Hella Fitzgerald

Ceremony pricing

Prices start at $1,000

Reception pricing

Prices start at $4,000

Category: Live Band or Ensemble

Type: Multi-piece live band

Genres: Blues

+8 genres

About Hella Fitzgerald

Hella Fitzgerald

From bebop to hiphop -- Hella Fitzgerald is a deluxe party based in Northern California!

Hella Fitzgerald is a party band collective based in Oakland, CA, that provides live music services for weddings. They specialize in vintage jazz and soul, funk, R&B, the '90s, and Top 40, offering a well-rounded, soulful experience for couples and their guests. Featuring some of the best musicians and vocalists in Northern CA, their song list includes a wide range of genres and eras, for which they have developed seamless transitions. The band offers flexibility in size and instrumentals, adapting to your specific vision and style and can provide live music for the entirety of your wedding, ensuring every moment is perfectly complimented.

Though we work with some of the top agencies in the area, Hella Fitzgerald is a self-managed band. This helps us keep our prices low while providing a high quality experience. Collectively our musicians have played at festivals worldwide and have toured with Lauryn Hill, Lyrics Born, Fantastic Negrito, Michael Franti, Pete Escovedo, Sheila E, Tony Toni Tone, Goapele, and more.

Services

Services

  • Ceremony microphones and sound
  • Dancefloor lighting
  • Hear us live
  • Learning new songs
  • Master of ceremonies
  • Multiple location support
  • Music during breaks
  • Parade/baraats
  • Sound system capability audience <300 -
  • Sound system capability audience >300
  • Uplighting

Musical genres

  • Blues
  • Disco/Funk
  • Jazz
  • Latin
  • Motown/Soul
  • Pop/Top 40s
  • R&B
  • Rap/Hip Hop
  • Reggae

Event types

  • Cocktail hour
  • Couples luncheon
  • Elopement
  • Engagement party
  • Farewell brunch
  • Rehearsal dinner
  • Wedding ceremony
  • Wedding reception
  • Wedding shower
  • Welcome party

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

2 reviews

  • T

    Taylor

    Rating: 5
    •Dec 24, 2024

    The band was absolutely fantastic!

    Super professional, super fun - just a grade A experience for everyone there - including the highest praise from my boss, who initially thought we should have a party without any music (crazy, right??!). I'm sure I'll be reaching out to you again next year - just much earlier this time! Thank you again for being so wonderful to work with, and please pass our thanks on to the rest of the band.

  • AY

    Ana Y.

    Rating: 5
    •Dec 20, 2024

    Most Epic Band Ever!

    Hella Fitzgerald, led by the amazing Lilan Kane, did a fabulous job at my son’s wedding. From the clear and timely communication with Lilan herself (no third party manager) over the months leading up to the big day about our budget and hopes and dreams, to the actual wedding day, it could not have been more perfect! The highlights were the epic brass band that led the 200 guests from the outdoor wedding ceremony to the reception, the mother-son dance (perhaps not the dancing skills but definitely the beautiful rendition of “What the World Needs Now (Is Love)” by Lilan and her band), and the song set with the glorious horns that kept the dance floor hopping (with everyone from the youngest guest to grandma) all night long! It went by too fast, but the memories will last forever! We could not have been more pleased! I could not recommend Hella Fitzgerald more!

Hella Fitzgerald’s standard setup is a 6 piece band that includes female vocals, keyboards, bass, drums, and two horns. We can always add on additional instruments to create the band of your dreams.
Absolutely! We work with some of the finest musicians in the Bay Area who can handle all your musical needs for your big day. For ceremony, we’ve coordinated everything from acoustic guitar, keyboards, string quartet, harp, we’ve got it all! We also have a ceremony sound package that includes a wireless lapel microphone, wireless handheld microphone, speaker and dedicated sound engineer. For cocktail hour, we love to have a few of our band members play as an instrumental duo or trio, providing a welcoming and warm atmosphere.
Hella Fitzgerald keeps the party going with a mix of vintage jazz & blues, classic soul, funk, R&B, the '90s, and contemporary songs.
Absolutely! From corporate events to weddings to birthday parties - we are open to all events big and small.
Yes, and we can take care of all your sound needs for the entire event.
Yes, our sound will already be set up and we are happy to provide microphones for officiants and speeches. If you are interested in wireless and/or lapel microphones, let us know, and we can make that happen.
yes we have liability insurance!
Yep!
We will send you a song request sheet a few months prior to your event. You can list your general likes and dislikes as well as any must plays or do not plays. We do our best to create the best cross-generational setlist to keep the party going. With that in mind, we are happy to tailor the song list to your general likes. Special dances (first dance, parent dances) are included in our quote at no additional fee - even if they are not on our master list!
We usually block out a 90 min- 2 hour load in time, but other arrangements can be made
Of course, Hella Fitzgerald is able to learn up to three special songs for you. Just be sure to give us at least 30 days notice so the band has time to learn the request.
Our 5 and 6 piece band can play up to three dance sets, our 4 piece band can provide one instrumental set plus two sets with vocals.
Vintage Formal is our go to! However we can customize or adapt to party themes as requested.
We have partnerships with band comprising of members from varied cultural backgrounds that we contract with as part of your event. We are able to perform live for a Hora as well.
In our experience, we find that it is better to have pre-recorded music during that time. We know your friends and family have traveled from far and wide to be here and we want them to be able to enjoy the conversation.
Yes! You can supply your own playlist or use our carefully curated playlist, guaranteed to keep the party going.
We do not require a stage, but if you choose to provide one, we need to specify the dimensions ahead of time.
Lighting is not included, but you may request it for an additional fee. We provide light tress or individual uplights.
We do travel!
Your day of contact will be disclosed to you before your event, but will most likely be the lead singer of your band.
Yes, the band can play outside but we do require a hard, flat, dry surface and cover as instruments, electrical cables, and water are a fire hazard. Partial or full shade must be provided for protection of the musicians and their instruments. In cold weather, heat lamps must be provided.
For the main staging area, we require a minimum of 2 separate isolated 15+ amp outlets. These must be on separate circuits from one another, and not tied to any circuits used by other heavy power-drawing devices (ovens, coffee makers, etc).

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