Spellbinder Orchestra

Spellbinder Orchestra plays upbeat and whimsical vintage covers and occasional old timey originals. Crowds love our rendition of Minni the Moocher, Putting on the Ritz or rousing Russian folk tunes! We add charm, energy and a unique vibe to every event. We enjoy dressing up as the occasion requires.

If you have a special theme in mind, let us know! We can tailor towards 20's-30s, Cabaret or lean more towards the Old West for special events.

The full group is usually 6 members - two guitars, ukulele, drums, cello, violin and vocals.

Spellbinder Orchestra is an inter-generational group and a side project of local indie-folk band Brother Spellbinder. They are happiest when performing! The group plays a wide range of music from Vintage Jazz, eastern European, Folk, Americana and classical. We can tailor our sets towards a specific atmosphere or theme as needed.

More about some of our players:

Bandleader Alzara Getz learned early about the power of music as the daughter of rock drummer, Dave Getz, original drummer of Big Brother & The Holding Co. (Janis Joplin). She has been in many bay area bands and finds much inspiration from her work as a social worker with public health.
"Alzara enters with a smooth and haunting vocal presentation that sends shivers up your spine."
Indie Spoonful

Guitarist Jamie Wilson was an early graduate from San Francisco’s School of the Arts High School and counters Alzara's dulcet voice with a dollop of gristle in his vocals and upbeat rhythm guitar.

Cellist Gabriel Beistline is a Rice Masters graduate and a member of The Santa Rosa Symphony, Merced Symphony and many others. He is in high demand :)

Cellist Helena Tietze comes a family of musical savants. She is daughter to locally renowned choir director and pianist. She sings like an angel and plays multiple instruments.

Guitarist Sean Griffin has been performing in local bands for the past 20 years. He can dazzle you with Django Reinhardt riffs or keep you guessing with Satriani flexibility.

Violinist Steve Bollhoefer is a top-notch improviser and plays with firey passion. But that's not all - he can also TAP DANCE, Swing dance and keep you entertained with his lovely alto vocals.

Drummer Steve La Porta is a denizen of many known bay area ensembles, including Ramana Viera, one of the few Fado singers in CA. He steers the songs with creative marches, world beats and joyful vibrations.

Spellbinder Orchestra can provide from 3 - 8 players. We mostly play as a sextet. We prefer power and PA with 6 or more channels, but also CAN PROVIDE our sound or PA if power is available. For more casual or outdoor shows, we can provide battery powered amps when necessary.

Please note: Weekdays may actually be more expensive than weekends depending on whether some members need to re-arrange their day job.

Everyone tells us we're actually NICE people.