We know a LOT of music, and we play it all very, very well. But we do so much more than just show up and play some music.

We believe that the client comes first. And we’ll move heaven and earth to give our clients the event of a lifetime. What makes us different from other bands and orchestras is that we care more about our customers than we do about making a sale. I’m not sure this kind of customer care will translate onto the Internet, but I hope it will. If the client asks for something that will not work, I try to educate them about what WILL work. I spend a lot of time with my clients.

Incorporating live music into the fabric of an event is a delicate and delicious task.

I was a food critic for many years, and my articles were never “puff” pastry. I told it like it was. I do the same thing with music.

Live music is a beautiful thing. Because it isn’t “canned,” it can move from moment to moment to express joy, sorrow, romance, love, pathos and excitement. It’s about memories, old and newly created. What we do lies within the framework of understanding those emotions and applying them to the music as it defines and supports those moments…and evokes and creates those memories.

We can stretch a song for an extra twenty minutes if people are enjoying dancing to it (groan).

Or we can change the “feel” of a song, add an interesting intro or ending, adjust the tempo — or simply switch to another song in the middle of the first song. There are no boundaries to what we can do musically, because we are LISTENING to each other the same way that we listen to you. And we are masters at improvisation.

Staging, too, is very important. For instance, a wedding ceremony can have ANYTHING for music when it’s us. We choreograph the timing of that walk down the aisle to coincide perfectly with how we begin and end the music we’re playing. And we’re so over the “usual” type performances of “The Wedding March” and “Canon in D.” Ask us about our special arrangements of pieces like “Canon in D.” We’re as likely to turn something tradition into hip hop as we are to take a hip hop tune and craft it into a “modern” standard.

Most of the musicians in our little musical “family” have been doing this since they were in their early teens. They learned their craft in places like Kansas City, Detroit, New York and Chicago.

They can play anthing. In about two seconds, without having a discussion or having to slow down to turn pages in a book, almost anything anyone calls out from the dance floor is going to get played. Some of our musicians are actuall on those very records. They are truly the most accomplished, versatile, talented musicians in the world.

We’re an American swing band, jazz musicians with rock and roll souls.

Destination weddings, grand or intimate weddings, glamorous or simple, big or small…mean gathering people together who may not have seen each other in a long time. Sometimes, it is the last time an entire family will be together on such a happy occasion, with three or four generations in attendance.

These are beautiful occasions, and they deserve all the talent, knowledge and intelligence that a great band can bring to the party…wherever that party may be.

Ergo, destination weddings.

In California, Texas, New York, Connecticut, Hawaii and throughout the USA.

We’d love to talk with you about taking your event into the stratosphere, through the magic of live music!

Judy Chamberlain is one of America’s formost interpreters of The Great American Songbook. She can be reached at 714 319-9242.

“Your repertoire melts my heart.”

Megan Phillips, singer, actress, speech pathologist, bride

Megan, I adore you. Thenk you for understanding about the music, and sealing wax…and everything gracious and elegant. You make my day every time we talk.

There’s a message on my voicemail right now from a coporate event planner who asked if we do other sorts of music besides the styles in which we specialize. By “styles in which we specialize,” I presume he means jazz and swing. What a wonderful question!

And of course we do! Because we’re “complete musicians,” the kind that used to be found in every fine hotel dining room playing for dinner and dancing. But that was fifty years ago! Bands like ours don’t really exist anymore, except perhaps in the movies. More and more, party planners and corporate party committees are re- discovering the beauty of live music, real deal live music. So I’m thrilled.Thank you, Michael Buble, Bette Midler…and Mr. Sinatra. You’ve been carrying a brightly-burning torch, keeping REAL live music alive.

Fact is, my five piece band probably costs less than a DJ. And five of us are probably going to sound better than ten of anybody else. Grab us while we’re hot. There’s not much coming up to replace us. We make music the old-fashioned way, creating art that takes you on a trip …inside yourself.

We’re virtuoso players, not some kids reading from a book. And we’re pros who understand staging, pacing and the flow of an event — as well as how to navigate the security booths, loading docks, parking lots, ballrooms, stages and green rooms of major hotels, country clubs and resorts. I’m serious!

And the songs we play — from every decade and genre of American popular music, and then some — are truly out of this world.

Jazz singer and bandleader Judy Chamberlain is based in Southern California. She can be reached at 714 774-1696

A traditional Asian wedding means well-planned details, and The Anaheim WHite House knows how to make things happen the right way.

The Anaheim White House caters events so beautifully! Amine, you’re a genius. The is always served with class and style by Amine and the White House staff. They hold your chair out for you when you get up, fuss over every single detail and make everyone feel like royalty.

And for anyone who has not dined at the White House restaurant in Anaheim, get over there!

The Anaheim White House’s owner, Bruno Serato, wrote the book on gracious hospitality!

Bandleader and singer Judy Chamberlain can be reached at 714 774-1696.

There’s an art to corporate event entertainment, and it doesn’t always have to do with dancing.

Live music, a great floor plan and delicious food…

That’s right, a great floor plan!

Sometimes that means not putting the band on a stage, especially if there is a hardwood floor or other kind of “natural” stage available.

But every event is different, every room is different — and every nuance of staging and table placement counts.

Lighting counts, too. Sometimes less is more.

There’s a lot to think about.

When we book an event, I get involved in those details. We do so much more than just show up and play some music.

Singer and bandleader Judy Chamberlain can be reached at 714 774-1696.

“We’ve worked with far too many semi-professional wedding coordinators, event designers and party planners who have no idea how to to what we do,” says Judy Chamberlain, a bandleader who is also an experienced event producer. “And anyone who pulls a band out of a bar to play music for their once-in-a-lifetime event may not get the results they’d like to have.”

“The musicians may be young and cute, but if they don’t know what a BEO or a power-drop is — or how to establish staging and floor plan details and create a timeline — you may wish you’d known better questions to ask than the ones touted by today’s flock of event website “experts,” says Chamberlain.

“A timeline is a shouldn’t ’stick out’ and be obvious — nor should it be used to replace actual communication between vendors, Chamberlain advises.

“We’ve had coordinators tell us to announce the first dance while the photographer was in the rest room!

“Always have a “point man” and when someone comes rushing up demanding to have your microphone so they can make an announcement, just say NO.”

“Spontaneity doesn’t necessarily have to mean chaos!”

Judy Chamberlain Entertainment is a unique live music boutique presenting jazz, swing and big bands led by Los Angeles jazz singer Judy Chamberlain, who knows her way around a timeline. For booking information, please call 714 319-9242.

Ever wonder why DJ’s are so loud? “They probably don’t know as much about music as we do,” says Judy Chamberlain, a Los Angeles bandleader who prefers sublety to volume.

“They’re there to make noise, and to M/C, not to make music.”

“When you hire a live band to entertain,” says Chamberlain, you may just be getting something better than noise — or an imitation of something. That’s why you hire a live band!”

What kind of music do you perform?

We play pretty much everything! Rock & roll, standards, jazz, swing, blues, classic country, latin, Motown, funk, soul, r&b, ballroom, Broadway, movie music…basically, all the cool tunes of the Twentieth Century. If you can think of it, we can probably play it. And if you can’t think of it, we can! That said, we’re not a “cover band.”

It’s important to understand that some songs are best left to the artists who originally recorded them. If you like Anita Baker, Sade or Tiny Tim, you may want to hire a DJ. Or an “impersonator.” In our humble opinion, some people really are inimitable.

Now, give us Sting, Rod Stewart, Norah Jones, Michael Buble, Kenny G. — and we’re delighted to research what it is you like about the music you’ve heard on their records and try to give you those same elements. They do the standards well, and have brought back some terrific obscurities. Buble and Jones are also talented songwriters. Besides, some of our musicians are actually on their albums.

One needs only to listen to Sting singing “You Were Meant For Me” to realize how viable the standards really are. We’re always inspired by creativity like his.

What if we’re rehearsed a dance routine to a specific recording?

If you’ve rehearsed a special dance number to a standard — like any Frank Sinatra song, for instance — or Etta James’ “At Last,” we’ll play those songs in the same exact format for you, note for note. That’s easy! And we recently did the Michael Buble composition, “Everything,” at a wedding in Arizona exactly the way he sings it so as not to throw our clients dancers off their perfectly rehearsed dance routine. And it was fabulous!

At the very least, we’ll listen to the record, match the tempo and length of the song and coach you on ways we can make your routine even more interesting by adding a musical “introduction” to it. We’re not just pushing buttons around here. But, of course, some of us are actually on those records!

Who are your musical influences?

There are so many! One of my favorites is Fred Astaire. He sang and danced and swung like mad even when he was simply walking across a room. Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday and The Boswell Sisters were also stunning performers. They all learned from each other, and often recorded the same material. Each version was wonderful, and there was room for them all. That’s why we call the music of the Great American Songbook “standards.”

We’re also inspired by Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Bing Crosby, Howard Keel, Mario Lanza…and Bill Evans, The Platters, Bobby Darin, Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Paul Anka, Joni Mitchell, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Etta James, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Gloria Gaynor, Donna Summer, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, ABBA…along with so many more.

If Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Rogers & Hart, Rogers & Hammerstein, George & Ira Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Johnny Mercer, Johnny Mandel, Michel Legrand or Hoagy Carmichael wrote it, we probably play it.

Good music is good music.

What are some of your special skills?

We can read a room to the point that we’re actually breathing in time with the mood. We help create that mood, match it, uplift and elevate it. Our knowledge, taste, experience and intuition help us create spontaneous live “soundtracks” for the most important moments of a lifetime.

None of this is rehearsed. Sometimes I think it might be fun to call a rehearsal, but nobody would come. We don’t need to rehearse; we’re all tune geeks who know a tremendous variety of music. With some bands, you give them a song list and they need to have a couple of rehearsals because they’ve never played those songs before. Guess who’s paying for those rehearsals? YOU are! But we’ve been playing this music all of our lives.

What else makes you “different?”

Tell us you love Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Cole Porter and these are major clues to what we’ll be cooking up to play for you. We’re elegant, fun and exciting — and far from normal. An evening of music with us is always filled with great surprises. We surprise even ourselves with what we think of to do! But it’s never about us. It’s always about the client, the event…and the music. When we’re gone, there won’t be much in the way of great live music for events coming up to replace us. Maybe that’s why DJ’s are so popular; it’s hard to find a really good live band that can perform a tremendous variety of dance and listening music without playing with “tracks” or in other ways trying to imitate someone else’s phrasing and style. And if you’re going to hire one of those, you might as well get a DJ!

How do you handle song lists for various events?

We’re going to play what you want to hear. We probably know it, because we know thousands of songs. But we also learn new songs easily. We’ve been asked to play hip hop songs, and have been able to re-arrange them so that they’ve become some of our best “modern” stnadards. We’ve probably forgotten more songs than most people ever knew. But, basically, if you can think of it, we can probably play it. And if you can’t think of it, we can!

Do you M/C?

WE CERTAINLY DO!!!!! We’re really good at it, too.

How far will you travel to do an event?

As the song says, “if you could use some exotic booze, there’s a bar in far Bombay….”

We love to travel, and do it very efficiently. We’re the bus, not the bus stop, so we have to travel! Long distance planning is actually one of our specialties. We will go anywhere. And if you are coming to California, we’ll be delighted to be your West Coast connection. We are who and what we say we are, as documented by many articles written by recognized journalists. These are not paid advertisements!

We’re very thorough, dedicated team players and usually the first to arrive and the last to leave any event. Our clients tell us that the thing they thought was going to be the most difficult about planning their event — the music — became the easiest once they found us. We are available for travel throughout California and the USA.

Helloooo, New York and New England…it’s probably less expensive to fly us there and have us play for your event than it is to hire a NYC-based band! And there’s really nothing like us in most of the rest of the country.

How can we obtain a price quote?

We’ll be happy to discuss pricing with you and recommend what we feel you really need, not what someone else might like to (over)sell you. Some events are more complicated than others. But we work with all sorts of budgets, and are seriously dedicated to providing great live music to people who really appreciate it. We’ve done some terrific celebrity events, and played in more than a few back yards. Once, we even played for the flushing of a toilet. We always said we would — and we did. As the guests entered the showroom, we played “Splish Spash!” Ask us to tell you about that party; it was a doozy!

But, seriously, if your budget is on the low end and you love that big band music, five of us are probably better than ten of someone else. Frank Sinatra knew the secret of playing charts written for a 60-piece orchestra with a small combo, and so do we. It’s called “great musicianship.” Sometimes less is more!

We’re here to help, whether you hire us or not.

CONTACT US!

714 319-9242

Our music transcends cultures — and generations. If you can think of it, we can probably play it. And if you can’t think of it, we can!

We love musical themes like Old Hollywood, the Roaring Twenties, Great Gatsby and the Rat Pack! For those planning a landmark birthday or anniversary celebration, Fiftieth Reunion or 1950’s cocktail soiree, we have your music! An Audrey Hepburn movie theme…Grace Kelly mid-century coolness…a private estate wedding in Malibu…or a ring-a-ding-ding Sinatra Rat Pack party in Palm Springs? Our jazz trios, bands and musicians are superb at setting the right mood for your event. Casino Royale! My Fair Lady…Breakfast at Tiffany’s…Sabrina…Funny Face…The Bandwagon…Flying Down To Rio, in Swing Time? It’s all great stuff!

Remember, when using live music for an event there is a big difference between an actual live band and one that is performing with pre-recorded tracks.

Either way, personality is a key element of a wonderful wedding.

That means YOUR personality!

Never underestimate the difference between a wedding…and a WEDDING!

The subtlety of making magic happen is an art form.

Spaces are important, expecially if you’re considering utilizing the excitement of live music for your event.

Don’t take any chances with your precious moments. Before you book a location for your destination wedding or event, be sure that the room will set up well for entertainment, partying and fun.

One of the key elements of live music — as opposed to bands that play to “tracks” and DJ’s pushing buttons — is an undertanding of the words and melody that the composers wrote.

It’s one thing to memorize a song –and far yet another thing to understand the “shape” of the music and how it should be expressed.

With a great band — and not one that is reading from some BOOKS onstage — the music is going to swing like mad, making everything that is played REALLY danceable. But “meter” and “time feel” are words many bands today have never even heard about.

Melody. Words. Vintage Jazz and Swing. Live Event Music. Dance Music.

These words don’t always go together. Which is why people sometimes think they have to hire a DJ to get a party happening on the dance floor. But it doesn’t have to be that way. And there is nothing –absolutely NOTHING — that’s as much fun as having a professional, experienced, musical, talented, GREAT live band entertain at your wedding or event.

We play music you can dance to. That doesn’t mean cardboard-rigid phrasing, which is what we hear with a lot of today’s big bands. Oh, the bands are playing nicely enough. But Count Basie and Duke Ellington they ain’t. Most of them just don’t swing.

Swinging is an art.

Singing with meaningful, engaging phrasing while the band is swinging is also an art.

Sinatra did it. Ella Fitzgerald did it. Billie Holiday, even when stoned out of her mind, did it. Ellington, Basie, Bing Crosby — these people all swung like mad.

And that’s what WE do. It’s what you hire a live band for, especially a live band playing music for dancers at a wedding or other important event. To have anything less is inconceivable. But that is what you often get, even with — especially with — some of the VERY high-priced “wedding band options” that are out there in the marketplace. Why? Because they don’t know the history of the music, or of the composer - or even the right words or melody to the song. Maybe they’ve never even played it before and are reading it from a book.

Perhaps they are actors trying to play the part of musicians and singers. We see it all the time. They simply do not know the music well enough to interpret it with style and meaning.

But it is so important to respect and revere what the composer wrote. To accurately present the words, to the melody. We don’t take liberties with something that’s already perfect. It’s not cool to “re-harmonize” Cole Porter.

But we’re not like most “event bands.”

We do sometimes fool around with tempos — because we CAN. Bands of yesteryear used to do that al the time. It’s why a lot of this music is called “standards.” Anyone can play it, interpreting styles and tempos to make the songs unique and interesting. We’ve occasionally turned a hip hop song into a “new” standard. Mostly, though, we play music they way you think you should be hearing it, and always with sustainable dance tempos. Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby — they were great singers and entertainers…but they were also dancers, veritable “time” machines.

We set perfect tempos for dancing. It’s a big part of what we do.

There’s no comparison between a REAL jazz/swing/motown/funk/soul band and a group of “jazzers” you pull out of a bar.

Louis Armstrong would roll over in his grave!

The following excerpt from a note I received this morning is an insightful perspective on this phenomenon:

Dear Judy,

We spoke earlier on the phone today. I just wanted to say again how nice it was to talk to somebody in the music business in this town that wasn’t immediately dismissive to a newly-arrived musician looking for opportunities. Kindness and compassion seem to be a rare commodity in this town from time to time, so thank you again.

As for the issue of “tracking” in performances here, I have to say I am pretty surprised that music has deteriorated to that level. Back home I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone using pre-recorded music in a performance - it was always assumed that if you needed more music than you could play yourself, you got another musician to help out… so here are my thoughts on this issue:

In order for music to be emotionally effective, it needs to be able to breathe and flow depending on the energy in the room, but more importantly by the energy and emotion pouring out of the performer. By using tracks, the performers have locked themselves into a static rhythm of expression and phrasing, and cannot allow for the subtle changes in tempo and dynamics that are required to really make a performance memorable and lasting. The push and pull in between the pulse of the music needs to have an elastic quality that allows for it to bend and shift as the phrase requires. Tracking seems to me no better than simply putting on a CD… at which point you should just hire yourself a DJ and call it quits.

Anyway, that’s just my two cents. Thank you again, and it was a real pleasure meeting you.

A dynamic. Yin and yang. Soulful interpretation.
These are inherent qualities of a live musical performance.
A lovely note, and one I will read often.
Thank you….