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:

"Jesper Hedegaard is almost more Brazilian than Danish. Since 1976, he has devoted his life to Brazilian music, has grown together with the part of it that builds a bridge to jazz. He is a well-known and treasured musician in Brazil and a tireless communicator of the rich Brazilian music in Denmark without, moreover, making a bigger being out of himself. It's the music - that's what it's all about. This is clearly reflected on his latest CD, a modest affair of just over half an hour. The beautiful trio playing with drummer Magno Bissoli and bassist Sidiel Vieira shows Hedegaard at home in the rich borderland between Brazilian and jazz. Apart from two of his own compositions, Jesper Hedegaard plays with a trio of compositions by Lúcio Alves, Ary Barroso, Tom Jobim, Bruno Martino and Bruno Brighetti. Beautiful and endearing with a restraint that helps build tension that sharpens attention. During the apparently effortless, elegantly swinging playing, a dialogue unfolds between the three musicians, which sharpens the desire for more than the record's 33 minutes. However, Bissoli is sometimes so discreet in his playing that he almost disappears. A pity, because here one of Brazil's best and most generous musicians could give the music more edge. It's a trio with great potential. Hopefully the three of them will continue together and make an announcement soon."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"This was just what we needed for our hotel relaunch, subtle and engaging. We have recommended Casado to other hotels in the chain throughout the UK. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"From The Luna Lounge: We would love to see you perform again."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"At the summer party we had at the beach club, in Comporta, Madalena was incredible, from improvising with the dj to leaving us all in a super good mood. Her perfectionism and charm captivated us to consider her as the singer of choice for our corporate events."

Reply by Madalena Botelho
Thanks Paulo! It was a fantastic event. Looking forward to the next one :)

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Igor played at our wedding this past weekend and it was such a beautiful addition to the day. He entertained guests during cocktail hour and a personal highlight was when he accompanied our first dance to Have I Told You Lately. It was so memorable and romantic - he is a total pro and so easy to work with!!"

Reply by Ontario saxophonist Igor Babich
Thank you so much, Kara. It was a great wedding!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Please come again – really enjoyed your repertoire,bhearing my favourite old songs sang and played so well "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I found the Trio from mainly reading reviews on numerous sites. We had our wedding at the Belmond Hotel Caruso in Ravello and requested Raphael and his team play during our cocktail hour and meal. The music sounded beautiful! They played a great mix of old and new which went down brilliantly with the guests, a large number of which were singing along! We had so many compliments about the choice of music! Thank you for making our day so perfect. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much Dita! Free on the 1st of January to make us live such an amazing moment. We are so grateful and had a great time."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Tom played at my wife and my 50th birthday party. Ahead of the event, his communication was excellent, providing a playlist based on our likes but also very happy to add our choice of songs to the setlist. He covered a wide genre of music. He arrived extremely punctually and was ready to go when the event started. The guests loved his music. I would not hesitate to recommend him. Francis & Alison"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We couldn’t be happier that we chose Maria for our wedding reception. Maria brought a magic, glamour, and old Hollywood style charm to our big day that is hard to put into words. Not only is she a hugely talented singer and saxophonist, but she also has an amazing stage presence - she added so much to our special day. From our first telephone call with her it was clear that she really cared about our vision for our big day, and her performance was beyond our wildest expectations. It was so wonderful to see our guests out on the floor enjoying Maria's performance, and two months later they are still commenting about how fabulous she was, and how much she added to their enjoyment of our day. Thank you Mara from the bottom of our hearts. Dee & Shea ❤️ xoxo"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We held a small and intimate wedding near Barcelona; although you’d never have thought it from the noise and energy coming from our party thanks to the music provided by The Street Foxes. Liam and Ceci were absolutely outstanding from start to finish. They are such talented musicians but also fantastic people, and we really enjoyed chatting to them throughout (and after!) the evening. They also absolutely smashed our first dance song. Would highly recommend!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The Blue Moon Jazz Trio was incredible. We reached out to them one year in advance and they were completely professional and reliable and fun the entire way through. They joined us at a private villa in Tuscany, just south of Florence. We were initially nervous booking a band overseas without meeting them first but they made us feel comfortable right away via email. They made our wedding vibe very elegant and fun and they even played music that my dad requested so he could sing while we danced for the first time as husband and wife. We ABSOLUTELY recommend this band for an elegant, timeless, classy event. They made our wedding so special and memorable."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Perfect. Brazil Flavor Music was exactly what we needed for our event. The duo catered their music and brought the perfect vibe to our reception. In regards to booking, they stayed communicating with me, keeping me updated on any changes. They are very friendly, kind, and humble, and you can tell they love what they do. Musically, they are incredibly talented. Several attendees came to us during our event to compliment the music selection for the afternoon. Lastly, our event was 3.5 hours away from them, yet they willingly drove, arrived early/on time, set up, and were ready to go as soon as the doors opened. We will definitely be hiring them again in the future and we recommend them for sure. Thank you again, Brazil Flavor Music! Reviewer: Macklyn Mosley Services Provided: Bossa Nova Band, Easy Listening Band, Samba Band"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Nice guys and great musicians. We wanted a 100% Italian style reception and so it was, they sang Italian songs that we all sang together. They had a station near us and every now and then they played, singing and walking between the tables with the guests. Very very funny and characteristic. We still sing Volare and O Sole mio thinking about that magical evening. Thanks so much guys!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: