Brandywine Valley Talent Band Blogs

Jellyroll Blog

This past weekend we had the opportunity to play for the wedding of Eric and Stephanie at the Ballroom at the Ben .  As many times as we've played at the Ben, it never stops being a pleasure to work with the awesome staff of Finley Catering .  From the fantastic people who work in the office to the great staff on the floor running the event, we never get tired of playing at the Ballroom at the Ben.

Besides the great experience with the Finley staff, the wedding was amazing as well.  Eric and Stephanie danced to "You and I" by Michael Buble for their first dance.  Check out the song below:

We were also fortunate enough to work with the extremely professional photographers from Capone Photography .  We'd like to thank them for providing these great shots from Eric and Stephanie's wedding.  Enjoy!


Capone Photography
Jellyroll vocalist Tesa Williams between verses.


Capone Photography
Joe on sax, Kurt on Trombone, and Brian Fitzgerald on violin back up Tesa.


Capone Photography
Jellyroll's frontline vocalists - Tesa, Dondi, and Amee.


Capone Photography
Brian Fitz on violin and the Jellyroll horns.

Overall, it was another great event for Jellyroll.  Check back soon to see what we've been up to!

City Rhythm Blog

City Rhythm was honored to be able to play at the inaugural Fallen Officers Gala at Drexelbrook Catering on Friday, November 25.  Proceeds went to benefit the families of Philadelphia police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Kevin York Photography

Drexelbrook was decked out beautifully by Domenick Savino and his wonderful staff.


Kevin York Photography

City Rhythm provided the musical entertainment for the night.


Kevin York Photography


Kevin York Photography

Philadelphia Police Chaplain Reverend Rocky Brown said a few words.

Kevin York Photography

Sarah Morrison and her planning company, All About Events , spearheaded the planning for the 1st Annual Fallen Officer's Gala.

Overall, the night was a great success and we hope the Fallen Officers Gala will become a Philadelphia institution for years to come.

A special thanks to Kevin York for the great photots of the night.  Be sure to check out his website at www.kevinyorkphotography.com .

View From The Stage

Kurt Titchenell is President and owner of Brandywine Valley talent, as well as band leader and trombone player for the renowned Philadelphia area dance band Jellyroll.  Kurt has performed and organized the entertainment for more than 1500 weddings over the years.  He has developed a unique perspective on current wedding trends as well as do’s and don’ts.  We hope this insight valuable and interesting as you plan your wedding.  Recently named a wedding expert by Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, Kurt offers advice here on Brandywine Valley Talent’s new “View from the Stage”:

Event planning is all about one thing: creating and capturing special moments. The making of long-lasting memories together is the entire reason behind throwing an event. With that in mind, it is important to note that our memories aren’t always foolproof. Those details that once stood out so clearly to you about your special day may slowly begin to fade…What was the punch line of Uncle Jimmy’s hilarious golfing joke again? Exactly which cousin was it that danced onstage with the band during the reception?

No worries. This happens to the best of us. That’s why you hire the professionals to help you create and capture those memories for you – permanently.

As a bandleader working in the special events industry, I consider it a privilege to create those moments that will later become cherished memories for my clients. I find that some of the best moments tend to come from interactivity between the entertainment and the guests. For example, whenever Jellyroll plays at an event, I make sure to get our singers integrated into the goings-on at said event. Sometimes, they will go and sing to Grandma and Grandpop at their dinner tables. Other times, they will go and tear up the dance floor with the bride and groom. In these ways, I can kill two birds with one stone by setting up a great photo or video opportunity and by making sure that we are putting on a wonderful performance for partygoers.

However, my view isn’t the only one that matters at these events. In order to get a different perspective on the creation of fantastic memories at events, I’ve asked noted photographer, Gabe Fredericks, and videographer, Tim Sudall to offer me their valued opinions on the matter.

Gabe Fredericks is one of the most sought after wedding photographers in the industry. Gabe runs and operates the esteemed Philip Gabriel Photography outside of Philadelphia, which has earned itself a sterling reputation with clients as well as WeddingWire’s Bride’s Choice Awards for the years of 2009, 2010, and 2011.

As owner and president of Video One Productions, Inc . in Havertown, Tim Sudall prides himself on providing his clients with unique and beautiful films of their special days. Video One Productions has received numerous awards and has been recognized by Event DV as one of the top 25 Wedding Film Companies in the World.

Both Gabe and Tim had their own helpful comments to make in regards to the creation of special moments at events they have worked at. Gabe was up first!

Gabe Fredericks, Philip Gabriel Photography

Gabe: My job is all about taking advantage of important moments. Sometimes, I’m in the middle of the action because I want to be able to capture moments of great emotion up close.

At other times, I’m actually responsible for helping to create special moments. During photo shoots, for example, I help to guide the process along by telling some clients to move into the light and others to shift to the front. But a wedding reception is a wedding reception. That’s something that’s going to unfold no matter what I try to do to shape it. So, I just let it be and watch for those moments that are going to matter in the future.

It’s during times like those that I rely on a kick-ass band and entertainers to get the party going and help guests have fun. It’s particularly great to work with other professionals who are aware of what needs to get done. I love when the band and clients are integrated and doing things with one another because it helps to create distinct moments.  For example, I love to capture reaction shots at events that I’m hired for. I had one wedding where the groom got up onstage with the band and sang a song to the bride. Naturally, I took plenty of pictures of the groom singing but I also got several shots of the groom’s parents as they watched their son perform onstage at his own wedding. It was a special moment and it’s something that I’m sure means a lot to them even to this day.

All in all, working a great event is a team effort from everybody involved. We all rely on each other and that chain of communication is a must because without it, we wouldn’t be able to work together to give our clients the best experience imaginable.  

And now to Tim with his input:

Tim Sudall, Video One Productions

Tim: When you work with video, you become a documentarian of life. You learn not to ever create a moment, but to experience them as they happen. My job is about interacting with people and working with them to help them tell their story.

Days go by so fast. Often times, the hosts of the events themselves aren’t actually in the party room. They could be chatting with guests outside or off seeing to some other aspect of the event. That’s when it becomes important for me to be the eyes and ears for them, so that I can capture the moments that they are going to want captured for the future.

There have also been times when I have had to work extra hard to get certain moments to happen. For example, say the Mother and Father of the Bride aren’t feeling up to dancing at the wedding reception. Clients generally want to see a balanced story and they will miss it when they go to watch their wedding film and realize that nobody captured video of their parents dancing. It’s times like those that I may want to talk to somebody close to the family and hint at the idea of them getting the parents on the dance floor. In that way, I can ensure that I’m capturing every important aspect of an event.

Like Gabe said, everyone at an event has a role and works together with the goal of being teammates with everybody. Everyone has their own challenges to work out. The band has a tough job because it’s mostly up to them to manage time and make sure that everyone is having the time of their lives. There’s always going to be hiccups but we all work out the bumps together. And for us, it’s not all about playing great music or recording great video. It’s about learning how to throw a party. When you have a band that integrates with guests and you work with professionals who can communicate and help one another out, then the event is flawless.

I love when I can leave an event and know that I’ve done my job in the best way I know how. My clients can leave the venue knowing that they have just experienced something more than just music, more than just moments. They can leave with memories. And video can provide them with more than just a visual representation of those memories. They can re-watch their videos and actually hear the reception speeches, experience the music of the bride and groom’s first dance. I’ve provided my clients with a way to re-experience the night’s memories by going back and pressing ‘rewind.’ And that makes me proud to do my job.

Well said, gentlemen! Stay tuned for more helpful tips on how to make your event the party of the decade! And, that’s all folks!