I have been performing at events for a number of years now and have developed several groups for different types of receptions and budgets. Below you can review the sound of a group and the instrumentation.

Duos are a great choice when a little more music animation and visuals are needed for an event. Upright Bass and Piano creates a strong visual, is not too loud, and is a common jazz duo. Another great alternative is Piano and Vibes. It is another standard jazz duo for visual and controlled volume. Sax and Keys is a great duo for a more forefront approach. It's also a great alternative for events held outside. For those events where dancing may occur but the budget is tight, consider my Keys and Drums duo. This duo is a versatile combination. It can handle cocktails and dinner with light instrumentals and break out into dance music when I add vocals. Incidentally, vocals can be added with any combination.

A trio is a great choice for gatherings of 100+ people. Trios are very versatile as they have the look of a band, can switch to dance music if needed, and volume can be controlled more easily. Sax, Keys, and Drums is probably my favorite trio combination. Our sax player can switch to clarinet and also play percussion. The main reason I like sax in a trio is because it adds great energy and is a common instrument to big band, jazz, rock and roll, and soul music. Piano, Bass, and Drums is great for lower key and jazz events. Keys, Guitar, and Drums works very well for a combination of styles and when rock and roll will be the biggest request of the evening. Vocals, of course, can be added to any combination.

The Neal Davenport Band is a 5 piece band consisting of Keys, Drums, Guitar, Sax, and Female Vocalist. This is a great choice for wedding receptions when dancing will be an important part of the evening. This band can cover most musical styles from big band to beach music to 70's rock and roll. It can be downsized to a quartet if necessary or upsized to 6 or 7 pieces by adding more horns.