Jazz Band Hire, Bath, Bristol & Avon

Jazz band hire,  from solo saxophone to quintet. The perfect way to add some toe-tapping, swinging sophistication to your drinks reception, or a warm background atmosphere to your dinner.

Our style and repertoire works really well for creating a great atmosphere while people chat and mingle, so is very popular for events where background music is required but we're also able to  bring things up if the occasion requires something more lively. 

Jazz Band Hire In Somerset & The Southwest

Special offers and heavily discounted rates for regular bookings & residencies in local pubs, restaurants,  hotels & clubs around Bath, Bristol & Avon 

After 20 years working as a freelance saxophonist in London, I've relocated to Somerset. I now live between Bath and Bristol but still travel up to London regularly for work. I'm connected with the best jazz musicians in the southwest so can put a great local jazz band together or call on my London colleagues. 

  • 20  years experience playing live jazz for a wide variety of events including: corporate functions, drinks receptions, weddings, birthdays, private parties, exhibitions and product launches.
  • Our jazz bands are hired frequently to preform at the UK's most prestigious hotels, members’ clubs and event venues. 
  • I only work with the very best musicians, many of whom are conservatoire trained graduates from the Royal Acadamy and Guildhall.
  • All of our band members are highly experienced and currently play in some of the UK's leading jazz groups. 
  • We supply all the equipment needed, have public liability insurance and our equipment is PAT tested so there are no extra costs
  • Many function bands seem to have forgotten the reason they originally started playing. We love our job and want your event to be a very special and memorable occasion.
  • Huge repertoire of several hundred tunes including: classic jazz standards, Rat Pack Hits, Latin jazz, blues, Sunny Brazilian Bossa Nova and even some Jazzed Christmas festive specials. See repertoire list below. 
  • 100's of happy clients and no agency fees so check out our feedback and book with confidence 

Google Rating 

Check out our feedback and book with confidence

5.0 20 reviews

  • Richard Bauly ★★★★★ in the last week
    Incredible ! John and the band were first class. Talent and musicality and personable and professional all the way. Highly … More recommended !
  • Thomas ★★★★★ in the last week
    An excellent trio that really made our wedding reception very special. John and his two musicians are extremely pleasant … More to be around and very accommodating. I would highly recommend John’s jazz band to anyone in search of music to really lift an event. Thank you ever so much!
  • Cheryl Reakes ★★★★★ in the last week
    A perfect accompaniment to our son’s wedding.
    Amazing jazz and really friendly chaps would recommend them to anyone for any
    … More occasion. Thank you
  • Juliette Collier ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    Great sound and lovely people who played at our New Year's Eve party. Can absolutely recommend if you're looking … More for live jazz!
  • Alex Henderson ★★★★★ 4 years ago
    John's Jazz trio provided a wonderful mix of music for our Summer garden party and perfectly set the mood for a special … More evening. Highly recommended

View Reviews

Prefer to hire our jazz bands through an agency?

 If you would prefer to hire our jazz bands through an agency we’re called Noteworthy on Bands for Hire  and Neon Blue on Encore  (Each agency requires a unique name) Follow the links or get in touch directly using the contact form.  

Contact Us

Our main bases are Somerset and London but we're happy to travel and regularly play for events in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Dorset, Devon, Cornwall Herefordshire, Cardiff, South Wales and even occasionally abroad so get in touch for a quote.

Jazz Band Repertoire 

All Blues – Miles Davis
All of me – Ella Fitzgeral and many more.
All Of You – Miles Davis
Almost like being in Love – Nat King Cole
Alone Together – Chet Baker
Along Came Betty - Benny Golson
Along Came Betty - Benny Golson
Another Star – Stevie Wonder
Autumn In New York – Billie Holiday
Autumn leaves – Chet Baker, Miles Davis
Beatrice - Sam Rivers
Beautiful Love – Bill Evans
Bernies Tune - Gerry Mulligan
Billie’s Bounce – Charie Parker
Blues for Alice – Charlie Parker
Body And Soul – Coleman Hawkins
Bolivia - Cedar Walton
But Not For Me - George Gershwin
By By Black Bird – Miles Davis
Cantaloupe Island – Herbie Hancock
Caravan – Duke Ellington
Cheese Cake – Dextor Gordon
Chelsea Bridge - Billy Strayhorn.
Confirmation – Chalie Parker
Darn That Dream – Dextor Gordon and many more
Days of Wine and Roses – Dextor Gordon
Dolphin Dance – Herbie Hancock
Dolphine Dance – Herbie Hancock
Dona Lee – Charlie Parker
East Of The Sun West Of The Moon – Frank Sinatra, Scott Hamilton and many more
Emily – as preformed by Bill Evans
Equanox – John Coltrane
Everything I Love – Cole Porter
Falling Grace – Steve Swallow
Fe Fi Fo Fum - – Wayne Shorter
Five Hundred Miles High – Chick Corea
Fly Me To The Moon – Frank Sinatra
Footprints - Wayne shorter
Footprints – Wayne Shorter
Four – Miles Davis
Four On Six – Wes Montgomery
Giant Steps – John Coltrane
Green Dolphin st – as played by Miles Davis
Have You Met Miss Jones – Frank Sinatra
Here’s That Rainy Day – Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole etc.
How Deep Is The Ocean – Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Diana Krall
I Hear A Rhapsody – Bill Evans, Frank Sinatra etc
I Remember You – Chet Backer, Ella Fitzgerald and many more
I'll remember april – Clifford Brown, Frank Sinatra
I’ll Be Seeing You - Billie Holiday and many more
If I Should Lose You – Hank Mobley
If I were a Bell – Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis etc
In A Sentimental Mood – Duke Ellington
In Your Own Sweet way – Dave Brubeck
Inner Urge – Joe Henderson
Invitation - Joe Henderson and many more
It Ain’t Necessarily So - George Gershwin
It Could Happen To You – Chet Baker
Jeannine - Cannonball Adderley
Jingles – Wes Montgomery
JuJu - Wayne shorter
Just Friends – Stan Getz and many more
Ladies in Mercedes – Steve Swallow
Lady bird – Miles Davis
Lazy Bird – John Coltrane
Like Someone in Love – Bill Evans, John Coltrane and many more
Little sunflower – Freddie Hubbard
Love For Sale – Cole Porter
Midnight Voyage - Michael Brecker
Moon River - Audrey Hepburn (Breakfast at Tiffany's)
Mr PC – Miles Davis
My Little Swade Shoes - Charlie Parker
My Romance – Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald and many more
Nardis – Miles Davis, Bill Evans
Night And Day – Frank Sinatra
Nostalgia In Time Square – Charles Mingus
Now’s The time - Charlie Parker
Old Milstones – Miles Davis & Charlie Parker
On The Sunny Side Of The Street - Louis Armstrong
Pannonica - Thelonious monk
Piece – Horace Silver
Recorder Me – Joe Henderson
Round Midnight - Thelonious Monk
Sandu – Cliford Brown
Satin Doll - Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn
Secret Love – Doris Day
Skylark - kurt rosenwinkel, Chris Cheek and many more
Softly As In A Morning Sunrise - Abbey Lincoln, John Coltrane
Solar - as played by Miles Davis
Some Day My Prince – As preformed by Miles Davis
Some Other Blues – John Coltrane
Sometime ago – as preformed by Bill Evans
Song for My Farther –Horace silver
Soul Eyes – John Coltrane
Speak low – Sarah Vaughan, John Coltrane & many more
St Tomas – Sunny Rollins
Stablemates – Benny Golson
Star eyes – Charlie Parker, Sunny Stitt and many more
Stella by starlight – Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis etc.
Straight No Chaser - Thelonious Monk,
Sugar – Stanley Turrentine
Surfin - Ernest Ranglin
Swinging at the Haven – Ellis Marsalis
Take Five - Dave Brubeck
Tea for two – Doris Day
Tenor Maddness – Sunny Rollins
The Chicken - Jaco Pastorius
The Nearness Of You - Ella Fitzgerald, Norah Jones
The Song Is You – Sunny Rollins
There is no greater love – as preformed by Amy Winehouse, Billie Holiday etc
There Will Never Be Another You – Chet Baker, Nat King Cole
Turn Out The Stars – Bill Evans
Turnaround - Ornette coleman, Josuha Redman
Up Jumpt Spring - Freddie Hubbard
Very Early – Bill Evans
Voyage – Kenny Barron
Water Melon Man – Herbie Hancock
Weaver of Dreams – Nat King Cole
West Cost Blues – Wes Montgomery
What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
What Is This Thing Called Love – Kenny Garret, Frank Sinatra etc
When Sunny Gets Blue – Nat King Cole
Whisper Not - Benny Golson
Wild Flower - Wayne shorter
Windows (Bm) Chick Chick Corea
Work Song – Nat Adderley, Cannonball Adderley
Yard Bird Sweet – Charlie Parker
Yes Or No – Wayne Shorter
You And The Night And The Music - Frank Sinatra
You Don’t Know What Love Is - Chet Baker, Billie Holday etc
You Stepped Out Of A Dream – Dextor Gordon

Sunny Brazilian Samba & Bossa Nova

A Felicidade - A Felicidade, Stan Getz
Corcovado - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz
Desafinado - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz
Dindi - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz
Favela - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz
Girl From Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz
How Insensitive - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz
Manha De Carnival - Luiz Floriano Bonfá (Orfeu Negro)
Meditation - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz
No More blues (Chega de Saudade) Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie
A Felicidade, Stan Getz
One Notes Samba - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz
Samba De Orfeu - Luiz Floriano Bonfá
So Danco Samba - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz
Wave  - Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stan Getz

Jazzed-up Christmas Carols

Auld Lang Syne
Gingle Bell’s
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Let It Snow; Sleigh Ride
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Silent Night; Winter Wonderland
We Three Kings
God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman
In the Bleak Midwinter

Recent Clients & Venues

Clients

Prince Charles
Marco Pierre White
Gordon Brown
Jo Swinson
Sir Vince Cable
RAF, 28 Engineer Regiment, Warminster
McCarthy & Stone
Commonwealth Youth Awards
The Ivy Collection
The Hilton
Arts & Antiques for Everyone

Venues

The Royal Opera House, London
Honourable Artillery Company, London
Sherborne Castle
Residencies at the Ivy restaurant
American Museum
The Reform Club, London
RAC, London
Royal Albert Hall, London
NPG, London
Belvedere, Restaurant, West London
Ivy Restaurant, Bristol.
Civic Centre, Bromley Council, London
Homme House, Herefordshire
Winchester House Club, Richmond, London
Charlton Musgrove village hall, Wincanton, Somerset
Dursley Community Centre, Gloucestershire
Doubletree by Hilton, Cadbury House, Bristol
Bristol Packet Boat trips, Wapping Warf, Bristol
Marriot Highcliff Hotel, Bournemouth
John Lewis, Patchway Bristol
Almondsbury Social Club, Bristol
AynHoe Park House, Banbury, Oxfordshire
Cappadocia restaurant, Bath
National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham
Aston Hall, Birmingham
The Kimpton Fitzroy, Russell Square, London
Ansty Hall, Coventry
Bear hotel in Devizes
Cumberwell Park, Bradford-on-Avon
Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London
The Rotary Club, London
The Dorchester, London
Lanesborough Hotel, London

Jazz Band Options

A Jazz trio with tenor saxophone, guitar and double bass is our most popular lineup for background music but we also often play as a duo or quartet and occasionally get asked to put together more unusual formats so please feel free to ask if you have something special in mind.

Jazz Duo

Tenor saxophone & piano
Tenor Saxophone & gutar
Tenor Saxophone & double Bass

Jazz Trio

Tenor Saxophone, double bass & guitar
Tenor Saxophone, double bass & piano/keys
Tenor Saxophone, double bass & Drums
Tenor saxophone, Hamond Organ & Drums

Jazz Quartet

Tenor Saxophone, double bass, piano/keys & Drums
Tenor Saxophone, double bass, guitar & Drums

Vibraphone and vocals 

We mainly work as an instrumental band but can organise a vocalist for special occasions & Vibraphone is another great option which can be added to any of the lineups.

Completely Acoustic unamplified options 

We can also play completely acoustically for venues that have a strict no amplification rule. Acoustic Jazz Band formats that work well unamplified are:

Acoustic Duo Jazz 

Acoustic piano and tenor saxophone (Only if the venue has a tuned piano)

Double bass and tenor saxophone,

Acoustic Jazz Trio 

Vibraphone, double bass and tenor saxophone.

Drums, double bass and tenor saxophone

Acoustic Jazz Quartet

Drums, double bass, tenor saxophone and vibraphone

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