"One of the pleasures of writing for Jazz Views is having the opportunity to follow the progress of an artist with each new release. It has been my very great pleasure to follow Lush Jazz Band's progress over the last few years. Having reviewed Lauren’s debut album, in 2016 and the follow-up, five years later, it was with great interest that I listened to her third album. If you’re looking for continued growth and artistic development in a musician, then Lauren has certainly delivered. Earlier today, prior to writing this review, I listened again to all three albums back-to-back and was amazed at what I was hearing. Listening in such a concentrated way, I was struck by how consistent each of the albums is and how the vocalist’s progress is not taking place with gargantuan leaps but steadily, as we can see here, in a paced and sustainable development. One huge advantage for Lauren is retaining the services of pianist Liam Dunachie, who arranges much of the music, and the two have built a solid rapport that has resulted in a formidable partnership. With “Tide Rises,” Lauren Bush has found a perfect balance between the old and the new, with a couple of strong original compositions, a handful of standards, and some contemporary works that she has done a wonderful job of adapting to her voice. The album gets off to a stunning start with a brisk and swinging “Joy Spring.” The tricky lyrics are handled with great aplomb by Bush, and after a lovely solo from Dunachie, she gets in a nice scat chorus of her own. This is followed by the title track, one of two original compositions, in which Lauren has drawn inspiration for the lyrics from the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Played over an ethereal opening from Rhodes and guitar (and the only song to feature electric bass), the music evolves over a gentle tempo with an empowering delivery from Lauren. The other original, “Easy Does It,” has a relaxed, almost lazy tempo, and Lauren has written lyrics that add to the gospel flavor of the music. Versatility and variety being the name of the game, we are treated to a beautiful bossa nova written by Earl Okin titled “Madrugada,” and Joni Mitchell’s “Circle Game” is given a delightful treatment, with some exquisite playing from all. The music flows in a beguiling manner, and Mitchell’s lyrics are given a sensitive reading by the vocalist. Standards have been a constant inspiration for Lauren, and with the depth of maturity that she has gained in the last few years, I have witnessed her raise her game significantly. It is difficult to pick one over another. Her treatment of “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” is flawless and joyous, with a lovely scat solo too, and “Nobody Else But Me” has a charm all of its own. If proof is needed of Bush’s stature as a jazz vocalist, then take a listen to the ballad performance on “This Is Always.” A duet for voice and piano, this is a pure delight and even, dare I say it, surpasses the duo’s reading of “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most,” which was such a highlight of her last album, “Dream Away.” Closing with another contemporary tune, this time from the pop duo Yazoo, Lauren and Liam Dunachie cleverly recast Vince Clarke’s song, with Lauren giving the excellent Alison Moyet a run for her money. Another step forward for Lauren in a hugely enjoyable set that sees her setting the bar increasingly higher."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thanks ever so much. We loved the music, as did all the guests."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Absolutely amazing duo they had us dancing all night long. An amazing voice made the evening reception to our wedding one to remember, highly recommend and a lovely couple to boot "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"A huge thank you to The 4 Strings Quartet! Your performance at our daughters wedding at Bosham Church was enchanting and a truely beautiful addition to the ceremony. We had so many guests literally singing your praises! Arabella and Tom wish to say a special thank you too! Rod you have been so supportive in handling both the booking and the smooth set up at the church giving us the time to enjoy our daughters wedding day! Stunning! Kay & Phil "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The guys played at our hen do, and they were just fab! They played pop singalongs, some really great soul/motown… even some jazz and bluesy stuff which we loved. The vibe was just great. Everyone kept saying how great they were all night, especially when they whipped out a surprise rendition of "Dancing Queen”!! Professional, super friendly, and made our celebration really special. Highly recommend!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Such friendly and very talented guys! Booked The Brewskis to play at our 1 year wedding anniversary party and made the night so great!! An amazing band who had all of my guests ( including the older ones) dancing all night! Such friendly and very talented guys who were great with my 15 year old niece, letting her sing a couple of songs with them; she loved it. So glad I booked this band and would highly recommend them to anyone for a great party/wedding celebration!! Thank you The Brewskis!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Polina plumbs energy from the same archetypical sources that make blues and flamenco singing so powerful."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The Hot hats were more than we could have ever hoped for on our wedding day. Whether you plan a smaller wedding with close friends and family, or a larger affair, The Hots Hats are guaranteed to be the cherry on cake for your special day - Without them I'm not sure we would have been able to create the same party atmosphere! Whether our guests were tapping their feet or dancing on the grass, everyone enjoyed the entertainment. Alfie was also both friendly and professional throughout, making us feel at ease as we planned the day. Thanks so much! - Jess & Joe, July 2021 "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"The girls entertainment was of the finest order and well worth seeing on any stage in the world. I was particularly impressed by the unusual repertoire of music which was brilliantly delivered - especially the 'Show girls' number near the beginning."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Really great! Would definitely recommend! Thank you guys x"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I just wanted to say thank you for providing the music last night at our Fifty:50 party, and thank you for playing our requests. It was fantastic and just what we wanted."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Thanks so much to the band for making our wedding so special! They were the highlight of the whole evening and numerous people came up to us to tell us how amazing the band was. We can’t recommend them enough!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Great Jazz set played by Laura & her pianist Cornel at Da Francesco Restaurant . First jazz nights . Lovely voice , well chosen songs , easy to work with . Hopefully the first of many Jazz nights . "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"A huge thank you to you and your guitarist colleague for your excellent music on 28th June 2019 at the retirement party. The music was much enjoyed and there were many positive comments about the quality of the choice of music, playing and overall sound."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Abi was unbelievable, her complete show had “professional” written all over it. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: