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Great news! It's the time of year when it's perfectly acceptable to eat a cheeky mince pie on your lunch break and not feel guilty about it. We all deserve a HUGE Christmas this year after the past few years we have had, and the event music for your Christmas Party should be no exception. As event music bookers and specialists in providing event musicians for UK events, we have seen a real trend in companies booking high-end solo acts for their Christmas parties, rather than spreading the budget too thin on multiple acts or bands, investing in solo acts gives a real high-end touch and it can be cleverly scheduled for maximum impact. So to help you with any last bookings for your Christmas Party this year, we have rounded up our top, most popular 4 solo acts that our clients have been booking this year; perfect for bringing the Christmas cheer! Harpist: Hire a harp player for your event this Christmas! Harp is one of those instruments which lifts an event to another time and place. A timeless heavenly instrument, positioned at your event it can provide a delicate and glamorous atmosphere to any drinks reception, tea party or office cocktail party! Our amazing harpist; Camilla, is a London-based freelance professional harpist, hugely in demand for session work, concerts & live events. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Music and has since been made an associate there for her outstanding contribution to the music world. Continuing to forge a unique career, combining the concert platform, recording studio, and television. Her session work includes recording tracks for many well-known artists including John Legend, Ellie Goulding, Sam Smith & Morrissey. She also has played on the soundtracks for several Hollywood films & television dramas for composers such as Danny Elfman & James Newton-Howard. On television she has performed on all the major shows, including Strictly Come Dancing, The Graham Norton Show, Later with Jools Holland, The Jonathan Ross Show, and many more, with artists including The Killers, Bette Midler & Beyoncé. Here she is playing at the start of this BBC clip with Lianne Le Havas. To enquire about hiring a solo harpist for your event, contact us here. Violin: Hire a solo wandering violin player for your Christmas event! 🎻 Solo violinists have been in demand this year. Performing for your event, our players can be stationary or wandering for an immersive and glamorous atmosphere. Booking a solo violinist who also lights up can add to creating a really festive and dynamic solo show! We have many solo violinists on our books, and showcasing here is the amazing Oriana; an established and in-demand performer and musician. The 2020 Grammy contender was born and raised in France with multicultural roots, she relocated to the UK ten years ago and has since established herself internationally as a performer in venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Carlton in Cannes, in the Middle East or at the Edinburgh festival. Here she is playing at the start of this video with her jazz band: Bad romance (Lady gaga cover) To enquire about hiring a solo violinist for your event, contact us here. Saxophone: Hire a saxophone player for your Christmas party! 🎷 One of the biggest misconceptions people have when asking to hire a saxophone player is, "it's too blowy" (the technical term! or "is it too screechy!" well, in short, the answer can be YES, absolutely if a sax player has a big band behind them and they are growling up the rear end (excuse us!) of a horn section, then yes, it's going to be 'blowy' and loud, but, when hiring a solo saxophonist for your event, people are often surprised to hear and feel a much warmer, softer side of the instrument. It's the perfect solo act to book at an event like a Christmas party! We work with high-end solo saxophonists all over the UK, like Katy! An International, Amazingly Versatile, Lyrical Club & Jazz Saxophonist. Warm rich tones & Endless Energy, Katy is mostly found performing at exclusive clubs, Festivals, and private events. From New Year’s Eve on boats, glamorous weddings across the UK. Katy tours with her saxophone around the globe. The sounds of a saxophonist can perfectly integrate atmospheric music into your wedding ceremony, event, or Christmas party. Wandering your event, in a costume, the sax is one of our number 1 'gramable selfied instruments of all time! It truly adds some glitz and sheen to the event. To enquire about hiring a solo saxophone player for your event, contact us here. Soul Singer! Hire a sparkling soul singer for your Christmas party! ⭐️ Who doesn't need a bit of Motown and Soul at this time of year! Motown was the most streamed music genre during the lockdown and we can see why its timeless feel-good vibes and warm funky melodies warm us to the core and they get everyone up dancing and keep them up! Our award-winning, star of a soul singer Tashara has a smooth and soulful voice, spreading sparkle wherever she performs, each performance is delivered with absolute energy and world-class sophistication. Touring the world singing with music legends such as Soul II Soul, Jazzie B and Caron Wheeler. Tashara has also worked with Paloma Faith and the Faithettes, James Arthur, Leona Lewis and Jools Holland. Influenced by Diana Ross, Martha Reeves, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, Corinne Bailey-Rae, and many more. 1960’s to the current which includes Motown Soul, Disco, Rnb, Jazz, Pop, Gospel, original music and Tributes to Motown Soul, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Disco, Whitney Houston, and 90s Divas, check the repertoire! To enquire about hiring a solo soul singer for your event, contact us here. Here are some clips with Tashara and her amazing band!

Well, it looks like most of us will be spending a LOT of time alone this Christmas, with no live music to enjoy and no Christmas parties to get drunk at, we have rounded up our favourite HOT PICKS so you can relive the stories of some of the greats, and some lesser-known greats, all from your living room. These are heartwarming and inspiring movies and will make you feel connected to the industry, even when it's all on ice, so here is the music lovers guide to Xmas on the box. Grab that mulled wine, pop that corn, fetch the cosiest blanket you own and settle down for some serious SOUL nurturing this festive break. 1) SOUL on DISNEY, available from Christmas Day PG Follow the story of a frustrated music teacher and jazz pianist Joe (Jamie Foxx) who finally gets his big break with a saxophonist Dorethea Williams' new band. After his first successful audition, he's walking on air - at least until he falls down a manhole! He wakes up in some sort of limbo, a disembodied soul on the escalator to the Great Beyond. But Joe is determined to reclaim his body and the future he has always longed for. I think many of us musicians will resonate with this after this year :) (PS you can get a free subscription for three days on Disney, go get it! 2) Whiplash - on Sky Drama New Years Day 6 pm Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is an ambitious young jazz drummer, in pursuit of rising to the top of his elite music conservatory. Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), an instructor known for his terrifying teaching methods, discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into the top jazz ensemble, forever changing the young man's life. But Andrew's passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher pushes him to the brink of his ability and his sanity. 3) The Greatest Showman - on C4 New Years Day 5.30pm - 7.30pm This crowd-pleasing musical is loosely based on the incredible story and life of the incredible legendary ring-master PT Barnum. If you haven't seen this yet, now is the perfect chance to go and enjoy the show. We loosely based our Drama Club's first-ever term on the greatest showman, its rich visual tapestry gives a smorgasbord o yo inspiration to hearts young and old. Vaudeville and Music Halls were the entertainment before Netflix and Chill and for us, The Greatest Showman captures its essence entirely. With stories of triumph, personal sacrifice and tenacity, this is a heartwarming Christmas musical for sure. 4) Wild Rose - Netflix Fresh out of prison, a young Scottish woman juggles her job and two children while pursuing her dream of becoming a country music star. She soon gets her chance when she travels to Nashville, Tennesse, on a life-changing journey to discover her true voice. With a stellar soundtrack, this film by Fable Pictures, Creative Scotland, Film4 Productions and the British Film Institute the lead actress won a BAFTA nomination for best actress after it was premiered. It's raw, it's gritty, it's brilliant, go watch it. 5) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - Netflix Set in Chicago in the 1920s, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom tells the story of Blues, Showbusiness and deals with important issues of race, art, religion and the historic exploitation of black recording artists by white producers. Capturing the sound and life spirit of Ma Rainey, this is not just for devoted Blues fans but hopefully, new fans of her music to be born out of it. We love you Ma and can't wait to dive into this over the festive period. So that's it! Have a wonderful Christmas and stay safe everyone! Oh, here is one more...for the younger divas this Xmas time...... 5) Rhyme Town Sing-a-longs on NETFLIX, season one available from Tuesday 22nd One for the younger members of the family here. Rhyme Town Sing-a-longs have created a cute little cartoon with some catchy rhymes, great for practising phonics and learning words, just make sure you listen to some other music Mum's and dad's before you go to bed, or you will be singing 'chuff chuff little train' all morning.....you're welcome.

When we receive enquires for a live wedding band, often, one of two things happen, we either get a really low budget (sometimes £500 for a 6-piece jazz band!) or, when the client receives the quote, we will hear, 'Oh, we can't afford that! Why is it so expensive?!' We think the reason for this is that when couples are booking live entertainment for their wedding, it will be a first time experience for many of them, with no prior knowledge of booking a live band, the fee's of nearly £2000 for a show can be a little stifling! Hopefully, by explaining the process that goes into supplying amazing, high quality live music for your wedding, we can begin to dispel some of the myths and hopefully help you on the way to getting a great band, a great deal and share with you the investment you'll need to make your very special day go off with a snap, crackle and a pop!! To see the price range of hiring a live jazz band for your wedding, please see our other blog post: How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Vintage Jazz Band? First of all, I think it's important to explain pro and Non-pro musicians, and also the different price points for booking. There are many part-time musicians who are happy to supplement their income with gigs on the weekend at the pub, who then go on to get booked at weddings and charge the same fee. This can sometimes be as low as £300 per band! That's completely up to you, however, if you want a professional band, the old adage goes here, you really do get what you pay for, and it's your wedding, so why skimp on the quality of the entertainment. All of our musicians and bands her at Dixiebird Records are well-seasoned pro's who will turn up on time, play what you have asked them to an extremely high standard, play when they are contracted to, show up on time, in neat and ironed costumes and have the right equipment for the job. Between the musician's on our books and the bands they play in, they have performed with Madonna, Herbie Hancock, Adele, Kula Shaker, Roxy Music at prestigious venues such as The BBC, The Royal Albert Hall, The Hideaway Club and so many more! For the rest of this blog post, we are going to be focusing on full-time, well-seasoned pro's, as you see above! ('coz that's who we work with!) Also, worth noting, is that full-time musicians may have residency gigs at local venues, and charge the venues much less. This is because it is generally easier to get to and play and also it serves as a great showcase for private gigs, as well as entertaining a local following they may have. Most events that are booked through us at Dixiebird Records are Private and Corporate gigs and therefore don't really act as a showcase, the fee reflects this so both the player's time and talent is truly honored, we will talk a little about what goes into a day for a musician below to. Ok, let's get this show on the road, shall we!! We don't charge an hourly rate for our music and shows, this is because so much goes into just getting to the gig, that it doesn't make sense, nonetheless, I can see why some people think that £2000 for 2 X 45 mins seem completely off the Richter scale! So, let's break it down... £2000 ÷ 5 band members = £400 per musician (it is worth bearing in mind that a lot of bands cut an imaginary member of the band to receive a share to go into the 'band pot', covering insurance, merchandise, advertising costs, etc, on top of the band fee's already, or, what can happen is the bandleader and manager of the band will take a much higher cut to accommodate the work they do in getting the gigs, and the band will take more like £200 each. For the purpose of this exercise, we will calculate this at approx £2000 ÷ 6 = £333 per band member..now here is where that money goes... Band expenses (marketing, Public Liability Insurance, PAT testing, etc) Agency fees, insurance fee's any commission they had to pay when securing the booking (if made via an online event platform such as Poptop, Entertainers Worldwide, etc) Travel expenses (petrol, tax, and insurance, usually .45p per mile) Meals: If the venue is far away and food is not on the rider, there may be a need for the band members to pay for their lunch and/or evening meal out, this can be very expensive! Coffee's on the road etc Maintenance of the equipment and instruments, purchase of new instruments and sound system, etc Maintenance and creation of costumes (making them, buying them, dry cleaning, tailoring, etc) Development of skills and craft (vocal masterclasses, physiotherapy massage for arms, backs, professional development for sight-readers, jazz improvisation - the list goes on!) Hair and Makeup! (Especially for vintage acts and performers, the average cost of creating a 'do' for an event, if doing it yourself will be around £15 and if the band has hired in an MUA and Hairstylist it can be anywhere between £60 - £150 extra per gig!) So, we can see by this list above, that £333 needs to go across the board of the business to make the band viable, that's before any outlay of time or talent has happened yet!! Here is an average day for one of our performers and musicians on a gig day... 1.30 pm Hair and Makeup, hair is set and base makeup is applied! 3 pm departure (allowing time for potential traffic delays) 7 pm arrival time 8 pm set up and sound check 8:30 to 9:30 first set performance 10:30 to 11:30, second set performance Encores and background music played after the performance for a potential 45 mins extra if there is no DJ or other act 00:15 am to 01:00 am loading out of equipment back into the van 01:00 to who knows!!!! (it is common for a band to travel up to 3 hours to a show, so they often tend to get home very late at night/early in the morning!) So, we can see here that a gig day is easily 12 hours for a band member, so £333 ÷ 12 = £27.75 As well as this, there are other costs that each individual has for being self-employed and running a business, such as tax and National Insurance, Public Liability Insurance cover (each member must carry their own!!) website design, promo videos and so much more. We are advocates for musicians, their health, mental health, and financial recompense is extremely important to us, that is why we started Dixiebird Records! To campaign for, and, secure the talented working musician a decent wage and a diary full of shows, so they can thrive whilst spreading joy and making people happy with their music! I hope you can see by this breakdown above, exactly where your money goes when booking a live band, and why we charge £2000 for a show and I hope you'll agree that you are making a worthwhile investment on your big day! If you would like us to help you plan your special day, please drop us a line on hello@dixiebirdrecords.com also, check out our amazing Big Christmas Competition here where you can win over £500 worth of prizes for your big day, including a £300 voucher for entertainment on your wedding day!

Hire a solo saxophonist for your event SEO Enquire today! More description if needed TESTIMONIALS HERE Enquire today! whats the next step? booking info stats example set list Book this act! Get in touch! hello@dixiebirdrecords.com - 0207-1297-582

Ibiza DJ, Vocals, and Sax show! Book Ibiza Sax show, with DJ, Vocals or Violin add ons. ​ Various packages available to suit your big day or private event. Enquire today! Our popular Ibiza Party Package is a combination of our DJ show, with one of our live sax players, combined with lights, party, and music to create that true Ibiza Party atmosphere! ​ Lè Laytonaytor ​ Live Female Saxophone Show ​ Live Violin, Saxophone and Vocals Show ​ Various party packages available from £999 inc VAT Show Me Love Ibiza Sax - Katy Jungmann 00:00 / 01:17 How Deep Is Your Love Ibiza Sax - Katy Jungmann 00:00 / 03:34 "You guys really know how to get the party started! THANK YOU for making my husband's 50th birthday party so memorable" Nivita Sahins Enquire today! whats the next step? Get a quote for a show by filling out our form, use the link below and we will be right back to you Book this act! Get in touch! hello@dixiebirdrecords.com - 0207-1297-582

Night out? Occasionally we put on our own events, or we work with venues to create an amazing lineup of live jazz, soul, and blues bands. See below for our most recent live shows that you can attend, and if you would like to speak to us about curating a special event for your venue, restaurant, hotel or festival, let us know ​ ​ No upcoming events at the moment Throwing a party? Then why not book us to entertain your guests? ​ Check out our many acts below and send us an enquiry using our booking form below. ​ Book entertainment for your wedding, reception, ceremony, engagement party, 18th, 21st, 30th 40th, 50th, 60th birthday or any other celebration you see fit! ​ ​ We also cater for high end, premium showbands for corporate PR events, corporate parties brand launches, award ceremonies, galas and more. Enquire today!