{The Wedding Standard}: The San Luis Jazz Band {Live Wedding Music}

I’ve had the pleasure of working with The San Luis Jazz Band at a few weddings over the years and they always bring the house down with their broad-spectrum of musical talent and entertaining personalities. After listening to just a couple of songs from these guys it becomes quickly clear that they are a wonderful hybrid of classic jazz and straight up rock n’ roll! They bring an energy to each reception that magnetically draws people of all ages to the dance floor. Every wedding I’ve worked with these guys on they’ve kept the guests dancing into the wee hours of the morning and are often met with excited mobs chanting ‘One more song! One more song!’ at the night’s end. If you are contemplating having LIVE musicians at your reception, you have to check out The San Luis Jazz Band. I asked Mitch a few questions about this talented 6 piece group to give you all the inside scoop. Enjoy!

Who is the front man? Does that change during your sets?
I (Mitch) am the front man during our performances. Having a front man/leader allows us an organizational format so that our performance is smooth and well executed.

How many people make up the San Luis Jazz Band?
There are 6 extremely talented and passionate musicians in The San Luis Jazz Band.

What instruments do you guys play?
Our instrumentation is comprised of a synthesized keyboard [which can produce sounds ranging from a freight train, to a string orchestra to a grand piano and pretty much anything in between]. We also perform with drums, bass guitar [acoustic or electric], standard rhythm/solo guitar, trumpet and flugelhorn, and a gamut of wind instruments including flute, clarinet, alto, tenor and soprano saxophones. Included with the instrumental portion of San Luis Jazz is our wide range of vocal sounds. This instrumentation allows us to produce a wide range of great dance music.

How long have you been a band? How did you form?
The San Luis Jazz Band was formed in the early 70’s. The band began as part of the San Luis Jazz Dancers of San Luis Obispo, CA. Two of our original musicians were married to dancers in that group. When the dancers performed, many times they were supported on stage with their musical husbands. Those two fellows began to branch out from the dancers, adding a few more musicians and performing at private parties as The San Luis Jazz Band. Evolution eventually split the dancers and the band into two separate entities.

I know you guys are famous for not only playing the classics, but also pop songs like Big Butts and Ice Ice Baby. Tell us about the various songs that you guys cover and how you go about doing so.
We can play any style of music! Many times a client will ask us to perform a special tune at their event. The challenge is to make these special requests, and all of our tunes, sound very much like the original recording… stylistically, instrumentally, and vocally. People love to dance to tunes they recognize and our guests are always amazed that we can perform them accurately. The talent in the band allows us to be extremely versatile. We cover Classic American Standards composed by such greats as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlan, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Tony Bennett and the Big Bands. We also have country music, disco, Latin, R&B, Classic Rock, and just about anything else… even some fun rap tunes if the mood is right. Knowing exactly when [and when not] to play certain tunes or styles of music is the key to keeping people on the dance floor having a great time. We are experts at this!

How long do you play at a typical reception?
Private parties and wedding receptions typically span anywhere from 3- 5 hours, but many times we are requested to go beyond the scheduled time. We always actively promote such excitement; it’s just too much fun!!!

What are the songs that really get people dancing?
We have so many fun tunes in our repertoire that have the ability to get dancers excited! It might be a high-powered Salsa tune, a Classic Rock tune, a Swing tune, or otherwise. I am extremely capable of reading the crowd and our musicians are so professional, we can change musical direction at a moments notice. Often while we are in the middle of a great dance tune and the crowd is hopping, I give a special signal to the musicians and they know what selection will be next. We do this so that there is no hesitation between tunes and we keep things rolling. Indeed, it’s all about timing and presentation.

What do you think live music does for a reception that recorded music doesn’t?
There is a magical aspect about a live high quality performance that cannot be substituted. Whether the performance is a sports event, a Broadway show or a musical performance. Recorded music simply cannot compare! The visual aspect of the musicians pouring their heart and soul into a song has such a profound effect on a crowd of dancers. When we are rocking hard, we show it and the dancers excite right along with us! With the dancer’s excitement reflected right back at us, that inspires us to give even more. It’s the best!!!

Does anyone in the band write and/or record music?
We have all composed and recorded music throughout our individual careers. All of us can be heard collectively or individually on many recordings ranging from local musical theater, orchestral symphonic music, string trio’s/quartet’s, big band jazz, swing bands, small jazz combo’s, rock and country bands and solo work as well.

What is your service area?
We have performed events from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, parts of Eastern California, and many locations in between. Incidentally, we recently performed at a grand wedding reception at the famous Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. The Greystone Mansion is a popular location for many well-known Hollywood films.

Who is your most famous client?
Our most famous clients are from the Hearst family. We have produced and performed several wedding receptions for descendants of William Randolph Hearst at Hearst Castle. With the Hearst family events, come many famous faces that you will see on screen, stage and television.

Do you perform at other events besides weddings?
We have performed at countless private events over our 30-year span. Fund raising events, anniversary parties, birthday parties, social club and corporate events and holiday events including New Years celebrations. We have performed for small groups of 20 to large groups of 500 hundred or more.