At Palma Ceia Golf Club

Ted Knight and the World's Smallest Big Band played for a wedding at historic Palma Ceia Golf Club in Tampa. The bride and groom chose a sophisticated musical program for the black-tie affair, a mix of big band swing with Latin and Jewish selections to honor their families' heritage.

Soft Brazilian jazz greeted the guests as they entered the ballroom, followed by "The Way You Look Tonight" for the couple's first dance together as husband and wife. The bride and groom danced with their parents to Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade," and then the rest of the wedding party joined in.

Jazz, Latin, variety

Vocalist Evelyn Russell did a wonderful job, keeping dancers busy with "My Guy,"  "Respect," and "You Are the Sunshine of My Life." She also did "And All That Jazz" from Chicago, "Just the Way You Are," "At Last," and a cool version of Peggy Lee's "Fever."

Family members appreciated trumpet player Matt Schuler's Latin stylings on "Green Eyes." Ted made it a rhumba medley, singing the Spanish lyrics to "Guantanamera" before returning to "Green Eyes" for the coda.

During dinner, Ray Oram played a beautiful saxophone solo on "I Have Dreamed," as heard in the state dinner scene in The American President. As guests enjoyed relaxed conversation, drummer Kevin Campfield kept it quiet on songs like "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Embraceable You" . Later, for dancing, Kevin sang "You Make Me Feel So Young" and Bobby Darin's "Beyond the Sea," and laid down a funky groove when Evelyn sang "Pink Cadillac." Matt Schuler laid his trumpet aside to sing "Mustang Sally" for the dancers.

Ted's vocals included "Jailhouse Rock," "Twistin' the Night Away," and the Louis Jordan jive number, "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie." After the cake cutting, everyone danced to a spirited hora with a "Hava Nagila" finale.

The bride's mother told Ted that guests came up to her all evening to say how much they enjoyed the band. One older Cuban relative flashed Ted a thumbs-up, then walked over to say that this was the first wedding band he had liked in twenty years. Later, the groom wrote to Ted:

Desirée and I wanted to extend our deepest thanks to you, Marie, and the entire band for making our wedding night so much fun and so memorable. We and all of our guests has a wonderful time dancing the night away! We both wish that could have lived in that night a little longer. Thank you again for making it so special!

Before the reception, the banquet manager asked Ted why his band had come all the way from Delray Beach when there are so many good bands in Tampa. He laughed when Ted said, "I guess they wanted the best." Afterward, the manager said, "You were right...you are the best."

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