Review Centre: Swing Bands

"Beautiful voice, wonderful emotional renditions of both standards and original material. Highly recommended. "

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"Thank you so much for making our day really special! "

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"The ultra-stylish Kit Packham’s One Jump Ahead band is now 30 years old. For this Sunday afternoon gig at the award-winning Hideaway, they performed a rollicking set of songs ranging from 1940s and 1950s jump/jive, R&B and classic rock ‘n’ roll, to jazz standards and originals, featuring the band’s core seven-piece line-up: Bandleader and composer, Kit Packham on saxophones and lead vocal, Steve Knight on guitar, Perry White on piano, Alex Keen on double bass, Kenrick Rowe on drums, Tracey Mendham on saxophones and vocals, and Simon Da Silva on trumpet and flugelhorn. Striking in a blue pinstripe suit and fedora, Packham resembled Frank Sinatra, and he introduced numbers in a clear and informative way. They opened with one of the band’s original tunes, ‘Swing It’, which immediately propelled people to the dance floor. The band’s perky theme tune, ‘One Jump Ahead’, contained one of Packham’s signature, impactful abrupt endings and deadpan Knight added even more colour to the act by performing a nose flute solo on The Blues Brothers classic, ‘Minnie the Moocher’. White nailed a stunning boogie-woogie piano solo punctuated by thrillingly deep bass notes from Mendham on baritone saxophone on ‘Choo Choo Ch’Boogie’, and they even managed to squeeze in a world premiere featuring Vera Lynn’s World War II song, ‘We’ll Meet Again’: Loosely named ‘The Last Song Of The Set’, it cleverly welded an old song onto a new one. Eventually the two tunes overlapped, bringing the gig to an impressive end. The time flew; a sure sign that Kit Packham’s One Jump Ahead with its thoroughly well-written arrangements and heartfelt blend of comedy and music, had done a fine job of bringing this classy joint to life."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We booked the 7 piece band for my husband's 60th birthday party in our garden! Well what a night! Can't recommend these guys highly enough! One unforgettable night in East Devon. Thanks James & the amazing band!"

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"We invited South West Swing Collective to be our house band for the afternoon as we ran an intergenerational tea dance event as part of The International Agatha Christie Festival. From young children to dancers in their 90s, South West Swing Collective entertained everyone with boundless energy and style. Thank you for getting everyone tapping their toes, up on their feet and swinging around the room. "

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"Amazing night at my friends wedding!! you kept the place bouncing!!A great band,great fun!"

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"We hired Will as part of a trio to play at our wedding, we could not have been happier with the beautiful jazz they played, which was exactly what we were looking for. It made for a very special drinks reception outside in the gorgeous weather, and the music was appreciated and enjoyed by every guest. We even got to have a spontaneous dance which was a really special moment for us. We would highly recommend Will to anyone! "

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"I am SO SORRY I didn't get a chance to say hello!! You were SPECTACULAR and everybody LOVED you. Thank you for being part of our day. X "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Great Set, Great Guys, Great Time! says it all. Alan and the band were very professional and accommodating for our event in Sheffield. The variety and style of music was perfect putting a smile on everyones face. Thank you The Ace Jazz Band."

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"Thank you for making our event so special - the music was superb!"

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"It was FANTASTIC - the dance floor was totally packed all night which is a testament to how great the band were. I have been receiving emails and texts all day yesterday and today, each one of which mentioned how great the band were. Rachael did such an amazing job at keeping everyone dancing madly the entire time. The DJ was also a good addition. We’ll definitely use you again next time if you’re available. Many thanks again for making the ball such a magical evening, there were lots of footsore people around West Surrey yesterday morning!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thank you so much for an amazing musical display; you and your band were the icing on the cake! Everyone loved you and thought you were fantastic. Mark and I and the kids want to thank you all for the wonderful music and atmosphere you created on the night. The event would not have been the same without you. Just made the party start with a bang and we could not have been happier. I can't thank you enough and would highly recommend you. You were all brilliant."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"It was like having Ella Fitzgerald in the room!"

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"I booked the group Jazzman for my Birthday party - The entire process from reviewing the band online & listening to their clips, booking with Sarah & her team and the actual entertainment delivered on the day was second to none. Nik the band leader was courteous and very helpful throughout the day...his singing & the band dynamics were excellent and all of my family & friends had a memorable day. Many thanks to Last Minute Musicians whom I will be using again. Great Job!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Hi Jess, thank you, truly, so much for hiking all the way out to the wilds of Wiltshire. Today I've received a number of thank you emails all making reference to your fabulous voice and looks. So I thank you most sincerely and wish you well in your journey. I hope I see you again and listen to your lovely voice. Annie x "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: