About this vendor
You spent a year planning every detail. The one thing you can't rehearse is whether the dance floor actually fills. That is the part we live for.
Blue Avenue Groove is a funk, soul and Motown band built for NYC weddings, playing everything from the classics to today's hits. Book us and you plan your night directly with someone in the band, not a salesperson at a corporate agency booking desk. You work with a musician who actually performs, knows the music, and shapes the set around your day.
The band scales from 6 to 12 pieces with male and female lead vocals, plus a full horn section of sax, trumpet and trombone. A solo, duo or trio plays your ceremony, a jazz combo carries cocktail hour, and the full band turns your reception into a room where your college friends and your grandparents dance to the same song. We build your night from a 200+ song catalog across Motown, soul, funk, R&B, pop, rock and jazz, and we learn your first dance and must-plays.
Over a decade in, we have played The Plaza, Gotham Hall, the Mandarin Oriental, the Met Museum, the New York Botanical Garden and The Rockleigh, along with lofts and ballrooms across the city, and traveled as far as Tulum, Mexico. We cover the five boroughs plus Westchester, Long Island, the Hudson Valley, New Jersey and destination weddings.
Reception packages start at $8,000, and most NYC weddings land between $10,000 and $14,000. Our calendar fills early, so message us here while your date is open and we'll tell you if it's free.
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Instruments
- Guitar
- Keyboard
- Percussion
- Piano
- Saxophone
- Trombone
Music Genres
- Dance
- Jazz
- Pop
- R&B
- Rock
Music Services
- Live Music
- MC Services
- Recorded Music
- Sound Equipment
Wedding Activities
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
- Ceremony
- Reception
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Reviews
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you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.024 reviews
Book 'em. BAG was the highlight of what was already a highlight of our lives. Due to covid and a tight timeline of booking vendors, we weren't able to see the band live beforehand....
We went by their impressive demos and had some wonderful calls with Pam and Will. Day of-they exceeded our expectations with every song. They are pros and perfect examples of why a BAND is the best at a wedding.
We can’t say enough about Blue Avenue Groove! We heard them live a few weeks after we got engaged and immediately knew we had to book them. Working with Pam was a breeze. The band ...
is so talented and everyone kept coming up to us throughout our wedding to tell us how incredible they were. 10/10 recommend!
They were beyond phenomenal. Everyone at the wedding was asking where we found this band and their name. They performed with enthusiasm and great talent that really brought the who...
le wedding together. Thank you for being so spectacular!
As a musician myself, I was particularly focused on getting the music for my son's wedding just right knowing how important the quality of the band is to the overall success of a w...
edding reception. Accordingly, I did extensive "homework" on checking out literally dozens of bands before finally deciding on Blue Ave Groove. First I asked other musicians who they recommended, then I spoke to savvy colleagues who went to weddings and were impressed with the music. Finally, I listened to many bands online. It was hands-down Blue Ave Groove as a choice and I am really happy I went with both instinct and an empiric sense of what would work best.
We had an eight-piece ensemble which was ideal for the venue. They covered a wide range of genres from old American song-book standards, to R&B, soul, Motown, folk and blues rock, contemporary hits, ethnic-favorites (Hora), ballades and did so with a blend of great enthusiasm, high quality arrangements, charismatic and engaged vocals and a sense of tailoring the music to the crowd. It was a professional give and take with the wedding guests especially after dinner where there was a steady set of non-stop dance music with most of the guests on the floor and crazily enthusiastic. Blue Ave. Groove learned the requested bride-groom, father-bride and mother-groom songs beautifully; actually better than the originals. The members of the band were young, highly gifted musicians with really good technical and musical skills. The piano-sax duo at the extended cocktail hour were well versed in be-bop improv as evidenced by a great riff on a Charlie Parker request.
Pam as the lead singer bolstered by Justin another amazingly charismatic singer were perfect as the front line interface to the guests. Their sound engineer insured the right volume level. All too frequently especially with DJs and many bands, the decibel level is painful and disruptive and can ruin a party. The sound was absolutely perfect for the hall and my somewhat overly-discriminating musician friends were quite impressed with how they kept the acoustic adjustments just perfect.
In short, this is the band to hire for your venue. Versatility, energy, enthusiasm, charisma, talent both musically and technically coupled with great arrangements, and soulfulness made for a fabulous and unforgettable wedding reception. A+++
We had a destination wedding in Manhattan, N.Y. at the Mandarin Oriental. Our online review of several bands came down to our final selection, Blue Avenue Groove. Selection was bas...
ed upon price, flexibility, and quality. I worked with Pam Steebler; she was stellar in her response time, and extremely helpful throughout the process. She coordinated easily with the Mandarin regarding logistics for the wedding day, to include lighting and directional flow of events.
On the wedding day, we had a 2-man group during the cocktail hour, and an 11-man group for the reception. This 11-man group included saxophone, trumpets, drums and guitar. There were three vocalists - all spectacular! The energy of the performers was contagious, and the guests danced until the party ended sadly at 10 PM. During one song, the whole dance floor was full, and the floor was shaking so much the table flowers were also jumping! Everyone told us this was the best band they had ever heard at a wedding. So, while I rarely write reviews, I felt very strongly to share this experience with you, in generous thanks to Pam and her professionals.
Couldn't have had a better choice for our wedding! From our first conversation with Pam through a night of glorious dancing and jamming, Blue Avenue Groove was a great partner in m...
aking sure that the evening was a party. The songs we asked them to learn for us sounded beautiful, and we really appreciated that they were so open to focusing on funk/r&b/classics (rather than the usual wedding setlists). Do yourself a favor and check them out!
We hired blue ave groove for our wedding in Brooklyn in late Sept 2023. We were extremely happy with the choice! Their music quality & performance was amazing- we had so many frien...
ds and family come up to us during and after that they were the best wedding bad they had heard! Really liked that they played fun current music. They were extremely adaptable to our song request, and Pam was super great to work with & plan everything out. Really made the process so easy. A 10 out of 10.
A truly exceptional wedding band. Not only were they extremely easy to work with from day 1 to the actually wedding date, they are immensely talented! They made it easy to tell the...
m our music preferences and have a wide range of songs. We also made a few song requests which they absolutely nailed (and brought down the house). Could not recommend this band highly enough!!
I am so happy that we chose the Blue Avenue Groove as our wedding band!!! There was non-stop dancing the entire night thanks to the band being extremely talented!!! Everyone (all a...
ges) was getting down on the d-floor, it was truly too much fun. Leading up to the big day/night, the band manager, Pam was super attentive and helpful. She would check in with me and was always very quick to respond to any questions I asked and was overall super supportive throughout the process. The band played "must plays", avoided the "do not play", and met the energy and vibe of our guests seamlessly. They were professional rock stars and I'm so happy that we hired them. Hopefully I won't need to...but if I ever have a second wedding..I'll hire them all over again!!!!! :) 10/10 five stars.
We hired Blue Ave Groove for both our wedding ceremony and reception and we were blown away by their professionalism and performances. They truly made the evening with their non st...
op energy and hits. The band’s manager Pam is also great to work with and extremely responsive! 10/10 recommend hiring them for your big day! You will not be disappointed!!
Blue Avenue Groove played at our wedding earlier this month and we’re INCREDIBLE!! The dance floor was filled the entire night!! Our guests had such an amazing time and a big part ...
of that is thanks to this band! The singers and musicians sounded absolutely amazing! Many guests said it’s the best band they’ve ever heard/seen at a wedding!! I can’t say enough good things about them!
Do you want your guests to have fun at your wedding? Do you want everyone on the dance floor, telling you all night that how incredible the band is? Hire Blue Avenue Groove. They w...
ill knock your socks off with their music, the singers are unbelievable, the musicians are total professionals. They're responsive and will cater to your needs. They even let me sit in with them for a few songs on guitar. They brought the house down and I can honestly say it was the best time I've ever had. Stop reading this and hire them already!
I cannot recommend Blue Avenue Groove enough! They were amazing! My husband and I got married in November and a month later everyone we see is still telling us how great the ban...
d was. The thing I hear most often is "they are not a typical wedding band" and trust me, that is a compliment. They bring a unique and refreshing vibe to the whole wedding and they read the crowd, and had everyone dancing from our three year old nephew to grandparents. In addition to the excellent performance at the wedding, the planning and communication with Will was easy and stress free. Will is quick to reply and listens to your question, requests and details. Do yourself and your guests a favor and book Blue Avenue Groove. You will not be disappointed!
We cannot recommend Blue Avenue Groove enough. Our guests cannot stop talking about this band and our friends already want to book them at their next wedding! Will was helpful an...
d professional throughout the entire process. More importantly, the vocalists & instrumentalists were out of this world. They played Motown for our wedding but also threw in some unexpected hits that people loved - Whitney Houston and even Queen. They also played our ceremony and were able to learn all of the classical pieces. We loved having them at our wedding and wish that we could do it all again!
I can't recommend Blue Avenue Groove highly enough... there is not one person in our 110 guests who didn't rave about the band. And I mean RAVE! We chose the 8 piece band, and the...
ir song list was absolutely perfect for us. We had everyone from 3 year olds and 80 year olds dancing all night to Reggae, funk, pop and R&B spanning the 60's through today. Ultimately, we chose Blue Avenue Groove because as we were making the decisions about music for our reception, they gave us the kind of attention the larger corporate companies just can't provide. We had no idea they were as good as they turned out to be... Do yourselves a favor and book em before they book your date. If they book your date, it's worth changing your date (assuming they're still available on the alternate)
This band was the highlight of the wedding for our guests. First of all, of all the cover bands I’ve ever heard, these guys have the strongest musicianship and really has a knack f...
or reading their crowd. Live music was very important for my husband and I, so we searched long and hard for the “right” vibe that didn’t feel cheesy or too corporate. Blue Ave had the perfect mix of funk, soul, and just downright killer musical talent. My dad is a drummer and the band allowed him to sit in on two songs which was truly a gift not only to him, but to me. Sami Stevens was on lead vocals and literally all weekend, all of our guests kept asking “where in the world did you find that girl? Her voice is unbelievable!!?”
I honestly cannot say enough good things about each and every member of the band. We had the best night ever and our friends and family were not only impressed, but thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I saw family members dancing that I’ve never seen on the dance floor before...that’s how you know it was an overwhelming success! Thank you x10000 to Alison (sax player) for coordinating everything and keeping us excited throughout the planning process. If we had it to do all over again, we would book this band every single time. Money well spent...but a priceless experience.
This band was truly what a 5 star review is made of, they were "The best ever!" I cannot describe the energy, talent, and absolutely incredible music that Blue Avenue Groove brough...
t to our wedding day. Allison, the band manager and badass sax player, was wonderful to work with and even took videos for us at a wedding prior to us booking so that we had a chance to see them in action (outside of the studio). She was accommodating at every turn and helped us to create a 9 piece band that blew us away, a cocktail hour trio that delighted our guests, and found musicians for the ceremony that were out of this world. Our wedding would not have been the same without this incredible group of musicians who made the wedding what it was. Our guests never left the dance floor all night and I have friends who are actually now planning their weddings around the availability of Blue Avenue Groove. I have received countless videos of Jonathan and Sammie from my guests who still cannot get over the talent that was in that room. I cannot thank this incredible band enough!
Will and his band were an absolute BLAST at the wedding! They're extremely talented and sing with soul. We fell in love with them at a friend's wedding and knew we absolutely had t...
o have them at ours. Will was very responsive throughout the entire process (even when abroad) and was a pleasure to work with. They performed with such energy that kept everyone dancing on the dance floor all day. We were super happy with them and highly recommend for any wedding or event!
My daughter and her (now) husband are professional musicians, and half of the guests at their wedding would be serious musicians, so it was important to get a first-rate band -- wh...
ich Blue Avenue Groove was, and more. They were -- by far -- the best band I have ever heard at a wedding. More than being excellent musicians, they energized the whole crowd, which ranged from a five-year old, who could not stop dancing, to post-70s folks, who had not danced in years. People have been telling us ever since the wedding what a great band Blue Avenue Groove is. Do yourself a favor and hire them.
Five stars are too few for a band as talented as Blue Avenue Groove!! Their music was the highlight of our wedding and booking them was the best decision we made. We had a lot of t...
rouble finding a band that was willing to stray a little bit from the classic wedding tunes - that is, a band capable of prioritizing rock music, without sacrificing a healthy mix of pop, funk, and Motown. We had almost given up hope, until a friend recommended Blue Avenue Groove. Immediately after speaking with their band leader (and talented bass guitarist), Will Kencel, we knew we found what we were looking for! From the beginning, the band was incredibly flexible and easy to work with. They offered a range of ensemble sizes and options. We ended up booking an eight-piece band (including male and female singers) for the reception and a trio for the cocktail hour, and the price was beyond reasonable for what we received in return. Will was incredibly receptive to learning multiple special requests, and even emailed us a preliminary setlist to tweak and edit. Our guests were blown away by their sound and their style, especially their amazing singers, and the feedback was universally positive. The band’s energy kept people dancing all night - no one wanted to miss a song!
If you’re reading this, stop what you’re doing and book Blue Avenue Groove for your wedding!! You will be forever happy with your decision. Don’t delay! The soundtrack to your big day will be exactly as you envision it. We cannot thank them enough!!!
I can't say enough about Blue Avenue Groove. They were AMAZING! Our family and friends cannot stop raving about the music at our wedding. My husband and I are music aficionados and...
Blue Avenue Groove knocked it out of the park. We booked them for the cocktail hour, reception and ceremony for our 90 guests wedding in Brooklyn. They even accommodated our song requests, which of course were some of the most challenging pieces of music ever written. Blue Avenue Groove outperformed bands that cost twice as much, and gave us a really personalized and unique musical experience. Highly recommended!
We can't say enough about Blue Avenue Groove. The group played our Wedding in July and it was a great event. Our guests couldn't stop talking about the band and most came up to u...
s afterwards to tell us how much they enjoyed the music. The group is made up of outstanding musicians, their two lead singers Jonathan and Sami are nothing short of amazing, and they really groove. Will was great to work with, he was all over the the event details- ran by set lists ahead of time with us to craft a great lineup of soul/funk/R&B classics with a few newer tunes thrown in, and was happy to have my husband (a drummer) sit in for a number of songs which delighted the crowd! If you book Blue Avenue Groove for your Wedding you won't be disappointed.
I hired Blue Avenue Group for my wedding in NYC. They were really amazing. They played a great mix of jazz, instrumental for the cocktail hour and then some really great rock, top ...
40 and motown numbers when the dancing really took off. Numerous people complemented me on the band and they were asked repeatedly for encores. Great band. Could not recommend them more.
I have hired this band for several events and have been thrilled with their performances. The band's musical talents are among the best that I have seen in weddings that I have a...
ttended from New York City to Palm Beach. Their repertoire is broad, from jazz to Motown. The singer is electric and engages the crowd so that everyone is on their feet and having fun in no time.
Contact
NYC, NJ, LI, Westch/HV/CT, and SF/Sonoma
Blue Avenue Groove