Harrison Jazz Ensemble
- Clearwater, FL
- Jazz Band
- 41 Verified Bookings
Gianmario M. said “Roger is awesome to work with, super communicative, timely and professional. He was able to provide all details upfront, worked with me to finalize all…”
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We have been providing top-quality period-style music since 1994, ranging from ragtime, 1920s hot jazz music (think Great Gatsby or Boardwalk Empire), 1930s nightclub (Fred and Ginger, anyone?), classic Big Band swing music from the 1930s and 1940s (a la Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington) and Rat-Pack style music of the 1950s and 1960s (think Sinatra, Martin, Darin, etc.). Our group sizes range from a soloist to trios and quartets, and all the way up to a 20-piece big band!
Be the first to review Mora's Modern Music
Price Range: Contact for rates
Gig Length: 60 - 240 minutes
Languages: English
Unions: AFM
MORA'S MODERN MUSIC is the provider of some of the most accomplished vintage-styled big bands in the music world; their specialization of performing authentic versions of popular American dance band music of the Ragtime era to the Rat-Pack era has garnered many fans from around the U.S. and abroad.
The group is the brainchild of Los Angeles-area pianist Dean Mora, whose interest in this era was forged early on as a child (he saw the movie “The Sting” when he was 11, and was instantly hooked) and has endeavored to bring this almost-forgotten music back to life, using period-published arrangements as well as transcriptions from original recordings. He formed his band (then named Mora’s Modern Rhythmists) in 1994, and after releasing their first CD, “My Favorite Band!”, the group was booked at the legendary Hollywood Derby nightclub as the resident Monday-night house band, where they remained for three years, prompting legions of dancers to rediscover some of the dance steps popular during this period, such as the Collegiate Shag, the Balboa, and the Charleston.
Following their engagement at the Derby, the band has since played at many other venues, such as The Wiltern Theatre, The Hollywood Palladium, The Avalon Casino Ballroom (Catalina Island), the Blossom Room of The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the historic Biltmore Hotel and Argyle Hotel, the Wilshire Ebell Club, The Hollywood Athletic Club, The Orpheum Theatre, The Los Angeles Theatre, The Alex Theatre, The Million Dollar Theatre, The Jazz Bakery, The Oviatt Building, The Queen Mary, and The Cicada Club. Special events have included the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats series, the Art Deco Society’s 1929 Wall St. Crash Bash and Speakeasy Soiree, the premiere party of A&E Network’s feature movie “The Great Gatsby”, as well as numerous corporate and private functions, including events held at both the Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon Libraries. The band also had the honor of performing several times at New York's Lincoln Center as part of their “Midsummer Night Swing” dance series.
Corporate and institutional clients have included Easter Seals, Caltech, Occidental College, Pasadena Arts Alliance, Fort MacArthur Military Museum, The Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Hollywood Heritage, NBC/Universal Studios, and celebrity clients ranging from Steven Spielberg to DJ Skrillex.
The band has also participated in various music festivals, such as the Sweet and Hot Classic Jazz Festival, the SoCal Jazzfest, the Dixieland-By-The-Sea festival, and the Big Bear Jazz Festival. In the concert arena, the group had presented an all-Duke Ellington program for the Pasadena Jazz Institute’s “Tribute To The Masters” concert series, as well as a similar program at the Performing Arts Center of California State University, Northridge, as well as special concerts at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. The band has also performed at various outdoor public concerts, including those for the cities of Burbank, Manhattan Beach, Pasadena, Santa Fe Springs, Pico Rivera, and Culver City, and at the Levitt Pavilion in MacArthur Park.
Dean has released 6 CDs to date, and will be working on another album scheduled for release later in 2015.
Gianmario M. said “Roger is awesome to work with, super communicative, timely and professional. He was able to provide all details upfront, worked with me to finalize all…”
Paige K. said “This band is extremely talented, dressed appropriately for the event, and were also wonderful to our guests. We highly recommend them and look forward…”
Jonathan J. said “Great job! Very professional and willing to be flexible!”
Andrea S. said “These distinguished musicians played at a recent fundraiser in our synagogue and were truly outstanding. They can play any style of music and varied their…”