Review Centre: Jazz Bands

"We were so fortunate to have Rainer and his band perform at our wedding in France in September. Rainer was very easy to communicate with, and he turned our music preferences into an amazing musical celebration. Listening to him and his band perform was one of the highlights of the wedding for all of our guests! We cannot say enough about Rainer’s talent. Do not hesitate to book his services for your next event. Rainer and his band were some of the most talented musicians that we have ever heard. Thanks again Rainer! "

Reply by Rainer Pusch
Dear Hannah &Carlen, I hope your travel to Europe was nice and joyfull. Again, we had a lot of fun playing for you Rainer

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We have worked with Mistura Fina for several years at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, where they regularly perform in our spaces. Throughout this time, they have demonstrated a high level of professionalism, great flexibility, and a remarkable ability to create the right atmosphere for every occasion. The quality of their music and their punctuality are consistently outstanding, making them a trusted partner for our events and hospitality experiences. It is always a pleasure to have their collaboration, and we highly recommend their services to anyone looking for excellence, dedication, and a professional approach."

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"Thank you so much for opening up Macmillan Mayhem 2023 for us. Your support really is appreciated. You guys were absolutely amazing. A lot of people were talking about you all day. We will certainly be looking out for your future gigs. You really got the party started (your words lol) Thanks again 💚😊"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Muita música rolando desse Ceará rpz! rs Prazerzão te conhecer lindo...Bjos!"

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"You never fail me with your music creation.. :) thank you' Artistic Director of Maya Dance Theatre"

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"Stevie and Matthew played for my wedding ceremony in Bristol. They brought tears to my eyes and are a very lovely and talented pair . Definitely would recommend these two."

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"We hired Elite Music Group to play as a trio for our wedding June 7th, and it was nothing short of superb. Igor was amazing to work with through and through, incredibly professional, and worked with us to curate the perfect music for our day. Having the strings play as we all walked down the aisle and for cocktail hour was magical, and everything flowed seamlessly. Thank you, Igor and Elite Music Group for a wonderful performance, and would highly recommend them for any wedding and/or event."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"There have been many jazz musicians – saxophonists John Coltrane and George Brooks to name a couple – who have been intrigued by the melodic and rhythmic complexities of Hindustani classical music. Saxophonist Rainer Pusch, how!ever, belongs to the rare breed of Western musicians who have been influenced by Carnatic music. The Carnatic connection came later, but jazz caught Pusch’s interest at an early age. As a 12-year-old learning the tenor sax, a “very bad teacher” scared him into quitting lessons and starting to jam with friends. “At the age of 14 I got into jazz,” he told us. “I heard the first album by [American free jazz saxophonist] Pharaoh Sanders and this album [Pharaoh’s First] kicked me in.” Pusch got completely hooked after his brother smuggled him into The Cave, a jazz club in Heidelberg. “They had jam sessions every Tuesday,” he said. “It was 1968, the time of free jazz, underground music and the hippie era. Heidelberg was the headquarters of the US army in Europe, and there were a lot of army clubs, where I found my first steady work.” Playing for Americans every Friday and Saturday was an ideal start. It was a stroke of luck that Pusch met his “first jazz guru”, saxophonist Pony Poindexter. “Pony Poindexter’s wife worked for the army and they were living in Mannheim at the time,” Pusch said. “Pony had already subbed for Charlie Parker in Billy Eckstine’s big band, recorded with [guitarist] Wes Montgomery, the vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, and many others.” Pusch started taking lessons from Poindexter and, after a while, they started performing together. Poindexter was instrumental, in helping Pusch further his jazz education by introducing him to other American musicians. “He knew everybody,” Pusch recalled. “Through him, I met Dexter Gordon. Art Blakey sat in with us when we played an outdoor gig.” Later, in 1977, Pusch stayed with Poindexter in New York, where he met the cream of the city’s jazz scene. “He invited Philly Joe Jones to stay for two weeks in our Lower East Side loft; I met Eddie Jefferson, Bob Berg, Junior Cook,” Pusch said. He also took lessons from George Coleman, who had briefly been part of Miles Davis’s band in the early ’60s. On his return to Germany, Pusch released his first album as leader of his own outfit. However, his connection to America persisted; he would return to earn a degree in jazz composition and arrangement from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, in 1983. Pusch’s first album Journey Agent, released in 1981, was an assimilation of the styles typical of hard bop and post-bop American musicians he had met during the past decade. On the album, his quartet, which included piano, double bass and drums, performed originals and a cover of “Mixing Pot” by Brazilian musician Hermeto Pascoal. Mostly mid-tempo numbers, the tunes ranged from the ballad-like “Scientific” and earthy “B-flat Blues” to funky, Latin-inflected “Mixing”. “I’m influenced by all the players I like to listen to,” Pusch said. “That’s the secret about jazz. It isn’t only music; it’s a philosophy of personal self-development built on tolerance and the art of living in the moment.” He has performed in a variety of formats: duo, trio, quartet and big bands. Pusch is also a composer and arranger who has scored symphonic pieces for films. Pusch’s first major Indian encounter was in the late-’90s, when he performed at the Avignon Theatre Festival in France. “It had a focus on India, and members of the Kalakshetra College of Dance and Music were performing,” he said. “I got in touch with them and decided to go to Chennai to study.” Pusch received a scholarship from ICCR and moved with his family to Chennai in 1996. He would remain there for more than two years, studying Carnatic vocal from S Rajaram and rhythms from V Selvaganesh. “I got into the movie business and performed for many music directors, inclu!ding AR Rahman,” he said. There have been Carnatic saxo!phonists, like Kadri Gopalnath, before him, but Pusch is probably the first Westerner to perform the traditional south Indian style on the sax. He has also arranged compositions by Thyagaraja, Mysore Vasudeva and others, using a rhythm section comprised of guitar, bass and drums. “We respect the raga, but put it in a harmonic frame,” he said. “It’s not the style, but the attitude of the musician that counts. The future of music, art and culture lies in a respectful, well-understood and lived fusion. Not in a commercial, fast food con-fusion.”"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Pink Champagne were a wonderful addition to our party . Professional, outstanding quality , friendly and a wonderful array of songs delivered with style . We had a jazz genre and it was truly fantastic. Can’t thank you enough- I highly recommended this fabulous group ! Thanks so much ! Hope to see you again . "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"manu M. (Private) - For Cherrypickers 5/1/2023, Wedding Anniversary I called these wonderful musicians to celebrate my wedding anniversary. They turned out to be professional, nice and made great entertainment music. I would absolutely recommend them for an evening of good musisa."

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"Gewelig Jazz Duo, leuke herkenbare nummers! Wij kregen hier veel complimenten over op onze bruiloft "

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"We recently got married in Umbria and having blue moon jazz band playing was the greatest decision ever. Thank you ever so much! We highly recommend the band to everyone! Great service, quick response and willing to do everything for us and our guests. Thank you so much! All the best, Karl and Ingrid"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Laura and her guitarist were absolutely amazing on Valentine’s Day . She has a great voice and is very confident. Her performance was excellent and we highly recommend them for your events . "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Igor thank you for an amazing experience for my daughters wedding you are top notch the best saxaphonist ever, thank you for making the day perfect and stress free. I wish there was a 10 star rating , you have definitely earned it."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Fleur sang a beautiful set for our wedding in August. She sang a gorgeous mix of dance numbers and slower romantic ones, and made our reception very special. She was a delight to have there with us and tailored her set to include our requests as well. I'm so glad we booked Fleur and can't recommend her enough for any occasion - she is relaxed, elegant and has such a beautiful voice, it set such a lovely tone for our evening. Thank you, Fleur!! "

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