GREAT experience with Big Lucky! We hired the band to play at my grandfather's 90th birthday. They were so professional with their communication, flexibility, and timeliness. They scheduled an extra practice since the birthday boy wanted to perform some songs with the bad and they allowed our musical family members to play with them for a surprise too, which turned out to be sooo fun! Guests were raving about how great and fun the band was! Paul, Valerie, and the band, you all were a pleasure to work with and if we ever want a band for another party, we definitely will be hiring again! Thank you! read more

The band provided a beautiful musical backdrop to a very special day. Their music was tasteful and fitting, offering moments of reflection and warmth. They helped create a memorable and uplifting atmosphere for everyone in attendance.The Big Lucky Band brought a soulful jazz vibe to the celebration of life. Their music was a beautiful tribute. read more

Simply the best band in the land!! Paul Fredrick is terrific and will collaborate with you for a fabulous performance!! Hire Big Lucky and you will be very happy!! J. Cressey read more

We threw a birthday bash for my father in laws birthday. We have to admit that we planned the party late - we tossed a Hail Mary and asked Big Lucky if they could come play at our house. They were very responsive and professional- even though the party was just a few days out! Once they came to our place, they setup quickly and efficiently. The band was a surprise for the guest of honor and the invited guests. Needless to say everyone was BLOWN AWAY by how awesome the band looked and most importantly sounded. They played specially requested Irish songs for my father in law and he absolutely loved them. We highly recommend hiring Big Lucky for any special events! We hope to see them again ! read more

Wow what an honor it was to witness such great talent! Big Lucky made my mom's 75th birthday one we will never forget. It felt like they took us back into her era for a bit, listening to them flawlessly play all her favorite music. She hasn't danced like that in awhile and it made us all happy to see her enjoying her special day. I mostly communicated with Paul and Valerie who were very professional, informative and easy to work with. They asked me to send a list of my mom's favorite bands and they sure delivered. Each band member is so skilled and Valerie's voice - so sultry and cool. They are such a vibe! It was also fun hanging with them during their short breaks. They are such a classy group! We look forward to booking them again for future events. read more

We hired Big Lucky for our son's bar mitzvah and we couldn't happier with our experience. Paul and Valerie were very responsive to all of our questions and accommodating to the specifics of our venue and our song requests (and they even learned a new song for us). Valerie also coordinated with our party planner for the kids' activities. Their beautiful and skillful playing made our party as joyful as we had hoped. We would certainly hire them again if we had the occasion! read more

We absolutely LOVED this band!!! They were amazing for our 1920's party!! Paul is great to work with. The band was awesome! We all had such an amazing time! Highly recommend booking them for any event! Music was great!!! read more

Big Lucky - Musicians Near Me

See all

This past weekend we just had our company party and had Big Lucky band perform. The 7 piece band setup looks amazing. I can't be more pleased that we decided to hire them. We got nonstop praised on how good the band was and versatile they were on music playlist. Amazing vocals by Valerie and Paul the point of contact was super nice and flexible. They are worth the price tag for sure. all band members came on time and dressed in theme (tuxedo). They even coordinated with the dancers to make sure timeline was on point. Seriously will not be disappointed in hiring them. read more

We searched for a band that would match our taste in music and theme. We wanted a band who would bring life to our party so guests will have amazing memories of our wedding party-- Big lucky fits perfectly. Very easy to work with- we were in contact through email and they always respond right away. A few weeks before the wedding we had a conference call to discuss and be on the same page on what we wanted and what they can offer. They will work with your request in terms of music. Our guests were dancing and enjoyed the party. Love their vintage style. They give you a list of songs you can choose from. Even added more of our preferred party music mixing my taste and my husbands. From our parents to our nephews and nieces who enjoyed and danced to their music. My relatives whom i would never see dance, they did and it was fun to watch everyone enjoying. Valerie was very organized, even though my coordinator (who did a poor job) sent wrong information, Valerie emailed me right away to confirm and asked me directly, I mean she really did an excellent job, Im thankful she confirmed with me and not the coordinator. The sequence of our reception wouldn't have been perfect if it wasn't for her. They even had a PA system and played their music while they were on breaks and had a wireless microphone when speeches were made. They were a sport even though it was a hot day, they still performed great regardless of the situation. We had fun having them as our band. read more

See all

Music was an incredibly important part of our wedding celebrations and we therefore spent a lot of time researching bands to play our cocktail hour, through dinner and into the first dance (for which we wanted a unique arrangement of a classic ballad). Many bands seemed okay on paper, but when we discovered Big Lucky, we instinctively knew that we had hit the jackpot. We needed performers who could set the right tone, from the very first song, letting our guests know that we intended to do some serious partying, but in a sophisticated and classy way! We also needed a band that could fit right in with our incredibly chic venue, Carondelet House. Big Lucky was the obvious choice, so we met with them for dinner, to discuss the event and how they could best accommodate our needs. Paul and Val clearly knew their stuff and were able to throw in ideas, without ever forcing them on us. They were incredibly respectful of the vision we had and were able to embellish that based on their wealth of experience. One such example was the New Orleans inspired marching line - a combination of brass and percussion that took us seamlessly from one part of the venue across to the DJ dance party. Paul and Val worked behind the scenes with our DJ to come up with a flawless transition that kept the party going. It was like a gold medal winning baton race! In short, hiring Big Lucky was one of the best wedding decisions we made. They nailed the music and were crucial players in helping us create the wedding party of our dreams. The only down side was not having enough time to enjoy their full catalogue - which gives us the perfect excuse to hire them again! read more

See all

The Big Lucky Band played our wedding this past October and they did an amazing job! Selecting the perfect band was my number one priority and I interviewed dozens of bands before finding the perfect one - Big Lucky. Paul, the band leader, was very professional and accommodating to special song requests. Valerie, the lead singer, was amazing on stage, with a very charismatic charm. This band's musical repertoire is unmatched. I couldn't believe how many songs they knew and the breadth of diversity. Wide variety of genres and styles to include the love languages. Valerie can sing it all. Thank you, Big Lucky for making our wedding day the most wonderful, elegant, and memorable experience. Our guests loved you! We loved you! read more

They were great and very flexible for our La La Land party! Highly recommended!

I found Big Lucky on the internet and after never hearing them in person, was pleasantly surprised (and relieved!) that they are awesome. Paul was professional and communicative leading up to the event. On the night of they set up quickly and easily. The female lead singer (sorry I don't know her name) is talented and personable. She interacted with me when I needed to make announcements and was absolutely wonderful from the first song, to the last. I highly recommend the Big Lucky -- they made my event a success! read more

Big Lucky - Here's the band posing with a Model T at my event. - Musicians Near Me

Val and the entire band were the highlight of clients night! They set up quick and worked with my venues limitations. They were professional and brought so much joy to the event. I would love to work with them again! read more

The band master (hope that's the proper term) Paul was very responsive and willing to work with me on a last minute booking request for a holiday party. The book process was quick and seamless. Valerie the vocalist had a beautiful tender voice that instantly warmed the room, and Michael on the piano was subdued but wonderful. Even with just the two of them they filled the room with their sounds and was the perfect accompaniment for our party. Very professional, easy to work with and zero fuss. I will look for future opportunities to book them again, and highly recommend them. read more

Amazing band!!! They rocked an 80th birthday party with the best 40s music. They had everyone dancing and they were a pleasure to work with. Paul Frederick was so accommodating when my clients needs and wants, and they were very professional. Thank you Big Lucky! read more

Amazing. Fantastic happy to finally have time to go there. I hope I going have more time go overt there more often.

We recently hired this band for a corporate event for one of our clients. On the day of they were on time and very easy to work with. The client was very happy with the band and so were we. We would recommend them to our future client. Not to mention their set up looked very nice. read more

They were great! Would highly recommend using them for any event, corporate or personal. They were lively, lots of fun and just overall made the night more enjoyable for everyone in attendance. Thanks guys! read more

We can not tell you how amazed we were by Big Lucky! They made our wedding so special. Our friends and family and still talking about how magical our wedding was and how amazing Big Lucky Band sounded. They were so professional and kept the party going all night! We had only seen Big Lucky online and were nervous to book without seeing them in person, but we are so happy we did! Val and Paul were great to work with over the phone and email. DO NOT HESITATE to book Big Lucky! You will be so happy you did! Thanks again for giving us our DREAM wedding! Rachel and Brian Beckstead :) read more

We had Big Lucky for our wedding last month and they were fantastic. They have an amazing range of music and most importantly, are a real band with real musicians, not a cheesy wedding cover band. They are great to work with and flexible to our needs. (We booked them as an 8-piece). Paul, the band leader and Val, the singer comforted us with their attention to detail and experience during those last few days and weeks of planning. When we sought advice from them, their experience in past events came through, when we told them what we wanted for specific dances, reception entrance, etc, they did exactly as we asked. Val has great presence as the vocalist and acts as a perfect emcee. We got many complements from our guests on the band and they looked incredibly sharp (the band stands are a great touch). As music is extremely important to both my fiancee (I mean wife!) and I, our wedding band was somewhat of a source of stress. Big Lucky delivered the goods and made our wedding truly memorable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. read more

Recently married on June 27, 2015 at Cicada in Los Angeles California, I'd begun the search for our band about eight months prior. The theme was 1920s-1940s (I'm a Films Noir fanatic) and we were seeking a 'Swing Band.' It started with your typical Google, Yahoo, and Bing searches... evolved into numerous newsletter & wedding-related website sign ups where we didn't feel like we were finding what we were looking for. I finally ended up on Gigmasters.com (https://www.gigmasters.com/live-band/big-lucky), where I submitted a request for a quote from numerous artists/bands, and within 24 hours Paul responded. I did a little more research (including listening to BIG LUCKY tracks on Spotify) and spoke to the at-the-time fiance about booking them -- which we did, 7 months before the wedding (early bird gets the worm). Paul introduced us to the amazing Val (who also is a kick ass MC), we discussed at length via conference call the style(s), the absolute must plays, the absolutely must not plays, genres, mood, environment (they have played at Cicada many times, which helped the preparation), and our First Dance song (which they played beautifully and flawlessly -- we didn't get to hear it until the day), went off without a hitch (several guests asked if the song and dance were practiced or choreographed - they weren't - Val and Paul just know how to read the Bride & Groom). (SIDE NOTE: Paul and Val are communicative, as involved as we wished them to be, and openly responsive to our needs/queries/desires. I cannot stress enough how important this is -- when you are planning your wedding, anything to help ease the compounding issues and decision-making is more welcome and relieving than you think you might anticipate.) I could go on for many, many paragraphs about how incredible Paul, Val and their team (8 piece) were -- from their repertoire and presence to their look, talents and energy, to their uniformed style and class. To say we are impressed and satisfied lacks the justice and praise deserved here. Each of the 5 stars gets 5 stars. And we most definitely intend on seeing them again -- at least once. Thank you, Val and Paul (and your colleagues), you were amazing and everyone absolutely loved you. The day may have whizzed by in a romantic blur, but people always remember good music. Catherine & Shane read more

See all

I booked this bang for my work Holiday Party. It was a complete success, from the beginning Valerie and Paul were very pleasant, quick to respond any questions or concern, and they listen to any suggestions we had. The night of the event everything was very organize the band looked great and they music was excellent. I could not have asked for a better band. Everyone had fun and the music sound great. Thanks to Big Lucky for making the party a complete success. read more

The incomparable Val Peterson and Big Lucky performed at my wedding and at my daughter's Bat Mitzvah. Val is simply one of the best entertainers around, bar none. EVERYONE dances, everyone loves her and Big Lucky. Young, old, all genders, all ethnicities - no one can sit on the sidelines, everyone calls for more. Val is truly a great singer and entertainer, highly charismatic and incredibly professional to boot (that's a winning combo). Val & Big Lucky create a heightened atmosphere of revelry, dance and fun every single time. This band is just that good. They just don't make them like this very often - they are that rare thing. Couldn't recommend more highly. read more

We could not have been happier with Big Lucky for our wedding. They completely understood the type of experience we wanted to create for our guests, from the ceremony to the cocktail hour to the reception. They provided a unique musical quality to each portion of the day. We received lots of compliments on their music, and they really set the tone for a good time! Val and Paul were great to work with, responsive to our requests and brilliant in their suggestions. They are the best!! read more

Choosing Big Lucky to play your event is probably the best decision you'll ever make. Their style is classy, fun and engaging for all attendees. Not to mention their prices are very reasonable. If you're on the fence, give them a call. You won't regret it! read more

I just need to say these guys were the best possible decision I could make for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. Honestly they made the whole party. Some of the most talented musicians I've heard together. The lead singer has an incredible voice and she kept the party moving the whole night. I had so many compliments on the music choice everyone was blown away. I highly recommend Big Lucky for any celebration party. We had a 100+ person party with an age group of 14-80. Everyone was thoroughly entertained and danced throughout the entire night.. The party never had a dull moment. I would definitely pay to see them play at any other venue. I can't recommend them enough for any wedding party or celebration. Paul the leader is very easy to work with and his fees are very reasonable. Not to mention a very talented musician/saxophonist alongside the whole band. Very classy and very professional! Would love to do it again! -Jared read more

We just celebrated our 50th Wedding anniversary. It was truly golden. Our amazing sons and their girls put together a gala beyond belief. It would not have been complete but for the sounds of this amazing band. Everyone loved their arrangements and commented on how long their sets were. BIG LUCKY seemed genuinely interested in the hosts and guests. Book them you won't be sorry. read more

We hired Big Lucky for our City Employee Appreciation Gala Event. I was very impressed with their communication and professionalism while scheduling them to perform at the event, and I was incredibly impressed with the musical talent of this band during the event! Everyone had so much, and the music choice and quality of performance was fantastic. I honestly can't speak highly enough on how well Big Lucky is put together from the business interactions, the musical quality, and the ease of putting everything together to make it happen. These guys and girls are the TOTAL PACKAGE! Thanks Paul! -A. Johnson read more

We just hired Big Lucky for our wedding reception last weekend - and it was one of our best decisions!!! They are PROS. If you want to work with a team that is truly professional - they are they way to go. And they are incredibly talented musicians. I ended up also hiring Valerie to Cantor our WEDDING MASS. She was an amazing resource for me during the wedding planning phases and navigating music planning. I really wanted a lot of "smooth jazz" and maybe a different vibe than the band was used to - but they NAILED IT. Brought 3 different saxophones and KILLED IT. Our guests were complimenting us on our choice of band all night (and still days after the party) They are amazing and really good people. That was actually one of the reasons I went with them right off the bat because Paul called me right back and we were able to chat about music and venues. They are good people and true professionals. We were happy to have them fit right in with our family and give a perfect flow to our evening. Can't wait to hire them again for another event with my new husband!!!! :) We love Big Lucky!!! Thank you, Paul & Valerie! We love you so much xoxoxo Steph & Eddie PS - they also learned a special song for my mom and played it while we cut our cake and it is literally one of our best memories to have in our hearts forever. read more

See all

I write music for a living and I studied Jazz piano in college, so I feel at least a little bit qualified to tell you that these guys are top notch. And expensive, but worth it. I booked them for my wedding reception which was about three weeks ago. Paul is the guy in charge and he talked with me over the phone and put a lot of effort into finding out exactly what I wanted... what tunes, what instruments, what type of ambience, etc. It's their thorough preparation that makes them very successful. And their talent of course. And their awesomely fun attitudes. He sent me their song list and I told him what songs I wanted to hear, which ones I didn't, etc. He also called me a couple times asking questions I hadn't even thought of, like if we wanted a drum roll during the bouquet toss, etc. They've got the wedding thing down. They showed up early, they were all set and ready to go at the start, and the whole evening was fantastic. Price-wise, I had a 5-piece group - Piano, Bass, Drums, Sax/Clar, and Voice - for three hours, and Paul offered the price of $1,800, but I gave them $2,000, with the option of another $500 if we wanted to add another hour, if the reception went long. They can, of course, have a much larger group, even a full big brass band if needed, but I just wanted a smaller group. And so did my wallet. Overall they have great attitudes. Very friendly. Valerie is a great singer and she brought a very fun ambience, cracked a joke or two, teased our MC a little, and sang wonderfully. The piano, bass and drum guys were your basic pros, very chill, just doin their thing, but enjoying it cause they love playing. I also liked that they could read the crowd well. We had mostly partnered dancing for the first 2 hours or so, but when most of the older folks went home and it was just a big group of young-ish people they started playing some crowd songs that you don't need a partner for. Which was fun. Everyone said that the live music really made the evening complete for them. Some people even told me that it was the most fun they've had at a reception even though there was no alcohol! haha. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone and everyone who's looking for some live tunes. read more

The BEST swing band in town. When my (now) wife and I were planning our 1940's classic Oscars-themed wedding, we really wanted our event to evoke that time period. We scoured the web looking for the perfect swing band that could do just that. A lot of the bands we looked at weren't quite as "hip" as we wanted. Then, we found Big Lucky. This band was so professional and prepared, they even had a promo video on their website! The video is what sold us. Such great energy and musicianship. Val has an unbelievable voice, and Paul can play the hell outta the sax/clarinet. They were punctual, friendly and looked the part. We had a very complicated wedding set-up (four locations, four different instrument set-ups), and they handled the moves with a grace and professionalism rarely found in the music world. Our guests were raving. And I mean...RAVING. We want to get married again just to have an excuse to hire them again. :) read more

Big Lucky was a hit at our dinner party! Paul, the band's conductor, was great to work with, he communicated quickly and was on top of everything. What I enjoyed the most is that the I gave Paul a few genres that my crowd would be interested in and band was able to read the crowd and adjust as they saw fit to keep the party fun and lively. Everyone loved the band and we plan to book them again in the future! read more

Paul's band, Big Lucky, and the singer Valerie specifically, were great to work with. Valerie is also excellent at emceeing the evening. They played our wedding and they sounded amazing. Lots of compliments from the guests. Big Lucky was attentive to our special requests both with conference calls planning the evening before and throughout the reception. Hire them, you won't be disappointed! read more

Big Lucky performed at my company holiday party. I sourced them through The Victorian Museum (they had performed at a wedding there previously). They were absolutely wonderful- very professional, great sound, lively band, lead singer had lots of personality. They also helped MC and make announcements throughout the event. Incredibly pleased overall. The only hitch, they don't have an incredible amount of equipment for a very large outdoor venue. read more

Wow wow wow! We had looked at other bands, but nobody quite filled what we wanted for our Queen Mary Art Deco wedding. Then we got lucky and stumbled across Big Lucky. It's very difficult to plan a major event long distance but Paul made us feel totally at ease. During the planning stages Paul and Val were great with phone and email communication Their performance on the big day was fantastic! Our guests were absolutely floored by the fact that we not only had live entertainment, but the band was so good. Everyone from our 3 year old nephew to my 90 year old Grandmother filled the dance floor. Val gracefully filled the role of lead singer and MC. The band was prompt, professional, versatile, and so much FUN! Make room in your budget for these guys. You'll be so glad you did read more

Big Lucky was amazing! First time booking a live band for my husband's birthday party, and our guests were delightfully surprised and really enjoyed themselves; so much so, they broke out on the dance floor. Valerie did a great job keeping the energy flowing as well as a great on the spot emcee, not to mention she is very talented. Will definitely do this again. read more

The BEST vendor hands down of our entire wedding event! EXTREMELY TALENTED artists, GREAT music, accomodating, and over-the -top helpful. We decided to have an elegant 1940's Hollywood Glamour Theme for our wedding. After interviewing several swing bands recommended by Pasadena Ballroom Dance with none being right, I found Big Lucky through the internet. After reading the reviews on Yelp and listening to their video, I decided to interview them. You won't be disappointed!!! We first met Val, Paul, and the rest of Big Lucky at Paul's home for a band rehearsal, and were immediately enchanted. Not only was the music fantastic, but the entire band was extremely hospitable and approachable. They were professional, accomodating and helpful for the entire time we worked with them: meeting us when convenient for us, assisting us in choosing songs, working through difficulties with our church and reception site, and working on arrangements to make them sound right for us (i.e. Trumpet Voluntary with a strong saxaphone instead of a trumpet). Much to our pleasure, we found out that Val is a cantor at a nearby Catholic church, so she and her band were able to sing at our Catholic church ceremony, as well as the reception, thus providing continuity. Val was extremely helpful in assisting me in choosing songs for the ceremony, as well as in assisting me with ceremony details that fell outside of her role as cantor. She always replied promptly to my inquiries and was over-the-top helpful. I don't think I could have done it without her. As for the actual ceremony and reception, the band succeeded in meeting our extremely high expectations providing fun, quality music, and assisted in emceeing the event to keeping things moving along. I am still hearing great comments regarding the band from my guests. The value of this band is priceless! My only disappointment was in having to say "goodbye" at the end of the event. These are the kind of extremely talented people that one would love to have as friends. I am forever grateful. read more

Big Lucky is top of the line talent and entertainment. Any group looking to hire a vintage 1930-1940 swing band, look no further! Band Leader Paul Frederick with glamorous vocalist Val Peterson and their cast of musicians bring the swingin' era to life. As program manager for Grand Vision Foundation in San Pedro, CA, I hired Big Lucky for our annual dinner and auction, Gathering for the Grand - A benefit for the historic Warner Grand Theatre. The Warner Grand Theatre is an 80-yr old art deco movie palace, and although the event was off site, we wanted mood, music and ambiance to match the era and get the 250+ guests out of their seats and onto the dance floor. Big Lucky fit the bill to a T, providing great music and stage presence that thematically tied the whole event together. Their covers of late 1930s-early 1940s oldies were right on with sultry vocals and crisp clarinet melody lines, nicely supported by keyboard, upright bass and drum. There were no misses in their set list. Each song resonated with our crowd. Dancers of all ages filled the dance floor and at the end, Big Lucky delivered two - maybe three encores. For programmers and presenters - not only does Big Lucky offer fine entertainment, they are a flexible and easy group to work with. Everything went without a hitch! read more

These guys were great. We booked them for a private party and Valerie worked with us on the play list to prep and set the vibe. The band was dressed for success and rocked it. They were able to change gears half way through to fit in more current pop songs but still in the jazz style. Well done! They added a tremendous value to our gathering to make it special. read more