new york jazz bands
performing an event at Gotham Hall, February 2018. photo courtesy of Natural Expressions
Real jazz / world-class musicians
Are you tired of searching directory sites advertising wedding bands that call themselves jazz bands? I offer something much better: real, working New York jazz bands comprised of some of the most highly regarded jazz musicians in the world. And to make things simple, I’ve organized this site to make it easy for you find the perfect band for your specific needs:
Advice on how to hire a jazz band
While the national directories may claim to offer “The best jazz bands in New York City” or the “the definitive list of New York’s jazz bands,” in reality they are generic databases open to anyone. The top ranking bands are largely dominated by the lowest bidders, who tend to generate repeated commissions for the site owners, which process tends to drive away the “best.”
Agents are essentially salespeople who at best have an indirect knowledge of what they are selling. No one knows more about the music, the musicians, and the professional and logistical considerations of a live performance than the bandleader himself. A good bandleader can help you not only by directly answering your questions but also by sharing insights gained from countless past experiences, not to mention sparing you the waste of paying a third-party commission. Learn more about our bandleader.
3. View Videos of the band(s).
While a picture is worth a thousand words, when it comes to judging music, a video is the whole story. What you see (and hear) is what you can expect to get. Trust your eyes and ears and your personal taste. Your judgment is always the bottom line. View videos of all of our bands.
The more, and more detailed, the number of reviews you can read by previous clients, the better an idea you can get of what your own experience will be. Start with easily verified off-site reviews from a variety of sources (i.e., Google, Yelp, The Knot, the Better Business Bureau, etc.), and continue with reviews and thank-you notes published on-site. Read our verified reviews.
Photos of previous performances are proof of the types of clients who have hired the band in the past, the types of concerts and events they have performed, and the venues where they have performed them, and thus indicative of the professional level you can expect of the band and the bandleader. See photos and descriptions of our previous performances.
Deal directly with the bandleader
My name is Chuck Braman and I’m a jazz drummer-bandleader with nearly thirty years of experience in New York. I lead real working bands, each with its own unique personnel, style and repertoire. Members of my groups are world-class jazz musicians who have performed, toured or recorded with a who’s who of music. If you are planning a party or a wedding, choosing us will provide a sophisticated New York City experience that your guests will long remember. If you are looking for a great jazz band for your restaurant, jazz club or concert series, my bands are among the very best that New York has to offer.
View videos of the bands
(In addition to the three samples below, you can find many more videos of many more of my bands here.
Read reviews by former clients
photo courtesy of Bom Photography
★★★★★
“For the past five years I have hosted a holiday party for approximately 220 guests. I have had many bands and DJ’s. No one has ever been asked to play for another party except for Chuck.
Dreading looking for yet another band I started to surf the Internet and found New York Jazz Bands. I liked what I heard and decided to give Chuck I call... the best decision I could have made. He invited me to the city to listen to him play in person and I was blown away by how beautifully they played and the singer’s melodic voice.
That was all I needed to make my decision… I immediately booked them for two parties.
For the first party, I told Chuck about the guests and exactly what I was looking for… he put together the perfect five-piece ensemble. All night my guests were telling me how wonderful the band was and that they were the perfect fit for my event. It was the first time that no one complained about the type of music, the loudness or the that the band took more breaks then they played!
At the end of the night I signed them on for next year’s Holiday party (I am also having their trio play at a small gathering next week).
I cannot recommend them enough! They are professional, polite, considerate of your needs, have reasonable rates (and who can say that in NYC) and are altogether terrific... there are not enough good things to say about them!
If you’re looking for good jazz and great singers… honestly, there is no need to look any further—YOU’VE FOUND WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR RIGHT HERE!”
photo courtesy of Ira Lippke Studios
★★★★★
“Chuck went above and beyond to ensure that the music at our wedding went more smoothly than could have been hoped for. The transition from cocktail hour to reception was flawless, and the breakdown after dinner to give way to the DJ was swift and silent (although I personally would have loved it if the band could have performed all night!). I can honestly say that the caliber of musicians that Chuck assembled is unmatched on the NY scene in general, and simply blows away any other ‘wedding band.’ I individually researched each member of the band prior to booking, and each one has an impressive background with stellar credentials. In terms of talent, skill, and experience, the band was simply fantastic. I've never heard a hotter band at a wedding, period.
The value for musicians of this caliber is untouchable in NYC, or anywhere really. The reasonable prices allowed us to allocate funds for music towards the Indian trio for our ceremony, which really authenticated the feel of our ceremony, and also allowed us to get a DJ into our budget for the later evening, which kept my wife happy!
It was great to get to meet Chuck and to discuss jazz with an accomplished lifelong musician with such a cool background and experience. The website made it easy for me to see some of the musicians that Chuck works with in action, which allowed me to convince my wife that there was no better band out there for our wedding. Furthermore, despite Chuck's background and jazz sensibility, he fits completely outside the mold of the stereotypical jazz musician in the areas of punctuality and professionalism and customer service... These are not things that are easy to find in true jazz musicians! Chuck is one of a kind and his bands are killer. I wish I had a soundboard recording of the evening!”
Click here for many more reviews
My experience with Chuck Braman of New York Jazz Bands happened a decade ago, but I recently heard them and this reminded me of something that happened in the past but was so positive that this late review is well deserved. Back in 2007, I was president of a major NY asset management business and we hired Chuck’s jazz quartet to play at our holiday party at a well-known midtown private club. I was pleased enough with Chuck, personally, as well as his band to re-book them for our 2008 party. This involved signing a new contract and paying a fee to reserve the date. As it happened the financial crisis struck and we canceled the party. Chuck could have easily kept the deposit—I told him we could put it towards the following year, but he was decent enough to volunteer to return it to us. That made him in my book highly honorable. He is as good a person as his music.
Chuck and the gang are not only amazing musicians, but they were also a joy to work with! Super friendly, very laid back but professional at the same time.
The Chuck Braman band performed at our Holiday Party this year and they were wonderful! Very charming band members and festive tunes throughout the night. Our guests truly enjoyed the mood the band set and we look forward to having them at future events.
Chuck! You guys were amazing. Thank you so much for your time—this was such a great addition to our cocktail hour!
They are fantastic! Will accommodate music preferences, and even learned a new song that we requested! Very professional, and very talented. Highly recommended!
Amazing jazz and vocal duo. Highly recommend for any gathering!
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Chuck for the last four years at our annual client dinner. He is always professional, courteous and adaptable to our situation and of course, the music is outstanding! He is my “go to” guy for entertainment in the NY area. Thanks Chuck for many great experiences!
We hired the band very last minute. On a Saturday night at 8 PM I called and someone answered! I was so happy, the party was on Monday and Chuck was able to get the band together and they were a wonderful addition to the event. They were so polite, kind and rocked! The music was perfect and everybody loved the jazz element.
It was a Holiday party, so they played some holiday tunes as well as other music for a perfect mixture. We had a great time, I would hire them in a minute if you're looking for a highly sophisticated, professional and great sounded band. Thanks, guys! Can’t wait to work with you again for our next event.
New York Jazz Bands played our company holiday party for the second time and did an excellent job. They arrived early to set up and were very conscious of the type of music we requested. They were professional and fun. Our guests had a great time!
Thank you for the show at our NY event. It was very much appreciated by all the guests!
The band arrived and set up promptly and sounded excellent. They were a pleasure to have at our event and I would definitely recommend them to any individual or organization looking for a top-notch jazz band!
Thanks for the great music—everyone really enjoyed it!
Thank you, Chuck! They loved you! Hope to be in touch again soon!
It was such a pleasure working with you. It turned out an amazing event. Thank you so much!
They were AMAZING!
I was just about to email you :) Thank you so much for being part of our wedding. You were a true delight to work with. You and your team made the reception more than just a “brunch.” The trio was the best part of the entire thing! We could not be happier we chose you. There are not enough words to express our gratitude.
Also, playing the song I wanted to dedicate to German was the icing on the cake! Please give all my gratitude to the pianist! Thank you for the compliments :) but really He was the hero of the hour…
You guys were terrific—and I will keep you in mind for future events!
My experience with Chuck Braman was excellent. He was very professional and easy to work with and the music was absolutely top notch!
We had Chuck and his vibraphone quartet play our rehearsal dinner, the night before our wedding. Chuck was a pleasure to work with; incredibly friendly and communicative. He and his bandmates were complete professionals, and they sounded amazing! We asked the ensemble to create a vibe in which they would be noticeable but not the center of attention. It’s a tough balance to achieve, but they nailed it perfectly. As a Modern Jazz Quartet fan, I loved the music. But our guests have been raving about it for weeks as well. Chuck and his quartet created a cool, subtly celebratory atmosphere for our event, which was the perfect precursor to our wedding the following day.
New York Jazz Bands performed at a corporate function, and I couldn’t have been happier. Chuck is super easy to work with, the musicians were talented and professional, and the music was spot on for the event and the venue. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them!
Chuck Braman Band is just amazing. We had them at our wedding two months ago, everyone who came to our wedding had great comments and many asked us for their contacts. They really upgraded our wedding. We were so lucky to have them.
Literally, we had an “amazing time” with Chuck Braman Trio—Nikki, Art and Chuck are the best guys in town and they made our wedding so special. I and my wife (Gabriella) are really happy with their music and guests are still talking about the great moments we had whenever we meet them.
Their choice of tunes was exactly to point—I still remember Nikki’s beautiful voice when I was dancing with my mom—Close to You—a jazz version of Carpenter’s old folk song. Everything was perfect—I would love to call them again for a wedding but unfortunately, there will be no more wedding in my life… so I definitely recommend this band to anyone else who plans anything serious for their lifetime event.
Was a perfect ensemble for my daughter’s engagement party at home this weekend.
I found Chuck online and he was most timely in all response prior to the party. Everything went off glitch free and perfect for me. The trio was Fabulous! We had a pianist, vocal on base, and chuck on drums. They could not have been more perfect! Fabulous jazz trio and my guests loved it. I received compliments all night. I would recommend chuck without hesitation.
Chuck Braman and his group, featuring pianist Adam Birnbaum, played at my daughter’s wedding at the Central Park Boathouse. I am a huge jazz fan and was looking for a group of real musicians who could really play—not just anonymous, cocktail-style piano music. Chuck and his group were phenomenal. Professional, engaged and great musicians all. At our request, the group played mostly standards—it was a traditional wedding, after all—and they played them beautifully. The wedding was great and Chuck and his group helped make it so. I’ve also heard Chuck play at Hillstone’s, which is near my office. Again, great music.
We were very happy with your performance and the music definitely set the mood for the shoot. You guys were awesome! It was exactly what we were looking for…Thanks again!!! :)
Our company was lucky enough to be able to host a corporate event in the newly refurbished Rainbow Room in early October. I chose one of Chuck Braman’s numerous ensemble combinations to provide music. I knew immediately from the preview videos posted on his site that a trio format fronted by Brenda Earle Stokes was the exact style I was looking for to entertain for the evening.
Chuck was a delight to work within the initial planning stage, which did require some rather involved logistics to accomplish the load in and set up, as Rockefeller Center has very strict guidelines. Everything came off like clockwork, the group was punctual and so easy to work with in every way. Brenda did a stellar job playing and singing, she has a terrific voice that matches her superb keyboard skill. As a pianist/singer myself, I was most impressed with her overall delivery and choice of songs. The bass player and Chuck’s drumming matched up perfectly, one could tell that these three musicians had a genuine rapport and had played a lot together. I could not have been more delighted with the results, and there were many compliments from our 200+ guests.
Many thanks and kudos to you guys for helping to make our evening a total success! The music was so apropos for the immensely elegant atmosphere of the Rainbow Room space. No doubt that if we choose to do another event next year, the Chuck Braman Trio will be on the bill. I would gladly and gratefully recommend you anytime, for any sort of event.
We appreciate the terrific performance! Thanks again and look for our contact next year.
My brother and sister-in-law, both musicians and music teachers, hired Chuck in 2011 to play during their cocktail hour. At the time I was dating my now husband. We enjoyed listening to New York Jazz Bands so much that night, that the second we got engaged we contacted Chuck and booked him for our wedding as well. Music has always been a huge part of our family, so it was very important for us to have quality, classy, live music on our special day. I looked forward to our cocktail hour all year! They did not, and will not, disappoint. One of my fondest memories of our wedding was dancing with my new husband to beautiful music. I would recommend New York Jazz Bands to anyone who wants to add a little class to any event! Thanks for everything Chuck!
You guys were excellent. Not only did I have people come up to me during the concert to let me know how much they enjoyed your concert, I’ve had people calling me the past two days at Village to ask that we bring you guys back next year. I think it is safe to say you guys will be one of the first calls we make when planning next summer’s concert series. I and Mayor Celender really enjoyed your show as well. Thank you so much for such a great concert.
Great performance yesterday.
We are still basking in the delight of the wonderful evening. The music was a major part of the success and we are very grateful to all of you.
I had the great pleasure of working with the Chuck Braman Jazz trio at the beautiful Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center. This was a corporate event with a very sophisticated international clientele. A jazz trio was the perfect touch to complement the evening headlined by the Broadway Tenors, and we were fortunate to connect with the Chuck Braman Jazz Trio. The musicians were professional, very easy to work with, accomplished, attractive, and played great music throughout the evening. The trio delivered a true NY jazz evening and the global audience could not have enjoyed it more. I am also posting a couple of images of the trio from the event.
Everyone enjoyed your band… I was concerned that the sax would be too loud but they were perfect! Also, the event coordinator is keeping your name on file for recommendations for future parties.
Thank you!! The band was a total hit, everyone from staff to clients could not stop raving about you three. I knew they’d like it! I will be in touch with you for future events.
The music was great and we received many comments on how fabulous you guys are. You probably won’t ever need one, but if you do, we would be thrilled to give a recommendation.
The The client loved it. Look forward to next time. Thanks again.
Thanks so much! We loved the music, and everyone had a great time. We’ll recommend you far and wide.
You guys did a great job. The sound was excellent from the get-go and you really helped establish the mood. In fact, we were saying later that it might have been nice to have you guys set up later in the night when our guests were back on the flight deck for the photo stations and the fireworks.
Thank you again for your amazing performance the night of our wedding party. You guys were awesome in every way. Take care and we hope to see you play again soon!
Thank you so much for being so lovely to work with! I look forward to seeing you soon.
Having you musicians perform on the Ferry Terminal promenade was so fitting and intimate for this particular event. I enjoyed passing by and seeing tourists stop to listen to your music. Please extend our sincere appreciation to the other musicians who performed that day and greatly helped to make this a successful event. We Look forward to working with you again on future Borough President’s events. Enjoy the remainder of the summer.
We first worked together at a wedding last June where he and a few of his fellow musicians played for the cocktail hour at a wedding I planned/designed. They were amazing—not only in terms of their music, but also in the way they presented themselves—such a pleasure to work with during the planning process, friendly as could be in person, and flawless in their musical execution. If you’re looking for a jazz band for your wedding or another event, look no further.
I booked Chuck and his band for the cocktail hour at my wedding. They provided such a cool and sophisticated vibe to the party, I never wanted the cocktail hour to end. They were very easy to work with and I felt we were always on the same page sonically and aesthetically. Highly recommended!
We heard nothing but compliments—your group was great!
Thank you very much for your excellent performance on my wedding day. Everyone raved about you and your sidemen.
It was our pleasure to have you play at our wedding. Thanks for everything.
Chuck was very involved in the planning of our evening, to the point where he accommodated additional requests we had for our ceremony (Pianist for our ceremony, audio setup etc). We had several song requests and various changes which he was happy to accommodate. The music played was what we expected but the pauses in between songs was a bit too long, the transitions weren’t as smooth. We would have liked the lead singer to more command in moving the process along, and we would not have minded if the vocalist was more aggressive with her vocal presence during her songs. We feel that meeting the band beforehand would have helped smooth the process better, but we understand that given the limited preparation. We are thankful for all that was done for our special day. We know there are so many things to prepare for but overall we were happy with the service.
I really enjoyed working with you and the performance. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to work together again soon.
I´m the one who should say thank you! Everybody at the party really enjoyed your music and you can be sure that we had great a time there!!
We had Chuck and his jazz trio play for our December wedding. The music was fantastic, the guys were great, flexible and totally professional, and the price was reasonable (for NYC!!!). Really happy with this group and would recommend them unreservedly to others.
It has been such a pleasure working with New York Jazz Bands. Chuck and his band members were very professional on stage and played perfectly for our attendees and executives in attendance. Our guests enjoyed every minute of it and made their way closer to the band as the night progressed. I hope to work with Chuck on more corporate occasions in the future.
The band was great, absolutely wonderful. A lot of good comments from my guests.
Chuck Braman’s jazz bands are professional and wonderful to work with. We recently hired the vibraphone trio for our son’s wedding at home. They were PERFECT for the ceremony and cocktail hour and accommodated my son's request for a special song by adapting it to the vibraphone. We were grateful and impressed. We highly recommend NY Jazz Bands!
The band performed during a reception and also after dinner, and was very easy to work with and extremely professional. The sound levels were perfectly adjusted for each performance.
Thank you for entertaining us last night. You guys did a great job!
We could not have asked for more from your band—absolutely amazing. I can't tell you how many people shared positive comments about your band.
Chuck and the band members were extremely accommodating. I was planning a surprise party, and they stood by at a local Starbucks until they got the all clear! The music really added to the evening. It was great music at an appropriate volume.
First of all, thank you so much for pulling off my last minute requests. I cant begin to express how happy we were to have you playing for us. We will definitely use you should we have more events in NY and will recommend you to our friends.
It was a pleasure having you guys play at our event last night—I believe it enriched our party and many have said that they couldn’t have imagined the party without.
It was fabulous to have your group join us for the AMBLE event. What a really terrific day! Congrats to you and the band for a gorgeous afternoon of music!
Not only was the music great, but you and your sidemen did a great job of keeping the right tempo and tone for the evening. When we needed quiet background, that is what we got, conversely when everyone was drinking during the cocktail hour, you played perfectly exactly the type of upbeat jazz I was looking for. You are very good at feeling out the space and atmosphere and did a wonderful job at playing at just the right volume throughout the whole night. You guys are consummate professionals and I was very pleased with your performance. I would certainly recommend you to a friend or colleague and I would say on a scale of 1 to 10, you guys were an 11… The music was great, your professional demeanor was impeccable, your awareness of what to play based on the atmosphere of the space was also to be praised and overall you guys just did an awesome job. Both Amanda and I would like to thank you for making our wedding weekend just that much better and as I said, you will be first on my list if I am looking into Jazz musicians for an event. Thank you, Chuck, you should be very proud of a job extremely well done.
Great to work with you! Thanks, Chuck!!
Saturday evening was lovely. I have also passed your info on to our cultural team. Perhaps they will use your quartet in the future as well.
I thought the music was great and will consider using you again next year. Thanks, Chuck
Thanks so much for making our wedding day even more special and for helping set the tone for the night.
Chuck was a dream to work with. A great communicator throughout and very patient when we kept changing instrumentation. Everyone was completely professional. Having the trio made the party feel like a party. Loved it. Thanks so much for being so great and I will definitely recommend you very highly.
Easy, easy, easy. Our experience was just that. The wedding itself was a dream and Chuck, Nicki & Ron provided beautiful music that just made our event so special. Our driving words for the wedding were simple and elegant, and I can assure you that Chuck and his colleagues were beyond exceptional. We were most satisfied with all the wonderful comments we got (and continue to get 3 months later!) at how wonderful the music was. Nicki was a special standout for us. How unique to have a female string bassist, who sings! And what a voice…. These guys were the best and we felt so fortunate to have "happened upon them" doing a simple Youtube search. They far exceeded our expectations.
The jazz trio was perfect for our rehearsal dinner. All of the performers were incredibly nice, professional and talented. Everyone who attended our rehearsal dinner had the highest praise for the trio. Thanks so much for making our event extra special!
Thank you so much for your wonderful performance at our wedding. We had such an amazing night and your music contributed immensely to the ambiance. I will happily recommend your band to anyone I know who is getting married or having an event in the city—we were impressed beyond words!
My apologies for not sending this note sooner; the past two weeks have been a whirlwind.
Your music during the ceremony and cocktail hour was truly perfect; thank you for helping to make our wedding day one of magic, love and FUN!
Working with you was an absolute pleasure.
I hired Chuck and his Saxophone Quartet for our annual Math for America Fall Function this year. I have all wonderful things to say about my experience with the band. They were EARLY, clean cut, well dressed and a pleasure to work with. The set-list was a mix of jazz moderns pieces and standards. Their sound was great and you could tell they were comfortable playing with each other. It was such a successful evening, we are having them back again next year.
Thank you, Chuck! I hope clients are lining up around the block to work with your bands!
Our national firm held an East Coast anniversary event at an indoor/outdoor loft space in the Fall. We wanted a real New York vibe for our event and hired the Vibraphone Quartet. From the moment our guests entered the party space, they were greeted with the subtle sounds of jazz. Immediately it created the vibe sought. The musicians were amazing, wonderfully professional, and talented. It is 3 months later and we are still hearing compliments on how wonderful the party was.
As usual, the performance by this wonderful Jazz Quintet was enjoyed by our many concert-goers and we look forward to having you join us at other Borough President events.
Thank you so much for putting a band together at the last minute! You are really great to work with and I look forward to doing more events with you in the future.
I wanted to thank you for performing at the Water for Elephants Premiere. It was a pleasure to work with you and we are so grateful that you could accommodate our last minute request to stay for the additional two hours. The performance was the perfect addition to Water for Elephants and it really enhanced the entire feel of the premiere. You and the other members of the trio had an outstanding performance and we look forward to working with you again in the future.
They were fantastic!!!!
They did a great performance, at the end everybody was happy.
There were between 8 and 10 music teachers and when my new wife and I walked over to our friends during our wedding cocktail hour, we understood why they congregated next to the trio. Chuck’s is a top-notch group. If you're looking for a relaxed, mature, talented trio to play at your wedding, look no further than Chuck’s groups. They played Bill Evans charts and standards as well. My only regret is that my wife and I weren't able to sit next to the trio for a half hour sipping wine and enjoying the atmosphere. We spent a good part of our extended cocktail hour saying hello to friends who traveled from afar. Bravo, Chuck.
We want to thank you and the band so much for your lovely performance at our wedding. It was truly our pleasure to have you guys with us on Saturday and made our wedding truly special and romantic.
We wish you the best of luck and we will definitely spread the words for your lovely performance.
It was a pleasure working with The Chuck Braman Trio. 5’s across the board. Chuck had an understanding of exactly what I was looking for in terms of the music meshing with the atmosphere of my cocktail party. He and his band were very professional, on time, dressed sharp, and played very well. I would recommend them to anyone.
Your band and Tessa were all we could have asked for. It was a class act and I will recommend you any chance I get.
We had the most wonderful party with the Chuck Braman Trio! We were able to make the arrangements easily. His website was clear and loaded with great choices. He provided us with a song list from which to choose that had more fabulous standards than we could have played in our time frame. The trio arrived at our venue early, was ready to play when guests arrived and played extra per our request. I wholeheartedly recommend them and would use them again in a heartbeat! Thanks, Chuck!
Chuck Braman’s trio played at our wedding. Their music was great. It created the exact ambiance we were aiming for and helped to make the event every bit as good as we had hoped.
Chuck and his band were complete and consummate professionals. We discussed exactly what type of music we were hoping to hear and they played it. We talked about the times during which we wanted the music and they hit their marks. We asked for a certain volume and they provided it.
However, Chuck’s professionalism was evident far before the wedding day itself. Chuck was easily accessible by phone and email when we were making arrangements. He inquired as to the type of clothing that would be most appropriate for the event. Chuck even met with the location manager to make certain he understood the acoustics, was familiar with the position from which he would be playing and even knew how to bring his equipment to the event space. Nothing was left to chance or was otherwise unknown prior to the performance.
When dealing with a wedding, our first priority was superior music to entertain our guests. Our second priority was to find a band that was easy to deal with and on whom we could count. With so many details to worry about, we chose to work with Chuck because we knew we could count on him.
Our experience with Chuck Braman and his trio was extremely positive. I would certainly hire Chuck for any other type of large party in the future. I am also happy to serve as a reference for Chuck and you can get my contact information from him.
Thank you so much, we really enjoyed the music. We appreciate the professionalism of your group and would recommend your group to friends and family.
I just wanted to follow up and say that the jazz trio was great last week. I received a lot of great feedback on them.
The casino night was such great fun! Every one of the members who went said they had a terrific time. We want to thank you for your contribution in making the event a great success!! Please extend our thanks to your band members.
FYI… you’ve gotten great reviews from my colleagues in your recent performances with Empire.
Thanks again for last night. You and the guys were wonderful, so easy to work with and of course, sounded great!
I loved our wedding. And my husband loved our wedding. The guests loved our wedding, my Mom loved our wedding (imagine that) and Trixie, my Pup of Honor, loved our wedding. It was exactly as I pictured it… yet nothing I could have ever imagined. It was a dreamy, wonderful, laid-back, stylish and “cool” Saturday afternoon. You and your band provided the perfect soundtrack to the perfect day—the smooth jazz classics and songbook standards were exactly what Steve and I envisioned. Thank you for your enthusiasm and patience the weeks leading up to the wedding. I enjoyed chatting with you about music in general, and specifically as it pertained to our wedding. Oh, and thank you for the cool, jazzy Hava Nagila. My mom wanted to hora… and you guys accommodated so sweetly. I hope to have the opportunity to hear you all again sometime. You are all incredibly talented.
Thank you so much for playing at our wedding and helping in making it such a beautiful event. When we were looking for music for our event, we were disappointed to meet with “professional” music producers who offer “jazz bands” which are so remote from the spirit of jazz. So we were looking for something better. The other choice was to try and speak with some performers at a Jazz club and see whether they could come. The risk was, however, that one never really knows how well such players would adjust to a wedding event, that requires not only a great vibe, but also someone who is reliable, attentive to details, and respectful of the occasion.
When we saw your website we knew immediately we came to the right place. The site gives a very clear view of the options one has, the quality of the music and seriousness in which you take this project. The preparations for the event were great—everything went smooth, and we were happy to see you arrive at the place prior to the event in order to make sure you understand everything. At the same time, the band adjusted itself to the place, its acoustic and vibe and allowed those who wanted to, to listen to a very high level of performance, while others—who wanted to speak with their friends at the table—could still do so without feeling overwhelmed by the music. Most importantly, the music was fabulous.
In short—a great experience which we highly recommend those who'd like to celebrate an event with a wonderful balance of real jazz, and the elegance and high seamless performance that an event such as a wedding entails. We'd be happy to recommend you to anyone. Feel free to put such inquirers in touch with us via my email. Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful music on such a special day for us. We truly enjoyed it. Hope to hear you again at a local NYC haunt soon!
My wife and I were married on Sunday, June 29, 2008. We hired the Chuck Braman Quartet from searching the internet and enjoyed their sound. As it turned out, they were even better in person and did not disappoint (very professional). All of our guests (unsolicited) asked how we found the band and thought they were outstanding. Although we did not hire a "singer" the music was phenomenal. If you love jazz we highly recommend this band.
Everyone was also treated to a fabulous jazz ensemble that received rave revues. All I can say is that the weather was wonderful, the night superb and the compliments came rolling in from both the guests and the vendors.
I have been meaning to write this note forever. I just wanted to let you know that our wedding was incredible and your music was a big part making it such a special event. Thank you so much for setting the mode for the event and putting on a great show. Our guests loved you guys and we will certainly pass your name on to friends and family.
I had Chuck and his band come and play at the biggest social event that my college hosts every year. The band was the most memorable part of the whole experience! Everyone had such an amazing time dancing to the classical jazz music and it set the backdrop for our "dream-like New York" theme that evening. The ambiance that he and his crew created got everyone in the mood to jive! The singer was absolutely fabulous and there is no doubt in my mind that I would use his band again in the future. They created memories that will last a lifetime. It was a magical evening because of Chuck and his group!
I would just like to thank you for making my husband’s 40th Birthday so memorable. You know exactly what type of music selections to play and created the perfect mood and setting. The sound and acoustics were perfect for the room, which many commented on. All of our guests had such a wonderful time and said your band was “the perfect choice.“ We were so happy how the party turned out and you were a big part of that. Thanks again!
Brooke and I really enjoyed the sets you played at our wedding. Your music added a delightfully smooth, jazzy and classy mood to our reception. Your group’s selection of Bossa Nova, Samba and Blues made a great impression on our family and guests.
Thank you very much!
Sorry that I didn't get to this sooner.
Your music at Meryl’s wedding could not have been improved upon. I know both Meryl and Regan loved it. Thank you for making me look so good.
All best wishes for the New Year.
I just wanted to send a quick note of thanks. Rob and I were so pleased with your performance. You and your band members did a wonderful job—especially with the Peanuts music, which was a big hit. Your music really set the tone for the atmosphere that we wanted.
Thanks again! Keep us posted on your upcoming shows... we'd love to continue to see you play around the City.
Esther and I wanted to thank you for the great performance of your jazz band during our wedding reception. The quality of the music and the flexibility you demonstrated helped to make the reception extremely memorable. Your music created the ambiance we were seeking, and (based on the feedback we received) everyone truly enjoyed the listening to the classy riffs during the cocktail hour and dinner. We wish you and your bands continued success in the future.
What a delight it was to have your Quintet perform at the Garden yesterday! Please thank the group for a phenomenal performance. Please do keep in touch as I would love to have you back (on a “non-blizzard” day). Have a terrific holiday season and a musical, creative, and fun New Year!
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New York Jazz Bands
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