Do you want ...
Background music? |
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Foot-tapping jazz at a volume to allow conversation, perhaps while people are eating or drinking.
Find out more |
Music for dancing or
a party? |
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Sinatra or Ella-style vocal ensembles playing irresistibly danceable tunes.
Find out more |
Latin, salsa or Afro-Cuban music? |
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Intense salsa and the mellow street music of Old Havana.
Find out more |
Something else / A line-up of your choosing? |
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Love trumpet? Adore piano trios? Want a specific or one-off band for a corporate event?
Find out more |
Background music
For foot-tapping music that allows conversation, perhaps while people are eating or drinking, we recommend a small instrumental ensemble.
Our smallest line-up is a duo of saxophone and piano or saxophone and double bass.
The next option, and most popular ensemble for background music, is a trio of saxophone, piano and double bass. To this we can add drums to make a quartet.
All these bands play a mix of American songbook standards - tunes like The Girl from Ipanema, I Got Rhythm, Someone to Watch Over Me, Summertime, Over the Rainbow, etc.
If you have a preference for a particular instrument, for instance trumpet instead of sax, or guitar instead of piano, we can easily accomodate you. In addition we can add female or male vocals, in place or in addition to the saxophonist. If you're not sure which ensemble would be most appropriate don't hesitate to get in touch, and we can discuss your requirements.
Because many of the musicians in our smaller ensembles also play in our larger bands, we can also adapt to your needs as your event progresses, for instance provide a background trio during a meal, then adding a singer and drummer later in the evening.
Recordings (these play in the player above):
Mellow background
The Girl From Ipanema
Body & Soul
It Had To Be You
Upbeat instrumental
Makin' Whoopee
Get Happy
My Heart Stood Still
Indiana
Problems with soundclips?
Latin, Salsa and Afro-Cuban music
Cafecito - 6/9 piece Cuban cafe band |
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Flute
Piano
Double bass
Congas
Bongos
Güiro
Backing vocals (sung by band)
plus optionally
one or three-piece string section
Recordings:
With strings
Recado Bossa Nova
Petite Fleur
Without strings
La Basura (live performance)
Dos Gardenias
Problems with soundclips? |
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Cafecito plays a lively pre-salsa style of music as still heard on the streets of old Havana today.
With a repertoire of cha-cha-chá, boleros, son, Cuban jazz, danzón & charanga, this unique band is ideal to provide background music or music for dancing.
For more information, including photos, biographies of band members and soundclips, check out the cafecito website. |
Jan y Su Salsa - 9 piece salsa band |
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Lead vocals
Trumpet
Sax
Trombone
Congas
Bongos
Timbales
Piano
Double bass
plus optionally
Dancer |
Our 9-piece band consists of Latin American lead vocalist, three-piece horn section, three-piece percussion section plus piano and double bass, when required, a Latin American dancer.
This band's repertoire consists of modern salsa and timba, Nuyorican mambo, authentic cha-cha-chá, son, guaracha and Latin jazz, spiced up with classic danzónes and boléros.
Native born salsa dancers/teachers from Cuba & Colombia give exhibition dances, demonstrate steps, and help everyone to get on to the dance floor. |
Music for dancing or for a party
For a thrilling evenings' entertainment and music perfect for dancing we recommend one of the following three bands:
Alex Garnett quartet/quintet |
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Saxophone doubling vocals
Piano
Double bass
Drums
optionally trumpet
Recordings (these play in the player above):
I Love Paris
I Thought About You
Let's Face the Music and Dance
Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
Problems with soundclips? |
This extremely versatile quartet (or quintet with the addition of trumpet) is one that's been proving immensely popular over the last year. The multi-talented Alex Garnett fronts this band, doubling on sax and vocals, offering a small line-up that combines irresitably danceable repertoire (in the style of Sinatra with occasional diversions into Louis Prima territory) with more laid-back instrumental numbers, as the mood demands. |
All That Jazz quintet featuring Atila |
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Singer
Saxophone
Piano
Double bass
Drums.
Recordings (these play in the player above):
Too Close For Comfort
The Lady is A Tramp
The Shadow of Your Smile
Problems with soundclips? |
Featuring the velvet-toned Atila Huseyin on vocals and Ronnie Scott's resident Alex Garnett on sax, this band plays a mix of upbeat Sinatra-esque swing tunes great for dancing, but can also play more laid-back dinner jazz style repertoire.
If you're after an older style of repertoire we can substitute guitar for piano and clarinet and trumpet in place of sax to create a 5 or 6-piece band that can play authentic 20s-30s era dance music. |
The Marie Murphy trio / quartet / quintet |
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Vocals
Piano
Double bass
and optionally,
Drums and/or
Trumpet
Recordings (these play in the player above):
S'Wonderful
It's Only a Paper Moon
Problems with soundclips? |
A singer with one of the most beautiful voices you're likely to hear, the astonishing Marie Murphy leads this band playing a mix of classic standards reminiscent of the repertoire sung by Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day, Sarah Vaughn et al.
This band can play as a drummer-less trio, quartet (with drums) or quintet with the addition of trumpet. |
A line-up of your own choosing
Know what you want and haven't seen it mentioned? Or perhaps you need something specific for a corporate event? (Be sure to check out our corporate events page.) Why not contact us to discuss your requirements? As well as tailoring our existing ensembles to your specific requirements we can put together almost any jazz ensemble. And if you want something we can't do we can probably direct you to someone who can.
