Recently Pastiche live jazz band, were hired to play for a big charity fund raising event. The charity was the excellent Resurgo Spear.

The venue, in South West London, was lavishly decorated for a sumptuous dinner. The band comprised an eight-piece line up – female vocal, tenor sax, alto sax, trumpet, guitar, keyboards, bass and drums.

There was a 1920s/Gatsby theme for the evening – ladies in “flapper dresses, lots of feathers, beads and hats,” men in suits waistcoats and hats.

On saxophone we have the legendary Steve Gregory, who has played with Van Morrison, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, oh, and played that saxophone line on George Michael’s Careless Whisper. (We were once playing Careless Whisper at a wedding when one of the guests stopped dancing, came over and remarked, “respect – that sax sounds just like on the original recording!”)

On trumpet and percussion we have the fabulous Raul D’Olivera, who has played with Elton John, George Michael and Mica Paris, amongst others.

As it was a dinner the client, inevitably, wanted a dinner jazz set. Some of the tunes were sang by our vocalist, Danica Chapman - Summertime, Autumn Leaves, Georgia, Have I Told You Lately. Some were instrumental tunes – Satin Doll, Take the A Train, Blue Bossa.

The band played for the champagne reception. There was a silent film, which the band accompanied with the Louis Armstrong song What a Wonderful World. Later the band played a more lively, jazzy set for dancing, including Sway, Route 66, Moondance and even a jazzy version of Amy Winehouse’s Valerie.

The charity were pleased with the support that they received and clients and band all had a swinging time.