Review Centre: Jazz Pianists

"Dare to Love is an awesome and engaging duo with a truly beautiful sound! Their music is heartfelt and captivating from start to finish. I especially enjoyed the DJ collaboration they brought to the performance. It added a fresh and dynamic energy that took the experience to another level. Highly enjoyable and memorable!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The duo went down really well and provided excellent music for us 10/10! The band were excellent, the two guys very sociable and had lots of positive feedback! We would use them again."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We very much enjoyed meeting the guys and hearing The Jazz Duo play at Sa’ad and Sophies wedding and we would be delighted to recommend your services to our couples."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I'm incredibly grateful to Kars and his band for making our evening incredibly special - our dinners guests were amazed by the performance and the professionalism of the band. Our honourary guest was extremely pleased to hear his favourite songs being performed live especially for him. The overall experience from the first contact with Kars to evening of the performance was great. Thank you so much!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Robert worked as the organist for our church wedding alongside a choir, and his collaboration was flawless. He coordinated perfectly with the singers and the officiant, ensuring that every musical moment was perfectly timed. His organ playing was powerful yet refined, supporting the choir while maintaining clarity and balance. He also assisted us with musical planning well in advance, offering professional guidance that proved invaluable. On the day of the wedding, everything felt calm, organized, and beautiful thanks to his experience. The music elevated the entire ceremony, creating a sacred and emotional atmosphere that our guests still talk about today. We highly recommend Robert for weddings involving choirs or more complex musical settings."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Charlie Jennison's debut album for Maine's Invisible Music Records is a smooth piece of work. "Smooth" not in the sense of the saccharine stuff served up by contemporary jazz players, but smooth as in classy unpretentiousness in the playing. Jennison is an alumnus of the Do'ah Wild Music Ensemble, a New Hampshire group which recorded for Global Pacific label. He has since gravitated to jazz having recorded with singers Kathleen Kolman and Leila Percy, among others. Jennison has also worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry and Buddy DeFranco and is on the faculty of New Hampshire's Phillips Exeter Academy. Forsaking standard material for his first album, the play list is made up of ten Jennison originals all in various tempi and style, but which start getting repetitious along the way as ideas get thin. Some of the better pieces include "To You, From Me" which features Jennison on alto with some exciting drum breaks by Ken Clark. Another piece spotlighting Jennison's alto, which sounds like Phil Woods when Woods is in a mellow mood, is the lovely ballad "Georgie," with "My Anne" rivaling "Georgie" for sheer musical attractiveness. The tenor takes over on "Watch Your Step" with Jennison showing some incredible dexterity with daring fingering technique. There's a nice blues with a funky piano solo by Jim Butka and good bass strumming from John Hunter on "Amanda's Blues." Jennison brings out his soprano on "Rain in My Coffee" which has a light Latin beat with more good piano from Jim Butka. But virtually all tunes on this session take the same course. There's an introduction establishing the basic melody structure, followed by some technically compelling fingering after which there's a return to the melody. No matter how good the instrumentalist is —and Jennison is very good—unless the original material is superior, it's not going to hold one's attention for a whole sitting. And that is the case here. I have heard Jennison on other albums and he handles standard stuff very well. It would have behooved him to have put a couple of those on this CD. This would have strengthened the credibility of the original material."

Reply by Charlie Jennison Quartet
I appreciate Dave Nathan's willingness to review my flagship release and also recognize his candor in suggesting that the original material I wrote could have been strengthened by including some standard tunes as well. I would like to note that, in more than one instance, I used the framework of a jazz standard as the foundation for a new composition. For example, on the track, "To You, From Me," I employed the chord progression to Cole Porter's "You Do Something To Me." My tune, "Amanda's Blues" is also just a variation of a standard minor blues. With a lifetime of experience playing, I now recognize his observation of "virtually all tunes on this session take the same course," to be spot on. This was, after all, my first (and only) excursion into the realm of recorded jazz, and as a young player, I still had a lot to learn about crafting the presentation of material in a more interesting way. Now that I am getting close to 80 years old, I have decided to create another album of original material with the same players, kind of like a bookend to wrap up a successful career teaching and playing (although not recording). Look for a release sometime in 2026!

Rating: 8 / 10 Share this review:

"Robert played both during our wedding ceremony and at the evening reception, and in both settings he was simply perfect. In the church, he created a deeply emotional atmosphere, while during the evening event he entertained our guests with an elegant and engaging repertoire. His ability to adapt seamlessly to different moments of the day is truly impressive. He was always available, punctual, and attentive to every detail, demonstrating great professionalism. The sound quality, musical interpretation, and his discreet yet essential presence contributed greatly to the success of our special day. We are extremely satisfied and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a refined, reliable, and top-level pianist and organist."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"From start to finish The Crotchet Club were absolutely superb. The booking process was so easy – they were communicative and helpful throughout, in the run up to the event they were on the ball with information and on the day they were just fantastic. Their sets were perfect to set the tone for our wedding reception – as we were told by all of our guests repeatedly on the day and since!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Brian Bender was great! We were looking for Irish music for our cocktail hour and a DJ for after dinner. Brian was able to provide both of those things! He put together a three piece Irish band and then he DJed the rest of the night. He was great and everyone danced the night away! We ended up having him stay an extra hour because everyone was having so much fun! Highly recommended "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I have a background making music with computers but had not learned to play an instrument. I was a bit unsure what to expect, but so far Gabriel has been great. I'm impatient and he has been able to make me slow down to make me understand the value of technique first, to avoid injuries and to foster good habits from the very beginning. I'm still 5 lessons in, but I can already see I've improved. His schedule is very flexible which is great since I work full time and he's been able to accommodate last minute changes several times which you would not get with a traditional academy. All in all great experience and would recommend to beginners."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Enjoyed! Thank you for the performance! We really enjoyed it and received lovely feedback from our guests. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hiring Pianist-Berne was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding day. He played during our ceremony at a small chapel in Basel, and his performance added so much depth and beauty to the moment. We also had him play during dinner, and the atmosphere he created was magical. He has an incredible feel for the room—knows when to be subtle and when to take the spotlight. He’s also extremely kind and easy to work with. We didn’t have to worry about a single thing. I would absolutely recommend him to anyone planning a wedding or event in Switzerland."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Ho avuto il piacere di ascoltare Pianista Milano durante un evento privato e ne sono rimasto affascinato. Ogni brano era interpretato con grande sensibilità e gusto. Un musicista di altissimo livello, capace di creare un’atmosfera elegante e coinvolgente. Consigliatissimo!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thoroughly enjoyed the amazing performance of the Live Lounge Project We thoroughly enjoyed the amazing performance of the Live Lounge Project. Something truly different!! Highly recommended! Clear and personal approach from Jazz Centrale during the booking process. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Ivan is great! He could attend the event last minute and it was amazing! I highly recommend him."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: