Jazz bands that play weddings,
not wedding bands that play jazz
My bands feature some of the top jazz artists in New York City, musicians who have performed worldwide with the legends who have shaped—or are shaping—jazz history. While we meet the traditional musical needs of a wedding, we’ll also treat you and your guests to the finest real jazz that New York City has to offer.
Many incredible bands, one seasoned bandleader
My name is Chuck Braman. I’m a jazz drummer-bandleader who’s been active in New York City for over three decades. During that time I 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. When you hire us, instead of choosing among semi-professionals on a directory site or talking to a salesman at an agency, you will work one-on-one with me—a dedicated lifelong musician who prides himself on leading some of the very best jazz bands in New York City.
Real value for a real jazz wedding
When searching for a jazz band to hire for your wedding, you can find the cheapest in the generic internet directories, the most expensive at the jack-of-all-trades music agencies, or the best, right here: the elite of the New York jazz community, assembled into ideal ensembles by a seasoned bandleader.
Professionalism combined with personalized service.
My professional attitude emphasizes courteousness and reliability. Upon choosing one of my bands to play for your wedding, I will work with you to coordinate repertoire, schedule, ceremony music selections, setup, and everything else to make sure your wedding flows smoothly. On your wedding day, we will setup early, dress elegantly, and perform at volume levels suited to the needs of your guests.
An extensive repertoire of timeless classics
Our repertoire incorporates the best-crafted popular music of all time, from jazz standards to Great American Songbook classics and Brazilian bossa novas that will delight guests of every age.
Performances at New York City’s most prestigious venues
My musicians perform at all of the top New York jazz venues, from the Blue Note to Jazz at Lincoln Center. Together, we've performed at nearly every prestigious wedding venue in New York, including The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, The Central Park Boathouse, The Central Park Zoo, The Harold Pratt Mansion & Peterson Hall, The Hudson Theater, India House, Landmarc at Time Warner Center, The Lighthouse, The Lotus Club, New York Botanical Gardens, The River Café, Sofitel New York, The Vanderbilt Mansion, The Water's Edge Restaurant, and others too numerous to list.
Our extraordinary music will help to make your wedding unforgettable
Your choice of music and musicians sets the tone for your entire wedding. Our world-class jazz, combined with my reliability, resourcefulness, and attention to detail, will help make your wedding an occasion you and your guests will never forget. Contact me directly at 212-989-5281 or fill out the “get a price quote” form (click the button above right), and I'll get back to you today with either a simple price quote or a helpful, unbiased consultation, your choice.
A few of our previous weddings
The Saxophone Jazz Quartet at Celestine
Fun music with my band, a wonderful bride and groom, a friendly photographer (China Jorrin), and a beautiful Spring day. From the bride’s review: “We received enormous praise from all our guests about having this jazz band at our reception. Their talent and professionalism are one of the kind.”
The Vocal Jazz Quintet at Ninety Acres
What a spiritual lifeline it was for us to be able to make music in August 2020! It was by far the highlight of all of our summer, and to make it even better, besides the bride and the groom both being wonderful people, the groom was a serious jazz fan whom we've all kept in touch with since. From his review: “The best jazz band and most impressive (and professional) jazz band leader in the New York City (NYC) metropolitan area. We were fortunate enough to have Chuck and his group at our wedding, and they simply knocked it out of the park. We cannot recommend them enough!”
The Vocal Trio, Guitar Quartet, Saxophone Quartet, Quintet, And Vocal Quintet at 583 Park Ave
I think this was my favorite client of all time, a true jazz fan who took the time to research each of my sidemen and had the very cool idea of hiring five of my bands (sharing the same rhythm section), each with their unique instrumentations and repertoires, to play his wedding! Photos courtesy of Nathan Smith for Ira Lippke Studios. From the client: "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'… Chuck is one of a kind and his bands are killer. I wish I had a soundboard recording of the evening!"
The Vocal Jazz Trio at India House
These photos are of the Vocal Trio preparing, posing with the bride and groom, and accompanying the groom singing "I'm Glad There Is You" to his bride, a great standard that he requested that was new to me. It was a wonderful moment that was inspiring to witness. They were both extremely nice people, and each took the time to write us reviews, one for Google, and the other for Yelp. From the bride: “Chuck Braman Band is just amazing… they really upgraded our wedding. We were so lucky to have them.” From the groom: “Everything was perfect—I would love to call them again for our 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.”
The Piano Jazz Trio at Snug Harbor Cultural Center
A very fun time playing the client’s jazz requests for their wedding cocktail hour. From the bride: “Thank you for the wonderful two hours of jazz! We heard great reviews from our guests and it was an absolute pleasure to meet you guys and hear you play.”
The Vocal Jazz Quintet at Maritime Park
This wedding at Maritime Park was almost like a concert, with the guests erupting into applause after every tune! A warm and friendly couple and a friendly and helpful manager at the venue made the event a pleasure all the way around. The excellent photography is courtesy of Bōm Photography.
The Guitar Jazz Trio at Elihu Island
Our longest commute from Manhattan ever ended at a beautiful venue in Connecticut. A lovely couple and lots of friendly help from wedding planner Adrienne of Ruffles & Tweed helped make this a fun gig. Great-looking guests, too! From the groom: ”The wedding was so amazing, and I wish cocktail hour could have gone all night!” From the wedding planner: ”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.”
The Vocal Jazz Trio at 620 Loft and Garden
Our client picked a beautiful day to have their wedding ceremony and cocktail hour at the 620 Loft and Garden. Our pianist performed the ceremony, joined by our bassist-vocalist for the cocktail hour. Later they joined me indoors as the trio performed for the dinner and toasts. Great venue with friendly management, Meaghan from Creative Edge Parties was also a pleasure to work with, and a very nice wedding couple and family.
The Piano Jazz Trio at New Leaf Restaurant and Bar
A really wonderful couple and a fun wedding for the piano trio, including an opportunity to perform with the bride’s father for a couple tunes! From the couple: “Thanks so much for yesterday. We had a wonderful wedding! The band sounded great. We loved your repertoire—it set the mood beautifully, and we really appreciated your calm professionalism as well as your generosity in letting my dad step in for a few tunes! Please pass on our warm thanks to your guys too.” Photos courtesy of Kyo Morishima Photography
Photo-shoot for David’s Bridal Catalogue
My band and I had a fun experience as part of a photo shoot for an issue of David’s Bridal Catalogue. We were simultaneously a part of the set, as well as providing entertainment for the models and staff.
The Piano Jazz Trio at the River Cafe
A fun wedding at The River Cafe. Photos courtesy of China Jorrin Photography.
