at the Washington Square Park arch, photo by Avery Cefre

Sydney & Jake's Style Is "Tailor-Made"

All Arrangements Are Suited to Sydney's Unique Voice

Frank Sinatra only began striking musical gold when he started working with arranger Nelson Riddle in 1953. Ol' Blue Eyes had a career before this, but it was Riddle who found Frank's sweet spot.

​Nelson Riddle's understanding of song preparation allowed Frank to sing his heart out, right in the richest part of his vocal range, without any straining highs or muddy lows.

Jake's experience as an arranger (writing for anywhere from two to 19 instruments and/or voices) and student of legendary jazz arranger Rich DeRosa inclines him to concur with Riddle.

Carl Lewis's infamous version of  the National Anthem shows what happens when your singer is in a key that is not well-suited to their vocal range.

There's Nothing "Stock" About What We Do

One of the quickest ways to shatter the otherwise stable mood of an event is for your singer to attempt singing outside of his or her limits (see the above video). It can be jarring, and it can ruin a pleasant vibe in an instant.

To ensure that we support a friendly aura, Sydney & Jake do not play tunes in their "stock" keys. Rather, we carefully custom-match each song to the ONE key that is perfect for Sydney's range.

This allows her to deliver the melody straight from the heart, singing the song in all its truth with total freedom. We fit the tune to her smoky, sultry voice like a glove so that your attendees and VIP guests can simply unwind and enjoy themselves.

​Programming, Programming, Programming

Far too often, jazz bands decide what tunes to play on the fly. This off-the-cuff, shoot-from-the-hip approach to building a program can inadvertently dampen the spirit of the room for three key reasons:

1. thinking up what to play next leaves dead air between songs that can suck the cheer out of a room
2. a  lack of contrast in styles and tempos can induce boredom in a party without people really even knowing why
3. playing songs back-to-back that are in random, unrelated keys really messes with the flow of the moment

Your special shindig needs the right songs programmed at the right time to lay the proper groundwork for building relationships and spurring a sense of camaraderie.

Sydney & Jake are keen to the powerful effects that a program can have on the tone of an event. Therefore, we decide well in advance what will be best suited for the setting and scope of your event, and craft a fluid set that is guaranteed to put folks at ease.