We have been able to bring some amazing acts to London just recently, and we have now just secured a great number of London artists to work with us for all our London Wedding bookings and London Corporate enquiries. This year has seen a great many number of London Weddings already being planned for 2012 and 2013 ( even some 2014 weddings being booked too!)
This year its all about the Olympics and people have been contacting us for their Olympic games bands. Lets not forget that we also have some other interesting dates too in the calender. We are currently quoting for 100 year celebration for Titanic fundraiser gigs and the Queens Jubilee is also getting some interest for acts at parties in a vintage london style.
If you are looking for top quality and unusual London acts then we have something for everyone. You can click on our live chat or email us here for more help
We have the ultimate band for hire in and around London, so if you are looking to hire a band for your wedding entertainment then this live band is ideal for you to book.
We are all on a budget, it doesn’t matter who you are, if a corporate company wants to hire a band for a party or business awards they have a budget. It might not be the same budget that you might allocate if you are looking to book a band for a wedding or hire a band for a party, but, a budget none the less.
This is why we always have a wide selection of bands and live acts to suit every pocket.
You may think that you don’t have the budget even for a soloist, but you would be suprised at what we can supply and just how affordable band hire can be.
Everything in life is negotiable and hiring a band is no exception. Our agents are able to get you the best deals with the artists to fit in with your needs.
Okay, I hear you cry, how much does it cost to hire a band? Well, this depends on so many factors : day of the week, location of the artist, amount of people in the band etc etc
But one thing is for sure, you will always get a fair deal with The Morris Agency. Our prices are transparent and we are always happy to break down the costs so you can see exactly what you are paying and why.
To find out more, email me at info@themorrisagency.co.uk or have a look at our site or give me a call 0871 8901015
Hire 1940's and 1950's bands from The Morris Agency
1940’s and 1950’s live music bands are really very popular, and at The Morris Agency we have found some of the best in the UK. These acts are available on our site right now. Just visit the main band section or call us on 0871 8901015 or email me info@themorrisagency.co.uk
Welcome to gypsy jazz blog No 2 , In case you’ve just wandered across this one , I’m a gypsyjazzaholic. I run my own Trio (TMA025) and if you haven’t read the first one, you can check it out here (what is gypsy jazz ).
Okay, moving on from the first blog which covered the origin of the music, beginning with the legendary gypsy guitarist, Django Reinhardt (1910 ? 1953), I’d like to talk a little about the players that surrounded him.
In the classic Quintette of the Hot Club of France, there was the great French jazz violinist, Stephane Grappelli, taking equal melodies and solos next to Django.
Apart from various bass-players, the rhythm section was fattened up considerably with the unique idea of having two rhythm guitar players. The style of accompaniment that Django came up with, is generally and amusingly referred to as ‘la pompe’ (the pump !). It was totally driving and created a formidable backbeat for Django and Stephane. Innovative at the time because every group would usually incorporate drums. It was deceptively easy sounding but if you were a guitarist, very difficult to nail accurately.
For many years, Django’s brother Joseph held position as one half of the rhythm section. The other chair was held by a few different gypsy players. Although at many times they were alternated between one of three brothers from the Ferret ( pronounced Fer-ray ) family, Baro, Matelo and Sarane.
All the Ferrets and Joseph were superb soloists and band leaders in their own right and forged successful careers as time went on. More importantly, Django was held in such high esteem as a player, composer and arranger that they were all honoured to act in the role of the rhythm section.
In my Trio ( TMA025 ) the rhythm sound/accent is very important to us; we like to think that we’re carrying on the tradition set down all those years ago. In all honesty, I practise ‘la pompe’ as much as the solo stuff ! Having provided rhythm guitar for some of the finest gypsy players in the world, I totally respect it as an art-form in itself.
Whether the trio are background at a wedding or more up-front, like at a jazz club or festival, the attention to detail is the same. Clients get the same driving, hypnotic pulse. It’s one of the reasons why gypsy jazz is more popular today than it ever has been.
We all have to stick to a budget these days and no matter what your budget is, we have something for everyone for any occasion such your wedding, office party, or product launch. If it is a party band you are looking for then we can suggest loads of acts that fit into a really good price bracket.
If you are after a Jazz band or Swing band, then we use localised artists so that you don’t pay for the travel to get them to your chosen venue from a long way away.
Many acts have the option of a duo band or a trio version of their larger Party or function band and we can also negotiate this too. Maybe you’re after an act that is a little different, maybe something like a Latin Band or a Spanish guitarist ? Perhaps even Gypsy Jazz. In every case, we can provide you all of these things at very reasonable and affordable rates.
“How long do they play for?”. Well, we can also negotiate this but usually 2 x 1 hour sets or 3 x 45 mins of live music is standard. In addition to this we can arrange for the musicians to play an ipod/cd music in between and at the end for up to 45 mins, so you get a whole evening’s worth of entertainment included in the price.
Email us for some quotes on specific acts or for more details: info@themorrisagency.co.uk or visit band hire
We have a large selection of bands based in London. If you are looking to hire a function band for London, a London Jazz Band or a London Duo then please contact us. band hire
Jazz bands for hire in London
If you’re looking for a wedding jazz band or need to hire UK jazz bands then we can help. We specialise in supplying the best London jazz musicians available today. Whatever you need a jazz band for we can supply one.
We are the National Jazz band booking agents for Pizza Express as well, so we have many artists that are not just based in London too.
If you are looking for a band for hire in London, a wedding band 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 most of the different musical styles you can think of. Most importantly of all, we know who we would recommend. All you need to do is ask. Email us on info@themorrisagency.co.uk or call us at 0871 8901015
Hi and welcome to the new blog on Gypsy Jazz ! 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.
Welcome to The Morris Agency Music and entertainment agency, the only place you need to hire a band or book professional live musicians for your corporate event, wedding, private party, Christmas party and any other important occasion that requires something extra special!
We pride ourselves on being able to offer you the best customer service and to help guide you through the selection process. We have trained advisors ready to help you to choose an act to make your event one to remember.
We can provide an impressive range of World Music including Latin & Salsa, French, Brazilian, Flamenco, Spanish, Eastern European and Irish music.
Our bands are based all throughout the UK and our agents offer a service for both private, wedding and corporate clients looking for advice when hiring a band or musician. The Morris Agency Music entertainment agency provides bands for hire in most areas of the UK. Contact us for more details.
Our artists also perform in some international locations such as France, Holland and Belgium.
Clients include: Jools Holland, Midge Ure, Gino Washington, Pizza Express and many more!
