My Funny Valentine - First Take
Prelude to the annual Whiskey & Wine Swirl gala in Palestine, TX
Featured at the annual Dogwood Arts Festival in Palestine, TX
Portrait gifted to me by a local fan
Roleplaying a wandering bard at Ren Faire
Trumpet soloist at the Drum Corps International World Championships in Indianapolis
Performing for a boxing match in New Orleans
Wedding reception on a private boat in Austin
Premier musician in East Texas, specializing in trumpet and vocals. I also have a genuine bugle for playing Taps in honor of a fallen veteran. Years of experience singing and performing for every kind of event from wedding receptions, funerals, and church services to bars crawls, masquerades, and speakeasys. Fluent in singing/playing many genres, including classical, liturgical/religious, rock, mariachi, and jazz standards. I pride myself on providing exceptional sound and service as a soloist! When performing jazz, oldies, or Christmas tunes, I have professionally arranged backing tracks to fill out the necessary instrumentation. Sounds like a 4-man band, without the price of one. Thanks!
2 reviews
Sheryl M.
September 20, 2025We hired Eli to perform at my Uncle's funeral today, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. He was very respectful and listened to exactly what we were hoping for. My Uncle Bill was a proud veteran, so having Taps played was very special to all of us. Eli also performed Amazing Grace and Hallelujah, both of which brought tears to my eyes. Several guests of ours mentioned how deeply Eli's music touched them. We are so grateful to have had him play for our family and I will definitely be recommending him to anyone looking for a great musician.
Thank you Eli,
Sheryl Motts
Hired as: Funeral Music
Jennifer S.
August 8, 2025In 5 minutes you will love the trumpet! Eli's music has jazz underpinnings, for sure. His melodic ability is smooth and relaxing just as jazz music should be. An absolute pleasant encounter for the listener! I enjoy listening to a variety of music and have attended concerts. I really like Eli's jazz performance because it is very peaceful. He knows how to create intimate and sophisticated soundscapes from the 1940s to modern times.
Hired as: One Man Band
Price range: $250 and up
Languages: English
Gig length: 5 - 300 minutes
Insurance: $1,000,000 - General Liability Insurance
My wardrobe can accommodate galas, weddings, funerals, high-end restaurants, banquets, and other formal affairs. After arriving, I can set up my own equipment in as little as 5-10 minutes. (For playing Taps at veteran funerals, I need no equipment.) I'm comfortable performing my jazz anywhere in the venue, from taking a solo on center stage to providing musical atmosphere in the background. Once situated, I perform jazz along to professionally-arranged backing tracks from my setlist for up to 5 hours before repeating a song. All of my tunes have trumpet (muted or unmuted, depending on the clients' wishes) and most of them have vocals. I sing and play trumpet to a variety of standards, from well-known classics like Fly Me to the Moon and Can't Help Falling in Love to more obscure gems like Take Five and A Night in Tunisia. My set includes a mix of up-tempo and down-tempo pieces, with many of them being ballads. Unless specified otherwise, I generally alternate between up-tempo and down-tempo with each tune. My jazz trumpet and vocal ballad repertoire is especially well-suited to formal environments (like galas or banquets) and romantic events (like wedding receptions or anniversaries). I do not drink, and there is no explicit language in my standard setlist. Apart from taking restroom breaks and interacting with guests who come to comment on the music, you can expect me to play for the duration of the event. I'm always open to real-time sound checks, where you can tell me to pump up/turn down the volume or take breaks as you see fit to optimize the atmosphere.
While attending college, I toured as a trumpet soloist with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps in 2015 and 2017. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, I toured nationwide with this group and performed in venues including the annual Parade of Roses, the Alamo Dome, the Georgia Dome (home of the Atlanta Falcons), MetLife stadium (home of the New York Jets and the Giants), and Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the Indianapolis Colts). Several of these performances were broadcast internationally. As part of this group, I earned silver at the Drum Corps International World Championships in 2017. While earning my degree from The University of Texas at Austin, I also freelanced with various live music groups around central Texas. In 2019, Bacardi Ltd. sponsored one of these groups and hired us for promotional events in New Orleans, Miami, Little Rock, and more. Since then, I've taken an interest in music education and currently work with numerous students across all ages, genres, instruments, and skill levels. Some of my former students have now developed their own successful careers as performers and music educators. I continue to perform multiple times a week around East Texas as part of my journey to improve as a musician and help enrich our communities with high-quality live music. If you think I'm a good fit, please feel free to reach out; I'd love to help make your event more enjoyable and memorable!
I'm happy to commute as far as you need and perform as late as you want! My quotes for each event already include gas and lodging (if needed). If Bluetooth-enabled sound equipment is not available at the venue, I can bring my own. Please let me know if you have specific preferences for my attire (e.g. suit and tie, all-black, or a specific color scheme). Thanks!
MISCELLANEOUS:
Happy Birthday
Taps (ONLY if for a veteran funeral or requested by veterans present)
JAZZ STANDARDS:
Mack the Knife
A Night in Tunisia
The Pink Panther
What a Wonderful World
Blue Skies
Besame Mucho
The Girl From Ipanema
Pure Imagination
Ladyfingers
Strasbourg-St. Denis
Red Clay
Take Five
My Favorite Things
Milestones
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Fly Me to the Moon
When the Saints Go Marching In
It's Been a Long Long Time
Summertime
All the Things You Are
Autumn Leaves
Let’s Get Lost
The Shadow of Your Smile
I Fall In Love Too Easily
Blue in Green
Gymnopedie No. 1
Canon in D
So What
My Funny Valentine
Angel Eyes
Flamenco Sketches
Round Midnight
All Blues
Pfrancing
Crisis
Dat Dere
One By One
What Is This Thing Called Love?
Confirmation
Rhythm Changes
Chameleon
Little Sunflower
There Is No Greater Love
Have You Met Miss Jones?
While My Lady Sleeps
Out of Nowhere
Blue Bossa
Someday My Prince Will Come
Take the A Train
My Little Suede Shoes
How High the Moon
Song For My Father
Everything Happens to Me
Lullaby of Birdland
Time After Time
If You Could See Me Now
My Ideal
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum
Stormy Weather
Lazy Afternoon
Stella By Starlight
Lady Bird
Oleo
Blue and Sentimental
Say It Over and Over Again
Softly, As In a Morning Sunrise
Moanin'
Perdido
Old Devil Moon
Opus de Funk
Beyond the Sea
Blue Monk
Cherokee
Down By The Riverside
Four
Hello Dolly
Honeysuckle Rose
I Get Along Without You
St. James Infirmary
Straight No Chaser
Tenor Madness
Two Sleepy People
When It's Sleepy Time Down South
POP/OLDIES:
Can't Help Falling in Love
What You Won't Do For Love
Yesterday
Light My Fire
Hey Jude
Let It Be
I'm On Fire
Free Fallin'
Paint It Black
Heart of Gold
I Will Survive
You Are My Sunshine
Hallelujah
Ain't No Sunshine
Imagine
El Condor Pasa
Norwegian Wood
Tequila
Hide Your Love Away
Yellow Submarine
A Day In the Life
Paperback Writer
Feelin’ Groovy
California Dreamin’
Don’t Think Twice
All Along the Watchtower
Summertime Blues
The Boxer
Mrs. Robinson
Ring of Fire
America
I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover
Folsom Prison Blues
Santeria
Cecilia
Come Away With Me
Knockin' On Heaven's Door
Hit the Road Jack
I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow
Scarborough Fair
Immigrant Song
I Won't Back Down
(Fast Car)
(Ain't No Mountain High Enough)
(Just the Two of Us)
(Sitting on the Dock of the Bay)
(The Sound of Silence)
(Superstition)
(Sweet Caroline)
(Walk On By)
(Blackbird)
(Can't Buy Me Love)
(I Want to Hold Your Hand)
(Mary Jane's Last Dance)
(Gravity)
(My Way)
(All You Need Is Love)
(New York, New York)
(Careless Whisper)
(songs in parentheses are currently "in the works")
CHRISTMAS/CHRISTIAN:
Amazing Grace
Angels We Have Heard on High
Auld Lang Syne
Away In A Manger
Carol of the Bells
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Deck the Halls
Feliz Navidad
The First Noel
Frosty the Snowman
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Here Comes Santa Claus
I'll Be Home for Christmas
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle Bells
Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Joy to the World
O Come, All Ye Faithful
O Holy Night
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Silent Night
We Three Kings of Orient Are
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Winter Wonderland
Awesome God
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Glory Be To The Father
Here I Am to Worship
Hosanna
Holy, Holy, Holy
Because He Lives
How Great Is Our God
Our God
The Stand
This Is The Day
You Never Let Go
My most prominent musical influences are Chet Baker, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Clifford Brown, and Louis Armstrong.
If the venue doesn't have Bluetooth-enabled sound equipment, I can bring my own!
If planning for a funeral, please note that I am only equipped to perform Taps or to perform a jazz funeral.
Wedding Singer