Review Centre: Bands & Ensembles

"Just a quick note to thank you for such an excellent performance on Saturday evening. Thank you for helping to make Anna’s birthday so memorable. We would not hesitate to recommend you."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"My friend and I were lucky enough to catch Debbie and Fernando playing live at this venue one night. The duo had a great mix of their own cover arrangements of modern and classic songs and they were a real pleasure to listen to. I would definitely recommend them for anyone looking for an upbeat and engaging acoustic duo for their own private event. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The music was fantastic. We danced the whole time and Catherine was in touch with us beforehand to check our music needs. It was great...what energy and fantastic voices they both had. Everyone loved them and I would recommend you all to others. Thank you so much for your efficient service...it took the stress out of sorting the music out...just initial research and we found what we wanted. Fantastic...thanks to you all. I will fill in the feedback form too."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"A huge thanks to The Shooglers for a fantastic evening at Ross Priory for Kathryn's 50th Birthday Ceilidh. The band were fantastic and got everyone up dancing from the bairns ( The "Duracell Baby" 18-month-old Ava) to the adults (80+ year old gran) in what was a memorable night for our family and friends. The pattern was good, the ceilidh music was great and Pink Floyd's "The Wall" during A Dashing White Sergeant is STILL being talked about. Thanks for a great gig guys and would highly recommend for a booking...why would you choose anyone other than The Rockiest Ceilidh band in the World? "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for performing for us last week, it really was fantastic."

Reply by Rory
Hi Hazel, Thank you very much for your quick reply. Thank you for your kind feedback! Cheers Rory

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I run a venue which hosts parties and promotional events for the alcohol and beverages industry. Mozel Tov Cocktails played at our celebration of the end of Prohibition. They did a stomping set well suited the event, and even mixed in some live electro-swing which went down a storm with the clients. We liked them so much we booked them again a few months later for the Glasgow Art School Archetects graduation ball. If you like totally authentic gypsy jazz and swing as well as bit of klezmer this is your band. In a nutshell: fun, dedicated, authentic virtuosic professionals."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"One of the pleasures of writing for Jazz Views is having the opportunity to follow the progress of an artist with each new release. It has been my very great pleasure to follow Lush Jazz Band's progress over the last few years. Having reviewed Lauren’s debut album, in 2016 and the follow-up, five years later, it was with great interest that I listened to her third album. If you’re looking for continued growth and artistic development in a musician, then Lauren has certainly delivered. Earlier today, prior to writing this review, I listened again to all three albums back-to-back and was amazed at what I was hearing. Listening in such a concentrated way, I was struck by how consistent each of the albums is and how the vocalist’s progress is not taking place with gargantuan leaps but steadily, as we can see here, in a paced and sustainable development. One huge advantage for Lauren is retaining the services of pianist Liam Dunachie, who arranges much of the music, and the two have built a solid rapport that has resulted in a formidable partnership. With “Tide Rises,” Lauren Bush has found a perfect balance between the old and the new, with a couple of strong original compositions, a handful of standards, and some contemporary works that she has done a wonderful job of adapting to her voice. The album gets off to a stunning start with a brisk and swinging “Joy Spring.” The tricky lyrics are handled with great aplomb by Bush, and after a lovely solo from Dunachie, she gets in a nice scat chorus of her own. This is followed by the title track, one of two original compositions, in which Lauren has drawn inspiration for the lyrics from the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Played over an ethereal opening from Rhodes and guitar (and the only song to feature electric bass), the music evolves over a gentle tempo with an empowering delivery from Lauren. The other original, “Easy Does It,” has a relaxed, almost lazy tempo, and Lauren has written lyrics that add to the gospel flavor of the music. Versatility and variety being the name of the game, we are treated to a beautiful bossa nova written by Earl Okin titled “Madrugada,” and Joni Mitchell’s “Circle Game” is given a delightful treatment, with some exquisite playing from all. The music flows in a beguiling manner, and Mitchell’s lyrics are given a sensitive reading by the vocalist. Standards have been a constant inspiration for Lauren, and with the depth of maturity that she has gained in the last few years, I have witnessed her raise her game significantly. It is difficult to pick one over another. Her treatment of “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” is flawless and joyous, with a lovely scat solo too, and “Nobody Else But Me” has a charm all of its own. If proof is needed of Bush’s stature as a jazz vocalist, then take a listen to the ballad performance on “This Is Always.” A duet for voice and piano, this is a pure delight and even, dare I say it, surpasses the duo’s reading of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most,” which was such a highlight of her last album, “Dream Away.” Closing with another contemporary tune, this time from the pop duo Yazoo, Lauren and Liam Dunachie cleverly recast Vince Clarke’s song, with Lauren giving the excellent Alison Moyet a run for her money. Another step forward for Lauren in a hugely enjoyable set that sees her setting the bar increasingly higher."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Great communication from the band on the evening as well as leading up to the event. Everyone loved the band too!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"What can I say? Paul and Ed were consummate professionals from initial contact through to the end of their set at our wedding. Their enthusiasm and playing style were exactly what we were looking for and their repertoire was fantastic. I cannot fault them and would book them again in a heartbeat. As an added bonus for one of our guests, I requested a rendition of Jump Up, Super Star from Super Mario Odyssey and not only did they find and purchase the song, they also converted it to a two piece version for us. Absolute class and would 100% recommend to anyone"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Was great to meet you all. Was definitely one of David's favourite nights since we moved in and have never seen the place so packed! Was a pleasure to have you there and heard no end of positive comments and I can't wait to see you again."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thanks for booking Rory's Jazz band, I have used them on 3 separate occasions and every time they have performed brilliantly! The buzz they have created in the airport has been fantastic and the quality of their performance have drawn in considerably large audiences. They have been hugely adaptable which was evident to see when they performed jazz style Christmas carols! I will definitely be booking them again this year."

Reply by Rory
Hi Nina, This is great - and thanks for chasing that up for me, really appreciate it! Thanks also for your part in organising - look forward to working with them again soon. Cheers Rory

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The guys came to play at our wedding and they knocked it out of the park. Every song was a floor filler getting everyone moving on the dance floor. There was even some crowd surfing. Cheers guys! Thanks again Aaron"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hi Guys! We just wanted to say thank you so much for the wonderful entertainment you gave us and our guests last Friday. You were brilliant and we received lots of great comments from our guests. Your music had everyone up dancing and it made our wedding party exactly what we had wished for! Thank you! Natasha & Darren Sharp, wedding at Farnham Castle in Surrey- 1st April 2016"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Motion Picture were absolutely amazing, the whole act was flawless! The music was tight, singing was fantastic and they set up so quickly and efficiently. They came to our wedding with a large number of musicians in attendance and everyone was so impressed we are still having people tell us now how great they were. I would recommend the guys to absolutely everyone they are fab! Thanks so much Becky and Darren xxx"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked Station 2 Station for our evening wedding reception. We couldn’t have asked for better! Andy and John were so easy to deal with from start to finish. They are really friendly but professional guys. The music created the perfect atmosphere and got people dancing, including me, which I was adamant I wouldn’t do! They were also kind enough to learn a particular song for our first dance and they couldn’t have done it better. So happy we found them, they helped make our day. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them and look forward to seeing them play locally soon. Thank you "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: