Experience the Smokin’ Section for your party or affair!! The Smokin’ Section has been getting audiences up and dancing at wedding receptions, corporate parties, bar/bas mitzvahs and clubs since the mid ‘90s. From elegant, refined gatherings in Newport, RI to wild blowouts in Chicago, the Smokin' Section has been an integral part of hundreds of memorable parties and weddings. We have also performed at clubs throughout the metro area, and in 1998 we played in front of an audience of over 5,000 people at the Crawfish Festival in Stanhope, NJ at a show featuring the national acts Buckwheat Zydeco, the Radiators and Marcia Ball.
Comprised of some of the metro NYC area’s finest and most versatile musicians; the Smokin’ Section is a rehearsed 9 piece band with set personnel, not a group of roving, rotating hired guns! We feature 3 dynamic, multitalented vocalists upfront (1 female, 2 male), a tight 3 man horn section (not an afterthought or add-on, but an important part of the band) and a rhythm section of keyboard, bass and drums that will make you and your guests want to get up and dance. (We will tailor the band to the specifics of your particular party and can go out with more or less pieces in the band based on your needs.) 
We know how to get people on the dance floor and keep them there! The Smokin’ Section treats each party we do individually; we monitor what’s going on at that specific party and play the right mix of music to keep the guests happy. Rest assured that the Smokin' Section does not mistake volume for energy; we are very aware of dynamics and know how to groove at a comfortable volume level for you and your guests.
The Smokin’ Section has become well known throughout the tri-state area for its unique combination of versatility, excitement and musicality.
We enjoy playing the full range of dance music and take pride in being able to perform many different styles of music the right way and with spirit! This enthusiasm never fails to connect with our audience and helps to fill up the dance floor. From Classic Rock to Club, Swing/Society and Sinatra to Salsa and Merengue, Ballads to Boogie, Rhythm ‘n Blues to Rhumba, Top 40 to Tarantella and much, much more,
the Smokin' Section plays its music with energy, grace, passion and sophistication. If you’d like to get a tantalizing taste of a few of the many different types of music that we play, please go to either the
“hear us” (for audio clips) or
“see us” (for streaming video clips) pages on this website.
The Smokin' Section can also supply jazz and classical music for your ceremony and/or cocktail hour. Please visit the
“songs we play” page on this site to see a list of some of the diverse material that the band has performed. (By the way, the Smokin' Section has played songs by all the artists listed on this site!) We are also happy to learn special requests for your particular party.
Since its inception, the Smokin' Section has been co-led by drummer Pete MacDonald and saxophonist Mike Kaplan. Throughout the planning process for your party, you will be working directly with either Mike or Pete, who will both be there on the date of your party. This will insure that
the music for your affair/reception will be personalized to your own unique vision. We look forward to hearing from you!
