Review Centre: Big Bands

"Saxophones, a rhythm section and vocals, swinging like crazy – that’s the aptly named FIVE STAR SWING ! As saxophone section in any band, they would take some beating. Beautiful tones and well-rehearsed by their leader, Chris Smith (Jnr), who has the singular talent of playing the trumpet with his right hand and the piano with his left at one and the same time ! He also happens to be a very experienced music writer having learnt his trade with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra and Glenn Miller’s Brother, Herb. Add to the fact that he can also well handle a vocal, as can his wife, lead alto Simone Smith and tenor man Stephen Davies, who’s clarinet playing on “Sing, Sing, Sing” was superb – and it will give you some idea of the breadth of talent in this line-up. This is a band crying out to be danced to and it wasn’t long before the jivers took to the dance floor. Five Star Swing –a “must” for every dance club in the country."

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"Vibrant Jazz were brilliant. Provided exactly the right music for our party in the garden on a beautiful summers day greatly appreciated by all our guests.Dan and Charlie both professional and charming. Will definitely be using them again when the occasion arises. "

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"Was out for a walk in Kilkenny, heard the rhythmic tones on the street and was just sucked in. What a fantastically talented group."

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"Hello am Christopher Goddey (Chris Obehi) an afrobeat artist from Nigeria inspired by Fela kuti and also other raggae musician, Chris migrated to Italy in 2015 here in Italy he started playing in the streets of Palermo (Busking) he got famous for his incredible translation of a Sicilian folk song by Rosa balistreri which brought fame to him after which started playing in concerts and Festivals also won a few prize for his hardwork Chris as an Afrobeat star do write songs in different languages not just songs but his own songs in Esan language, English,Italiano, Pidgin language."

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"Great night at The Vine, Wangaratta. Looking forward to seeing you again at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival on Cup day."

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"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."

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"selected the Premium Sound Band to play at my 70's/80's part last year, and they were fantastic! Travis, the leader of the band, started on time, and he had his band dress the theme. It goes without saying that their sound and musicianship was second to none. The private party was filled with dancing and fun! Travis did an excellent job in music selection and instrumental composition of band. In a few weeks, I will host a 2nd annual 70's/80's party, and Travis with the Premium Sound Band will bring the funk! I can't wait to see and dance to his Rick James covers!"

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"‘Chris was so nice. Very professional and the evening went so well. We had so much feedback and comments on how good he is and the music is great. It was a huge success' "

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"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"

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"You guys went down a storm and everyone loved you! Thank you again for an amazing evening of entertainment. Your guys were brilliant!"

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"Fab band. Brilliant take on popular songs. Like you won't have heard before. I recommend them for any event."

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"I have been meaning to message you directly also to thank you. What you produced the night of our wedding was nothing short of magical - and I do not say this lightly. I am very happy to hear the band enjoyed the evening - I think their enjoyment and energy showed through their music. The feedback we have had from guests is overwhelming, particularly that the band and the singer (I don't remember his name) was the best they have ever heard at a wedding. You guys nailed the performance. I am so happy that we decided to do a live version, you could not have gotten the same energy and vibe with just a recording / original version. Your two sets were also perfect. There were a few times that we all stopped in the marquee to listen and appreciate the music, particularly My Way - I remember looking around and quite a few people were singing along! I think another sign of a success of a wedding is the number of people on the dance floor, and there was not an empty space during the second set. The amount of people of all ages dancing was a true highlight for me as we wanted this to be a wedding that everyone would enjoy - not just us."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"WE were so glad we found Andrew Thielen Big Band. They are a real band that has been together for over twenty years perfecting their music, showmanship and dazzling variety of music that kept our dance floor jammed. WE almost got swayed into one of these chain bands called Empire something where they throw together bands for one night until we figured out you cannot be a 3 piece band one week and a 12 piece band the next. WE wanted a real band where the band leader has had repeat performances for the most discriminating buyers for years. Every age, everyones taste in music and our twenty something wedding party had the time of our life. Call them now for sensational singers, instrumentalists and organization. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We had the absolute pleasure of having Styliannie sing at our wedding cocktail reception, and she was truly one of the highlights of the day. From the start, she was incredibly professional and collaborative—she worked with us to curate the perfect playlist, blending timeless jazz classics from artists like Frank Sinatra, Etta James, and Ella Fitzgerald. Her voice is simply stunning—effortless, soulful, and full of warmth. The moment she started singing, it set the perfect ambience and brought a beautiful energy to the space. You couldn’t help but smile hearing her, and our guests were just as enchanted. We received so many compliments throughout the evening about how talented and engaging she was. Styliannie is not only an amazing performer, but also a genuinely lovely person. She brought a touch of glamour, grace, and joy to our special day. We couldn’t recommend her more highly!"

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: