MY ROMANCE brings unpretentiousness, pure joy, and the poetry of honest emotion back into jazz, with an American Songbook repertoire spanning Frank Sinatra, Chet Baker, Duke Ellington, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and the Beatles. Their audience tends to be older folks who have an appreciation for jazz standards performed with class and sophistication, as well as younger folks discovering the beauty of the jazz tunes of a bygone era.
My Romance played as a duo for our wedding last summer: guitar & violin as the guests were seated before ceremony; piano,vocals, & violin during the cocktail hour. As a senior couple we & our guests greatly appreciated their repertoire of jazz classics as well as the classics we remember. My husband is a Grateful Dead fan & loved that they played an instrumental version of Ripple as I walked down the aisle & at the end of the ceremony we were treated to a rousing version of Hey Jude.
My Romance is highly professional, prompt, & easy to work with. They fulfilled our musical needs beyond our expectations & made our wedding truly memorable.
Response from My Romance Jazz Combo:
Thank you Linda, it was our pleasure to be a part of your special day.
For several years now, I Bitrus Gwamna have had the pleasure of seeking musical entertainment for our annual appreciation dinners here at council 7294 of the Knights of Columbus St. Alphonsus church in Mount Pleasant Iowa. On the advice of a friend of MINE, I hired My Romance Jazz Quartet for a couple of THESE dinners. At our request, My Romance provided quiet instrumental music as the diners helped themselves to the buffet. Following the meals, the quartet performed a one hour concert with vocals. Their music was perfect for the ambiance we needed as I felt the music had to be upscale and classy.
The Knights of Columbus were appreciative of the quartet, with members describing the background instrumentals and concert with vocals as very tasteful and professional. Most of those after each dinner have inquired when I would have the band return to another of our appreciation dinners, wondering if the quartet has CDs for sale. I have no doubt in my mind, that organizations similar to our 7294 council of the Knights of Columbus here at St. Alphonsus Church in Mount Pleasant Iowa would find My Romance Jazz Quartet a musical outfit which plays tunes that pleases both heart and soul.
Response from My Romance Jazz Combo:
MY ROMANCE fully supports the Knights of Columbus mission: to provide members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, their communities' families and young people. We are pleased that our music was so well received and we are happy to support the Good Works of the K of C in any way we can.
Arlene and David performed at a wedding I attended and they were second only to the Bride & Groom. Their energy and comfortable vibe made the event a pleasure for all who attended. They are beautiful people who perform together as one and leave you smiling!
One of the premises of the Law of Attraction is that like attracts like. In the case of My Romance, this is true on many levels. Personally, Arlene and Dave are lovely people, devoted to the music, each other and their audience. This devotion is quite evident in all of their performances. They possess the unique ability to extract the essence of the song and not merely play the notes. Ever evolving and l
Elevating their craft, every outing finds something new emerging from their instruments keeping their audience in anticipation for the next one, a rare quality for most musicians. I speak from personal experience, having known, heard and worked with them for years in Pennsylvania. I cannot say enough about the extraordinary talent that is My Romance!
Frank A. DiBussolo, D.M.A., Ph.D.
Response from My Romance Jazz Combo:
Thank you Dr. Dibussolo - you are a master guitar virtuoso, and MY ROMANCE appreciates the generous mentoring and support you have given us over the years, not to mention the many gigs you have sent our way. Great to hear from you!
Stone Soup Kitchen at Golden Magnolia Sanctuary is a non-profit organization providing free organic Vegan meals to the needy three evenings per week in Fairfield Iowa. Our vision is to expand to seven evenings a week, and to transform the community room into a cafe/gallery space that’s beautiful, clean, and cozy—a space that invites musicians, creative writers, and game lovers to come, spend an evening with friends, make music, meet new people, and enjoy their community. MY ROMANCE JAZZ COMBO shares our vision and through their weekly performances have brought us closer to our goal. Their music appeals to a wide variety of folks and has attracted many in Fairfield who come to hear the music, enjoy the food, and leave generous donations for us to continue with our work. We especially enjoy the various guest artists who play with their combo so that each week we look forward to something different. I would highly recommend MY ROMANCE for anyone who enjoys old school jazz.
David and Arlene played for my daughter’s wedding. They were so easy to work with and very professional. My daughter sent them a list of songs she wanted performed at her wedding. David and Arlene learned all the songs and performed them flawlessly. We received so many compliments on the beautiful live music. I would not hesitate to recommend them for any live performance!
Response from My Romance Jazz Combo:
MY ROMANCE is delighted that everyone enjoyed our piano and violin arrangements of rock songs by The Fray and OneRepublic. While not our usual repertoire, it was a fun challenge to create and perform these songs for this occasion.
Price Range: $50 per person per hour, one hour minimum
Gig Length: 60 - 180 minutes
Languages: English
MY ROMANCE is happy to perform with or without vocals, as the main attraction or as background music, in whatever configuration large or small that you may choose. At $50 per person per hour, we are able to accommodate even the most modest budgets with our one hour minimum fee. MY ROMANCE is looking forward to being the band that performs for your special event!
From quiet dinner music to onstage concerts (see the Sondheim videos), MY ROMANCE has the versatility to bring class and sophistication to your gathering. Our musicians show up dressed for the occasion, be it upscale or informal, and as seasoned musicians we all are comfortable onstage and with our audience, regardless of the setting.
MY ROMANCE enjoys performing at weddings during the cocktail hour, as well as at charity fundraisers and events. We are equally comfortable "letting our hair down" and having fun at senior facilities and farmers markets (see photo gallery). MY ROMANCE can create the perfect ambience for your private party or house concert with our extensive song list of favorites to choose from.
From mid-November until New Years Day MY ROMANCE can entertain you with our special seasonal repertoire (available on request) to enliven your holiday parties.
LET US ENTERTAIN YOU!
While MY ROMANCE JAZZ COMBO performs primarily as a duo or trio, we can accommodate your needs in a variety of ways: as solo piano or guitar, with or without vocals (minimum $100) up to a 7 piece combo featuring piano or guitar (with or without vocals), violin, bass, drums, saxophone, flute, and horn (trumpet/ flugelhorn). With our flexible rates ($50 per person per hour) we can accommodate any budget to make your event memorable.
Bandleader ARLENE LEFFLER is an award winning jazz violinist who has been playing the American Songbook tunes she loves for over thirty years. While largely self-taught, Arlene received classical training from the renown Romanian master violin teacher Dolly Koritzer, and has studied jazz violin with master jazz violin teacher (and 2018 Grammy nominee) Sara Caswell as well as with Jamey Aebersold. For over forty years Arlene has been involved with a wide variety of bands and projects, encompassing many genres. Currently she performs with her husband Dr. Dave Leffler as the MY ROMANCE JAZZ COMBO.
Musical director DR. DAVE LEFFLER is an accomplished jazz multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who has traveled the world performing for 9 years in various Air Force bands primarily as a guitarist. Dr. Dave has been a jazz aficionado since grade school, playing drums under the tutelage of his father, Bob Leffler, a former Army drummer who was an actively gigging jazz drummer in the Milwaukee area for most of his adult life. In high school Dave switched from drums to bass; then to guitar in college and the Air Force; and later to piano, which is now his main instrument and current love. For several years Dr. Dave has been the jazz band leader of the popular DAVE LEFFLER QUARTET based in Fairfield, Iowa and currently performs as the MY ROMANCE JAZZ COMBO with his wife Arlene on violin.
MY ROMANCE BACKGROUND:
Dr. Dave and Arlene played their first gig together at a house concert at the Seven Roses Inn, Fairfield Iowa on September 26, 2015 and they have been inseparable ever since, performing as the MY ROMANCE jazz duo at restaurants, country clubs, wineries, festivals, weddings, house concerts, senior living communities, and upscale private parties throughout the mid-west and the east coast.
AND NOW WE ARE THREE:
Our recent addition is TIM LAUGHRIN on U-bass, an accomplished jazz bassist who is a familiar face on the Fairfield Iowa music scene. Tim has been bassist for the Dave Leffler Quartet since its inception, as well as bassist for a variety of other local projects encompassing a variety of genres. Tim has played bass on and off with MY ROMANCE since the very beginning on September 26, 2015, and we are happy to welcome him as our official bassist.
All we need is electricity - a power outlet close to where we will be setting up is sufficient!
With over 100 songs to choose from, MY ROMANCE is ready to perform all your favorites!
C Alfie (Ballad)
F Alice in Wonderland (Med.)
C All Of Me (Med. Swing)
Bb Almost Like Being In Love (Med. Swing)
Em Autumn Leaves (Med. Latin)
F Besame Mucho (Med. Latin)
F Beyond the Sea (Med.)
G Blue Skies (Med.)
F Bye Bye Blackbird (Med. Up)
Bb A Child is Born (Ballad)
Cm Charade (Med. Jazz Waltz)
Am Crystal Silence (Ballad)
Am Day in the Life of a Fool (Bossa)
F Days of Wine and Roses (Med.)
Eb Dindi (Slow Bossa)
C Don’t Get Around Much Anymore (Med. Swing)
D Fields of Gold (Med. Even 8ths)
C Fly Me To The Moon (Med. Swing)
F A Foggy Day (Med. Swing)
F Georgia On My Mind (Ballad)
F Girl From Ipanema (Bossa)
C Green Dolphin Street (Latin/Swing)
G Here’s That Rainy Day (Med.)
C Hey Jude (Rock)
G How High the Moon (Med.)
G I’ll Remember April (Swing)
G I’m Beginning To See The Light (Med. Swing)
Eb Isn’t It Romantic (Med.)
G It Might As Well Be Spring (Ballad)
G It’s Only A Paper Moon (Med.)
C Killing Me Softly With His Song (Med.)
Dm Lady (Ballad)
C The Lady Is a Champ (Up)
F Love Is Here To Stay (Med.)
C Meditation (Bossa)
F Michelle (Med.)
Eb Misty (Ballad)
C Moon River (Ballad Jazz Waltz)
G Moonglow (Med. Ballad)
Eb The More I See You (Ballad)
C More Today Than Yesterday (Brightly)
Bb Mr. Lucky (Med. Swing)
Em My Favorite Things (Med. Fast)
Bb My Foolish Heart (Ballad)
Cm My Funny Valentine (Ballad)
C My Romance (Med.)
F Nearness Of You (Bossa)
C Night and Day (Med. Swing)
G Norwegian Wood (Med. Jazz Waltz)
Bb On a Slow Boat to China (Med. Swing)
C On the Sunny Side of the Street (Med.)
F Once I Loved (Bossa)
Eb One For My Baby (and One More For the Road) (Ballad)
C Pennies From Heaven (Med.)
C Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Bossa)
Ebm ‘Round Midnight (Ballad)
C Satin Doll (Med.)
G Send In The Clowns (Ballad)
G The Shadow of Your Smile (Slow Bossa)
Cm Softly As In a Morning Sunrise (Med.)
Bb Someday My Prince Will Come (Med. Jazz Waltz)
C Someone To Watch Over Me (Med.)
Bb Stella By Starlight (Med.)
F Steppin’ Out With My Baby (Med.)
F Strangers In the Night (Med. Latin)
Am Summertime (Up Swing)
F Sweet Georgia Brown (Up Swing)
Em Take Five (Up)
F A Taste of Honey (Med.)
Eb Tenderly (Bossa)
Eb There Will Never Be Another You (Up)
F They Can’t Take That Away From Me (Med. Swing)
Eb This Guy’s In Love With You (Med. Slow)
Fm This Masquerade (Med. Latin Rock Even 8ths)
D Triste (Bossa Nova)
Bb Two For the Road (Med. Slow)
F Waltz For Debby (Med. Jazz Waltz)
Eb Watch What Happens (Bossa)
D Wave (Bossa)
C The Way We Were (Slowly)
Eb The Way You Look Tonight (Slow)
F What a Wonderful World (Ballad)
C What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life (Rock Ballad)
C What Is This Thing Called Love (Med. Up)
F What Now My Love (Med. Up)
F When I Fall In Love (Ballad)
F When Sunny Gets Blue (Ballad)
Eb When You Wish Upon A Star (Ballad)
G Willow Weep For Me (Bluesy)
G Windmills of Your Mind (Med.)
F Witchcraft (Med. Swing)
Eb Wives And Lovers (Med. Jazz Waltz)
G Wouldn’t It Be Loverly (Med.)
F Yesterday (Ballad)
F Yesterdays Ballad)
C You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To (Med.)
From mid-November until New Years Day MY ROMANCE can entertain you with our special seasonal repertoire (available on request) to enliven your holiday parties.
Frank Sinatra,
Tony Bennett,
Chet Baker,
Antonio Carlos Jobim,
Astrud Gilberto,
Herb Alpert,
Henry Mancini,
Michel Legrand,
Nat King Cole,
Duke Ellington,
Beatles,
... and so many more!
Here are Extras that would be most welcome but not necessary: A piano that is in tune (we have our own keyboard otherwise). A house sound system (if not, we can supply our own). Chairs without arms for each musician (or we can bring our own).
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