Flash back to the early sixties when the Mad Men execs went out for a classy Martini Lunch accompanied by the sounds of Sinatra, Bobby Darin, and company. Besides providing cool backgrounds or hot swing, Martini Lunch also puts their signature spin on soul, blues, and pop tunes that fit that classic vibe.
Martini Lunch can be augmented to fit the needs of the occasion and client, adding saxophone and/or guitar. Past clients include: The City of Chicago, Nashville Film Festival, Pepsi, Navy Pier Entertainment, McDonalds, Cog Hill C.C., Sears, Hilton Hotels, DuPage Pads Charity, and many more, plus numerous wedding receptions and private parties/special events.
Highly professional, exceptional musicians. I highly recommend this quartet. We had a wedding with several different age levels and they performed songs that appealed to all.
Excellent Communications. Prompt, professional and of course... the music was awesome!
Response from Martini Lunch:
Thanks Tom, this means a lot! Hope to play for you the next time you're in town.
Tim
Professional, punctual, courteous. They performed just as requested--a wonderful addition to our party!
Martini Lunch played at our wedding. Tim, the band leader, was very accommodating to work with, he went above and beyond to meet all of our requests. The band’s music selection kept the dance floor alive all night. We could not have asked for a better music option for our wedding reception.
They are one of the most talented and professional jazz bands we have seen. We cannot thank you enough for your band's stellar music-making at our wedding. You made our wedding a memorable party! You were a pleasure to work with and we appreciate all the effort you put in to make everything perfect. Thank you, Tim and friends! Hope we can see your performance again in the future.
P.S. Please let us know where and when we can watch your performance :D
Response from Martini Lunch:
Thanks so much for your kind words!!!! Great pleasure to perform for you!! Hope to see you again sometime (we do have a few public performances this summer, I can send you info if interested). And, of course, we often do corporate events, so keep us in mind there too. Tim
Great music! Everyone at my event loved them. Easy to work with and very experienced.
Response from Martini Lunch:
THANKS!!! We really enjoyed performing for you!! Great party, wonderful people, and seemed like a perfect match of our music to the occasion. Hope to perform for you again sometime. Tim
Tim does a great job with this band. Guests at my event commented how mich they liked the style and performance of the music.
Response from Martini Lunch:
Thanks Mike!! We had a great time performing for you. Hope to see you again sometime; we do corporate events, fests, etc. So keep us in mind. Have a wonderful time on Maui, and I'll take your advice about going slow on that road to Hana when I'm there. Tim
The band was outstanding, classy and fun. They very talented musicians and were very easy going and friendly. They made my job of producing an event much easier. The set list they created covered periods old and new just as I had asked. They were attuned to the crowd. They even accommodated a couple of people who asked to sing with the band on a song. I highly recommend Martini Lunch.
What a joy it was having Martini Lunch provide the music and atmosphere for my company Christmas party. Their talent, music repertoire, and personalities made the night unforgettable! Professional, felt the tone of the evening as it wore on, and kept us happy for hours. I was particularly happy when they played the Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwoʻole rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" because my father has a home in Hawai'i. I'm still getting comments from my guests, "great party, thank you."
Martini Lunch performed during cocktails/dinner at my daughter's wedding reception. Their set up and tear down was fast and unobtrusive. More importantly, I received many compliments from guests who enjoyed their repertoire of classic jazz and contemporary music. When I was able to listen to them play, I thought they played well separately and as an ensemble. I was more than pleased with their performance. And they didn't even complain about having to pay for parking!
Price Range: $450 - $1050
Gig Length: 60 - 360 minutes
From cool backgrounds to hot swing and beyond, Martini Lunch plays the field of musical dreams.
Booking Options
Vocals provided with all options, or just all instrumental
Trio – Upright bass, keyboard, drums
Quartet – bass, keyboard, drums, and guitar
Quartet – bass, keyboard, drums, and sax
Quintet – bass, keyboard, drums, sax, guitar
(Duo of bass and keyboard also possible in some situations)
Band plus DJ option:
Why spend big money on a DJ after the cool and classy live band plays? We’ve often played a favorite dance mix -- as created by the client -- through our high end PA* for a dance club set or two. After all, what’s a DJ ? – just a guy with a great PA, and we’ve got that! Make your own mix and we’ll power your party!
On stage since early childhood, leader Tim Hays (vocals/upright bass/electric bass) has performed in a span of settings: jazz/swing, r&b/dance, orchestral, musical theatre, and country. His experience ranges from studio musician and record producer to being a member of some notable ensembles, including the fusion precursor to the Dave Mathews Band: Moments Notice.
Rounding out the trio is keyboardist Eric Hays, Tim’s son – a musical force in his own right, and famous studio drummer, Brad Schlueter. Well known to Chicago audiences, guitarist, Rob McDougle and sax player, Dave Kublank, fill out the quintet version of Martini Lunch.
Martini Lunch bookings include pro PA system and us playing recorded music on breaks. Space requirements for the band depend on the size booked: trio, quartet, or quintet. Festivals and professional agents (and anyone else) can request stage plots for each size band configuration. We do not provide lighting.
| August 14, 2020 • 7:00pm - 10:30pm | Wedding Reception |
| December 31, 2019 • 7:00pm - 8:30pm | Holiday Party |
| June 06, 2019 • 5:30pm - 9:30pm | Corporate Event |
| May 04, 2019 • 12:00pm - 4:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| February 12, 2019 • 8:00pm - 10:00pm | Corporate Event |
| November 24, 2018 • 7:30pm - 10:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| June 17, 2018 • 4:00pm - 9:30pm | Wedding Reception |
| November 04, 2017 • 6:30pm - 10:00pm | Retirement Party |
| July 08, 2017 • 6:00pm - 10:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| April 04, 2017 • 4:00pm - 6:30pm | Cocktail Party |
| January 06, 2017 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Corporate Event |
| December 09, 2016 • 6:00pm - 10:00pm | Holiday Party (Christmas) |
| October 21, 2016 • 6:00pm - 10:00pm | Reunion |
| June 01, 2016 • 4:00pm - 8:00pm | Corporate Event |
| April 20, 2016 • 4:00pm - 8:00pm | Corporate Event |
| April 19, 2016 • 6:30pm - 8:00pm | Corporate Event |
| August 22, 2015 • 6:00pm - 10:00pm | Wedding Cocktail Hour |
| June 04, 2015 • 6:00pm - 9:30pm | Fundraiser |
Frank Sinatra, '60s soul artists, Chicago south side blues, Van Morrison, Miles Davis, Beatles, Michael Buble, Diana Krall,
Chicago, IL 
Jazz Band
39 Verified Bookings Alessandra F. said “Could not recommend BMR4 enough. We hired them to play our wedding cocktail reception and they were a huge hit. Extremely talented group and matched the…”
Chicago, IL
Jazz Band
24 Verified Bookings Adah R. said “Words cannot explain the feeling of a high vibration sitting still listening to vibrations. Mario’s band took me to another realm. The sound of the vocalist…”
Chicago, IL
Jazz Band
22 Verified Bookings John G. said “True pros. They sound great. Their communication was top notch. Couldn’t have been better. Highly recommended.”
Chicago, IL
Jazz Band
8 Verified Bookings Jim said “Great to work with. Great music. Professionals.”
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