Review Centre: Big Bands

"‘Just wanted to say thanks for last night, your performance was amazing and we've heard nothing but great things from everyone!’ "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for last night! You guys were phenomenal. Nothing but praise from everyone at the wedding. Can't wait to catch you out again at a gig. We will be keeping an eye out for any thing in our area! Thanks to you and the rest of the band! X"

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:

"We loved having you and are so glad we found you. You guys were great and so many people made a point to comment to me about you guys.... Would love to have you back next year if you are interested!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Fantastic performance by Las Vegas Nights Experience, great variety of songs to suit all and to get our retired employees up singing and dancing. Lovely guy, Brilliant singer. Would highly recommend."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The Latin Lovers are amazing!!! Not only are Juan and Vern gifted musicians, but they also share something much more important when they perform, they share a genuine love of music and life. The Lovers are among the greatest acts performing today in that they are consistently able to make every single person at their show feel completely welcomed in. They exude a passion and joy that brings everyone right in and they will make you feel that there is no separation between performer and audience. They are guaranteed to lift your spirits and get you moving and shaking."

Reply by THE LATIN LOVERS
Thank you!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The Viimsi concert program was very engaging and diverse. Well-known pop music and jazz went well together!"

Rating: 9 / 10 Share this review:

"He contratado Alex para ambientar cenas especiales en el hotel Casa Coco de Lloret de Mar y de verdad ha sido un éxito. Flamenco emocionante, persona motivada y humilde. Lo recomiendo. Ya tenemos más fechas con él a lo largo de este verano!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I would love to keep this band a secret so I can use them for every event we have, but I am also hoping that this review reaches someone who is looking for absolute magic for their own celebration. I would hire them a million times over. They absolutely made our event. Jim was on top of everything from the first conversation. I only wish I had more to hire them for. Spectacular!! 10 stars!!! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you very much, we really enjoyed the evening. A lot of guests praised the band and your enthusiasm!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Professional efficient always returns my emails quickly. Great entertainment, engaging and well dressed.They were the icing on the cake highly recommend The Martini Set"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Honestly you guys were amazing! Everyone has asked where we found you and said you were the best band they've ever seen at a wedding!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

" All Music Review Thom Jurek The title of this set is an apt one. While much of the music presented by the Rick Holland-Evan Dobbins Little Big Band, it hearkens back -- in terms of its sophistication, confidence and outright jazz literacy, not nostalgically -- to an era when progressive jazz, and big bands (this one numbering 10 pieces) flourished on the scene. This is one sophisticated outfit. Featuring the arrangement and compositional skills of Brent Wallarab, Jim Martin, Bill Dobbins and Kerry Strayer, this band struts out the tradition and make some joyous, complex, and elegant music that reflects its own unique identity. The résumés of all these players are impressive and reflected in the confidence of the date. It opens with "SUNY-Triangle," a Martin composition that works its artful sleight-of-hand over Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Triste." Martin uses the rhythmically complex samba and drapes some tough, knotty twists and turns over it. The intro is a beautiful and raucous wake-up call, while the head of the tune, with its staggered entrances and exits -- including some fine soloing by John Viavattine on tenor and John Nyerges on piano -- give this tune a unique identity. "Creature Comfort" is a beautiful mid-tempo ballad by Wallarab with edgeless yet multi-dimensional dissonances written into its harmonics. It swings beautifully and includes a fine, punchy solo by tenorman Glenn Cashman. Besides the originals, there are some fine readings here as well. There's Wallarab's arrangement of Duke Ellington's "Black and Tan Fantasy" that's a thoroughly modern exercise losing none of Ellington's humor or rhythmic complexity. Likewise, Gerry Mulligan's haunting, wee-hours, "Night Lights," is given expert treatment here by Strayer, and Dean Keller's baritone saxophone playing combines Mulligan's sense of lyric and Ben Webster's sense of time. In Time's Shadow reveals that innovation need not sacrifice accessibility or swing. It is convincing evidence that the big band form is alive, well and full of surprises."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Jim, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you. Thanks so much for your flexibility. Wow!!! (Learning curve for me lol). Looking forward to collaborating again in the future. All the best Juliet"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for playing on Sunday night. Our first dance was perfect and just what we wanted! All of our guests loved the music and said how good the sound was. Mr Swing’s Dance Orchestra were absolutely more than we could have hoped for and made many happy memories for us."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: