In order to captivate the jazz audience, you don’t always have to go by the book, master your vocals and play your tunes to perfection. Ultimately, jazz music is an art form and art is best performed through expressions!
The best of jazz musicians have always focused on polishing their performance by improving their sounds as much as their visuals. Because no jazz song performed live is any less than a performance!
In his own words, the legend Duke Ellington says:
“It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing…
It makes no difference if it’s sweet or hot.
Just keep that rhythm, give it everything you’ve got.”
Here’s how we bring that swing in our style with expressions.
Expression Pursued in the Wood Shed
Since we’ve been playing jazz for decades, we know our songs and the tunes come as naturally to us as our first language. It’s not always about hitting the right notes and creating the perfect tempo. Sometimes, it’s about expressing the same notes better to showcase our talent as an ensemble performance band.
Expressiveness breathes soul into our music and it is this element that truly makes our tunes reverberate through the air and bring you to your feet! The wood shed—or the jam room—is where the beauty of our art is born and practiced to perfection.
Expression Through Imitation
The method of improvising follows the same basic rules of imitation. First, you listen; then, you pick the beat; and finally, you follow. This is why the best hits in improvisations are those that come naturally to you and don’t seem forced.
It’s only with years and years of practice that we’re now able to improvise without batting an eyelid and going from note to note as seamlessly as possible. Our live performance recordings are proof of the times when audiences have been left astounded by our music!
Expression through Practicing the Tunes
The sense of swing and expression is key to playing good traditional jazz. The accents, articulations, smears, shakes, trills, note blends, fall off’s and mutes are all essential ingredients of an entertaining jazz performance.
Once you’ve prepared your tune, it’s time to play it with a live jazz combo. This is when you’ll see your song in its best form! Unless you’re completely satisfied with your music, you have the chance to keep evaluating how and what to change.
Our song Just a Closer Walk is one of the finest examples of how we prepare and practice our songs meticulously. Play it and you won’t be able to stop until the end!
We’re a traditional swing jazz band and we’ve played for the following clients in the past:
Performances Over the Year
- Six Flags Over Texas
- IBM
- Globe Life Park
- Children’s Medical Center
- Main Street Arts Festival – Fort Worth
- Denton Arts and Jazz Festival
- North American Society of First Responders
- Pecan Street Arts Festival – Arlington
- Anatole Hotel
- Fort Worth Boat Club
- St Alban’s Parish – Anglican
- Walnut Creek Country Club
- Dallas Museum of Art
- National Semiconductor
- Fielder Road Baptist Church
- Anheuser-Busch
- Texas Rangers
- Albertson’s Food Stores
- Richland Pointe Mall
- Mesquite Exchange Club
- Aerospace Optics
- Plano Firefighters Assoc.
- Junior League of Arlington
- Ft. Worth Cattledrive Rest.
- Brinker International
- Park Suites Hotel
- Dallas Mavericks
- Case Power and Equipment
- Mira Vista Country Club
- Law Offices of Windle Turley
If you’re interested in hiring us to jazz up your events, get in touch!