Review Centre: Swing Bands

"Wonderful and lovely musicians. Made our event even more special. Thank you. Super user friendly and reliable as well."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I immediately understood from the first contact that I was dealing with professionals, who know exactly how to handle an important and highly symbolic event like one's wedding, capable of always keeping the spotlight on the bride and groom without ever being intrusive or out of place, but rather accompanying us discreetly (but not without "personality") through all the stages of the evening. Being a musician myself, I had very high expectations about the matter, but the feedback received from the band was absolutely respectful of the tastes and the general idea that my partner and I had, and indeed there were, thanks to their experience, details that turned out to be more than spot-on, because they were always done at the right moment and in the most congenial manner to the situation. Well done guys, a big hug from Francesco Cardillo and Laura – Francesco Cardillo and Laura, 14 September 2023, Wedding in Bari, Italy"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you for last night. Everyone has said what a fantastic band you are. We all had a fabulous time and we have no hesitation in recommending you. I wanted authentic and I got it! Thanks for learning the Louis Jordan tune too. That made my night."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The UK's answer to Post Modern Jukebox "

Reply by Flash Mob Jazz
Shout out to Island Records

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you for playing at our wedding! It was magical!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I can't speak highly enough of this band, they are professional, talented & sound amazing. Before the wedding Jess worked very hard with the venue to ensure we could have the best possible line up for our reception and set up a surprise happy birthday for the mother of the bride with no problems. Thank you for helping to make our special day fun & memorable! Luke & Noriko "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so very much for playing yesterday. We all thoroughly enjoyed it and it turned a sad occasion into the celebration that Della wanted. The music you played was fabulous. Everyone commented that the music was a magical touch and that Della would have loved every minute of it. So thank you and please send our thanks to the rest of your band. I found booking your band a very easy and straightforward process with prompt correspondence from you. A few friends and myself are going to book a Friday evening with your band and dinner at the Savoy "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Sax Addict laid the perfect backdrop to my lakeside canapes. Lush."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I can’t say enough great things about this entire band. Igor is such a pleasure to work with and the all of the musicians were not only impeccable but musically very very talented. Our entire event went off without a hitch due to their talents."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Exceptional quality and seamless coordination throughout!"

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"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:

"Peter Duncan's band, Green Street Jazz Trio plays a great mix of jazz standards, funk, blues and contemporary numbers with a cool laid back vibe and plenty of great solos. The interaction between the guitar and bass guitar is particularly strong, and their guests add an engaging extra dimension. Sarah Chaplin, Editor, 'Jazz in London'. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"A massive thank you to Wendy for her marvellous contribution to our musical event...A first class musician with an unmatched work ethic. Matt Cremin. (10 / 10) Matt Cremin Cruise Director Princess Cruises"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Their energy, professionalism, and talent made our day truly special and our guests are still talking about them."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Stefano and the entire band were a dream come true for our July wedding in Umbria ! Their collection of songs set the perfect tone for the night and our family and friends loved every minute of their set. They were such an incredible addition to the evening that made the memory so special. It was wonderful to meet them and we would share their info with any friend of ours that is having an event in the same area in the future."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: