If you’re anywhere near Perth you need to put aside some time to hear these guys live.
Adam Hall and the Velvet Playboys is an amazing six piece band. They performed at a wedding we attended on Saturday afternoon and I could have sat and listened to them for two or three days.
Their music can be described as smooth swingin’ jazz, rockin’ blues and good ol’ boogie woogie but that doesn’t go even close to describing just what an experience it is to be in the room when the band strikes up. As well as a lot of old time swing favourites their repotoire features the musical styles usually associated with artists as diverse as James Brown, Ray Charles & Harry Connick Jr.
If you check out their website you’ll find links to some samples of their music. Don’t be fooled. While the samples are pretty good, they don’t do the guys justice.
The band is tight, as you’d expect with the kind of pedigree the guys can boast, but they made it all sound so easy.
I’m used to hearing great musicianship let down by average vocals but Adam Hall is smooth all the way. His bio on their website gives a few hints as to his musical heritage.
Adam studied the craft in America at Berklee College of Music, Boston. Playing since 1990 (from the age of 10), Adam sings and plays Trumpet, Trombone, Alto Sax, Piano, Euphonium, Mellophonium and a little bit of bass and drums for good measure.
So far in his career Adam has played with James Morrison, Darryl Somers, Rolf Harris, Frank Foster (the former leader of the Count Basie orchestra who played with Basie for 45 years), Don Burrows, Shirley Horn’s band, Vanessa Amorossi and Grace Knight to name just a few.
Adam played at the Sydney Olympics, was Artist in Residence at Southbridge Jazz Club (Singapore) and has made tours to Singapore, Boston, New York & New Orleans.
The band has a regular Friday night booking at The Mustang Bar in Northbridge. Let me know if you’re heading down there and I’ll see if I can join you.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
Technorati Tags: Swing – Music – Adam Hall
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