The Mockingbirds Band
- Houston, TX
- Wedding Band
- 1 Verified Booking
Shelby G. said “Fantastic Experience. We recently hired The Mockingbirds to play at my fathers wedding as a gift. They were timely, Professional and extremely entertaining.…”
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Note: WE ARE NOT A MARCHING BAND
Gumbo Ya-Ya
[guhm-boh yah yah]
1. A New Orleans term meaning: everybody talking all at once; i.e., at a loud party.
2. An Austin based band combining many different styles into one uncontrollable, danceable, New Orleans style groove.
The ingredients are no secret. Gumbo Ya Ya takes a bit of the following styles, to make a flavorful blend of grooves that will make your soul shake:
- Traditional NOLA Music
- Funk
- Blues
- Rock and Roll
- R & B
- Gospel
- Jazz
- and more!
Gumbo Ya Ya is the perfect addition to your event. High energy electric groves, combined with a New Orleans party atmosphere will make your evening explode with excitement!
The Gumbo YaYas are the best Cajun band in Austin. They play a killer set list and all the classic songs. Our Mardi Gras birthday party would not have been the same without them. Thank you so much for such an excellent time. Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!!
Response from Gumbo Ya Ya:
Thank you, Blair! You folks really know how to throw a party. We all had a blast playing for y'all and everyone was so friendly. We hope to see you again down the road.
The band played our Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras party at Belmont Village Senior living in Lakeway. They were professional, timely and great artists! The residents really enjoyed themselves!
These guys were awesome. The dancing tuba and the guitarist dancing in the crowd really made it a lot of fun and evening. Great selection of music and everyone had a great time.
Response from Gumbo Ya Ya:
Edison and his group really know how to have fun! Everyone had a great time and they raised money for a good cause. We hope they will invite us back.
We celebrated a major milestone in our plant and wanted a mardi gras feel and Gumbo Ya Ya filled the bill perfectly! Their jazzy sound and look was the perfect touch to leading our parade. Their playlist was great with toe tapping, hip wiggling sounds. We would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a jazzy time!
Price Range: $550-$3,000
Gig Length: 90 - 240 minutes
Languages: English
Unions: AFM
Gumbo Ya Ya is a high-energy New Orleans blues, soul and funk band Cajun style band. We combine a lot of New Orleans artists in our repertoire such as The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Professor Longhair and the Meters to name a few. We also spice things up with a bit of Zydeco music. What we are not is a marching band.
Most people hire Gumbo Ya Ya for Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) celebrations, Crawfish boils, and themed events but our music is good for any event looking for a happy, grooving time with a New Orleans flair!
Our busiest time is between late January through May. We are generally more available between June and September, but any time of the year is a good time for NOLA & Cajun music! Contact us for availability. The more lead-time the better.
Gumbo Ya Ya is made up of professional musicians who have been around the block. Our goal is to help make your event a success with minimal time required by you. We have a PA that will support up to 500 people and can add lights and/or a larger PA for an additional cost, depending on the event size and your requirements.
Feel free to contact us for more details or if you have any questions. We do our best to accommodate!
Please check out our demos for a better feel for the music you will be getting.
Gumbo Ya Ya played their debut gig on Fat Tuesday, 2015 and we've been groovin' Central Texas ever since.
Here are the current members of the band that puts the “gumbo” in Gumbo Ya Ya :
Paul Hollis – Guitar/Vocals
Paul Hollis began with piano and trombone before concentrating on guitar and building a foundation in classic rock and blues. He extended his Electrical Engineering studies to pick up courses in music theory and composition.
After his first degree, stints in several mid-west and south-east touring bands culminated in a central Florida-based group performing originals, album-cut rock, and pop. This Florida based group often served as the opening act for artists such as Blood Sweat and Tears, Edgar Winters, Mitch Ryder, Berlin, and Richie Havens, among others.
Danny Marquette – Organ / Vocals
Danny started playing classical piano at age 5 but took a hard turn when he discovered girls really liked hearing him play Elton John. Around that same time he picked up trombone, guitar, bass, and drums and the classical chapter was closed. He started playing in the high school jazz band and visited New Orleans in college after his jazz band director said “I don’t know what you’re playing, but it’s wrong. You need to head to NOLA and listen!”
Geno Gottschall – Bass
A native of Austin, Geno Gottschall has been involved in the music community from an early age. Geno has performed and recorded with many well-known groups, all over the world. His instruments include voice, piano, bass, guitar and tuba.
Geno Gottschall holds a Music Theory degree from The University of Texas, at Austin. He taught orchestra and choir at Lanier High School for 7 years. Geno is now pursuing other interests as well as holding down the low end for Gumbo Ya Ya!
Kenny Felton – Drums
Kenny graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in Music, Audio Technology and Ethnomusicology. During that time Kenny was one of the early students of Rock & Roll icon, Kenny Aronoff, where he learned a lot about letting the groove “simmer.”
Kenny has been playing in Austin, TX since 1986 and has supported many of Austin’s finest musicians, both live and in the studio. Some of the artists Kenny has worked with include: Delbert McClinton, Jack Ingram, Hal Ketchum, The Platters, The Drifters, WC Clark, Tomas Ramirez, Beto y Los Fairlanes, Tamasha Africana, Austin Jazz Workshop, Gary Primich, Rob Roy Parnell, The Big Time, and the list goes on. Currently, Kenny is providing the deep pocket grooves for Gumbo Ya Ya.
Sax
Whenever we can, we will provide a saxophonist to add to the NOLA flavor, but for budget-minded people, we sound as good as a quartet.
Gumbo Ya Ya requires:
- Stage size approx. 20-25 ft. wide x 12-15 feet deep
- A clean, dry, solid, level and shaded surface for Artist and Artist’s equipment. If outdoors, an alternate indoor performance location is recommended in case of inclement weather, heat (>97 degrees) and cold (<50 degrees).
-A nearby place to store cases if you wish for them not to be seen.
- 2 dedicated 20-amp circuits at 60HZ/120v placed at reasonable proximity from the stage.
- If you cancel within 30 days of the event, you will get your money back minus the deposit. Within the 30-day window, you must pay in full.
- Please communicate with us at least 12 hours in advance if there is a chance the event may be canceled or rescheduled and we will try and work with you.
February 09, 2024 • 7:00pm - 9:30pm | Birthday Party |
March 20, 2022 • 11:30am - 12:00pm | Worship Service |
February 23, 2021 • 3:30pm - 4:30pm | Corporate Event |
March 13, 2020 • 7:00pm - 11:30pm | Fundraiser |
May 10, 2017 • 9:00am - 9:45am | Corporate Event |
SAMPLE SONG LIST
Song - Artist
All the Money - New Orleans Suspects
Alligator Boogaloo - Lou Donaldson
Big Chief - Earl King
Brother John / Iko Iko - The Neville Brothers
Cissy Strut - The Meters
Cold Duck Time - Eddie Harris
Come Together - Beatles/The Meters
Congo Square - The Neville Brothers
Fortunate Son - The New Orleans Social Club
Get Back What You Givin' - New Orleans Suspects
High Heel Sneakers - Craig Handy
I Don't Need No Doctor - John Scofield
Jambalaya - Hank Williams
It's Your Thing - Lou Donaldson
Lady Luck - Maceo Parker
Mardis Gras In New Orleans - Professor Longhair
Mercy Mercy Mercy - Joe Zawinul
Mess Around - Dr. John
Mojo Workin' - Craig Handy
One Way Out - Allman Bros. (2nd Line)
Organ Grinder's Swing - Craig Handy
Shake Everything You Got - Maceo Parker
Start It Up - Robben Ford
Such A Night - Dr. John
Te Na Na - Buckwheat Zydeco
They All Ask'd For You - The Meters
Those Lonely, Lonely Nights - Earl King
Traveling Mood - James Waynes
If you are unfamiliar with any of these songs, please feel free to look them up on YouTube.
The Meters, Professor Longhair, The Neville Bros., Dr. John, Jon Cleary, Maceo Parker, Robben Ford, The Wild Tchoupitoulas, Fats Domino, Earl King, The Radiators, Buckwheat Zydeco, The New Orleans Social Club.
Please see Additional Booking Notes, in the Profile tab, for set up requirements and other information.
Shelby G. said “Fantastic Experience. We recently hired The Mockingbirds to play at my fathers wedding as a gift. They were timely, Professional and extremely entertaining.…”
Julie D. said “When I heard Chris singing and playing at the Christmas Showcase, I knew I needed to book him for our Joeris employee Christmas party. His music was wonderful…”
Ayodeji B. said “Great evening”
Melissa M. said “Band was on time, playing as we walked in. All of the guys played well throughout the night, smiles on their faces during breaks. Our event cleared out…”