We hired MJ's Brass Boppers to play our wedding at the Oakland Museum of California and lead a second line. I grew up near New Orleans, and it was such a joy to bring some Louisiana to the Bay. My heart was so full getting to dance with my loved ones. MJ and his band are so talented. Booking them was easy, and they were so professional. They even let us choose any song for them to play for our first dance. The band brought the party! You will not regret booking MJ for your wedding!! read more

MJ's Brass Boppers - Second line around Lake Merritt - Musicians Near Me - San Francisco, California

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MJ and his band are amazing! They traveled from Oakland to Santa Cruz for our Mardi Gras wedding, and were a huge hit. They were communicative when planning, the whole band was super talented and very friendly. They played for a second line, cocktail hour, and dance hour at our wedding. Multiple guests told us this was the best band they'd ever heard at a wedding - and we agree! Thank you! read more

MJ's Brass Boppers - Musicians Near Me - San Francisco, California

This year was the third year that I have hired MJ' Brass Boppers to play my birthday party at Lake Merritt, and once again, they knocked it out of the park. They are the tightest, most soulful, most energetic Second Line band in the Bay--hands down. read more

I'd heard MJ's Brass Boppers perform at a friend's birthday party and was knocked out. I hired them for my party but didn't tell the guests what was coming. When the band marched it, the place lit up like a bonfire and kept stomping for their entire performance, including the parade down the street and back. Everyone will be talking about the party for a long time. Do it! read more

MJ's brass boppers are the BEST! They played our themed party and brought the perfect sound, energy , and top tier professionalism. It's a honor to work with such wonderful musicians. read more

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Mike Jones and his group, MJ Brass Boppers are the best brass band you can get in the Bay Area. I have now hired them twice for private parties over the past 15 years, most recently just this past weekend, and I could not be more pleased. Mr. Jones drives the band with confidence and great spirit, the musicians he finds to play with him are outstanding, and the music they make is great to hear. This is the real deal in New Orleans tradition. Mike Jones was also easy to work out the details with in advance of the gig, so we were able to arrive at a plan that worked for us both, financially and otherwise. I give this group my highest recommendation. read more

We chose to work with MJ's Brass Boppers for a second line parade for a celebration of life for our departed friend, and we had the most amazing experience. It was such a wonderful way to celebrate our weird, wild, and loving Haight Street community and to celebrate our friend in a way he would have absolutely loved. The vibe was top tier, the parade flowed seamlessly, and the music was just right. MJ was a pleasure to work with, very responsive, punctual, and professional. We had an epic, amazing time! read more

MJ's Brass Boppers - MJ's Brass Boppers kindly posing for a photo with us after our procession. They were incredible! - Musicians Near Me - San Francisco, California

I recently lost my father earlier this month. My father's wish was to have his ashes laid to rest at Woodlawn Memorial Park. Knowing the service would be held outside, short, and without considerable fanfare, an idea came to mind to search for a musical performance. My search led me to MJ Brass Boppers. The organizer, the musicians, and the musician's performances were terrific. A plus to the service while family members waited for time to place ashes. Many in attendance gave rave praises to the musicians of MJ Brass Boppers. Words of thank you will never sincerely express our gratitude for them. The band chose beautiful pieces to play. (My favorite song - "I'll Fly Away.") read more

MJ's Brass Boppers went above and beyond at a private party we threw to celebrate my wife's birthday and her official cancer remission. The band was on time, cool, friendly, and absolutely bangin. I recommend them highly! read more

MJ's Boppers were the star of our wedding celebrations by far! Their performance was the highlight for our guests, even though we only had them for the grand entrance and the first hour, it truly set the tone for the rest of the evening. And the wedding party love love loved dancing through the streets with them to the venue. I very highly recommend them, communication was a breeze, they were very timely, and just pure joy. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. read more

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MJ's Brass Boppers were absolutely AMAZING!!! They participated in the City of Millbrae's 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 15, 2024. They led the parade through the streets of Millbrae and ended up at Central Park where they WOWed the crowd! They are the "Real Deal" when it comes to bringing the sound of New Orleans to the Bay Area. The musicianship, dancing and stage presence charged the entire atmosphere. NOLA was in the House!! Jamie G. read more

From 504 to 510!! MJ's Brass Boppers brought it all! They were fantastic! Mr. MJ has an impeccable work ethic. He sets the ground rules up front and has contracts that must be met by the deadline. He follows up to make sure everything is going as planned for your party or event. I'm glad I used MJ's Brass Boppers to be a part of my daughter's special day Celebrating her College reveal celebration with my family and I, was the most impactful moment of our lives. I wish you all blessings beyond measure for their MJ's Brass Boppers! I'll see you all at an upcoming event! read more

MJ's Brass Boppers - Musicians Near Me - San Francisco, California

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They were very attentive to our needs and put on a fabulous performance! Everyone loved them.

I have booked MJ's Brass Boppers two times, once in 2012, and once last month, and both times they blew the roof off! Well technically the second time was an outdoor festival event, so there was no roof, but it was incredible and immediately got the crowd going. Very professional and responsive and punctual. Highly recommend. I will hire them again in 2036 if I continue with this 12 year interval thing :) read more

MJ's Brass Boppers performed for Joan's 90th birthday. They helped make the day very special for Joan. The band brought authentic NOLO jazz to the party and exceeded everyone's expectations. It was hot outside but MJ's Brass Boppers we're Hotter! Thank you so much for the wonderful memory you helped create, for Joan. I highly recommend the band to anyone that wants to bring NOLO jazz to their event!! read more

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On behalf of the Black Student Union at Skyline College, this was by far the best headliner event for our Black History Month. Our "Block Party" event wouldn't have been the same without this band. They are unique, professional and know how to have a great time. I have never seen anything like this in San Francisco, California. They blessed our campus with the NOLA culture, energy and great vibez. I would highly recommend this Brass band for any event. read more

My wife surprised me for my 50th birthday with a huge taste of my home town of New Orleans. MJ's Brass Boppers played in my backyard and then we all did a second line on my sleepy street here in Belmont. They were amazing and it was a memory to last a lifetime!! read more

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I cannot recommend MJ's Brass Boppers highly enough! I worked with a team that hired them to perform at the Black Music Month Festival in Oakland. They communicated clearly and were easy to do business with, punctual, friendly, and thoroughly delivered when it came time to perform. They had the audience up on their feet dancing and showcased their musical excellence, stage presence, and great representation of New Orleans culture. Highly recommended! read more

AMAZING! I am an event planner and found MJ's Brass Boppers Brass Band through a google search (which usually makes me nervous to hire vendors that are not vetted by other event professionals but I went with my gut and hired them anyway based on their previous reviews and gigs). I recently planned a mardi gras themed event in Palo Alto for a client from New Orleans so I wanted to get an authentic New Orleans brass band for cocktail reception. They were THE BEST find- definitely my favorite vendor for the entire event. The smiles on guest's faces when they were greeted by them were priceless. They brought a fun and authentic energy to cocktail hour- sounded great, looked great and were so fun and different. They even helped lead a second line into the dinner reception which was a fun and unique way to transition guests from cocktail reception. I would hire them over and over again. Easy to work with, quick to communicate and very nice. Best decision we made! Highly highly recommended. read more

HIRE. THIS. BAND. They were the absolute highlight of our wedding! I lived in New Orleans for a few years, and these guys are as good as any brass band you will catch there. MJ was an absolute pleasure to work with during the entire process from hiring to night of. Absolutely rocked it. Can't wait to see them again soon!!!! read more

MJ Brass Boppers joined us for a block party/birthday bash and there were a big hit! They were super easy to work with, and brought such great music and energy to the party. If you're looking for an amazing group - look no further. We hope we can work and dance with them again one day! read more

Can't say enough positive about MJ's crew--these guys stole the show for my proposal, and put on such a fun performance. Their music is so big and so fun that the event instantly became a party when they stepped up. We held the event at a public park, and all of the other groups of people that happened to be there that day were clapping and dancing and cheering, even though they weren't part of it. MJ was easy to work with, and they happily went along with my crazy plans. read more

MJ's Brass Boppers absolutely made our event the success it was! MJ was incredibly professional throughout and showed up with a group of great musicians and performers. Do not hesitate to hire this group!! They created a sense of celebration that was truly needed after this difficult covid year. Thank you, MJ's Brass Boppers!! read more

MJ's Brass Boppers were the life of the party at my wedding. I wanted a parade but also had to balance that with an actual wedding ceremony -- they made our ceremony unique and meaningful. MJ was easy to work with and even though I provided specific song requests just a week before the wedding, he made it happen. They went above and beyond on the the day of and all of our guests are still talking about it. I'm thankful to them. read more

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I had such high hopes for the Brass Boppers, but what took place behind the scenes of my wedding on August 31, 2017 in Santa Rosa was entirely unacceptable. This is a lengthy review, but here are the two main points: 1. They did not show up and play during the contracted time and place 2. They refused to leave the venue without receiving gratuity I entered into a contract with MJ to play from the start of my wedding ceremony procession all the way through our cocktail reception (45 minutes total). I was sad that after I kissed my husband the band was nowhere to be found when we jumped the broom. This was supposed to be the main highlight and surprise to all our guests. For whatever reason the moment was ruined. As the procession wrapped I finally see the band entering on a golf cart. I was still crushed inside, but had to put on a smiling face as the band finally began to play and our guest got into it. We had planned to walk with our guest to the cocktail area, but because everything got pushed back and how hot it was my coordinator suggested that we stay at the ceremony site to begin taking our pictures. Once we asked the band to continue leading the guest we were yelled at and told that the band only follows the bride and groom. I understand the tradition and all, but that was not what we agreed upon and after already showing up late the last thing I needed as a bride was to be yelled at. Once the cocktail reception began, my guest really did enjoy the band. MJ requested cash payment the day of and upon final payment he asked my coordinator multiple times about gratuity. Last I checked gratuity is optional and based on the level of service and performance. My husband and I decided that gratuity was not necessary since they did not start on time and hoped to have a conversation with them after the wedding to clarify what went wrong. Instead of accepting the final payment and taking it up with me later, MJ refused to leave and persisted to request gratuity from my coordinator and my father. My father had nothing to do with the hiring of the band nor how much was contracted or what I intended to pay in gratuity. Not wanting to bother me during my wedding, my father just wanted to make sure everything was resolved and MJ ended up taking a large sum of money from my father (nearly a 50% gratuity based on the total paid). I found out about this a few weeks after my wedding and felt sick to my stomach that MJ would take money from someone that had nothing to do with the booking to begin with. No one deserves to be harassed over gratuity. If it's that serious then include the gratuity in your contract. Since then, I have spoken to MJ directly to get more clarity and was told that I should just enjoy married life and everyone had a good time. I felt that my concerns were completely dismissed and no responsibility was taken. I have no interest in being told to basically get over it when people I love have been taken advantage of. Better business practices and etiquette need to be put in place in order for this band to thrive. read more

We were in search for a Brass Band to perform at my 50th Birthday Party for months. We knew hiring a band for a private party can be costly, so we wanted to be sure the group we choose was definitely the right choice. We discovered that MJ Brass Boppers often perform at local events (just look on their website and select an upcoming event). We selected a SF event and paid $30 per ticket. We watched their performance and WOW! They were far better then all the other bands. They were full of energy, music was epic , just like we experienced when we were at the Mardi Gras in New Orleans in 2018! They were hired!! When I tell you they went beyond and above our expectations...they did!! Our guest was so amazed! They made our party Spectacular! read more

MJ's Brass Boppers - MJ Brass Boppers made the party EPIC! - Musicians Near Me - San Francisco, California

My husband and I went to the 4th of July parade in Orinda, and we were just blown away with MJ's Brass Boppers! These guys are incredible! They kept their awesome music going with great energy, even after they reached the end of the parade. I saw people smiling and dancing to their music. We highly recommend MJ's Brass Boppers! read more

I am so grateful to MJ Brass Boppers. They played my fathers going home ceremony. They came early, stood out in the heat of Fairfield and were so gracious and kind. My father was dancing with us as they led us away from the grave side. Everyone left feeling uplifted. Thank you all I can't say it enough. read more

MJ's Brass Boppers - Musicians Near Me - San Francisco, California

We booked MJ's Brass Boppers for a group birthday party in COVID times. MJ was really professional with the way they organized the gig and and showed up early and ready to perform. We were in a park in SF and it was super fun.The music is super accessible for adults and children and they treated us like family. They are about as close to the authentic New Orleans sound as you can get here in the Bay Area. Even though we're in the pandemic, they sounded super tight. I would book them again in a second. read more

It has been 5 years since we had MJs Brass Boppers play at our wedding in Sonoma. We saw them tonight at Alba Ray's in San Francisco and I couldn't have been happier. MJBB continue to be SO fun and talented. The energy is intense and fabulous. I cant wait to see MJ's Brass Boppers more!!!! read more

We were looking for a band for a Mardi Gras party and couldn't have been more pleased with MJ's Brass Boppers. Everyone was on their feet dancing the entire time they played. They were great! read more

MJ's Brass Boppers played at our wedding on April 3rd, 2016 in Napa Valley. We surprised our guests with them. This band did an amazing job!! They came out and their energy was so high. They sounded great, very tight band, fun, sounded amazing....I felt like I was right back in New Orleans, (where I am from!) It was a pleasure working with them! Not only are they great musicians, but they are very professional as well. We loved having them at our wedding, and our guests loved it too. Anyone would be lucky to have them rock out for your wedding or event. Thank you, guys! Keep howlin'!! Kristin and Rudy read more

This is a wonderful band; played for a memorial for our good friend Chili Bill and played their butts off. Great musicians and great music; most highly reccommended. Tom read more

MJs Brass Boppers are a must have for any festive occasion. We had the pleasure of bringing them out for BOTH of our opening and closing ceremonies, for Black Solidarity Week in Oakland,Ca at Lake Merrit. The faces on the children running out the houses and apartments to see them was beautiful. One of the little girls said this was the best day ever! I felt that sentiment. Professional, on time, went beyond what was asked. Will hire again. read more

Phenomenal performance!!! 100% recommend having MJSBB at your next event, hands down the best live band experience we have had planning weddings and events, and we've had a lot! MJ is professional, personable and responsive from the start, accommodating to carry out whatever your vision may be, and above all, their musicians are so talented! There was not one person that wasn't on their feet when they closed out the ceremony with a second line, and everyone was up dancing during their cocktail hour performance. We here at TLC truly can not wait for our next opportunity to work with MJSBB. read more

MJ's Brass Boppers played my wedding and it was phenomenal. Everyone loved it, the dance floor was packed for the 2 hours they were playing. They covered some tracks (with their own twist) which we had asked for ahead of time, they played our first dance with our friend singing the song with them. It was so much fun. If you have an event, and you want it to get the party started, hire these guys. MJ was easy to deal with, responsive, professional and reliable. I would hire them again in a heartbeat. I'll post videos soon! read more

Cannot recommend MJ's Brass Boppers enough! MJ and his Brass Boppers brought the heat to our wedding, playing an hour set during the cocktail/early dance party, followed by an epic second line down the street outside our venue. They made for an incredibly unique and memorable experience. Everyone was genuinely surprised and thrilled when they walked out immediately after the ceremony and started playing, setting the tone for the whole night. Had they just played their set and departed, it would have been a legit 5-star performance... but their second line was absolutely magical and took things to a whole new level. Leading a second line was a dream come true for us, but the most memorable part was seeing the pure joy it brought to everyone - not only our friends and family but the total strangers coming out of their shops and driving by in their cars. It was the highlight of the night and people have not stopped talking about it. Booking MJ's Brass Boppers was the second best decision of our wedding, short of us getting married of course. We won't ever forget it. Additionally, I cannot emphasize enough how easy it was to work with MJ. He was incredibly professional and attentive, and at the same time easy going and genuinely friendly throughout the experience. We made a few last minute changes and he was more than accommodating, which we really appreciated in the last few days leading up to our wedding. read more

This review is way overdue, but I would be remiss if I didn't write it. I co-chaired a fundraising event which was held at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco & we hired MJs Brass Boppers to lead the guests from the cocktail area into the ballroom. It was a surprise to the guests and a fantastic and fun way to kick off the main part of the evening. MJs Brass Boppers was definitely one of the highlights of the evening. MJ was easy to work with and delivered as promised. If you want your event to have a great, fun, band, hire MJs Brass Boppers. You will not be disappointed! read more

They played for the cocktail hour at my wedding. It was the best decision we made that whole day. (Except maybe the decision to say, "I Do") They really got the party started and had everyone dancing. I couldn't recommend them more highly. I'll have to think up another excuse to hire them soon! read more

We were treated to MJ's Brass Boppers at a wedding in the Presidio in SF this past weekend. They led a procession of the wedding guests between the chapel and the reception while playing "When the Saints Go Marching In". It happened to be pouring rain, so I can only imagine how difficult it was to play and march while being soaked. They did a fantastic job, and everyone will remember our procession through the rain. On a personal note, they made our daughter, who was the flower girl, feel like a queen. They were all so sweet to her, and MJ personally signed a pair of drum sticks for her. It was the highlight of her evening and she won't stop talking about it. I will be recommending them to anyone planning an event, and hope to be able to have them play at an event of my own some day. Great job guys! read more