Review Centre: Saxophone Players

"absolutely lovely music, amazing person very friendly and funny. such a gift to hear in person. 10/10. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Ένας καταπληκτικός μουσικός, ο Μπάμπης Προδρομίδης, έπαιξε υπέροχη μουσική στο γάμο της κόρης μου!!!! Έδωσε τη δική του μουσική πινελιά στη δεξίωση και εντυπωσίασε όλους μας!!!! Σίγουρα θα μας συντροφεύει και στο επόμενο σημαντικό γεγονός της ζωής μας!!!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Lynden Blades brought a lovely ambiance to our wedding with his saxophone. Working with him was a delight, he had so many brilliant suggestions, and he demonstrated professionalism throughout. The standard of his performance was excellent, creating a gorgeous atmosphere for our guests. Lynden's sax added a special touch to our day, and we're super grateful for his contribution"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

" Anra is everything My husband and I, along with all of our guests, were completely blown away by Anra’s talent playing with the DJ at our wedding. He exceeded expectations. All of our guests were asking for his contact info. Anra is the real deal. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Having Cool Reflections perform at our wedding was one of the best decisions we made! Their jazz music created the perfect atmosphere—romantic and intimate during the ceremony, yet lively and celebratory during the reception. Our guests were enchanted by their talent and style, with many saying it was the highlight of the evening. Cool Reflections made our special day unforgettable, and we can’t thank them enough!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"ένας γάμος όνειρο στον οποίο συνέβαλε ο Μπάμπης με το μοναδικό του έργο!! ευχαριστούμε για τις στιγμές που μας χαρισες!! ✨️✨️✨️"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Awesome music and environment! Great song choices "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"After having had contact and discussing the wishes, I can only say, WOW what a great party we had. The combination with the DJ was great. Even though it was outside, the roof came off"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"It was great to hear you blowing the sax while I enjoyed my soul food. Your music was the dessert! Thank you!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Loved the music and the take on the songs. Also huge fan of saxophone and loved it."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Tommy & James hebben op onze bruiloft tijdens het diner gespeeld. Het was geweldig! Ze maken goeie muziek en brengen een vrolijke sfeer mee! Wat ik erg prettig vond was dat ze flexibel en mobiel zijn. Zonder dat ik het door had, stonden ze er al en begonnen ze te spelen. Top! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you for being part of it. We are pleased we booked you and would have no hesitation in using your services again."

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:

"Great people!! Great music!! They did a great job. They even had to move around the venue once, but that went very smoothly."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We chose a harp and saxophone duo for our wedding in Lucca, and it was the best decision ever. The mix of classical and modern sounds created a unique and unforgettable atmosphere. Planner David Collins helped us bring this vision to life."

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