We are a group of musicians performing a diverse selection of music for all ages. We've had the opportunity to work with a prolific list of clients for weddings, corporate shows, anniversary and birthday parties, holiday get-togethers, and more.
Southbound Soul made our wedding dreams come true! They are reasonably priced, reliable, excellent with communication, kind and friendly but above all else, incredibly talented. When we heard the first few seconds of our first dance my husband and I got chills. We knew from the videos that they were talented, but in person it’s extraordinary! 10/10 you Must have this band for your next event!
What a fabulous night! We hired Jonathan and his musicians for our wedding event at Inn on the Twenty. This included a guitarist for the ceremony, jazz trio for cocktail hour and Southbound Soul for the dance. They were professional, outstanding musicians and are capable of playing whatever you want, from poignant classical to jazz to contemporary top 40. Our guests raved about the music. The dance floor was filled with our guests dancing and enjoying the evening. Those who weren't dancers sat back and enjoyed the music like they were out at their favorite music club. The music was the perfect volume, as guests could still talk at their tables. Jonathan was a pleasure to work with, and collaborated with us designing our entire music package. We would highly recommend using Jonathan for your event - you won't be disappointed!
Do you remember the
(23rd) night of September?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away
Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing.
As we danced in the night,
Remember how the stars stole the night away
Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in September
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day
September, Earth Wind & Fire
We had the pleasure of having the quartet at our engagement party this last weekend. We were blown away by the professionalism and beautiful music provided. Jonathan was fantastic to deal with both before the event and on the day. I would highly reccomend for any event! Thank you so much.
The Jonathan Blaak Group were incredibly professional and responsive from the initial email. We hired them to play at our wedding and they were completely self sufficient, arriving early, doing all the set up and starting their set without me having to worry about it. They are all talented musicians and provided the perfect classic jazz feel we wanted throughout dinner.
Additionally, they were incredibly accommodating, agreeing to stay and play for an extra hour after things ran long and we got behind schedule. Highly recommend this group for any function - huge thanks guys !!
When we were planning our wedding, my husband and I knew that we wanted to focus on two things: good food and great music. For the food we chose Queen's Landing in Niagara-on-the-lake. For great music we turned to Jonathan Blaak and his band. Being an afternoon luncheon wedding, we wanted something a little "low key", elegant to fit the venue, but also fun and lively when appropriate. Jonathan and the band exceeded all of our expectations. Many of our guests commented throughout the afternoon on how much they were enjoying the music (many of whom didn't even consider themselves to be jazz fans). I threw a last minute curveball at the band, asking if they would accompany me while I sang a song to my husband. No problem! They were happy to accommodate. Again, a fabulous day, and a fabulous band. I would highly recommend them.
Jonathan was very helpful from the beginning of the booking process right through the end. He responded in a timely manner to all communication via E-mail and provided us with a song list in advance. The price was reasonable, we hired a quartet including singer who was fabulous! They were dressed professionally and took our event to the next level. I would highly recommend Jonathan and his band. Thanks again guys! We look forward to booking more events in the future with you as part of them.
The trio was very accommodating and highly skilled. They were early to the event for a timely setup, and took the time slot into their own hands on time without us having to worry. The music was high class and instruments sounded great. If I ever have another event or request from someone, this trio is who I will call.
We hired the Jonathan Blaak Group for our wedding, they were excellent, professional and extremely accommodating. Would highly recommend!!
Couldn't be happier and highly recommend jonathan blaak. We had his band for our wedding last summer, unfortunately didn't get around to leaving a review then, but we were so happy with them we had them back for a backyard party last Friday. Exceptional jazz music, I'm a jazz musician myself and was taken aback by their musicianship. Also very easy going and professional demeanour makes working with them a breeze. Our music requests always get met. Just the right volume. We're currently looking into having a different variation on the trio for our company Christmas party this year. 5 stars. High praise.
Ted Parkins
Jonathan provided his jazz trio for our company's 20th anniversary dinner we threw for our clients. He was very quick to respond and aided me with all my questions. I was impressed with the musician's professional demeanour, showing up on time to load in, accommodating the flow of our schedule, and of course their excellent music performed at an appropriate level. Our clients loved it. We're looking forward to having them back for our holiday party this year! Thanks again, Jonathan.
My husband and I hired The Jonathan Blaak Group for our wedding this past weekend and it was the best decision we could have made in terms of music! Jonathan was extremely professional, always quick to respond, and he went above and beyond our expectation to ensure that we got what we wanted. We had a string duo and a jazz trio played at our wedding, and both groups were amazing and talented musicians. Our guests gushed over the music! Our wedding ran behind schedule, and the musicians were very considerate and stayed for much longer than I had requested them to! In addition, we also requested the bass player to play a song with our cousins, and he was also incredibly amazing and practiced with our cousins many times before the wedding day! We could not have been luckier to have hired The Jonathan Blaak Group - they are the best!
I had decided to throw a last minute surprise birthday party for my wife, and the last edition was background music. But Jonathan was very quick to book me in. I appreciate it very much the ability to have everything settled last minute. the trio was outstanding, we received many compliments. 5 stars, thanks again!
Bob Jarret
Kitchener, ON
Couldn't be happier with Jonathan and his trio, and highly recommend them to future brides. We had his jazz trio perform for our cocktail hour and dinner, and then had a singer join him for the reception. He was extremely accommodating throughout. They took our requests, actively engaged the crowd, kept everyone on their feet! Dressed in proper attire. Very quick and friendly email response, made planning the entertainment a breeze. Thanks again Jonathan!
Jonathan's jazz quartet gave an elegant performance during our cocktail and dinner reception. It really filled the building with just the right ambiance I was hoping for. They are amazing musicians and very easy to work with. Best wishes for the future and thanks again!!
We had the pleasure of having Jonathan's band perform at our wedding reception on June 9th, 2013. They did a super awesome job at handling all types of music as well our special requests. Our guests were so impressed that we have been receiving compliments about the band all week after the wedding. I highly recommend Jonathan's band and am looking forward to having them back for future events.
Response from Jonathan Blaak Music:
Thanks for having us, guys!!
Jonathan's trio was a smash hit at my 30th birthday party. His repertoire of jazz classics, bossa nova, and a few improvisations peppered here and there were masterfully executed. The mood of the party was certainly impacted positively with the trio’s presence and sound, and my guests were all very impressed – many asked about how to book the trio for their own events! Thank you Mr. Blaak and all the best for your continued success!
I would love to recommend Jonathan's band! I had never hired a band before and was a nervous wreck about them being too loud or the kind of material being appropriate. They were AMAZING!! I was in email correspondence with Jonathan just about every day, he was very patient with me and easy to get a hold of. The guitar player accompanied my best friend who sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" which went beautifully. Thanks for putting up with my hassel and playing a great show for my mom :P 5 stars
My husband and I hired The Jonathan Blaak Group to perform at our wedding reception and were delighted with our experience. The band was high energy and had a great variety of music and kept our guests up on the dance floor all night and were very accomodating of special requests. They were very professional and did a great job on a lot of very tough songs from our era! Thank you so much for making our day so special! Dale & Jeff Patterson, Waterloo, Ontario
Great music - thanks again!
Twice I have hired Jonathan's band to play. We had his 3 piece jazz band play my husband's 50th birthday party during dinner, and this year I hired his 4 piece dance band for our daughter's birthday party. Both experiences have been outstanding and weeks later I am still hearing compliments on how the band sounded. Their professionalism makes them very easy to work with and I recommend them to anyone in need of great music. We'll see you again next year!!!
I saw the trio perform at a Christmas party tonight. Perfect ambiance during our dinner, and they even accompanied the hostess during a rendition of "have yourself a merry little Christmas" I look forward to having them at my party next year.
I hired Jonathan's jazz trio to play my cocktail hour and dinner at my wedding this past October. He was very quick to respond to my emails and was very easy to work with. The band arrived early and were dressed very professionally. I was impressed by their quick setup which was done without interruption to our program, and their ability to adapt to the small space we had for them. Their beautiful music complimented our dinner very well. They were very aware of the room and played at an appropriate volume. I received multiple compliments on the music throughout the night.
Thanks again for a great evening!!
Response from Jonathan Blaak Music:
Thank you Cynthia! It was a pleasure working with you!
Price Range: Contact for rates
Gig Length: 30 - 300 minutes
Languages: English
Every event is different, and we pride ourselves in knowing how to tailor our performance to your needs. Whether the event calls for us to be background ambiance or the centre of attention, our volume and presence will be appropriate for the situation. Our set list is flexible, and we can cater to any special song requests.
I took up music at an early age, quickly developing a passion for the art. After meeting my colleagues at Mohawk College’s music program in 2008, we turned that passion into our careers. We bring the joy and energy of live music to your event. From large scale parties to small get togethers with friends, there’s nothing like having live musicians perform privately for you. We’re available in a number of configurations to fit your unique event and musical tastes.
Our most versatile band. Southbound Soul performs a diverse repertoire of music including top 40, motown, pop, r&b, reggae, jazz, and more. All music can be performed up front and high energy for dancing, or as a cool background ambience for mingling and dining. Available as a 3 piece, 4 piece, or 5 piece band.
We also have a number of jazz groups available, performing a selection of timeless jazz classics and providing a beautiful background ambience for you and your guests to enjoy, mingle, and dine over.
Past clientèle include:
Bell Media
CBC Sports
Envoy Energy
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services
Spallacci Homes
Canadian Medical Foundation
RL Solutions
Homewood Suites by Hilton
Mississauga Golf Club
Hamilton Yacht Club
Everest Clinical Research
Mackesy Smye Lawyers
Great Floors
Invidiata Team Luxury Real Estate
Taylor Leibow LLP
Brantford Public Library
Royal Botanical Gardens
Port Colborne Historical Marine Museum
Stevensville Garden Center
MANY BRIDES AND GROOMS
All necessary sound and electrical equipment is provided by us.
| September 20, 2015 • 11:00am - 4:00pm | Wedding Cocktail Hour |
Dance band - top 40, motown, pop, soul, funk, and more.
Jazz band - swing, blues, ballads, bossa nova, and more.
| Jonathan Blaak | Drummer/Administrator |
Two electrical outlets
10 x 10 space for 4 piece bands
8 x 8 space for 3 piece bands
Toronto, ON 
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