If you are looking for a band for hire in London, a wedding band to hire or a party band for a corporate event, when you start to research you will notice that you start to see many different choices of styles. How can I choose which one is the best for my event and which style of music is best for my party or christening? Easy, we have trained advisors to help you and we have made sure we provide you all the different musical styles that exist. Most importantly of all we know who we would recommend. All you need to do is ask. Give us a call or email us on info@themorrisagency.co.uk or call us at 0871 8901015

Hi and welcome to the new blog on Gypsy Jazz ! My name’s Jonny and I’ve kindly been asked by the Morris Agency to write some lines about this vibrant and increasingly popular music style.

First off, apart from having my own gypsy jazz trio, I’ve been involved in playing this style for seventeen years and working as a professional guitarist for over twenty.

With gigs, there’s no end to the variety of events that gypsy jazz can cater for.

Over the years, we’ve played at jazz festivals, arts centres, theatres, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, gypsy music festivals, wakes, corporate functions, private parties, boat launches, embassies, museums, plus the odd bit of TV and radio. All thanks to the timeless popularity of the music.

So now a brief history for anyone who has just discovered gypsy jazz!

The origins can be linked to one man, a Belgian gypsy guitarist called Django Reinhardt (1910 – 1953).

Discovering jazz as a young man, he successfully fused his awesome ethnic playing style with the early American jazz that was finding its way into Europe. In so doing, he created a genre, re-defined plectrum style guitar, wrote enduring melodies and generally become a total legend on every level.

Oh! And he had a disability in the fact that his fretting hand was badly burnt in a fire and he could only fully use his index and middle fingers.

When his recordings started reaching the rest of the world, people were completely blown away. He became a world-wide phenomenon.

Many Gypsies from Europe play this style; Django ignited this quirky branch of jazz and for some, it has become part of their culture, adding a new dimension to their already amazing musical heritage.

I consider myself lucky and honoured, having learnt to play gypsy jazz from some of the greatest exponents on the planet since Django, including Bireli Lagrene, Stochelo Rosenberg and Lulu Reinhardt. Whether on a gig or a jam, I’ve soaked up every second of playing time with these remarkable musicians.

In the my own gypsy jazz trio, TMA025, we’ve kept the format nice and simple. Two acoustic guitars and a double-bass.

Because gypsy jazz is so adaptable we can incorporate elements of swing jazz, Latin and even a little funk into the tunes.

The music has an endearing quality of being both ‘street’ and sophisticated in its sound. Very European and extremely infectious.

Okay, that’s it for now, thanks for reading!

If you have just found out that your band or musician has cancelled or booked another gig on your wedding or party day and you need a replacement last minute, don’t panic. We can help. Call us on 0871 8901015

Many people ask me this question and the answer I am afraid to say always varies.

There are so many variables such as band size, band location and also how long they have been performing in the industry and their popularity. At The Morris Agency we try to take these things into account when finding you an act, but to allow yourself £1200 – £1500 should find yourself a great few options (subject to availibilty obviously)

click here to see some acts that fall into this catagory