In many years of arranging jazz bands for all sorts of events I am struck by the similarity of how the request is made by most of our clients.
It goes something like this: "We are looking for a jazz band to play at our wedding book launch family fun day sixtieth birthday store opening etc."?oh yes Hector Bellerin Spain Jersey , we say, what style of jazz band ?"?Er, not quite sure. What styles have you got?"
It was because of this exchange I felt this article would be helpful in choosing the right kind of jazz band for your party, celebration or event.
Rather than go through a history of the development of jazz from the purists angle it would be easier to list a number of types of event and match them up to styles of jazz band with a short description of the jazz band most likely to suit the occasion. Lets start with the wedding.
You are most likely to want a jazz band at your wedding at two points in the days proceedings.
The reception. You and your partner have just left the church and your guests are nearly back at the place you have chosen for the celebrations. What better way than to have them met by a jazz band.
As champagne and Pimms is handed out the band just adds a perfect happy backdrop to the moment. There are two main types of jazz band that can suit the moment:
A Dixieland band or a swing band.
Dixieland Jazz. This is jazz from the early twenties. The musicians will happily dress up in stripy blazers or waistcoats and play lovely old jaunty tunes from that era such as 聯When the Saints Come Marching In?聯The Charleston?聯Bill Bailey Won聮t You Please Come Home?and 聯Five Foot Two Eyes Of Blue? The instrumentation is usually banjo Gerard Pique Spain Jersey , sousaphone (a tuba that you can wear) and a frontline instrument or two such as trumpet, sax or trombone. The band is mobile and acoustic and can move around the site entertaining guests in different locations. Artists associated with the genre include Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke and Fats Waller.
Swing Jazz. Names of musicians associated with this style of jazz band are Glen Miller, Benny Goodman Diego Costa Spain Jersey , Duke Ellington and Count Basie. The music is mainly from the late thirties and early forties and is very melodic. Ella Fitzgerald started her career at this time in Harlem and had great success with the Chick Webb band. The jazz band will probably play lots of tunes from Broadway Shows from the time such as 聯Funny Valentine?聯It Had To Be You?聯Making Whoopee??It Don`t Mean A Thing If It Ain`t Got That Swing? This jazz band can be acoustic but will probably include an electric piano, which the musicians will supply along with a speaker. They will need a power supply and logistics of this must be taken into consideration when choosing the jazz band. Are your guests near a power supply, is the reception indoors or outdoors, how does the weatherforecast look? Finally David de Gea Spain Jersey , how big should the jazz band be? For both styles a trio or quartet will be fine.
After the Wedding Breakfast. Your guests have sat through a gargantuan meal, fine wines and various speeches including a slightly embarrassing one from the best man! They are ready to stretch their legs, use the loos, have a cigarette and carry on chatting to old friends who they may have not seen for some time. They are not yet ready to dance. Your jazz band should know this and should be playing suitable accessible tunes in an unobtrusive way. You don`t want a modern jazz band at this point. Known variously as Be-Bop David Silva Spain Jersey , Modern Jazz, West Coast and played by such artists as John Coltrane, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, this is music for the concert hall or jazz club. You want sophisticated smoky tunes Cesc Fabregas Spain Jersey , maybe with some vocals such as 聯Let there be love?聯The Girl From Ipanema?聯My Baby Just Cares For Me? Artists associated with this kind of jazz include Stan Getz, Billie Holiday and Nat King Cole. Maybe also think about some Rat Pack tunes that the likes of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin performed.
Music for dancing. If you are set on having a jazz band for the dancing ask your jazz band how many styles of jazz and swing can they perform. A jazz band that plays swing tune after swing tune all night is going to lose the attention of your guests. Variety is the key. I would suggest a mix of Latin, Jump Jive, swing Cesar Azpilicueta Spain Jersey , old style Rhythm and Blues and even Funky jazz bordering on Soul. Not many jazz bands can handle this variety. Ask at the point of booking what the jazz band proposes to play at this point. Do they have a suitable vocalistvocalists? Can they play segue (one song after another) to keep guests on the floor.
My opinion based on many years playing for such parties is this. However much you love Jazz, Swing, call it what you will, at some point in the proceedings some one will want to dance to some classic soul or rock and roll. It is inevitable Bruno Spain Jersey , it always happens. I see it week in and week out, year in and year out. When I have been employed as a trombonist to play in another bandleaders band at such an occasion it saddens me that the bandleader has not made provision for such an eventuality. It results in unhappy clients and frustrated revelers. Please take note if you want a full dance floor!
Ich helfe dir ;)
Thema drucken
04.03.2020 06:21
Antworten
