About this vendor
From the beginning to the end, we will work with you to help create the perfect affair for you & your guests. We perform a very wide range of music, Swing to Top 40, from Motown to Smooth Jazz, Dixieland, Funk, R& B, Rock & Roll The Craig Satchell Experience", does it all!! We can provide outstanding music for your wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception.
BIO -
Craig Satchell began playing the piano at the age of seven. His grandmother in Pennsylvania got him started on her piano, and later his parents brought him his own piano that he’s played ever since.
He began playing with an R&B band in high school, while also studying and immersing himself in all aspects of jazz. After high school, in his 20’s he began playing as a “Piano Man” at popular restaurants and private affairs in and around the Philadelphia area. He has been the artist in residence at Bistro Romano for over 26 years and comes highly recommended by Michael Renatto, restaurant owner and fine wine / events entrepreneur.
The Craig Satchell Experience has performed music at venues such as The Philadelphia Cricket Club, The Hotel Du Pont, The Ritz Carlton, The Hotel Bellevue, The College Of Physicians, The Chadds Ford Winery, and many other venues, restaurants, parties and weddings for over 35 years. He also has been playing the piano at Bistro Romano for over 26 years doing a repertoire that consists of music from the 1920s to the present. As an accomplished band leader, Craig has orchestrated the 3-11 piece ensemble to do all styles of music including: John Legend, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Frank Sinatra, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, George & Ira Gershwin, Kenny G, Louis Armstrong, Sade and Michael Buble to name a few.
He can offer you a different jazz duo or trio with a vocalist to an eleven piece ensemble depending upon the musical ambience you want.
Sax, keyboard, & bassTrumpet, keyboard, & bassKeyboard, bass, & drumsFemale vocalist, keyboard, & bass.
Details
Business Attributes
- Black-owned Business
Instruments
- Cello
- Flute
- Guitar
- Harp
- Keyboard
- Percussion
Music Genres
- Classical
- Dance
- Disco
- Jazz
- Pop
- R&B
Music Services
- Live Music
- MC Services
- Sound Equipment
Wedding Activities
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
- Ceremony
- Reception
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.9
out of 5.019 reviews
- Top reviews
- Newest first
- Oldest first
- Highest rated
- Lowest rated
Sort by
Craig and his band played at my engagement party. Not only was he punctual and professional, his band was incredible. Music volume was perfect and set the tone for the entire party. 100% would hire again.
We hired the Craig Satchell team for music for our dinner and reception, and we loved having live music in the atmosphere. We've received feedback from our guests that were unpleased with the volume of the music and problems hearing the speeches. I also had communication issues through our emails before the event that lead to scheduling conflicts throughout the evening which were disappointing. We enjoyed the music, they're talented musicians, and having live music was special, but the other issues lead to a lower rating.
Craig is wonderful to work with. He was helpful, flexible, and patient - especially throughout our bouts of indecision. After a few great recommendations based on our preferences, we opted for classical guitar for the ceremony, a 4 piece Dixieland band for cocktail hour, and a 7 piece band for the reception. Yep - if you dream of a instrument/vocal combo, then Craig can probably make it happen. We selected the ceremony and first dance songs then trusted Craig to take over the playlist for every moment in between. The crew was so fun and sounded amazing at our wedding. It was really nice having live music that all our friends and family could enjoy. We are very happy with The Craig Satchell Experience and still have friends mentioning how much they liked our wedding band. Bonus: Craig also has a nice MC voice!
They were an awesome fit for my daughter’s wedding. Perfectly professional, arrived in plenty of time to set up and get sound checks done before they started. Craig made sure to get all song requests and genres well in advance of the event, and flexible to add some last minute on the job requests as well.
They were the perfect balance to set the mood as communicated prior to the wedding. I would totally use them again!
Craig Satchell Jazz Band made our wedding reception really special. They accommodated many special requests - added a couple songs that weren't already in their repitoire, did a married couples anniversary dance, and let us select the entire set list. They did a great job emceeing the event. Craig responds to emails almost immediately. The whole band played and dressed professionally. They even allowed my wife to sing along for one of the songs. Price was totally reasonable for a 6 person band, no additional charge to drive almost an hour for us. Sound/volume was appropriate. Loads more fun than a DJ, Craig Satchell will take your wedding to the next level!
I had always a jazz band at my wedding reception, and Craig Satchell's band delivered! Their music selection was perfect as we greeted guests at our reception. The band was very professional and wonderful to work with.
Craig gave our cocktail hour a classy and elegant touch! He played upbeat music that set the tone for the rest of the evening, keeping guest's spirits up! He provides you with an extensive list of music to choose from with every genre and era imaginable! In my experience, I had faith in Craig in the music he wanted to play but simply wanted it to be upbeat! Highly recommend!
We hired the Craig Satchell Experience for our wedding in Sept '16 and were absolutely FLOORED. We were looking for a big band feel heavy on Motown, Funk and Classic Rock, with some newer Top 40 hits mixed in, and the playlist that Craig constructed did not disappoint! The entire 9 piece band was prompt, completely self-sufficient, extraordinarily pleasant, and kept literally every wedding guest (grandparents included) on their feet from dinner's end and into the wee hours of the morning. Several of our guests, including the head caterer and several of her staff, went so far as to say this was the best wedding band they've seen (NOT an exaggeration). We STRONGLY recommend this band for any event where you're looking to appeal to a broad audience and keep them moving all night long. My hats off to Craig and his band - 5 stars well deserved.
Wow... Craig Satchell and his band (a trio for our wedding) delivered 100%!! Their jazz sounds created the perfect atmosphere during the first 2 hours of our reception. Our guests couldn't say enough great things about the music.
Craig worked with us ahead of time to uniquely create a song list that worked for taste. He was always available if we had any questions before our big day. He's really a stand-up, professional musician who can be counted on - with no worries at all. We'd love to work with him again, if we need music at a party in the future.
We were looking for a classic jazz sound for our ceremony and cocktail time at our wedding, thankfully we found The Craig Satchell Jazz Experience online! Since we live in San Francisco, my in-laws went to see Craig Satchell play piano at a restaurant in Philadelphia and they loved him! I reached out to him to get more information. Craig got back to me right away and we were really excited to work with him. We asked if they could play some more current songs, I didn't know what to expect, but we were blown away! They even learned and wrote music to some pop songs that we really liked and made them into the jazz version. We absolutely loved the music at our ceremony and cocktail time. Our guests really enjoyed it too! Craig and his fellow band members are very talented and have a great fun sound! It felt so special that they played our favorite pop songs in a classic way! We loved the music so much in fact that we are paying to have them record the 6 songs for us! We absolutely cannot wait to hear them again. They really exceeded our expectations! I need to plan another party to hire The Craig Satchell Jazz Experience!
Craig and his band are hands-down the most entertaining, swinging jazz band in the area. He was so helpful to us in planning the songs and even learned a few new songs just for us. If you're looking for a quality jazz ensemble, look no further!
The Craig Satchell experience played at our November, 2012 wedding at the Audubon Center at Mill Grove. From the very beginning, Craig was incredibly easy to work with, responsive, and friendly-- he is a true professional. And we also can't say enough good things about the band- they had everyone up and dancing at our afternoon wedding! My husband and I are so grateful they were part of our wedding day and we can't recommend them highly enough!
Mr. Satchell played jazz piano at our wedding cocktail hour, and it really helped add a special touch. He is incredibly talented, he was very professional, and our guests loved the live music. I would highly recommend him!
The Craig Satchell Jazz Ensemble made the atmosphere simply perfect. So many people commented on how wonderful the music was, and they read the crowd perfectly. All the musicians were incredibly nice and Craig was very easy to work with and very receptive to songs we wanted to include. The dinner music was low-key but upbeat, and the dance music was fantastic-we had guests of all ages and everyone was able to dance to everything. People raved. Better than I could have ever hoped for.
I just had my wedding on Sunday August 19th, 2012 and the Craig Satchell Jazz Ensemble played jazz during our cocktail hour. They were absolutely OUTSTANDING. They played smooth jazz that was upbeat and celebratory! They added the perfect level of class to an already beautiful event. I kept getting compliments during and after the reception. Even though I was the bride, and I couldn't come out until we were announced, I was so happy that I got to hear some of their set before they ended while I was waiting behind the stage.
For all the brides (or anyone who is planning an event) who would like something different at their wedding that EVERYONE will enjoy, definitely choose the Craig Satchell Jazz Ensemble! Craig, himself, is very professional, prompt, and amazing to work with. I can't say enough about him. They have so many talented members from which you can choose! From the Jazz Trio, to the Quartet, to the lovely singers. No matter which package you choose, you'll definitely be satisfied!
Even though I won't have another wedding anytime soon (*fingers crossed* :-), I will for sure use Craig Satchell and his Jazz Ensemble again for events I plan in the future.
A BIG THANKS GOES OUT TO THE CRAIG SATCHELL JAZZ ENSEMBLE FOR MAKING MY SPECIAL DAY ABSOLUTELY SPEACTACULAR!
This band was incredible, and the reception what it was. They played music everyone loved, and gave the whole reception a classy, 1940's feeling. Many guests have said the band was their favorite thing.
Craig Satchell was fantastic to work with. He played everything we wanted and even learned a new piece for our wedding. He responded to e-mails very fast and was very easy to talk to on the phone.
His prices were great. I would recommend him to anyone.
Mr. Satchell was perfect and he is still getting rave reviews from our guest. He was awesome and we will recommend him to others for future events. Well done!!!
Craig was very easy to work with and he had a trumpet player with him to add a classical elegance to the ceremony. My friend Gloria provided the vocals.
Contact
The Tri-State Area
Wedding Bands
The Craig Satchell Experience's photos