Review Centre: Musical Acts

"Hi Tony, Thanks for a wonderful show. The response has been overwhelming. Here are a few examples; "Absolutely brilliant. Please book him again!", "He was brilliant and interacted with the audience", "It was a fab night. Well done for booking him." Everyone thinks you are a diamond, and we will be welcoming you back VERY SOON!""

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

" This certificate is proudly presented to Sheldon De St Pern and your manager Linda Van Den Berg in recognition of your promptness, dedication and exceptional performance which played a significant role in making SAPS Stellenbosch a resounding success. Your commitment and efficiency are truly commendable."

Reply by Sheldon Live
An event with the nicest glits and glamor I enjoyed performing for The Saps thank you for your continued support always awesome seeing you all 🥳

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Kate is a wonderful artist (songwriter, musician, singer). I’ve seen her a few times in NE Wisconsin over the last few months. I’ve always come away wishing the concert/show had been longer! Can’t wait to see and hear her again!!!!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Very nice to have live music! Hope that this is something that will happen more often!"

Rating: 8 / 10 Share this review:

"Very professional, they play splendidly. We were all amazed! They create an idyllic atmosphere with their music. They are very attentive, friendly, meticulous, and organized, ensuring that everything goes perfectly."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Yuri came to sing at my husband's 50th birthday party. It was a surprise not only for my husband but for everyone at the party. I couldn't believe a real tenor was singing in our garden, it was such a privilege to hear someone with such talent at such close proximity. We were enchanted for the whole duration, even some of the smaller children sat down to listen! My husband said it was the best and least expected present ever, so we are all super happy. We not only enjoyed the amazing voice but also the ability to get into the characters of the arias, from the sad 'e lucevan le stelle to the funny 'la donna e' mobile'. And the amazing version of 'nessun dorma' at the end, we didn't want it to end! Thank you so much Yuri, we thoroughly enjoyed every single moment and I hope we have the chance to hear your beautiful voice again soon."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"FANTASTIC! Could not be happier with him. MIichael was easy to work with, friendly, and incredibly talented. "

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:

"I came Mrmorial Day weekend for a great show. The band had me dancing all night"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Fantastic experience with Gordon playing for our grandmothers 89th Birthday. He was brilliant."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"He is one of the best I have seen in Dubai specially in open format. He’s choice of music selection is excellent and great performer. Highly recommended."

Reply by Dj Fonie
My pleasure. Thank you so much for the review and highly appreciated. Wish you great days ahead. Cheers!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Great 10 piece band, great vocals and harmonies, horns were great backed up by an excellent rhythm section, highly recommend!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Wow! I cannot thank Les and his team enough. He made our wedding so incredibly fun and did an awesome job as MC, especially because he didn’t know us personally but it felt like he did the whole night. There was never an empty spot on the dance floor and Les knew how to work the room. From 2 year olds through to 70 year olds, everyone was up and dancing! I cannot thank him enough. His professionalism was amazing and his voice is unreal! Highly recommend! See you when we have to renew our vows Les!"

Reply by Look Sharp Band
Thanks you so much Jessica!

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Love your music and your selection of music. Keep on playing that Saxophone. God bless you. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"DJ Tony was responsive to all our communications and integrated our playlists perfectly to create a stomping dance fusion all night- we also had a band with which he worked perfectly with...all our guests were complimentary... Importantly for us he worked the ending so we could all get home and out of the venue in a timely way.... We only wish we were having another party so we could ask him back! THANKS "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: