List your services
Log In
James Hammel & Friends
- Asheville, NC
- Singing Guitarist
- Travels up to 1500 miles
- $350 to $7,000
Overview
James Hammel is a guitarist and singer performing many upbeat jazz standards, deep blues and pop songs. His song list includes songs popularized by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Nat King Cole, Michael Buble, Bobby Caldwell, Diana Krall, Jobim, James Taylor, Sting, Leon Russell, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder, and many others. James has a smooth voice and excellent guitar skills. He has performed at marquis venues including the US Open Tennis Championships (NY), The Metropolitan Room (NY), Biltmore Estate (Asheville) and the Omni Grove Park Inn (Asheville). James Hammel & Friends, are available as a duo, trio or quartet adding sax, percussion, drums, bass, piano and more.
21 Reviews
James Hammel & Friends were perfect for what we needed. The music selection was ideal, and the quality of the group was exceptional.
Easy Listening Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Singer
James & Friends were great! Several guests said it was the best rehearsal dinner they've ever attended. James and the guys played a huge part in making my party such a success! I would absolutely book them again and again if I lived in the area! Thank you for helping to make the evening one I'll always remember! (I hope my two pictures uploaded)
Jazz Band
Response from James Hammel & Friends:
Thank you so much, Debbie!
James Hammel & Friends played for our local wedding reception and we could not have picked a more perfect band for the occasion. They are very talented musicians and were extremely professional throughout the evening. I would highly recommend James Hammel & Friends.
Jazz Band, Jazz Singer
Professional, talented, and reliable
Singing Guitarist
Photos from this event
We loved James!!! He was absolutely amazing and flexible. Thank you for a fantastic welcome party.
Jazz Guitarist, Jazz Singer
Everything was perfect!
Jazz Band
Response from James Hammel & Friends:
Thank you, Angela! It was a beautiful evening at your house snd your guests weee wonderful. Happy birthday to David!
James and his friends performed at our company Christmas party. They looked and sounded amazing! James offered some wonderful recommendations to improve the quality of the music and work with the spirit and energy of the event. 10/10, will GLADLY book again!
Jazz Band
If you like Jazzy Pop style music, you'll really like James. Played a good mix of music. Really an excellent guitarist and vocalist. I thought his sound live was even better than the recording on his website. He played a Birthday party for us, and was engaged with the group throughout his set. James played a couple that he wrote as well, which were really good too. After the party, he took a little time to mingle with the group as well. Very nice performance and very personable. I highly recommend.
Jazz Guitarist, Jazz Singer
Response from James Hammel & Friends:
Thank you for the wonderful review, Phillip. I truly enjoyed playing and singing for Noel, you and the other guests. It was great to hang with you at end as well.
Best regards and Haply Holidays!
James
First time meeting James , delightful and extremely talented .. we had a small gathering for my birthday 🥳.. his song choices were excellent and he respectfully played perfectly so you can enjoy his music and still have conversations with your guests ..just a delightful evening all in all .. I am definitely booking him for our next event !!
Great job James !!!’ 😊
Singing Guitarist
James Hammel & Friends are the most perfect band for any occasion! They played at our wedding. Their jazzy, funky, contemporary vibe was timeless. Every age group could relate. All the band members were professional and kind and incredibly talented. We will hire them again and again for future entertainment and always recommended them. They are worth their weight in gold—hands down! So incredibly pleased!
Jazz Band
We will be booking James again! Wonderful
Easy Listening Band
James was such a hit at my dad’s birthday party - he played a variety of different types of music from Blues to Jazz to Pop. Incredibly talented. Thank you, James!
Jazz Guitarist, Jazz Singer, Pop Singer, Singing Guitarist
Response from James Hammel & Friends:
Emma,
Thank you for the rating. I truly enjoyed meeting your family and friends and thank you for having me perform.
Merry Christmas!
James
James was so easy to work with and his sound was PERFECT for our small corporate event. He received rave reviews from the guests before the party was even over! I highly recommend James and hope we have an opportunity to hear his whole ensemble in the future.
Guitarist, Singing Guitarist
Response from James Hammel & Friends:
Thank you for having me, Alison. It was a wonderful evening. Thank you for y our kind words as well. Hope to see you soon. ~James
James has a wonderful voice and does a great job with the guitar!
Singing Guitarist
We are so pleased. It just couldn't have been any better! He has such a lovely voice. James is very low maintenance and made it so easy to plan and coordinate the event. We highly recommend him without any reservations.
Singing Guitarist
On time, professional, easy to work with and hit the right chord with our audience. Would use again!
Singing Guitarist
James was professional, showed up on time and our members really seemed to enjoy his music. He communicated in a timely fashion and reached out to confirm the event. We look forward to having him back!
One Man Band
It was a great night, and we did enjoy James performance.
Singing Guitarist
Booking Info
Price Range: $350 to $7,000
Gig Length: 30 - 600 minutes
Languages: English
What to Expect
James Hammel (and James Hammel & Friends) are true professionals and excel at meeting the needs of each of our clients. Our song list includes a very diverse music list including jazz standards from the Great American Song book, Latin standards, pop, blues, and rock (see our Song List). With over 200 songs, we can easily customize our song list for the client and give them exactly what they need, regardless of genre). Each performance hour includes about 15 songs so we have enough music for many hours. The priority is always laying out a song list and customize it to the needs of the client.
We can perform as background music, or have us choreograph our performance to engage the audience thought the event. We even do thematic shows such as a Sinatra focused song list, jazz only, pop only, or a Latin-focused show. We have a Holiday Xmas book as well.
While James usually performs with a beautifully sounding electric guitar, he can add/mix in acoustic steel-string guitar and/or even nylon string guitar. Again, we strive to meet the clients needs and choreograph the gig accordingly.
The performance can range from 1 song for a ceremony to hours for songs for en extended event. We do customize events and learn specific songs requested by the client. Generally, there is an extra charge for creating arrangements ($150 to $200 per song).
We supply a backline that includes all amps, PA (if needed), microphones, music and mic stands, cabling, song books and more. We require AC power for our equipment. The space we occupy is based on the size of the group (solo, duo, trio, quartet, etc.). We do not have lighting systems or other equipment that is designed to make shows unique (fog machines, etc.). We can supply a sound man and board if needed (for larger events) for a fee. Threatening weather conditions like lightning, thunder storms, rain, snow always have an impact on our show setup and we cannot allow instruments or electric equipment to get wet.
We do not allow members of the client's audience to use any instruments. We are completely fine if the client wants to use our microphone(s) during the event for announcements. We are also fine if a client has a vocalist who might sing a song or two. If they have a musician that wants to perform they must bring their own instruments and gear. We can't allow people who have consumed alcohol to be on the stage at any time.
We arrive for solo gig setup is at least 1/2 hour before the gig commences. For duo, trio quartet, or other band formats, we require at least 1 hour and prefer 1 1/2 hours, especially when a drummer needs to setup.
We take breaks on the hour and will take 10-15 minutes for each break. We appreciate, if the client is serving food, that the musicians can have a meal.
About
About James Hammel Singer Songwriter and Guitarist
Some musicians are born with stories to tell. James Hammel has performed his songs at The Metropolitan Room, a renowned NYC jazz and cabaret club, and The Bitter End, one of the top pop songwriter venues worldwide, and even the US Open Tennis Championships. A student of the jazz guitar great, Sal Salvador, Hammel has spent decades honing his voice and guitar work.
James’ music is a soulful, jazz-inspired mix of singing and guitar filled with great energy and expression! His music is a mix of jazz, pop, blues, rock and originals. Fans of James' vocal sound, style, and interpretation say his voice captures Sting's sensitivity, the class and touch of Michael Buble, the cleverness of Michael Franks, the innocence of Chet Baker, and the playfulness of John Pizzarelli.
James performs solo or with a duo, trio or a full band (up to 8 pieces). Much of the feel of his shows include wonderfully arranged jazz standards, pop and blues, and beautiful originals.
As a songwriter, James was a finalist in the Great American Song Contest and has an original song charted on Billboard's Top 500.
James lives in Back Mountain, NC (near Asheville) and performs regularly in the area. He plays at Asheville at venues such as ISIS, The Altamont Theater, Biltmore Estate, Omini Grove Park Inn, The Classic Wineseller, and at select Private Events.
From --Roy Sander, Critic and Columnist (formerly of Back Stage and Citysearch):
"On stage, James Hammel is at once completely natural and artfully focused, a rare combination. He gets to the core of each song with easy grace and understated eloquence."
He is frequently ranked the #1 or #2 jazz musician in the Asheville area by Reverbnation.
Please also visit our website.
Additional Booking Notes
Each gig us unique and has its own requirements and we customize our musical performance based ont he clients needs.
We do not supply lighting or other unique performance gear such as fog systems, bubble makers, etc.