WE ARE A professional jazz, blues and soul band LOCATED IN LONDON
OUR MUSIC
Our Band
Alexandra Stanton
Alex took up a trumpet aged 7 years old and has not put it down since! Her passion for jazz was ignited by Ella and Louis album that she was given for her birthday that year. She completed her studies at the Antibes Conservatoire in France before moving to London in 1995 where her life encounters have taken her towards Classical, blues, Latin, and Soul music.
Nigel Summerley
Nigel Summerly skipped school to see Ginger Baker play with Cream - and bought his first drumkit three days later. Since then, he has played with a variety of blues and rock bands before turning towards jazz. He studied drumming with the legendary John Marshall (Soft Machine, Nucleus, Jack Bruce Band).
Mike Mangroo
Mike is an electric guitarist with a passion for Americana, Jazz, Soul and Gospel music. He grew up listening to Dylan, Cream, Robert Johnson and his dad's collection of reggae and country when he should have been listening to Madonna! He still has the Blues for Robert Johnson, Mahalia Jackson, to BB King through to Tedeschi Trucks.
Chris Stanton
Chris just likes music - in all its forms and genres! After trying a range of instruments from a young age, he settled on the bass. He provides The Macaroons with solid and distinctive basslines and even dabbles in the very occasional solo. His wide listening tastes have definitely left a mark on The Macaroons' repertoire.
Our Services
Wide repertoire
Our wide repertoire covers songs ranging from jazz classics to modern rock and blues and includes:
Song For My Father, Angel From Montgomery, Chitlins Con Carne, Hoochie Coochie Man, Sidewinder, La Rue De La Solitude (Lonely Avenue), Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves), Midnight Blue, Sympathique, St James Infimary, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy, Coming Home Baby, Work Song, Corcovado, Stormy Monday, Black Orpheus, Sweet Rowena, Collision in Black, Full House, Love in Vain, The Sky is Crying, Four on Six, Got my Mojo Working, So What, Chameleon, Les Yeux de l’Amour (The Look of Love), Tango ‘Til They’re Sore, Sunshine of Your Love, many others and some of our own original compositions too.
We are happy to tailor playlist to the requirements of the event .
Own Equipment
Our Rates
| We charge between £100 and £500 depending on the proximity of the venue, length of the set and availability of backline and equipment. We own our full PA. We support charity work and have adapted our fees for charity events |
Our Dates!
We have played at a variety of venues across London and the UK: The Clarendon Hotel (Blackheath), Jazz After Dark (Soho), Luna (Leytonstone), The Goose (Fulham), The Grey Horse (Kingston), Carshalton Artists Open Studios (Surrey), Clapham Common Bandstand, The Guitar Social (Hackney), Kettstock Festival (Northamptonshire), Downs Tennis Club (Surrey), Bibury Coronation Celebrations (Cotswolds), Canbury Gardens (Kingston), Moonfest (Stevenage), The George (Harrow), The Pyrotechnists Arms (Nunhead), Carshalton Frost Fair, Walthamstow Trades Hall, The Place Live Lounge (New Malden), Bibury Garden Fete, Water’s Edge (Cirencester), Fitzhugh Estate (Wandsworth Common), The GreyHound (Carshalton), Cryers Arts Marquee (Carshalton), Carshalton EcoFair.
Check out our upcoming events
Why Us?
Own Equipment
We own our own PA and equipment so you don't have to worry about anything.
Years of Experience
We have years of experience dealing with a variety of venues and providing bespoke service and events in timely, straightforward, reliable and professional way.
Outstanding Reviews
"If you're looking for a band whose repertoire is wider than the Atlantic then the Macaroons are your go-to group. There may be only four of them but they cover a lot of ground, from pop to modern jazz with all the stops in-between. Whether it's a blues standard like "Hoochie Coochie Man" with gutbucket vocals from drummer Nigel Summerley, a French language version of "The Look of Love" from singer and ace trumpeter Alexandra Stanton, or guitar and bass riffs to bathe in from Mike Mangroo and Chris Stanton on jazz standards such as Horace Silver's "Song for My Father" and Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder", this group has all the bases covered. Any performance will not only broaden your music horizons but provide a Gallic-flavoured and thoroughly entertaining show." John Clarke (Music reviewer for The Times, The Independent, The i)
"Miles Davis meets Eric Clapton", Roger Staton, Bibury News.
"This band is so tight! Keep on doing what you're doing, guys!", DJ Tony Jazz, Universal Soul Radio
"People were blown away by The Macaroons" David Endersby, organiser of the Kettstock Festival.
Did you enjoy our music? Please leave some feedback on our performance
Brazil to Chicago via New Orleans and ...Paris!
I love the Macaroons. Every time I have seen them live, they have delivered a lively, well structured list of songs which while staying within a pleasurable Jazz context, expand to include some well-known latin ones, a couple of traditional, not middle-of-the-road blues tunes with a touch of chanson française added to the mx. Their sound is light and refreshing but always tight and controlled. Alex’s trumpet as the main melody instrument is a defining feature of the band as are the vocals of Alex, Nigel and Michel, all with original character, so rare nowadays. Chris and Nigel build a solig rhythmic background over which Alex’s trumpet and Michael’s guitar can weave exciting lines. I have had the privilege and the pleasure not only to know all of them personally for some time now, and admire them as individuals, but to also have the opportunity to play live with them which allowed me to admire their professionalism and work ethic. I will catch them live at every opportunity I get and will strong;y recommend them for any festive occasion or event that calls for music that excites, inspires, pleases and leaves everybody happy.
Congratuations!
Our audience was particularly enthusiastic yesterday and some of them -including our sponsor for the day – have written to the Friends of Canbury Gardens to thank you for your performance.
An afternoon in New Orleans
It felt like I had spent an afternoon in New Orleans!