Last-minute wedding reception music - HELP!

August 16, 2008 10:34 AM

We're looking for dinner music for our wedding reception in a week! More behind the cut...

The wedding/reception is next Saturday. We're looking for some good suggestions for jazz/bluesy type music over the dinner hours. Our DJ has been less than helpful throughout the entire process(we're providing over half the evening's music), his dinner music 'isn't in the online database', and he has a couple 'crooner' cds that he generally uses. My hubby and I are a little more picky than the DJ seems to understand, and would like to sample songs, instead of the DJ picking random music. I'd 86 the DJ but with a hefty deposit and a week to go, it's not possible. What IS possible, is for us to provide him a CD with what WE want to hear. We just don't know where to start. Help? :)

Thanks, MeFites!

posted by irishkitten to Media & Arts (16 answers total)

Rhapsody in Blue. At least that's one that we're using at ours next Saturday :)
congrats!
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 10:51 AM on August 16, 2008

Response by poster: Oh wow, right back at you! :) Hope everything goes smoothly for you!
posted by irishkitten at 10:53 AM on August 16, 2008

Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," and Joshua Redman's "Boogielastic."
posted by nkknkk at 10:59 AM on August 16, 2008

Oh, yeah, Take Five is one of those that everybody knows, but doesn't know the name of...except me and NkkNkk. How about the instrumental soundtrack to a favorite movie?
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 11:05 AM on August 16, 2008

billie holliday: "cheek to cheek", "all of you"

"let's stay together", al green

"what a wonderful world" most canonically, the louis armstrong version or the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole mashup with 'over the rainbow' (if you want to go for a less famous version, maybe the tony bennet/k d lang duet version? they also do a version of "la vie en rose")

more:
"black is the color of my true love's hair", nina simone; "ain't that a kick in the head", dean martin; "the book of love" by the magnetic fields; "sunshine of my life", stevie wonder; "night and day", ella fitzgerald or any number of other performers; "let's do it (let's fall in love)", also done by ella fitzgerald or any number of other performers or off the "tank girl" soundtrack if you want to shake it up a bit (okay, maybe not)
posted by rmd1023 at 11:07 AM on August 16, 2008

Response by poster: Well, we initially met in ... Final Fantasy Online. There are actually a few songs from the soundtrack(instrumental) that we could get away with integrating into it... and a couple other soundtrack songs we have in mind.

Take Five, definitely recognize it, and never knew the name. Suggestions are excellent so far, thank you!

(Out for a couple of hours but please, keep em coming! Thank you!!)
posted by irishkitten at 11:14 AM on August 16, 2008

Anything from Miles Davis's Kind of Blue would work for sure, especially "Blue in Green" and "Flamenco Sketches." Also, "My Ship" from Miles Ahead would do nicely, I think.
posted by saladin at 11:20 AM on August 16, 2008

I agree with the many great suggestions above. If you're interested in something with vocals, I would suggest checking out Madeleine Peyroux's albums.
posted by katemcd at 11:32 AM on August 16, 2008

Bebel Gilberto's music has a nice feel that would be appropriate and welcome at a wedding. Vince Guraldi, too -- yes, the guy who wrote "Linus and Lucy", but some of his non-Peanuts albums have appropriate music. I'm especially fond of his song "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" and his arrangement of "Moon River".
posted by pxe2000 at 1:58 PM on August 16, 2008

Joe Sample.
posted by netbros at 2:05 PM on August 16, 2008

Seconding Madeleine Peyroux, and adding Sophie Milman, Diana Krall, and Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
posted by pised at 4:51 PM on August 16, 2008

Saxophone Colossus (album) by Sonny Rollins would be great played kinda faintly. Seconding Madeleine Peyroux and any Ella Fitzgerald. Coltrane for Lovers would be a nice subtle touch for a more romantic feeling.
posted by PixelatorOfTime at 10:07 PM on August 16, 2008

Here's what we had for our dinner music at our wedding in April:

I'll Be Seeing You / Billie Holiday
Not Dark Yet / Bob Dylan
At Last / Cyndi Lauper
Rocket Man / Elton John
Sunday Kind of Love / Etta James
Slow like Honey / Fiona Apple
Good To Me / Irma Thomas
Wave / Joao Gilberto
Summertime / Louie Armstrong
Yesterdays / Mile Davis Quartet
Northern Sky / Nick Drake
I've Got Dreams To Remember / Otis Redding
Take Time To Know Her / Percy Sledge
Metamorphosis Two / Philip Glass
Starman / Seu Jorge
Glósóli / Sigur Rós
Kyrie Eleison / Sinéad O'Connor

As you can see, some modern, some classic, some bluesy, some more ethereal. We had some Joao Gilberto and Bebel Gilberto stuff throughout the reception, which went over well. Some of the songs in our mix weren't really wedding-y; we just went with the general feel and pace, so that's why stuff like Rocket Man is in there. All of the songs are ones that you can enjoy while sitting and eating and don't scream "hey! get up and dance!"

Congratulations and good luck!
posted by bedhead at 12:54 AM on August 17, 2008 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks very much for all these suggestions!! Think we've got the makings of a great list now!
posted by irishkitten at 6:12 AM on August 17, 2008

Chet Baker - The best of Chet Baker sings
Billie Holiday
Charlie Haden & Kenny Barron - Night and the City
Brad Mehldau Trio
Joe Pass - Virtuoso (any)
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto
Thelonious Monk - Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington
Some mellow Coltrane (ballads, etc)
posted by sero_venientibus_ossa at 7:40 AM on August 17, 2008

Get you some Johnny Mathis and Johnny Hartman
posted by black8 at 12:16 AM on August 18, 2008