What Makes Traditional Jazz Perfect for Weddings and Parties?

Here we are last Wednesday, creating an elegant background for a very upscale reception at the San Jose Museum of Art. This event was an exclusive private viewing of “The Prints of Andy Warhol”, and it demonstrated how art inspires a unique event setting. It was a truly spectacular evening, and we were honored to be one of 16 top event professionals involved. The band, left to right, is Dale Mills, me, Gary Milliken, and Andy Norblin. Thanks to Chung Li, an outstanding wedding photographer, for the striking picture.

Whenever we play at posh events like this, I’m always reminded of the humbler origins of jazz music. Traditional jazz isn’t a simple list of old-time tunes or a virtuoso performance you’ll hear in a concert hall. These days a hundred different styles call themselves jazz, but the original tradition of jazz music is “playing pretty for the people”.

That’s how the original New Orleans pioneers described their music. Later on others called it “functional music” or “social lubrication”. It was woven into the fabric of life, and always perfect for weddings and parties — nearly any get-together.

Of course I wasn’t in New Orleans around 1895, but I’m told the men who created the first music called jazz simply added a new rhythmic “twist” to everyone’s popular music of the day — ragtime tunes, gospel hymns, parade marches, old blues songs, vaudeville show tunes, and old folk songs. Talk about your “fusion” music!

What emerged was tremendously exciting. People never heard music like this before, and they went crazy over it in every social setting you can imagine — in backyard parties, at picnics in the park, aboard riverboat cruises, at memorial gatherings and funerals, and in neighborhood taverns, restaurants, and dance halls. A generation later its growing popularity found acceptance in more elite circles, and it helped fuel the young broadcasting and recording industries. At first it was just another musical fad, but it had “legs”, as they say these days, and ultimately led to all of today’s jazz styles.

To me, the important feature was that everyone could recognize and enjoy their favorite tunes in this new and exciting setting.

Long ago, I found this music to be a sure-fire hit for helping weddings and parties come to life. So today when you catch me playing “traditional jazz” for people, you’ll hear me pepping up tunes they love — the popular standards and old favorites. Whether our music serves dancing, or creates a pleasant background, or a little of both, it always helps people enjoy whatever they’re doing, and I’m pleased to call it jazz in the original tradition.

See what I mean when you catch us at a few public events coming up. On February 28, we’re entertaining in Dublin, CA, at the grand re-opening of the Shannon Community Center, and on March 1 we’re creating an upbeat, romantic atmosphere at the “Wedding Fair and Open House” at the Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel, in Palo Alto. You’ll find details on MagnoliaJazz.com.

By the way, will you be celebrating a significant event soon? Throw a party and include us. Friends planning a wedding? Please recommend us. Today I’m talking with people planning parties for St Patrick’s Day and Easter Sunday. If you’ll have a soiree on one of these days, or on any day in between, now’s a good time to plan the details, including the music. Have a question? We’ll have the answer.

Call us at 408-245-9120. You’ll love what we do. We’re easy to work with, so let our experience help your celebration. Please visit MagnoliaJazz.com for details, and I hope to see you soon.

What do you think about all this? I’d love your opinions and comments.