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I often get hired to play romantic ballads, jazz, and pop music, for couples who are celebrating their anniversary, engagement, or even first date, with a memorable evening. I set up my small portable amp on the beach near Coronado Ferry Landing and Maria Ojeda Urista of Romance Events in San Diego sets up a romantic candlelight dinner and gets a permit for the beach setup from the City of Coronado.

Sometimes the couple books the event together, but often one person books it as a surprise to their partner. I have a great time seeing the look of surprised partner when they see the setup and beautiful backdrop of downtown San Diego. One of the best parts is the parking: this secluded area a few blocks south of the Ferry Landing, in front of a large condominium, has ample 3-hour parking most times of the day.

Sunset time is most popular, and parking is easy and right next to the beach. When the couple arrives in their car, I’m already playing romantic saxophone music. They walk to the table where the dinner is prepared, and often walk to the water’s edge, sharing a quiet private moment.

As they have dinner, the sun goes down and the buildings of downtown San Diego light up, making a magical scene. It is a quiet spot, and I keep my saxophone volume at a nice level: loud enough for the couple, but not too loud for the neighbors. However, I am proud to say that many residents of the nearby buildings and pedestrians enjoying the area have told me how much they enjoy the music and have hired me for other events. One person who happened to see me was talented photographer Victoria Pennick, of Frozen Glass Photography. She wanted to take some photos and I am pleased to share these.

Kevin Kicks Up the Volume at a Hacienda Hotel Pool Party

The Hacienda Hotel Old Town, in San Diego, hired me for their wedding shoot and marketing video. I was playing in the courtyard when a woman came to watch me from the pool. It was flattering that she kept taking photos and videos, in between compliments on my pop song instrumentals. Then more people came from the pool to watch me play. Pretty soon I had a crowd, and one guy shouted, “How much can we pay you to play for us at the pool?” On my break from the hotel shoot, I brought my amp, set up in 2 minutes, treated them to some music on the pool deck and the photographer on the shoot captured the end of it in this raw video! I love playing in new places, for appreciative crowds, especially when it’s spontaneous. Every time I play my music comes out a little different, because it’s a different setting, different people, and different energy. What makes live music so appealing is clients tell me they feel my energy and the music is much more powerful seeing someone play it live than recorded or cranked out by a DJ. I am creating music and developing it right before their eyes. There’s the connection between me and my sax, and I convey that to the audience, so they feel part of the unique experience. As I was leaving a woman stopped me and said, “Thank you. You are a fantastic saxophone player.” To me, that makes it all worth it.

At a gorgeous park in the Tierrasanta neighborhood in San Diego, California, I played a milestone anniversary party last weekend. Due to some last-minute changes of family visiting for the special occasion, my client asked me to move my music play time from evening to afternoon. I always try to stay fleible for my clients’ ever-changing needs… I know life happens! I was able to rearrange my schedule and play the big event. I took requests from the crowd and enjoyed walking around playing my instrument, sharing my music, amidst the joyous guests. Clients often approach me with questions about my song selection and setup. I’m happy to tell them my songs can include a wide variety of pop song covers, jazz, blues, funk, and soul, and they get rave reviews from their guests on the listenability (if that’s a word!) of my saxophone. They’re also pleased that I can set up anywhere, keep a small footprint, or roam the crowd for a unique experience. Since I played in a park with no outlets nearby, I brought my portable amplifier to run my backing tracks while I provided some memories for the happy couple and family! Please let me know if you’d like some music for your next event and we can work out an ideal plan for you.

On August 17, 2019, I had the pleasure of playing a wedding at the Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach Hilton Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. It was a boisterous event, as the groom and his family were Armenian background and celebrated with traditional dancing. When the father of the groom called me, he was interested in me playing pop music and jazz during the wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and reception. Later I spoke to the wedding planner and found out that the groom already had a harpist for the ceremony and DJ for the dance part of the reception. I pride my business on catering to my client’s ever-changing needs, so I was happy to adjust to just playing the cocktail hour. But it’s funny how weddings go: I arrived early just in case, and it turned out that they wanted me to play as guests entered the dinner area as well. I ended up playing an hour extra, and had a nice time meeting everyone and playing some new songs that the father of the groom had requested. It was especially gratifying that the DJ and I coordinated seamless transitions from his music to mine at different points of the reception.

I was hired to play the happy hour for the Chamber’s Celebration of Business awards ceremony on June 27, 2019. About 400 professionals attended, including soccer star Landon Donovan, and I had a nice time playing instrumentals of popular music on my sax in the vintage open barn on the Bernardo Winery’s space, which I highly recommend for any of your events. The staff was friendly and the bar was convenient to the gathering space. Lots of interesting decor, which you can see in some of these photos.