Cocktail Pianists

Add a touch of class to your next event

This is a selection of the cocktail pianists available from the entertainment agency. Please remember to tell us when you book if you would prefer a specific pianist.

Adam Hughes

Adam started his musical career as a violinist at the age of 8 and has played both jazz and classical piano for the last 13 years. He has already performed at well over 2000 engagements all round Europe since the age of 13, with a broad range of highly respected musicians including Tina May, Andy Sheppard, Steve Waterman, Paul Clarvis, Guy Barker, Ian Thomas, Mark Nightingale, John Parricelli, Malcolm Creese, Dave Cliff, Tim Whitehead, Mark Lockheart and Alan Barnes amongst others.

Adam is associated with many societies and events throughout the UK including: Southampton Choral Society, Bournemouth University Music, London Jazz Festival, London's Riverfront Jazz Festival (www.riverfrontjazz.co.uk), Berlin Jazz Club, TCM, Swanage Jazz Festival, Marcus Mingus Jazz Club Belgium, Litten Tree Jazz Festival.

He is currently working on studio projects/commissions/original compositions for LastMinuteMusicians.com. Adam is also available for solo jazz piano engagements.

Kit Massey

A fourth generation musician, Kit has been taking professional engagements as a pianist since the age of 15. He has played at countless major London venues including the Royal Garden, Waldorf and Savoy Hotels, Kettner’s restaurant and the 50 St. James Casino, Piccadilly.

The Kit Massey trio were recently sponsored by Jazz Radio Berlin to appear at the Berlin Jazz Festival where they played at some of the city’s leading jazz clubs to great acclaim.

Kit graduated from Trinity College of Music where he achieved a first class degree and won several prizes for ensemble playing and performance.

Dale Hambridge

Dale started playing the piano at the age of seven and has been playing in public since the age of ten. He started his career as a classically trained pianist but offers all styles with a particular specialism in jazz. He studied with Philip Fowke at Trinity College of Music in London. He is currently resident jazz pianist at the North Pole in Greenwich, London, and also engages in live gigs all over London and south of England.

To date Dale has played hundreds of gigs as a solo jazz pianist, a jazz group pianist, as well as many engagements as a classical recitalist and accompanist.

Dale has played occasions with groups such as The Nick Malcolm Quartet, The Lady Hopkins Band, as well as The Dale Hambridge Trio. He has played with musicians such as Jim Parr, Mark Lockheart and Craig Crofton. He has also has experience in musical direction & composing with the Blue Roses Theatre Company in Bloomsbury, and with the Cuban style big band King Of Mambo in Greenwich Park.

Sample repertoire

Take Five

I got rhythm

Misty

Girl From Ipanema

Take the 'A' Train

Chelsea Bridge

Blue Bossa

In a Sentimental Mood

Soul Eyes

Willow Weep For Me

Satin Doll

Georgia

All The Things You Are

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Summertime

Blue Moon

FAQ's

When will the band arrive to set up?

When you book a band you will be asked for both a start time and an end time. The start time must be at least 30 minutes prior to the performance commencing to allow the band to set up. If the band you book requires more than 30 minutes, you will not be charged extra, the band will just arrive slightly before the start time that you have specified. The band will finish playing at the end time and will need to pack up immediately.

Will the band provide their own their own sound equipment?

All of our London-based bands are self-contained and provide their own sound equipment suitable for most situations. If your event is to be held in a large venue, or you have more than about 300 guests, we recommend that additional sound equipment should be used. In this case, please contact us before booking to confirm exactly what you require and to receive a free quote. If you wish you can provide any extra sound equipment yourself or hire a third party company to provide it.

Do you supply DJs or Discos?

Yes - for events within London, please visit the DJ Packages for Events in London page.

If your event is outside London, you can search for DJ's & Mobile Discos for Events in the directory.

What will the band require?

A standard power socket (no more than 5m from the performance area)

Parking for up to 3 cars (depending on the size of the band)

Changing room

Refreshments (it is customary to provide musicians with food & drink

How do I choose the right band for my event?

To help you choose, consider the following:

A smaller ensemble (e.g. duo/trio) may find it hard to be heard in larger venues or at busy events.
If you are booking a band for dancing, larger ensembles with drums and/or vocals are more suitable.
Try our advanced search to find exactly what you're looking for!

Related Articles:

Selecting a wedding band - how to choose music for a wedding reception

Selecting a corporate event band - choosing the right music for your corporate event

How do I book and when do I pay?

Pay by credit card - You can pay either a deposit, or the entire cost to secure your booking. Your card will not be charged until the booking is confirmed by us, and you will receive both confirmation of the booking and notification of successful payment. If you choose to pay a deposit, the remaining cost will be charged to your credit card on the date of the event.
Pay by cheque - To pay by cheque you must pay the entire cost at once. When we confirm your booking we will supply details of where to send your cheque. Please do not send payment until we have confirmed your booking by email. Please make any cheques payable to “LastMinuteMusicians.com”
Bank transfers - Available on request.

Can I cancel my booking after paying my deposit?

Yes, you can cancel your booking at any time and receive a full refund! However, if you cancel less than 91 days before the event, part or all of your deposit will be retained as a cancellation fee. 21 to 91 days before performance: 50% of full fee is retained, 1 to 21 days before performance: 100% of full fee is retained. This reflects not only the time and effort involved organising the booking, but also the decreasing probability of the act finding alternative work at such short notice.

Is VAT added to your prices?

No. LastMinuteMusicians.com is not VAT registered.

How far in advance do I need to book a band?

Our most popular bands get booked up years in advance so it is always a good idea to book as far in advance as possible. We can only take online bookings for bands up to 3 days before your event, however, it is sometimes possible to make a telephone booking right up to the last minute!

If I book a band with drums, will the drums be too loud?

Playing at the appropriate volume it is extremely important to most of our clients. All the drummers in our bands are quite used to playing sympathetically to the surroundings, and can play with 'brushes' which allows them to balance perfectly with the other instruments in the band.

Do I need to tell the venue that I have booked a band?

Yes. Venues are now required by law to have a licence for live music so it always a good to let your venue know if you have hired a band. They will probably give you information about loading procedures, parking etc. which you should pass on for the band as soon as possible.

Do you provide backing bands for solo artists?

We are often asked to supply a band for a showcase or one-off gig. We can supply anything from a pianist to a full professional backing band. Please contact us for more information

Do you ever have to substitute musicians?

Yes, but only on a few exceptional occasions! Whilst every effort is made to ensure that musicians aren't substituted, occasionally it is necessary for us to do so in cases of illness etc. The substitute musician would be an experienced professional recommended by us and suitable for the band you booked.