A. A lot depends upon your own taste. I'd recommend a somewhat
slower, more romantic song for a couple of reasons. If it is a
bit slower, than it will be easier to dance to for everyone. You
and your spouse will dance first, and then the bride's father will
likely cut in, and so on. If it is easy to dance to, not everyone
has to be Gene Kelly and Cid Charise.
Romantic songs are also expressive of the sentiments of the day. This will vary somewhat from couple to couple. I had one bride who wanted Tuxedo Junction played slow and sexy for her First Dance. I'm going to do my best to give you what you want, but since you asked what I recommend, here's what I think works.
Slow tunes
The Nearness of You
I'm Glad There Is You
It Had To Be You
Moonlight Serenade
Faster tunes
Come Fly With Me
I Get a Kick Out Of You
I Hadn't Anyone 'til You
I've Got The World On A String
Let's Do It
A. Music is exciting and touches people because it is not a passive thing. When you dance to a live band, you and the musicians are not isolated from each other. There's an interaction between the musicians and the audience that is undeniable. That's why I'm still playing after all these years.
We enjoy playing for an audience much more than just playing for ourselves at rehearsal. In the same way, when you listen to a recording, there are no people involved with the production of music. It takes two to tango. It takes two people to fall in love. It takes both a live band and an audience to work the magic that is music. Your wedding is the only one you'll have, and a live swing orchestra like ours will make it magic with music and swing. Do you believe in magic? I do.
A. Really great music has a timeless quality about it. People have been falling in love for thousands of years and nobody gets tired of that, do they? That's what timeless means. Great music never goes out of style. Only bad music does.
We're a swing orchestra and that's primarily what we play. We also have a large selection of numbers in a variety of other styles such as bossa nova, salsa, tango, waltz, and rhythm 'n blues. The rhythm 'n blues form is the precursor to rock 'n roll, but we are not a rock band, nor do we care to be. Still, for those people who really want a rock 'n roll tune, our rendition of "Kansas City" will generally satisfy. We don't play polkas or rap either (aren't you glad!).
We can get arrangements of some contemporary tunes, or we can always hire an arranger to prepare something, but we don't have the instrumentation that is used in contemporary popular music. When you have horns play music originally performed on guitars and synthesizers, it sounds like that.
When we play swing music, we play it from our hearts. That's where the magic is. That's where magic always comes from. It is that magic which makes our music special and it is special for EVERYONE simply because it is. It is that magic that you see when your partner smiles at you. It is that magic that is the reason you're planning on building your lives together.
I prefer that a band play the kind of music it is meant to play. You wouldn't ask a heavy metal band like Queen to play "Take the A-Train" or "In The Mood" would you? You want them playing "We Will Rock You" or the theme from "Highlander". You want a bluegrass band playing "Orange Blossom Special" or an Irish band playing "Danny Boy". That's where the magic is. That's what we are. Swing, love and romance are our brand of magic.
A. When you go out to a restaurant, what's the best kind of place to go? Do you prefer a national chain all-you-can-eat smorgasboard for $9.95/person or a family run ethnic restaurant with authentic recipies?
The smorgasboard offers a wide choice of things like fried chicken, meatloaf, mashed potatos, rice pilaf, a salad bar with 5 different buckets of dressing, and a dessert bar with frozen yogurt and all the chocolate chips you can eat. Truly there's something for everyone and they can all have their choice.
The family run ethnic restaurant will offer the authentic cuisine of their homeland, prepared with skill and care by people who know what their food should taste like. If it is a fine French restaurant, then dessert will often consist of rich chocolate tortes or fruit topped cheesecake, all of which are skillfully prepared and presented.
Your choices will not be anywhere near as broad or varied as you would find in a smorgasboard, but when it tastes this good, everyone is happy to be there anyway. It is the same with our band, or any other band of a specific style.
When you hear the full, rich sound of five saxophones, played without amplification, it will be like tasting a fine coq au vin. What makes for great food and great music are qualities that are not beholden to fashion or expediency.
A hundred years from now, people will still be eating fine French cooking and will be dancing to the same great swing tunes we play. The big bands never went away. We've been here all the time! Great music will always be played by good musicians because of the love inherent in it. That's why we still have symphony orchestras performing music that is older than the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
When a Mozart concerto is performed by great musicians with love, it is just as fresh and vital as it was in the 18th century. So it is with the great swing tunes like, "I've Got the World on a String".
Weddings are different from other formal events in that they are so exciting and stressful at the same time. You are the center of attention of many, many dozens of people, and will not have the time to worry about who should be doing what and when, and is everything on schedule?
I strongly believe that you should spend your time enjoying yourself at your wedding reception. Remember that everything takes longer than you expect it to at a wedding reception. There are tons of people with nobody really in charge, so everything will be somewhat chaotic.
It is always best to have the orchestra begin playing at around the end of dessert. The music invites people to dance. With a wedding, nobody should dance until the couple has their First Dance, so the orchestra should be scheduled for a bit later on.
For the time prior to the First Dance, I typically program tunes that are a little more listening oriented and romantic. The First Dance is special and I always try to make sure that nobody else starts dancing early.
I love playing for weddings more than any other kind of event. I'm a romantic, and I play swing because I love it. Weddings are all about love and that's a perfect match as far as I can see.