Acoustic Jass

Highlights
*Acoustic Jass play Traditional New Orleans Jazz
*4 piece and were formed in 1999
*The Band has a repertoire of over 200 jazz & popular tunes mainly of 1900’s to 1940’s
*This band takes up little space don’t need power or PA
*The band can easily play inside or outside and relocate as the weather dictates
*Acoustic Jass can lead a procession if required (either Wedding or Funeral)

Acoustic Jass are an experienced professional traditional jazz quartet providing live music for any occasion. They play tunes that have a beginning a middle and an end which most people like and are suitable for listening to at a concert or in the background or for dancing.

Profile
Acoustic Jass is a quartet (Trumpet Clarinet/Soprano Sax Banjo & Sousaphone/Bass Sax) playing a mixture of well known jazz blues & popular tunes of the early 20th century in the New Orleans jazz style that appeals to all ages.

The instruments are acoustic (not dependent on electricity) which makes this jazz band versatile as they can perform anywhere and easily relocate. They take up little space and play live music for any occasions as quietly or loudly as you wish. As well as their nineteen twenties style striped blazers they have evening dress tailcoats for the formal twenties white tie and tails theme.

They can lead processions of wedding guests from ceremony to reception and they have led funeral corteges.

Acoustic Jass has played at many venues inside outside concerts shows clubs parties openings, fetes, promotions, jazz festivals, dances, receptions, weddings, funerals, wakes, etc. These have taken place in hotels, village halls, in marquee's, stately homes (including Hampton court), and on ships including HMS Victory.

Apart from performing at over two hundred weddings (and twenty five funerals) their clients have included Abbey Road Studios (EMI), B & Q, The Bank of Scotland, Chelsea Building Society, Churchill Retirement Living, Courages, Ericsson, Fortis Insurance, Glaxo Smith Kline, Infinium (Exxon), Lotus software, Ordnance Survey, Sainsbury's, Shooting Times, University of Surrey, University of Winchester

They are equally at home providing the music at a dinner dance or playing in the background at a reception or party. They have played to all size of audience from 750 people, at Wembley Conference Centre down, to 6 people in their front room.

A typical wedding day could include the band playing gentle background music to entertain the guests on arrival at the wedding or wedding reception while the photos are being taken, then moving to the dance floor to play music for dancing at whatever tempo the guests want. Sometimes they've led the procession of wedding guests from the ceremony to the wedding reception.

Trumpet, Cuff Billett has a distinguished career playing and recording New Orleans style Jazz with many of the "greats". At the beginning of 2008 he agreed to bless Acoustic Jass with his huge repertoire of numbers.

Clarinet & Soprano Sax, Colin Brenton started playing in the fifties with the Tijuana Jazz Band and played at the Beaulieu Jazz Festival. and played with various Southampton based bands and became a founder member of Acoustic Jass in 1998.

Banjo, Doug Kennedy, a very experienced player has played with most of the well known London bands and frequently tours Europe has played with Acoustic Jass since October 2000

Sousaphone, Bass Saxophone and leader of the band, Martin Jones learnt to play in a brass band, in 1995 he was invited to join three other musicians to form a quartet, due to them dropping out (for personal reasons) in 1998, Martin found himself with bookings and no band! so Acoustic Jass was formed. In 2001 he started playing bass sax to give added colour to the rhythm section.