Review Centre: Jazz Bands

"Shadow Sax! I cannot thank you enough. You went above and beyond. You were superb and you made our canapé reception! We are so glad we booked you. We so highly recommend!! Thank you so much! Amy and Harry. Note: this review was provided through a different system which rates out of 5, and received a 5 start rating (ie 5 out of 5)"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Simon was absolutely fab! He took us through a lot of options and we went for light music during photos and with our DJ for the reception. Having Simon play was a real highlight of the day. He was amazing and so many guests said just how fun it was. There were a few songs me and Steve really wanted - he really got what we were looking for with the music for the day. We loved him and I don’t think it would have been quite the same without him playing and the atmosphere he naturally brought. Great guy and a really great day "

Rating: 9 / 10 Share this review:

"Great act for background music, we had the Paris Plan on our networking event, we could talk and enjoy the live music of this amazing duo. Eveline"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"On a beautiful August night JSJBF member band The Gumbo Gum bas, a project that grew out of leader Joe Grillo and his late brother Alfie's love of all things New Orleans, played to an appreciative crowd at Bands on the Beach. This was the second of two shows held on the beach for this summer-long Sunday night concert series, sponsored by the City of Long Branch in association with the JSJBFT. his show gave the band a chance to play live much of the material that can be found on their new CD, "Zydeland," with our own Jill Baskind donning the rub board for a couple of tunes. For those of you who may not get the reference in the title, Zydeco is a southern Louisiana dance music featuring the accordion, rub board and in this case horns. The music on the CD was dedicated to Alfie, who passed during the pandemic, and their mixing engineer, Tim Gilles, who left us during the making of the CD. All of the band members who appeared on the beach are on the record, including Dave Anthony on drums, Vinnie Borselli on trumpet, Joe on tenor sax and vocals, Steve Munter on baritone sax and clarinet, Greg Novick on bass, Steve "Big Squeezy" Rice on accordion and piano and Lars Wendt on trombone. All tunes were written, arranged and produced by Joe except as noted below. The opening title track "Zydeland," begins with the measured beat of the drums and is joined quickly by the accordion, with the horns kicking in as the lyrics invite you to join the band on a journey to this magical, musical place. As with any good Gumbo, it's flavored with local ingredients, in this case a dose of the Jersey Shore sound spices up the mix. "Dance With Me" picks up the beat and is reminiscent in tempo and style to one of Joe's major influences, Louis Prima. If this tune doesn't get you out of your seat, nothing will. "Waiting for the Cane," is dedicated to the crazies who choose not to evacuate, but start the party in anticipation of a hurricane, and party they will to this number. "King Cake" includes lyrics by Joe and music by Steve, was explained to the uninitiated that night as the legendary dessert of Mardi Gras which is said to bring luck and prosperity to whoever gets the plastic baby in their piece. It's a high energy number that gives each member of the horn section a chance to stretch out and strut their stuff, and they made it a highlight of that night and the CD. The recorded version of this song literally jumps out of the speakers. "Can't Go Back To New Orleans" is a moving tribute to Joe's brother, envisioning an ode to the city they both love through the sound of Tom Waits, one of Alfie's favorite artists. I got the chills listening to what starts out as a somber tune but ends in an upbeat fashion, finishing with Frank Rein's tuba. Joe and Vinnie collaborated on the lyrics to the tall tale of "Gumbo Parmesan," a song that's lyrics are as much of a fun dream its title implies. "By the Water'' has that infectious "Congo Square" beat, which is highlighted by Dave's opening drum pattern with accompanying percussion and conjures up a scene of the locals doing a NOLA style tap dance. With lyrics by Ken Morrison and music by Steve Rice, "Drifting Off and Dreaming of You" is a mid twentieth century style ballad, complete with strings, and has Joe in the role of a crooner which he does quite eloquently. A welcome respite from the nonstop party to this point, he sounds like the last man at the bar, smoke curling up from that final cigarette, with drink in hand, thinking about the woman of his dreams. The penultimate song, "Drinks On the House," is another fanciful flight of fantasy which would be loads of fun as an MTV video. Bring on the aliens, it's party time! The final tune, "Why Can't Everyday Be Mardi Gras?," is a fitting end to this party with Steph's clarinet leading the second line followed by the rest of the band with a chorus children along the route singing out the refrain. For this band, every time they start to play it's Mardi Gras. If these songs don't leave you smiling and dancing I don't know what will. Mission accomplished in the fun department as far as I'm concerned."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"GuitarSax provided a fantastic service for our wedding. They travelled from Thessaloniki to Symi (near Rhodes) to perform during our wedding ceremony. They were really easy to communicate with and learned the song which we wanted to be played coming down the aisle. They also went above and beyond to record a song which one of our bridesmaids performed alongside them during the ceremony. They were brilliant on the day and we really appreciated all their efforts. Unfortunately, we had to reschedule the wedding to the following day and GuitarSax were kind enough to perform the following day as a gift to us at no additional cost. This was an incredible act of kindness and we truly appreciate them changing their plans and being so flexible to ensure that we had a day to remember. I cannot recommend these guys enough, they are incredibly talented, well organised and easy to communicate with! They made everything so easy, performed flawlessly and were really professional. We are really appreciative of everything they did and wish them all the best for the future! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Lady J were absolutely fantastic - they capped a wonderful day for our wedding in the perfect way. From the first moment they really got our reception party going with an amazing positive atmosphere and our guests were up dancing from the first tune to the last. An amazing set list of songs which I trusted them to choose having seen them a number of times before. Every performance has been amazing. Janelle has such a wonderful voice and Felix is a truly great guitar player. One guest is still talking about him as the best live player he has seen (and he has seen a few!). They were so easy to deal with they organised all the technical requirements directly with the venue, really professional, and absolutely seamless on the day. Could not recommend more. Do yourselves a favour and book them."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I attended a festival where Drumpet Disco was playing, and I was blown away! The mix of live trumpet and drums with their DJ set was unlike anything I've experienced. If you want an unforgettable night, these are your guys. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I hired Wiseiris for my 40th birthday dinner and he was just amazing!! His saxophone playing was pure magic — smooth, soulful, and full of emotion. Every note felt alive, and the energy in the room was unreal. My guests thoroughly enjoyed his performance, even singing along with certain songs. Wiseris doesn’t just play music; he tells stories through sound. Can’t wait to have another event so I can hire him again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Not knowing what to expect I was ready for anything on a warm September night in Edinburgh. This was a Sunday night too and the setting was complete in the nightclub atmosphere that is the Dirty Martini lounge. This band can swing, bass and drums groove sweetly while sax and piano trade solos making this a full sound like there are more on stage. Tony Delicata on vocals blends his Italian roots with Volare, On An Evening In Roma and O Solo Mio as we were escorted to warm Italy with cool sounds and cocktails to suit. The second half opened with I Wish I Knew, an instrumental from the days when Cinema was a TV series before Tony returned with more signature arrangements. By now the audience were itching to dance and with peaks like Mack The Knife and (Theme From) New York New York they were at one with the band. The closing title song was a creative masterstroke and a deserved ovation followed. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I booked Project Cabarazz for my sister's 18th - she loves vintage PMJ style music, so they were perfect for the occasion. We had a great time dancing!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Cecile was an amazing violinist. Who communicated with me the entire time. She was very helpful and worked with my accommodations. She has a beautiful playlist for any occasion. She helped make our wedding a very memorable one"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Igor played at our wedding and he was spectacular! He was a pleasure to work with from the start, showed up early, played our song requests and really made our vision come to light! We got so many compliments from our guests! I highly recommend him and can’t wait to have him play in the future!"

Reply by Ontario saxophonist Igor Babich
Thank you so much, Angie! It was a real pleasure working with you.

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you, Tyler! We booked Tyler for our 4th of July parade that has 14,000 attendees and he was fantastic! He definitely exceeded our expectations. Not only is he musically talented, but the process of booking him was very easy. He's very professional and personable. We would love to work with him again in the future!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We were recommended Dinner Jazz Duo by our wedding planner and we weren't disappointed. They played for the cocktail hour and created a lovely atmosphere. Great communication leading up to the day and very easy to work with :)"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Tomy and the Cordes Nomades Jazz group was perfect for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour at Blanche Fleur. They play a wide variety of french jazz and more. Tomy suggested songs for our ceremony that were perfect and they were also open for ideas from us. They kept the music upbeat and going during our entire cocktail hours. Tomy is easy to work with, speaks good english and we highly recommend the band! "

Reply by Cordes Nomades
Thank you very much Caitlin, yes we try to adapt as much as possible to your requests, we come as a service provider and not just to put on a concert. All the best to you Caitlin!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: