Saxophonist for hire in Spain: weddings, dinners and parties

Team5 provides a live saxophonist for weddings, dinners and parties in Spain, either solo or playing over a DJ set. The saxophonist arrives with a microphone, speakers and an engineer, and travels anywhere in Spain.

The saxophone is a versatile instrument for an evening: it holds a calm background through dinner and warms up the dance floor equally well. That is the main difference from a violin, which wins at a ceremony but not at a party.

Who plays

Two musicians in our line-up play saxophone, and they cover different needs.

• Igor Rudy plays saxophone. He is a dedicated wind player, doing solo programmes, work with a DJ and the wind section within a band;
• Agnessa Mayor sings, plays guitar and plays saxophone, all in one person. She suits an intimate format: one musician changes instrument during the evening, so the programme never sounds monotonous.

The whole roster is on the artists page, and you can also look at the duo and trio formats.

Sax and DJ hire for the dance floor

This is the most popular format for the dancing part of the night. The DJ runs the track and the saxophonist plays over it live, so you get the energy of a live performance without the logistics of a full band. The DJ set can lean towards deep house or lounge, which is one of the styles the saxophonist plays over a DJ.

Consider it if the budget does not stretch to a full band and a backing track feels dull. Live playing sounds noticeably more expensive than it costs. Tell us whether a DJ will be there, because it decides how we mix the sound.

Three formats for the saxophone

• Solo for dinner and drinks, with jazz standards and melodic pieces played unobtrusively, so conversation at the tables is not disturbed;
• Saxophone with a DJ, for the dance part of the evening;
• Saxophone alongside a band, as a guest wind section with Royal Band or Rock Beat.

Neither band has a saxophone as a regular member. For a specific night a saxophonist can join as a guest, and we agree that when choosing the line-up.

Saxophone or violin for a wedding

This is the question we are asked most. In short:

• For the ceremony, the bride’s entrance and any solemn moment, choose the violin, which sounds uplifting and does not drown voices;
• For drinks, dinner, the party and dancing, choose the saxophone, which is warmer, more rhythmic and keeps the drive;
• The ideal is both: a violinist for the ceremony and a saxophonist for the rest of the night. It is a popular pairing and costs less than a full band.

What a saxophonist plays

• Jazz standards, the classics for dinner and drinks;
• International hits in instrumental arrangements, recognisable tunes that guests sing along to;
• Deep house and lounge over a DJ set, for the dance floor;
• Ukrainian and Spanish pieces, chosen to suit the guests in the room.

We agree the playlist in advance. If a piece has to be played, tell us and we will prepare the arrangement.

The sound system arrives with the musician

A saxophone is louder than a violin, but in an open-air venue or a hall for a hundred guests it still needs amplification. Without it the instrument either gets lost or the player has to push it to the limit, and the tone turns harsh.

We bring a microphone for the instrument, speakers sized to the location and a sound engineer. For sax with a DJ we mix both sources so that the live instrument is not buried in the track. More about the technical side in what sound, lighting and stage hire includes, or see sound and lighting hire.

Events where a saxophonist fits

• A wedding, covering drinks, dinner and the dance part;
• A birthday or anniversary, as a live programme without a full band;
• A corporate event, for the buffet, the dinner and the informal part;
• A party at a restaurant or villa, with sax and DJ;
• An opening, a presentation or a fashion show, with live sound instead of a recording.

See also wedding band and a party at a private villa.

Where the saxophonist plays

The saxophonist comes from Alicante to your celebration. Benidorm is 45 km away, close enough that the road barely changes the quote. Denia and Jávea, at 90 km each, are routine working trips. Barcelona lies 530 km away, so for that run we plan ahead and the crew stays on site overnight.

The sax is heard beyond these places as well, in any Spanish town and into the south of France, roughly 700 km out from Alicante at the limit. The cities page gives notes for each town.

How to book a saxophonist

1. Describe the occasion: date, town, venue, how many guests, and which part of the evening needs the musician;
2. We check availability and reply the same day with a price;
3. We confirm power, volume rules, set-up time and access with the venue, calling them ourselves if that helps;
4. The date is fixed after the conditions are agreed;
5. Over the weeks before the event we settle the programme, the playlist, the pieces that have to be played and the schedule for the night;
6. On the day the saxophonist arrives early, puts the equipment up and tests the sound before any guest arrives;
7. After the event the equipment is dismantled and taken away, so nothing is left to tidy.

Whether the saxophonist is free we see in the diary for your date: write it and we reply.

One team for the saxophonist and the sound

Clients who book a saxophonist often end up searching for equipment on their own and arranging the installation themselves, which is the usual route. Team5 supplies the musician and the sound together, and that sets us apart.

• The saxophonist plays through gear that is already familiar, so no set is lost to a strange mixing desk;
• Responsibility sits with one team, so if something sounds wrong, nobody can point to somebody else’s equipment or somebody else’s player;
• The engineer knows the programme and how to balance a live instrument against a track;
• Only one crew comes to the venue, and it installs once;
• All the arrangements go through one contact, which means fewer calls for you.

The saxophonist at your event: who handles what

Even when a single saxophonist is coming, there are plenty of organisational questions, so it helps to divide them in advance.

• Our side is the line-up for the format and the venue, the technical conditions at the venue, all the equipment and its installation, the soundcheck before guests arrive, the engineer during the event and the timing;
• Afterwards we dismantle and remove everything; where power is short a generator comes along, and a smaller vehicle makes several runs where a large one cannot get in;
• Your side is booking the venue and getting its approval for our arrival, the catering, a photographer, your must-play pieces and any video you plan to show;
• Decoration and filming are handled by our partner contractors, if you need them;
• The venue contract is yours to sign, and we will tell you what to ask.

Further reading

• How to choose musicians, with advice on format for your venue and what to watch for on video;
• Choosing music for a wedding, from a soloist to a duo or full band;
• A party at a private villa, covering electricity, access, neighbours and garden lighting.

Frequently asked questions