The band features cream of the crop of the Los Angeles music community and is comprised of passionate and professional musicians who love to play. We are dedicated to making your event a very special occasion that everyone will enjoy.

Our full orchestra is a 14-piece band with 3 singers, 3 horns, 2 violins, upright bass, drums, guitar, vibraphone, piano, and accordion. We also offer a 10-piece and 6-piece version of the band, and one of our jazz combos or classical string ensembles for your prelude, ceremony, and pre-reception music.

The first official Bluegrass band, Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, prominently featured the mandolin. Bill Monroe, who is credited with the invention of Bluegrass music, played the mandolin in the Blue Grass Boys. The band also featured the fiddle, the acoustic guitar, the banjo and the upright bass.

Bill Monroe began his musical career in the 1930’s alongside his brother, Charlie Monroe, in their band, the Monroe Brothers. The band broke up in the late 1930’s and both brothers continued to make music. In 1939, Bill formed the Blue Grass Boys. During this time, he completed the transition of mandolin music from the traditional parlor sound to the modern Bluegrass sound. Later in 1939 he joined the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry’s radio broadcasts spread Monroe’s music throughout the South and inspired many country musicians to begin playing the mandolin.

Monroe played the lead melodies of his music similar to a fiddler. He also created a percussive chord sound, which was referred to as “the chop.” Monroe also perfected the sparse, percussive blues style on mandolin.

Monroe’s style of mandolin Bluegrass has been highly influential on many of his successors. His style has been emulated, developed and modified by many mandolin musicians.

Stylistically, his most influential followers included second-generation Bluegrass musician Frank Wakefield and current musicians Mike Compton (of the Nashville Bluegrass Band) and David Long. Other major Bluegrass mandolin musicians who emerged after Bill Monroe in the 1950’s include Jesse McReynolds, of Jim and Jesse, and Bobby Osborne, of the Osborne Brothers.

Modern Bluegrass mandolin players include Herschel Sizemore, Doyle Lawson, and Sam Bush, who also plays rock, reggae and jazz music. In addition, Ronnie McCoury, of the Del McCoury Band, has been awarded numerous times for his Monroe-style mandolin playing. Finally, John Duffey, of Country Gentlemen and Seldom Scene, helped to popularize Bluegrass mandolin among folk and urban music fans.

Bluegrass mandolin has had a large influence on American music. For example, Jack White, of the White Stripes, is an accomplished mandolin player. He played mandolin for the film Cold Mountain. He also plays mandolin on the White Stripes’ songs, “Little Ghost”, “Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn” and the hit “Icky Thump.”

Other popular musicians who play the mandolin include David Bowie, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Martin Barre and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Win Butler of the Arcade Fire, Lol Creme of 10cc, Kevin Hearn of the Barenaked Ladies and George Harrison and Paul McCartney of the Beatles, among many others. In addition, fans of the Grateful Dead know that Jerry Garcia was in a Bluegrass band with mandolin player David Grisman, called Old and in the Way.

Bluegrass mandolin music has a unique, lively sound unlike anything else. It’s sound can be sweet, mournful or electrifying. It is a wonderful style of music appropriate for many occasions, including weddings.

If you’re interested in having live Bluegrass mandolin music at your event, contact us today!

When browsing wedding-related blogs, Style Me Pretty, a blog about wedding planning, posted a question posed by a bride-to-be which I found inspiring. The bride asked for suggestions for wedding ceremony processional music which was appropriate for the occasion but non-traditional. While “Here Comes the Bride” is lovely and classic, a modern bride may want to break from traditonal wedding music and opt for something unique and inventive for her wedding ceremony. One way to accomplish this is to choose pop music.

You can make your ceremony “pop” by taking a modern song and give it a classical twist. For example, one bride suggested walking down the aisle to “All You Need is Love” played by a classical string quartet. This would be a lovely choice if one had the Sparrow Lane String Quartet play at their wedding ceremony. Other suggestions from posters included:

• “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles
• “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
• “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones
• “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel
• “Bittersweet Symphony” by the Verve
• “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder
• “Calico Skies” by Paul McCartney
• “Everlong (Acoustic)” by the Foo Fighters
• “All I Want Is You” by U2
• Film Scores (For example, “Storybook Love” from “The Princess Bride”)
• Musical Soundtracks

All of these would be excellent choices if played by a string quartet, a traditional wedding band, a solo violinist or on mandolin.

There are many more lovely pop songs which would translate well into a wedding ceremony if played by any of these bands. For ideas, take a look at your CD collection or iTunes playlist and make a list of songs which inspire feelings of love, romance and beauty within you. Just be sure that each song speaks about love and romance and is appropriate for the “feel” of your wedding. Keep this list at hand when you meet with your wedding band to design your wedding’s soundtrack and you will be sure to have an event to remember.

If you have any suggestions about pop songs which would sound lovely at a wedding ceremony, let us know!