Gabe Lucas Piano Productions: Music Planning Assistance

Music Planning Assistance

How big should the band be?

Danceable jazz

Danceable jazz comprises numerous styles, including traditional swing, rock-style swing, salsa, samba, tango, rhumba, The Blues, waltz, and fox trot.

Our 10-piece ensemble is our signature band. The instruments are:

5 rhythm section instruments (piano, bass, drums, guitar, percussion)
3 horns (trumpet, sax, trombone)
2 vocalists (male, female)

Our 10-piece ensemble can grow, with:

Additional lead or back-up vocalists
Additional horns
A second guitar
One or more synthesizers

However, rarely do events call for larger than a 10-piece jazz band. If you are thinking of adding more horns, however, we recommend doing so in sets of three, for this is how arrangements are designed. Thus, to have more horns, we would suggest 2 trumpets, 2 saxophones, 2 trombones. It doesn't make much sense to have two trumpets but only one saxophone. If you are planning a very large event, or you are considering a very large band, then you should contact us about the details.

Otherwise, you're probably wondering whether and by how much you should scale down our 10-piece band. Hopefully, the following table will help. In this table, we start with the large ensemble, and then for each subsequent row we take away one instrument. Although we scale back instruments in the order we normally recommend, each event is different, so your needs may be special.

For each band configuration, we indicate what we eliminated and why, the strengths and limitations of that ensemble, as well as the approximate cost for a 3 hour engagement. These cost estimates assume you do not want to pay to guarantee Gabe to personally play your event, and that you pay the full contracted amount upon signing. You should visit our complete price list for more detailed information on prices.

Band

What we eliminated and why

Pros & cons

Approx. cost (3 hours)

10-piece band

Rhythm	Horns	Vocal
Piano Bass Guitar Drums Percussion	Trumpet Sax Trombone	Male Female

Optimum size variety band.
Greatest versatility and range of tunes possible.
Rock or jazz...this band can do it all.
There's not much this band can't do.
If your budget can afford additional instruments, you won't be disappointed with the added benefits.
Expensive band, but well worth the cost.

$5,000

9-piece band

Rhythm	Horns	Vocal
Piano Bass Guitar Drums	Trumpet Sax Trombone	Male Female

Percussion...expendable if Latin music is not your main emphasis.

This band can still pretty much play all styles of music.
If you want a lot of salsas, sambas, etc., then consider keeping percussion.

$4,565

8-piece band

Rhythm	Horns	Vocal
Piano Bass Drums	Trumpet Sax Trombone	Male Female

Guitar...This instrument is crucial for rock, but not nearly as important for medium to large jazz bands.

This is still an excellent jazz/swing dance band.
Should you really desire a mixture of rock and jazz, we'd suggest eliminating one of the vocalists first, before eliminating the guitar.

$4,130

7-piece band

Rhythm	Horns	Vocal
Piano Bass Drums	Trumpet Sax Trombone	Vocal

One vocalist...either male or female, depending on what songs matter most to you.

Most, though not all, jazz songs can be sung by a male or female. Rock songs are much more gender specific.
Without two vocalists, it's not possible to perform famous duet versions of tunes, like Unforgettable, When I Fall In Love, etc.
It's nice to have both a male and female vocalist, because they counterbalance each other nicely and can perform more of a show style with their interactions.

$3,695

At this point, it's not so cut and dry!

6-piece band - with vocal

Rhythm	Horns	Vocal
Piano Bass Drums	Trumpet Sax	Vocal

Trombone...If you want to hear songs sung, then eliminate the trombone.

You still have two horns for harmonies of songs.
However, you have lost one-third of your horn section, which makes performing arranged music all the more difficult.

$3,260

6-piece band - instrumental

Rhythm	Horns	Vocal
Piano Bass Drums	Trumpet Sax Trombone

Vocal...If instrumental music is all you want, then eliminate the vocal.

The horn section is still in tact to perform full arrangements of many jazz songs.
Without a vocalist, it's harder for people to recognize songs, and thus it can be harder to get people up to dance. However, for older crowds and people who truly enjoy swing and Latin dancing, this is generally not a problem.

$3,260

5-piece band - with vocal

Rhythm	Horns	Vocal
Piano Bass Drums	Sax	Vocal

Trumpet...If you are only going to have one horn, it should be a saxophone, which is the most important horn for jazz music.

Having one horn still provides energy for the jazz songs.
However, without a second horn, you lose all the harmonies that are integral to so many songs.

$2,825

5-piece band - instrumental

Rhythm	Horns	Vocal
Keyboard Drums	Trumpet Sax Trombone

Bass...This is highly unusual, but it's an option worth considering if you specifically want a 5-piece danceable jazz band

A keyboard would have to be used instead of a piano, for the keyboardist would play both the piano and bass parts at the same time.
By preserving the entire horn section, the ensemble can perform all the arranged songs with full harmonies.
This configuration is not always appropriate for every situation. Another option is to keep the bass and eliminate the trombone.

$2,825

4-piece band - with vocal

Rhythm	Horns	Vocal
Piano Bass Drums		Vocal

Saxophone...This is the last expendable instrument.

You still have most of the original rhythm section and a vocalist. This ensemble can do a reasonable number of jazz songs.
However, without any "flashy" instruments like the sax, the energy level of songs will naturally be lower.
You don't want to get any smaller than this, if danceable jazz music is your main priority.

$2,390

4-piece band - instrumental

Rhythm	Horns	Vocal
Piano Bass Drums	Sax

Vocal...This is the last expendable instrument.

You still have most of the original rhythm section and a saxophone. This ensemble can do a reasonable number of jazz songs.
However, without a vocalist, it is much harder for your guests to recognize songs. And without other horns, you lose all arranged harmonies, as well.
You don't want to get any smaller than this, if danceable jazz music is your main priority.

$1,740