancers were amazing!!! Please pass our thanks to the band & dancers, and accept our thanks to you for all your help in this process. Best Regards from an extremely happy customer, "

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"Just to say how much we appreciated The Tri Tones. It was exactly what we wanted and we loved it so much. You really made our evening. Thank you very much!"

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"Je viens d'écouter ton enregistrement, bravo à toi et aux autres musiciens! C'est très agréable à écouter et pas si sombre que ça, comparé à Almost blue de Chet Baker, une des rares musiques que je connaisse vraiment de lui avec My funny Valentine. Cela m'a surtout fait replonger dans l'ambiance d'un très bon film noir de Louis Malle de la fin des années 50 à Paris " Ascenseur pour l'échaffaud", la BO est de Miles Davis"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"“Amazing. Professional. Infectious. I didn’t know what to expect. I wanted a jazz band to provide background atmosphere at a small anniversary party. It became the main act, with an enthusiastic audience even dancing at times. Professional musicians. Highly recommended.”"

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" All Music Review Thom Jurek The title of this set is an apt one. While much of the music presented by the Rick Holland-Evan Dobbins Little Big Band, it hearkens back -- in terms of its sophistication, confidence and outright jazz literacy, not nostalgically -- to an era when progressive jazz, and big bands (this one numbering 10 pieces) flourished on the scene. This is one sophisticated outfit. Featuring the arrangement and compositional skills of Brent Wallarab, Jim Martin, Bill Dobbins and Kerry Strayer, this band struts out the tradition and make some joyous, complex, and elegant music that reflects its own unique identity. The résumés of all these players are impressive and reflected in the confidence of the date. It opens with "SUNY-Triangle," a Martin composition that works its artful sleight-of-hand over Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Triste." Martin uses the rhythmically complex samba and drapes some tough, knotty twists and turns over it. The intro is a beautiful and raucous wake-up call, while the head of the tune, with its staggered entrances and exits -- including some fine soloing by John Viavattine on tenor and John Nyerges on piano -- give this tune a unique identity. "Creature Comfort" is a beautiful mid-tempo ballad by Wallarab with edgeless yet multi-dimensional dissonances written into its harmonics. It swings beautifully and includes a fine, punchy solo by tenorman Glenn Cashman. Besides the originals, there are some fine readings here as well. There's Wallarab's arrangement of Duke Ellington's "Black and Tan Fantasy" that's a thoroughly modern exercise losing none of Ellington's humor or rhythmic complexity. Likewise, Gerry Mulligan's haunting, wee-hours, "Night Lights," is given expert treatment here by Strayer, and Dean Keller's baritone saxophone playing combines Mulligan's sense of lyric and Ben Webster's sense of time. In Time's Shadow reveals that innovation need not sacrifice accessibility or swing. It is convincing evidence that the big band form is alive, well and full of surprises."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Keziah's voice is stunning and so unique that when I first heard it, I knew that's what I wanted to hear on the most important day of my life. She made our wedding dreams come true! She sang at various points in our day from hymns to the Beatles, no song style or choice was too much of an ask and she had some great suggestions too. Her communication and professionalism was stellar throughout, checking in with us regularly to make sure we were happy and I really felt like she genuinely wanted us to have the most perfect day imaginable. Your guests will still be talking about the amazing singer months later and it won't be a wedding they forget in a hurry."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I invited Ted to play “Italian Bistro/ French Café” music during the cocktail hour of our wedding. His playing made the atmosphere very magical and jovial. It was exactly what I was hoping for and would recommend him highly. His playing and set list really added to the party without his sound overpowering. He was extremely professional and easy to communicate with. Ten stars! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you & Tuxedo Junction for a wonderful evening Saturday night. Our friends and guests raved about the band. You absolutely made the evening so special! ‘Such an amazing band and so professional. I will recommend you very highly. We appreciate all you did!"

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"I've booked the guys to play at The Lowry Hotel a number of times and the quality of the music has been superb. Very professional and they created just the right atmosphere for the hotel. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We hired Melissa to sing at our restaurant last month. She performed a fantastic 1940's to 1960's set which went down really well with all of our regulars. Looking forward to her coming back in a few months. 10/10 highly recommend!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Harmonica Lewinsky, half musician, half comedian, can't be filed easily under any one genre. There are no "rawk" anthems or jangly pop toons to guide you to a familiar sense of comfy numbness you may well be used to in your local music venue. Instead, you get a proper show. Someone - that's Phil Leiwy, crazy alchemist of alter-ego Lewinsky - has taken it upon himself to create a crisp set of upbeat, rhythmic gems played on guitar (choppy, jazzy, mellow), vocals (smooth, welcoming) and of course, a boxload of harmonicas (swanky, tuneful, engaging). But words alone seem unable to explain why, after a HL gig, you go home feeling as if you have been crane-lifted out of a ditch... If you haven't seen HL play, go and see for yourself, and let the performance into your life. Careful listening really helps: the lyrics to many of Phil's songs - including Gordon Brown (to the tune of the Stranglers' "Golden Brown") - are wry, clever and occasionally rude. Lovers of X-Factor stability or other social brainwashing techniques may leave feeling confused."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you all so much for such a fantastic evening on Saturday! The feedback has been unbelievable - everyone loved the evening and especially the band. Your voice has been commented on by many and lots of people are saying we must get them again! Whether that will be jazz / jive or 60s/70s, I don't know...but I will get back to you when the time is right. The selection you chose for the 2 sets was perfect - the first allowing people to chat and the second winding up the tempo for a dance. We have never seen so many people dancing in the Hall and - of all ages. So, very well done to you all and lots of thanks."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"“A fantastic jazz band that lifted our reception to a higher level! The Jazz Centrale made our reception unforgettable. They arrived well on time, were very friendly, and exceptionally good at what they do. The music created exactly the right atmosphere. Communication beforehand and during the event was smooth and professional. They were flexible and thought along with us, which made the collaboration very pleasant. In short, a wonderful experience and absolutely recommended!”"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: