How to easily find a great jazz band for your event

Contact the bandleader (Chuck Braman) directly at 212-989-5281, tell me what you need, and I'll make it happen.

or,

Browse this page, choose the band you like most, let me know by filling out the “hire your band” form (click the button above right) and I'll get back to you the same day with a helpful, unbiased consultation.

Guitar Trio/Quartet “Nice ’n Easy”
Guitar Trio/Quartet “Nice ’n Easy”
“All of our guests fell in love with them!!”
—Narae Jang, Megagen America; Google Review; Edison Ballroom; April 21, 2023; Trumpet-Saxophone Quintet
“It was the best band I could have hired.”
—Geri Tepedino, Memorial Service, Private Home, May 6, 2022, Saxophone Quartet
“They were just perfect.”
—Amy Zises, Bat Mitzvah Celebration, Private Residence, July 19, 2022; Guitar Trio
“Thank you so much, you guys are awesome!!”
—Jo Gennett, Identity Media Inc., Manhattan; Thank-you Note; Corporate Party; 12-12-17; Vocal Quartet
“They were AMAZING!!! The music was perfect.”
—Tener Veenema, Graduation Party, The Stumble Inn, July 31, 2022, Guitar Trio/Quartet
“The event was a blast. They really ripped.”
—James Mullally, J.Crew, Holiday Party, January 10, 2023, Guitar Trio/Quartet
“It was truly magical. Highly recommend.”
—Erin Chambers, Event Planner, Morgan Library & Museum, December 6, 2022, Guitar Trio/Quartet
“Chuck and his band were exceptional!”
—Caitlin Moles Cunnane, Birthday Party, Upland, March 5, 2022; Guitar Trio
“Great group, awesome music!”
—Chezmin Sheehan, Birthday Party, TAO Nightclub, April 12, 2023, Trumpet Saxophone Quintet
“Like bringing the Village Vanguard to your party. They delivered!”
—Irene H., Yelp Review, Private Party, Remi Rialto Room, September 14, 2019, Vibraphone Quartet

About Us

My name is Chuck Braman, and I’m a jazz drummer-bandleader who’s been active in New York City for over thirty years. During that time I’ve discovered the very best musicians that I love making music with and organized them into ensembles based on ideal combinations of instrumentation, personnel, style and repertoire. Over the years, we’ve played in every setting imaginable, from jazz clubs to concerts, restaurants, corporate events and weddings. I love what I do and I pride myself on being able to provide truly great jazz bands for all of these musical contexts. I hope I can have the opportunity to do so for you too.

Vibraphone Quartet “Nua Idea”
Vibraphone Quartet “Say It Isn’t So”
Vibraphone Trio “Dom Del Ilujir”
Vibraphone Trio “Walkin’ Shoes”
Vibraphone Quartet “Como En Vietnam”
Vibraphone Quartet “Shuffle Boil”
“Loved having the jazz quintet for our party at Tao nightclub!”
—Chezmin Sheehan, Birthday Party, TAO Nightclub, April 12, 2023, Trumpet Saxophone Quintet
“I was blown away by what exceptional musicians they are, as well as such wonderful people.”
—Tener Veenema, Graduation Party, The Stumble Inn, July 31, 2022, Guitar Trio/Quartet
“Chuck and his team were a joy. I would 100% recommend the band!”
Jingwei Teng, GIC Real Estate, Google Review, Corporate Event, Del Posto, December 12, 2019, Vocal Quartet
“They made my husband’s birthday dinner a night to remember.”
—Caitlin Moles Cunnane, Birthday Party, Upland, March 5, 2022; Guitar Trio
“Great night, great guys, wonderful music. Glad we met to make this happen.”
Steve Heicklen, Private Party, Thank-you Note, Remi Rialto Room, September 14, 2019, Vibraphone Quartet
“Thanks again for performing at our event, everyone is still talking about how great it was!”
—Kathryn Haase, Protiviti, Thank-you Email, Corporate Event, Grand Havana Room, October 13, 2019, Piano Trio

Find the “10 best jazz bands in New York” in a directory that includes magicians? Or handymen? I don’t think so!

While you won’t find the elite jazz musicians of New York City advertising themselves in the all-purpose national directories like The Bash, Gigmasters, Gigsalad, Thumbtack, et al., you will find them in my bands. Each of my sidemen regularly perform in New York City's top jazz clubs, like The Blue Note, Birdland, and Jazz At Lincoln Center, either as leaders or as sidemen for the legends who have shaped jazz history. When you hire my bands, you will be hiring these world-class artists to perform for you and your guests.

Vocal Quartet 2 “Old Devil Moon”
Vocal Quartet 2 “Embraceable You”
“The whole experience from booking through their performance was an absolute pleasure.”
—Geri Tepedino, Memorial Service, Private Home, May 6, 2022, Saxophone Quartet
“Chuck was a delight to work with during the party planning process—very professional and responsive—and the music itself was wonderful.”
—Caitlin Moles Cunnane, Birthday Party, March 19, 2022, Google Review, Guitar Trio/Quartet
“These guys are great. Professional and hassle-free. Music and creativity are wonderful.”
—Irene H., Yelp Review, Private Party, Remi Rialto Room, September 14, 2019, Vibraphone Quartet
“It was such a pleasure working with you. It turned out an amazing event. Thank you so much!”
—Daniela Sarbu, World of ABC, Corporate Event, The One NJ, September 9, 2016; Vocal Quartet
“You guys were awesome! And set the tone for the entire event—the music was outstanding.”
—Mike Dzura, Director of Production, The Marketing Arm, Email, Marketing Event, November 6–9, 2019, Piano Trio
“Chuck was organized and easy to plan with. The band was punctual, professional, kind, and sounded amazing.”
—Carley Skidmore, Holiday Party, Cerity Partners, December 14, 2021, Vibraphone Trio/Quartet
“We were really happy to have you perform at our event, and I believe everyone had a great time.”
—Ivana Bulj, eFront, Thank-you Note, Corporate Event, Capitale, October 22, 2019, Piano Trio
“Thank you, Chuck, for such an incredible performance at our company’s celebratory event.”
—Nicolas Arreste, November 30, 2021, Guitar Trio/Quartet
“Chuck is a gentleman and so easy to work with. Hands down and thumbs up—he’s simply the best!”
—Christine Tinerino, SAS, Thank-you Note, Corporate Party, AXA Equitable Center, January 14, 2017, Vocal Quartet
“I would like to thank you again for playing at our event. Everyone loved the band! Great, Great job!”
—Athena Johnson,  The Community Preservation Corp., City Winery, 11-8-18, Trumpet-Saxophone Quintet
“I was looking to hire a jazz trio and I hit the jackpot with Chuck and his musical genius colleagues.”
—Keith, Party, Private Home, October 24, 2021; Piano Trio
“Your team was amazing! Everyone enjoyed the band so much and you were a pleasure to work with.”
—Stephanie Cirami, President, IAOTP, Email, The New York Plaza Grand Ballroom, 12-15-18, Vocal Quartet
“Thank you, Chuck, for such an incredible performance at our company’s celebratory event.”
—Nicolas Arreste, Google Review, Corporate Celebration, Cresilon Offices, November 30, 2022, Guitar Trio
“The band was a master class, fun, and was extremely well-enjoyed by the staff and attendees.”
—James Mullally, J.Crew, Holiday Party, January 10, 2023, Guitar Trio/Quartet

Advice from an expert on the jazz scene

Trying to find a jazz band online is daunting. As the editor of the country’s top-selling jazz history textbook and a New York City jazz bandleader with three decades of experience, I can give you expert advice based on my extensive knowledge of the New York jazz scene and all of the alternatives online, and will recommend a competitor if they are a better fit. Call me at 212-989-5281 for a free consultation.

Trumpet-Saxophone Quintet “Step Lightly”
Trumpet-Saxophone Quintet “Hi-Heel Sneakers”
Trumpet-Saxophone Quintet “Punjab”
Trumpet-Saxophone Quintet “São Paulo”
Trumpet-Saxophone Quintet “Pat ’n Chat”
“Your music pushed the evening out of the realm of ‘dinner party’ and into the realm of ‘night to remember.’”
—Caitlin Cunnane, Birthday Party, March 5, 2022; Guitar Trio
“Chuck and band are remarkable! The group’s dynamics, balance of tone, and timing were absolute perfection.”
—Christine Tinerino, SAS, Thank-you Note, Corporate Party, AXA Equitable Center, January 14, 2017, Vocal Quartet
“Last night was a ten. Absolutely flawless and outstanding… We will do it again. Excited for our next venue. :)”
—Keith Miller, Party, Private Home, October 24, 2021; Piano Trio
“Chuck and his team were great. They arrived early to set up and start on time and added the next level to our event.”
—Megan Troeller, Google Review, Private Party, Private Home, March 11, 2019, Piano Trio
“I can't wait to have another event so we can enjoy them again. They made the party festive and elegant. Look no further!”
—Amy Zises, Bat Mitzvah; Congregation Or Zarua, April 14th, 2022; Guitar Trio
“All band members, aside from being great musicians, were kind, courteous and passionate about their music.”
—Geri Tepedino, Memorial Service, Private Home, May 6, 2022, Saxophone Quartet
“Chuck! You guys were amazing. Thank you so much for your time—this was such a great addition to our cocktail hour!”
—Amanda Carignan, Marketing & Events, eFront; The Westin, NY; Cocktail Hour; October 26, 2017; Guitar Trio
“The performance was the perfect addition to Water for Elephants and it really enhanced the entire feel of the premiere.”
—Dallas Duckett, Events In Motion, Hollywood Premiere, Ziegfeld Theater, April 17,  2011; Piano Trio
“We are so satisfied with our collaboration that we have hired them for the fourth year in a row for our Annual Client Forum.”
—Ivana Bulj, eFront, Google Review, Corporate Event, Westin New York at Times Square, 10-22-18, Guitar Trio
“You were all so fabulous!!! We were just chatting last night about when we arrange the next Soirée! Philip has such fun!!!”
—Monette de Botton, Thank-you Note, Private Party, Private Home, March 8th, 2019, Guitar Quartet
“You and the trio had an outstanding performance and we look forward to working with you again in the future.”
—Dallas Duckett, Events In Motion, Hollywood Premiere, Ziegfeld Theater, April 17, 2011; Piano Trio

Deal directly with the bandleader

You can call a booking agency and speak to a salesperson. You can fill out a form in a directory and begin a bidding war among semi-professionals. Or you can choose us and deal directly with me, the bandleader, and I will answer all of your questions directly and honestly.

Piano Trio “The Duke”
Piano Trio“Bom Amigos”
Piano Trio“Einbahnstrasse”
“It's always such a pleasure to work with Chuck and his team. They are so professional, accommodating and of course great musicians!”
—Allison Thompson, EXL Services, LinkedIn Comment, Corporate Event, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, 6-17-18, Guitar Trio
“You and your trio were fantastic! I could not have been more pleased. I had high hopes and high expectations and you exceeded them.”
—Caryn Greenspan, Thank-you Note, Bar-Mitzvah, Brae Burn Country Club, May 11, 2019, Piano Trio
“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.”
—Deirdre Sullivan, SIX Financial Information; Bryant Park Grill, June 25, 2015, Piano Trio
“I have planned many events for many prestigious people all over the world they were the perfect touch to end the night at the NYC Plaza Hotel.”
—Stephanie Cirami, President, IAOTP, Facebook Review, The New York Plaza Grand Ballroom, December 15, 2018, Vocal Quartet
“He was so professional and very prompt in all of our communications. If you need a jazz band for any kind of event, Chuck is the guy to use.”
—Kathryn Haase, Protiviti, Yelp Review, Corporate Event, Grand Havana Room, October 13, 2019, Piano Trio
“They really made the party. Super elegant and know how to work a room! We were so happy, I can't wait to hire them again for our next event!”
—Rachael Hyjek, Identity Media, Inc., December 19, 2016, Vocal Quartet
“It was a pleasure to have your bands play at our events this past week. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you again for the amazing performances.”
—Lucia Zuccardi, World Wide Technology, Thank-you Note, Holiday Party, La Grenouille, December 7th, 2018, Vocal Quartet
“Chuck was organized and easy to plan with from the beginning. The band was punctual, professional, kind, and sounded amazing.”
—Carley Skidmore, Cerity Partners, Corporate Event, December 14th, 2021; Vibraphone Quartet
“Working with Chuck and his band is always a wonderful experience. They are professional, punctual, polite, and above all, they are incredible musicians.”
—Ivana Bulj, eFront, Google Review, Corporate Event, The Westin New York at Times Square, 10-22-18, Guitar Trio

Professional and reliable service

My professional attitude emphasizes courteousness, promptness, and reliability. Upon choosing us to play for your party, I will have a one-on-one consultation with you to coordinate repertoire, schedule, setup, and everything else to make sure everything flows smoothly. On the day of  your party my band will arrive early, start on time, look great, and we will adjust our volume levels to suit the needs of you and your guests.

Saxophone Quartet 1 “I Love You”
Saxophone Quartet 1 “When I Fall In Love”
“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.”
—Jo Gennett, Identity Media Inc., Google Review, Corporate Event, December 12, 2017, Vocal Quartet
“They were the highlight of our event. They were professional in every way, arrived on time, looked great, and of course, their sound was incredible. They were just perfect.”
—Amy Zises, Bat Mitzvah; Congregation Or Zarua, April 14th, 2022; Guitar Trio
“If you’re looking for a great Jazz band look no further. They have been the entertainment at my holiday events for 2014, 2015 and I just re-booked them for 2016!”
—Ann Lacey, Omni Eye Services; Holiday Celebration, Chart House Seafood Restaurant, 12-5-15; Vocal Quartet
“… he even showed up 1 1/2 hours early for the event to work with the acoustics, room set-up, music selection, and all the logistics! They played amazing music all night.”
—Gilbert Garcia, The Knot Review, Birthday Party, Private Home, Vocal Trio, October 28, 2018
“Chuck and team did an incredible job at my boss farewell celebration. He came to me the next day and asked about the band and mentioned how truly amazing they were.”
—Tandy Daley, HSBC Securities, BBB Review, Corporate Event, July 16, 2018, Guitar Trio
“Thank you so much for performing at the client's event. In my opinion, you and your artists were most talented and the mix of the 2 trios was brilliant and added variety. Well done!”
—Karlene Cass, Senior Producer, Imagination, Corporate Event, Cipriani, 12-12-18, Guitar Trio, Vocal Trio
“Stellar job… You guys sounded great, true perfection in every way, very polished… The music was so apropos for the immensely elegant atmosphere of the Rainbow Room space.”
—Robert Irvin, Director, Maureen Data Systems; Corporate Event, Rainbow Room, 10-6-14; Vocal Trio
“All night my guests were telling me how wonderful the band was and that they were the perfect fit… I cannot recommend them enough… there are not enough good things to say about them!”
—Ann Lacey, Omni Eye Services, Maritime Parc; Holliday Party; December 6, 2012, Vocal Quartet
“Chuck and his bandmates are the absolute best. Very professional, fun, and talented. I’ve used them for the past two years for our annual customer event & I’ve recommended him to the women who plan our holiday party.”
—Dina Halligan, World Wide Technology, Recommendation to a friend, February 22, 2019

Take the next step

Your choice of music and musicians sets the tone for your entire party. My world-class jazz combined with my reliability, resourcefulness and attention to detail, will help to make your party an occasion that you and your guests will never forget. Contact me directly at 212-989-5281 or fill out the “hire your band”  form (click the button above right) and I'll get back to you with either a simple price quote or a helpful, unbiased consultation, your choice.

A few of our previous parties

Seven years of performances by the Guitar Trio for EXL

It was great to see EXL’s Marketing Manager Allison Thompson (first photo) again when we had the pleasure of performing for the seventh year at their annual client dinner; it's also nice to see the continued success of EXL as it grows year after year. The creative photo was taken by Mark Liflander of Liflander Photography LLC. From Allison’s Linked-In endorsement: “Always a pleasure to have Chuck Braman and team in the house! I could listen to their smooth jazz all night! How great to be back in person and to have this long standing relationship with such great musicians!”

The Vocal Quintet at the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel

The Vocal Quintet performing in the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel at the Annual Awards Gala for the International Association of Top Professionals. President Stephanie Cirami is one of the nicest persons we've ever worked for, and she generously took the time to write this review of us the following day: “This band, hands-down, is phenomenal. I hired them for my annual awards gala at the Plaza hotel because I needed a classy ensemble to complement the prestige of the Plaza! My guests loved them and they made the evening beautiful, elegant and memorable! So easy to work with and will definitely use them for future events.”

The Versatility of the Piano Trio

One wonderful aspect of the piano trio is how many settings the music can fit appropriately. The same music we might perform in a nightclub or concert setting can also be appropriate in the settings of a birthday celebration in a private home (photo 1) or at a Bar-Mitzvah luncheon at a country club (the impromptu portrait photos 2–4 taken on the bandstand between tunes and generously shared by Mark Leslie Photography). From the client: “Chuck and his trio were fantastic! Really, I could not have been more pleased. I had high hopes and expectations and they exceeded them. Many people commented to me about the quality of their performance.”

The Quintet at City Winery

My quintet and I had a really fun time performing at The Community Preservation Corporation's 45th-year celebration event at the City Winery. Athena Johnson, the Communications Coordinator, was a real pleasure to work with and couldn't have treated us any more nicely. Photos 2, 3 and 4 courtesy of Ronald Glassman Photography. From the client: “Everyone loved the band! Great, Great job!”

Our Third Year at the eFront Client Forum

The Guitar Trio recently enjoyed performing again for the third year in a row for the eFront Client Forum. The four photos include two professional photos generously shared by photographer Gage Zanghi. From the client: “Working with Chuck and his band is always a wonderful experience. They are professional, punctual, polite and it is a pleasure to work with them, and above all, they are incredible musicians. Attendees at our event always comment on how good the band was. We are so satisfied with our collaboration that we have hired them for the fourth year in a row for our Annual Client Forum. I would highly recommend using them for any special event you have coming up.”

Four years performing at the LEDucation Trade Show

It was our pleasure to be invited back for the fourth time to the New Hilton Midtown to perform for the LEDucation Trade Show this year. As before, the Trumpet-Saxophone Quintet first performed an instrumental set of jazz compositions and then were joined by our vocalist for a second set of Great American Songbook standards. The first 3 photos are from this year, the last photo from last year. They were very generously shared with us by photographer Edward Tsang.

The Vocal Quintet back at Rosie O’Grady’s

It was great being asked back again to perform for FEXCO Merchant Services event at Rosie O‘Grady’s. The first two photos are from 2018, the last two from our previous performance in 2017, courtesy of Mind State Media LLC.

Three years performing for Ruckus Marketing’s holiday party

For the past three years, we’ve had the pleasure of performing for Ruckus Marketing's annual holiday party. What made the past two year’s events especially fun was our client’s idea of combining the Trumpet-Saxophone Quintet with the Vocal Quartet, doubling our repertoire and creating two bands in one. (Photos 1-2 taken 2017, courtesy of Maxwell Mason Photography; photos 3-4 taken 2016 courtesy of Matt Statler Photography). 

Four Years of holiday parties for Omni Eye Services

Every year we've come to look forward to performing for Omi Eye Services‘ Annual Holiday party, and this year's event at The Newark Museum was no exception. Of these four photos, the first two were taken by our vocalist during an instrumental number, the second two by myself from near the drums following an informal sound check. From our client this year: “Truly wonderful!”

The Guitar Trio at United Nations Plaza

The Guitar Trio performing for an international event sponsored by the Edsol Group, before and after the arrival of the guests: first, in the lobby (minus drums; and it actually got quite a bit more crowded moments after I snapped this photo!), and next in the dining room.

Performing Again for the Mission of Kazakhstan to the UN

It was recently our pleasure to be invited back Mission of Kazakhstan to the UN to perform for cocktail party celebrating Kazakhstan’s membership in the United Nations Security Council.

The Vibraphone Quartet back at the Edison Ballroom

Back at the Edison Ballroom for our 2nd year performing for Motorola’s yearly event.

The Quintet at Chelsea Piers, Pier 60

A really fun gig with the Quintet performing at Pier 60 for Whiskey Live. Very well received, not to mention the nice invitation and opportunity to join in the festivities after the conclusion of our performance!

The Vocal Trio at the Rainbow Room

Here are some photos taken from an event we played at the Rainbow Room for Maureen Data Systems. The ones featuring the band performing are courtesy of the photographer for the event, Andrew Warne. The client was himself an accomplished pianist, and so was a pleasure to work with, and the Rainbow Room fit us like a glove; just the right size for the sound of our trio to fill the room, excellent acoustics, and a perfect match in style. From the client: “The music was so apropos for the immensely elegant atmosphere of the Rainbow Room space… I would gladly and gratefully recommend you anytime, for any sort of event.”

The Piano Trio at the Appel Room, Lincoln Center

This was a corporate event with a very sophisticated international clientele, the evening headlined by the Broadway Tenors. From the client: “The trio delivered a true NY jazz evening and the global audience could not have enjoyed it more.”

Olympus Launch at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

The Guitar Trio enjoyed performing on the deck of the Intrepid Museum for the Olympus Imaging America, Inc. launch of their FZ-1 model camera. From the client: “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.” (That photo of the lift is of my drums being hoisted up to the ship, a nerve-wracking sight for me if ever there was one!)

The Vibraphone Quartet at Cipriani’s 42nd Street

The Vibraphone Quartet was invited back again to perform our third event in as many years for The Doe Fund at Cipriani's 42nd Street. The second photo shows the view of the cocktail hour as taken from the bandstand.

Providing Music for the “X-Men: First Class” Premiere

This was one of two Hollywood premiere parties we were asked to perform within a two month period. Just as we had been asked to perform 1930s-era songs for the premiere of “Water For Elephants” a month earlier, similarly, we were asked to perform 1960s-era Great American Songbook songs for the X-Men: First Class premiere, as the latter movie is set in the latter era. Simple enough; we prepared a song-list that was a mixture of 1960s-era standards. But once we arrived at the Zigfield Theater, we had to do some quick adaptations to fulfill some new requests of the client on-site: first, to wear dark sunglasses (which meant we couldn't read music), and second, to make the music go-go dancer-danceable (which meant that we had to abandon the Great American Songbook repertoire we had planned). However, once we got into the groove, so to speak, the clients, dancers, and celebrities all seemed very pleased with us. Kevin Bacon even gave us a smile and gesture of approval as he passed by. The unscripted boogaloo medley that we played lasted without a break for almost the entire two hours!

Let me help you choose and book your jazz band

Your choice of music sets the tone for your entire event. My world-class jazz musicians, combined with my reliability, resourcefulness, and attention to detail, will make your event an occasion that you and your guests will never forget. Contact me directly at 212-989-5281, or better yet, help me answer your questions in advance by filling out the form below, and I'll quickly get back to you with a helpful, honest consultation along with pricing information.

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—Chuck Braman, bandleader/drummer

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