Gruosso Entertainment Promotions has talented performers for all your entertainment needs, from a small, cozy affair to a large gala event. We can provide septets, sextets, quintets (including jazz quintets, quartets. trios, and exciting vocalists in addition to show bands and comics, etc.

 

In the news:

NOT EXACTLY YOUR DADDY’S BIG BAND

SENECA-- On a crisp Valentine’s night, some of the finest musicians in the Southeast played to a packed house at Keowee Key Country Club.
The Ray Spires Band, created through the genius of Big Band leader Ray Spires and promoter Dom Gruosso, combines the talents of 17 professional musicians to create a Big Band sound that hasn’t been heard here in a long time.
But this is not your Daddy’s Big Band.
The seamless performance included timeless standards like “Sentimental Journey” and “In the Mood,” while requests for beach music elicited a snappy rendition of “Under the Boardwalk.” To underscore the versatility of this band, their renditions of tangos and cha-chas brought several talented ballroom dancers to the floor.
Anyone who expects Big Band to be stuffy and smelling of mothballs needs to hear the Ray Spires Band. Never labored, the music, while artistically masterful, is always fun— the true sign of a talented band. The musicians seem to be having as good a time playing the tunes as their audience is having listening and dancing to it.
The band features a female vocalist whose pretty voice provides a pleasant contrast to the instrumentals. She sang two or three songs each set, and we would enjoy hearing more from her.
Ray Spires, the bandleader, is a woodwinds specialist who has a wide range of performing experience. He has played in back-up bands for everyone from Kathy Lee Gifford to the Ringling Brothers Circus. Dom Gruosso, as promoter, retired to the South, bringing 30 years of experience in New York.
Spires and Gruosso searched the Southeast for the best musicians, and found some in unexpected places. One of the band’s saxophone players is a fifth grade teacher in the Anderson School District. She also teams up with the band’s vocalist on a few duets.
The Valentine’s night concert at Keowee Key was their first together as a band. Gruosso is working on booking several concert dates in the near future, but the band’s schedule so far is reasonably open. They’re available to play parties, dinner dances and other occasions where live entertainment—something classier than a DJ—is desired. The band can be “downsized” to play in more intimate settings such as homes and smaller halls.
“You can book the band by calling 944-2829,” Gruosso said.