Review Centre: Solo Musicians

"Tracy is a very talented singer and a lovely person.Tracy will go out of her way to accommodate your occasion We used Tracy two or three times a year. I would definitely recommend Tracy for events."

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:

"Just wanted to drop you a line to say the band was fab on Sunday. The party was a great success and the band were everything that I had wanted. I would have loved to have stopped for two minutes just to actually listen to you!! The singer had a fabulous voice and you all looked the part. We will definitely use you again."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Shane agreed to perform in my online music festival and he was brilliant. His guitar skills are honed and he has a wonderful and calm manner. His playing soothed me and I was able to relax and soak in the wonderful music. I have invited him back and look forward to next time."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Joe is an excellent musician. He added something unique and exciting to our evening reception that none of our guests were expecting or had seen before. Everyone loved it and enjoyed dancing on the dance floor to a DJ accompanied by a very talented Saxophonist. Joe had excellent communication throughout the planning of our wedding and we would highly recommend him"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Jermaine was a fantastic addition to our wedding reception drinks. Our guests loved the music and it really set the atmosphere for the rest of the day. Jermaine was professional throughout the booking process and we would definitely book him again "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Miriam was very entertaining, she engaged the residents by giving song sheets. She played beautifully and the residents absolutely loved her. A wonderful evening. (14/6/23)"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"What can I say Ian was great from day one with communication, his personality in emails is part of why I chose him over others as well as loving his voice, and we were not dissapointed. We were originally planning to have Ian play during drinks but our ceremony plans changed last minute and Ian with out questions agreed to play for us during the ceremony too. Everyone kept asking where we'd found him and saying how good he was. Great guy, great musician/singer. Thank you so much for helping make out day so special. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I had Krisztian host LED Bongos with a Live DJ for my birthday party, and it was absolutely fantastic! "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for playing at Phil and Kayleigh's wedding reception. Your music added to the atmosphere of the wonderful occasion and was appreciated by everyone. There were many really nice comments made to us by the guests afterwards - many would have preferred to have continued to dance and listen to you rather than the disco! We have enclosed a photo - Many many thanks once again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Amazing, would highly recommend. Joe was excellent to get the party started. I’m so glad we booked him for the wedding "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Claire's beautiful cello playing during our wedding was one of the highlights of our day. It added a reflective and uplifting spirit that inspired all of our guests, young and old. We would thoroughly recommend her for any event."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We just wanted to say an enormous THANK YOU to you and Alex for the fantastic set you did on Saturday at Ben’s 40’s Themed 40th Birthday Party! You were so friendly and helpful that many of the guests assumed you were friends of Ben’s. Well you are now! Your voices and Alex’s guitar playing were really lovely and the choice of songs was spot on. I really appreciated the way you took charge of any announcements and navigated the events during the evening without ever taking over, so that it took away any stress from us. Thanks also for enabling Izzy to use the backing tracks so that she could sing some special songs for Ben .You both really helped to make the evening such an enjoyable event for all involved. Lots of people commented on the music and wanted to know who you were, and the staff at the venue said how much they had enjoyed the music and the atmosphere it created. I know Ben will be in touch with you soon, but once again thank you both so much again for helping to make the event ‘go with a swing’ so that we all had a really lovely evening. Best wishes for all the busy times to come,"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Our friend had booked Alfie last minute for his 50th Birthday party and we had the best night! We had our reservations as we knew it was an acoustic set but Alfie certainly delivered an amazing performance. Bless him… his fingers never stopped strumming to the up beat play list and everyone danced the night away cheering for more. I wouldn’t hesitate to book him for future events, What a great lad and a great musician. 10/10…. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Eugene was brilliant yesterday, thank you for helping me arrange. Thanks for everything, I will be in touch again!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: