Wedding•Reviewed on May 15, 2013•From Rochester, NY
The Smoke Rings far exceeded our expectations and helped make our wedding amazing. They have everything - talent, professionalism and personality. They were a joy to work with from beginning to end. They added exactly the right touch to our 1920's themed wedding that we were looking for and we received comments and compliments from practically every guest as to how wonderful the music was. I would recommend them to anyone and if we ever host an event where a band is needed, we would definitely hire them again!
Review by Lee G.
Birthday Party (Adult)•Reviewed on December 7, 2013•From Hastings, NY
I couldn't have asked for a more perfect 40th Birthday celebration and the music was what really made it special! From the song choices to the easy going nature of all the musians and thier seamless performance, everything was impeccable!
Review by Zachary M.
Wedding Reception•Reviewed on June 24, 2015•From Holderness, NH
The Smoke Rings are unique, charming, creative, and have an truly one-of-a-kind sound, and we are so lucky that they lent their talents to our wedding. Communication was a breeze, with Alex often returning our emails in a matter of minutes. Our guests were BLOWN away by The Smoke Rings at the reception. We got so many compliments! Sarah's voice completely transports you, and after each song guests were clapping and whistling as if they were at a concert. They engage both younger and older guests, with the mixture of Sarah's youthful, artistic presence and songs that are recognized by older generations making the music accessible and exciting to all guests.
Review by Kaitlin Z.
Wedding•Reviewed on June 27, 2015•From New Canaan, CT
Sarah King and the Smoke Rings were an absolute delight to have at our afternoon wedding reception! We were looking for a group that wasn't just your average wedding band and we thought we stumbled across something special when listening to the online recordings. Well we did indeed! Along with our guests, we were taken back in time with Sarah King through her charming demeanor and mesmerizing voice. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful sunny afternoon thanks to the sound of this incredible group! Thank you so much for making our day so special and one we will never forget! Kaitlin&Chris
Review by Michael C.
Wedding•Reviewed on October 4, 2014•From Basking Ridge, NJ
So many people at my wedding commented on how talented and unique the Smoke Rings were, that I knew we had made the right choice. Sarah was amazing, I can't say enough good things about them. Thank you!
Review by Rebecca F.
Private Party•Reviewed on September 22, 2014•From Bronx, NY
Sarah King and The Smoke Rings were absolutely wonderful at my wedding. My wife and I could not be more pleased with them. They are all immensely talented and they provided the perfect ambiance at our event. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a unique and charming sound.
Review by Lila A.
Wedding•Reviewed on August 17, 2014•From Brooklyn, NY
The Smoke Rings absolutely *made* my wedding. They performed for a little over two hours, including during our ceremony and for the first half of our reception. (A DJ took over afterward so we could boogie down.) I can't speak highly enough of my experience with this group -- they looked, played, and acted the part, and did it perfectly.
I began corresponding with Alex, the pianist, around six months ago and he was remarkably accommodating. He responded to my (too many) emails very quickly and professionally. The group took special requests, showed up on time, and rocked the house.
I have had dozens of guests compliment me on the Smoke Rings -- HIRE THEM! :)
Review by Betsy R.
Wedding Reception•Reviewed on April 7, 2013•From New York City, NY
They were so easy to work with and were incredibly quick responding to emails. Their music was absolutely the perfect flourish for our wedding!
Review by Sherry X.
Wedding•Reviewed on January 8, 2013•From Stony Brook, NY
We hired The Smoke Rings for our New Year’s Eve wedding and couldn't have been happier. We wanted our event to be a fun and classy departure from typical weddings and they were the perfect addition, we have been receiving rave reviews from our guests. Their performance was outstanding and they were consummate professionals. Alex was happy to learn a Chinese love song for my bride's processional, and when a delay arose before the ceremony he stepped in to entertain our already seated guests for half an hour without missing a beat. We would highly recommend them for anyone interested in top notch jazz/swing/American standards over top-40 covers and fog machines.
Review by Stephen T.
Wedding•Reviewed on November 13, 2012•From New York City, NY
From the start Alex was outstanding to work with. The other reviews were correct - he was prompt in all replies, professional, and just simply a nice guy. As for the sound, Alex and the rest of the band were a phenomenal part of our wedding. They read the crowd perfectly and coordinated the songs to fit the energy in the room with deftness. I can't count the amount of people that commented on how great the music was and how nice it was to have such a high quality live band that clearly took great care in their sound. I would not hesitate to encourage hiring this band for a variety of events - their sound is versatile and fun to have as an element in most events.
Review by Ashley M.
Wedding Cocktail Hour•Reviewed on October 7, 2012•From New York City, NY
Everything was perfect and my guests are still raving about Sarah and the Smoke Rings! Sarah is adorable and came to perform wearing an adorable vintage hat. She even took a request to play my grandmother's favorite song, Penny's From Heaven. Absolutely wonderful.
Review by Brian S.
Wedding•Reviewed on September 10, 2012•From Roslyn, NY
Here is the letter I sent to them the day after my wedding.....
""
You guys could not have been better. Everyone kept asking how we found you, and telling us how great you were. But that didn't matter because from start to finish WE loved you!
Together, you guys made our night so incredibly special. We will never ever forget it.
Please let the entire band know how much we love you all, that we will be coming to see you as soon as we can and also how thankful we are.
Sarah King & The Smoke Rings will forever be the soundtrack to the memory of our wedding. It's Beautiful!
Sincerely,""
IN SHORT:: They are amazing! Hire them immediatly.
Review by William S.
Wedding•Reviewed on August 27, 2012•From Brooklyn, NY
We could not have found a better band to perform at our wedding, Sarah King and the Smoke Rings were the perfect addition to both the ceremony and reception. Everyone kept complimenting their performance, and even if they hadn't, all the dancing that was done was compliment enough. We would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone in the future (and have already, really).
Review by Melinna G.
Convention•Reviewed on August 10, 2012•From New York City, NY
Sarah King and The Smoke Rings made our party fabulous and memorable! Their sound was superb, setting a perfect tone, and they were amazing professionals to work with. The played two generous sets full of charming material and well-executed standards. We heard so much praise for their performance, for the way they paced the party, and for all the intangibles they added, and for Sarah's talent. They took our event to a new level, and we highly recommend them.
Review by Vanessa L.
Wedding Cocktail Hour•Reviewed on July 22, 2012•From Brooklyn, NY
Choosing Sarah King and the Smoke Rings as our cocktail hour wedding band was one of the BEST decisions we made for our big day. After seeing their videos online, and hearing them play at a few local venues, we knew we HAD to have them play for our wedding. Each one of the band members is incredibly talented, and when they come together to play it is just magical. We wanted to have a fun, jazzy, American-songbook type of vibe, and they were just perfection! Guests kept coming up to us throughout the night to comment on what an amazing band they were, and we just could not agree more.
The Smoke Rings are not just talented, but also super professional and friendly.
Review by Anjelica T.
Wedding•Reviewed on June 12, 2012•From Gladstone, NJ
We worked with SKATSR on our wedding in May and everything was perfect!
I can't give the band enough credit for being incredibly thorough, professional, flexible and genuinely enthusiastic about doing a great job. I've planned events in NYC for years, and they made the entire process so easy for me. Even down to the details--quick email responses, coordinating with my venue, creating an amazing rendition of our first dance song and styling themselves in exquisite attire--they were completely on top of everything!
Such a lovely, polite, cheery group of people, too! I don't normally write such flowery reviews, but they earned it. Our guests are still raving!
Review by Ramit K.
Graduation Party•Reviewed on June 5, 2012•From Brooklyn, NY
THe band was simply amazing. I can not say enough about Alex, and Sarah and the other musicians. The party of about 150-200 people had an amazing time dancing and enjoying cocktails while the band played from the American Song Book and beyond.
Talent plus a lot of charisma and general affability make this band a sure-fire choice. I could not have asked for more.
People are still talking about the party and the music.
Thank you ALEX and Sarah and THE SMOKE RINGS
Review by Daniel L.
Wedding Reception•Reviewed on March 11, 2012•From New York City, NY
Sarah King and the Smoke Rings played our wedding reception at the Carlyle Hotel and were the life of the party. Very skilled jazz musicians with a charming lead singer. Focus on jazz and swing classics but also do a terrific version of "You Look Wonderful Tonight." Many guests asked us where we found this terrific group.
They are very responsive and considerate during the planning process, and friendly and charming in person. This is a first-class band (who regularly play at the Standard Hotel in NYC) who just happen to play weddings.
We had a dream wedding and the Smoke Rings were a big part of that. Highly recommended, we couldn't have asked for more.
Review by Sharon W.
Holiday Party•Reviewed on December 14, 2011•From New York City, NY
Sarah King and the Smoke Rings were a dream to work with! They were prompt, professional and very well prepared. This group is obviously very talented, and have a great sense of ensemble, but more than that, securing details and logistics with them was a breeze. They accommodated my requests for specific songs with ease and were the perfect feature for our Corporate Holiday Event. Songbird Sarah was as lovely to look at as listen to in her gold vintage gown, and the combo's organizational leader, Alex Levin, was as killer on the keys as he was communicative! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a superb jazz combo in the NY area!
Review by Pamela K.
Wedding Cocktail Hour•Reviewed on September 29, 2012•From Rye, NY
Everyone of my guests that I have spoken with since the wedding has
mentioned how amazing Sarah King and the Smoke Rings were.
They loved Sarah's voice and the whole group. So did I and my whole family.
Review by Gordon M.
Cocktail Party•Reviewed on September 7, 2012•From Brooklyn, NY
First and foremost, they provided great entertainment for our cocktail party of about 45-50 people. The dancers in the crowd we're happy with the tempo. Additionally they were easy to work with, they set up quick and were happy to be there. Definitely recommend.
