Soul Wagon

Blues - Jazz - Roots Music

Left to Right: Chad Spivey (Upright Bass), Doug Anthony (Guitar), Benito Brajkovich (Piano), Aaron Parks (Drums)

Left to Right: Chad Spivey (Upright Bass), Doug Anthony (Guitar), Benito Brajkovich (Piano), Aaron Parks (Drums)

Soul Wagon carries on the soulful and swingin' sounds of the enormous collection of roots music called Jazz and Blues. While specializing in classic 50’s and 60’s era jazz, the band also digs deep into simpler blues forms driven by groove, soul, and raw energy. Leading the band on piano and vocals, frontman Benito stays true to these enduring styles, respecting tradition while adding fresh arrangements and mixing in exciting original songs rooted firmly in the old-school sound the band is known for.

. . . The perfect blend of old-school and new-school.

Available for clubs, private events and weddings, the Quartet's foot-tapping music will entertain and delight people from all walks of life. For weddings, the band provides everything from small intimate combos for the ceremony to high-energy large band music for the reception.
 
Soul Wagon will add that special touch to your event – offering vocal and instrumental music; jazz, classic blues, funk, bossa nova, or New Orleans style – if you're looking for groovy, then look no further.


Follow us on Facebook and Instagram… We are @ Soul Wagon Austin

Hop on the Wagon and get your hands on a copy of the brand new album Something’s Cookin’. We’re really proud of it and would love to share the music with you! You can support the band by picking up a CD at one of our upcoming shows, or ordering the album or individual songs off of our BandCamp page:


Band tip jars– Venmo: @Soul-Wagon PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/BenitoBrajkovich


News and Reviews

The new LP is here! Our first full-length album features an upbeat mix of original compositions, blues, and New Orleans music… all drenched in piano-heavy funky and jazzy sounds, and featuring soulful guitar and harmonica solos.

Use the link below to purchase the full album or individual tracks. Enjoy!


DATE CHANGE: NOV 12

On Nov 12th, Benito (of Soul Wagon) will be featured as special guest fronting the band on vocals/piano with legendary drummer and Grammy Award recording artist Ernie Durawa band (Texas Tornadoes, Willie Nelson, Albert Collins, Dr John). Join us for an evening of smoky and soulful blues, jazz, funk and New Orleans music at one of the best venues in town. 


This one’s for all the jazz lovers… Elegant piano jazz, and half off bottles of wine on Wednesdays at Doc B’s Restaurant!!

See the “Shows” page for upcoming dates.

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– Reviews –

EVENT coordinators

I had the pleasure of working with Benito and his band at a wedding this July (2015), and they were remarkable! He was prompt on getting back with me regarding song requests, timelines, and any question I had for him. I was already impressed by his professionalism, but when I heard them play was when I was truly blown away! They played flawlessly, and even filled in some freestyle music when we had short blips of time to fill. I would love to work with him again in the future, and won’t hesitate to refer him!
— Kristi DePew (CWEP), Eclipse Event Co
We were looking for great jazz musicians for a cocktail party. Soul Wagon came highly recommended from other area planners and they did not disappoint! Ben was wonderful to work with and they really made the reception special!
— Kierstin S
I hired Benito and Soul Wagon for an exclusive cocktail party, and they were amazing!! They were very professional and extremely talented. Ben Brajkovich kept in touch through the entire planning process and was so great and easy to work with. The guests kept raving about how great they were and they kept the mood fun and vibrant. I will definitely hire them again and recommend that others do the same.
— Meagan H, Event Planner
We hired Soul Wagon to play at a client’s wedding and they did an excellent job. Benito made the entire process very easy from the initial meeting to booking to event day. We’re so glad we found them!
— Shen Cherian, Wedding Planner

 

CORPORATE and private EVENTS

Soul Wagon’s trio played during our rooftop cocktail event in Austin. Usually, corporate events are stuffy, but Soul Wagon set the tone for a casual, fun night. Multiple people made a point of saying they enjoyed the music. Even before the event, I was impressed with their professionalism and communication. I’d like to throw another event in the area just to have them play again!
— Rachel Gamelin
Soul Wagon truly delivered on my unprecedented request to emulate a New Orleans style jazz funeral for my father-in-law who passed from COVID. Ben was incredibly respectful and gave thoughtful consideration to all the details of their performance. Soul Wagon was awesome to work with and brought some amazing and uplifting talent to our gathering. All our guests raved about the band and they even got my parents to dance who are in their 80’s! Thanks for a beautiful evening, Soul Wagon!
— Sharon Raver-Villanueva
Ben and Soul Wagon entertained our business partners and prospective partners at an event at MAX’s Wine Dive. These talented musicians were able to play many genres of music to appeal to a broad range of age groups. They were very professional from presenting a mutually agreeable contract to their attire at our event. I received many compliments from our guests on the choice of Ben and Soul Wagon. I am looking forward to having them at future gatherings.
— Wendy J, Business Development Coordinator
These guys are GOOD! Not only their musicianship, but their ability to assess the mood of the setting and adjust the tempo to suit it was impressive. We hired them to play a New Orleans style memorial for my father and they had the perfect selection of songs for the evening.
— Felipe Villanueva
I had the opportunity to listen and dance to music by Soul Wagon. I thoroughly enjoyed the music. It was jazzy easy listening music. The musicians were terrific. I basically danced the whole evening and was disappointed when they were done. I would strongly recommend them for any occasion.
— Sylvia H, LANDEV Engineers, inc
Soul Wagon is what made our party a success. They played the perfect blend of music and created a warm relaxing ambiance! I will be hiring Benito Brajkovich And Soul Wagon in the future.
— Lani L
I hired Ben to play piano for a party with 40 guests. Ben was extremely professional and had a unique feel for the crowd that allowed him to create the perfect mood. Ben played for 3 1/2 hours and was incredible all the way through. 5 Stars for Benito!
— Steve
Soul Wagon is an extremely talented group of individuals that performed at the Thursday night event at our annual Section conference. There were no complaints on volume or speed, they even improvised to accommodate some song requests from other members of the committee. I highly recommend them for a corporate gathering or any other event involving 50-100 people.
— Austin Brauel, ASCE Texas Section 2017 Committee Chair

Promoters

Soul Wagon has been performing three to four times/ week at my restaurant for about two months, now. They have always been very timely, reliable, respectful to our staff and guests, and open to feedback. Our guests’ feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and sales have benefited from having them. I would recommend Soul Wagon for any occasion in which upbeat and entertaining live jazz is desired.
— Ryan Kavanaugh, General Manager
I was so completely impressed with Soul Wagon. I hired this 4 piece jazz band for our annual nursing home Senior Prom this month (for over 100 residents) & could not have been more impressed. They were so easy to work with and very organized, not to mention TALENTED. I let them know our theme was the Roaring 20s & they did an entire set list of music from that age. They looked very professional with their black suits on and played so well, the residents LOVED IT! Thanks Soul Wagon! We will use y’all again!
— Molly Nedley

WEDDINGS

Soul Wagon was the absolute best band for our wedding reception! From the beginning, Ben was extremely helpful and communicative, making 100% sure that every detail was accounted for. Soul Wagon kept our party alive, playing everything from soft, elegant jazz music to upbeat, swinging music that made every attendee get up and dance. Would highly recommend!
— Heather P, Bride
Benito and his band were the perfect addition to our wedding day. He worked hard to make sure he was available even though we only booked him two weeks in advance of the date. He stayed in touch through the whole process and was super professional and easy to work with. Soul Wagon sounded amazing and it was the perfect sound for our chill afternoon wedding. They even got people dancing out on the patio. 10/10 would hire again!
— Wyatt O, Groom
Ben and the band played for my wedding and did an absolutely incredible job. First off, the venue was this great big marble hall that could easily have turned into an awful echo chamber, but Soul Wagon managed to achieve a great sound that filled the hall without becoming deafening. As for the music, I already love jazz, even the weird jazz, but Soul Wagon managed to combine really virtuosic playing without ever losing the danceable, fun melodies that kept everybody up on their feet shaking their tail-feathers the whole time. Ben was also an excellent MC, and from the first time I contacted him till the day of the wedding, he was very professional, and our wedding planner said he was very easy to work with while she was organizing the whole shebang. But all of this takes away from the most important thing: the music, and it. was. HOT! Incredible, classy, old-skewl jazz for five straight hours, and the band was a marathon of awesome!
— Gabe M, Groom
Played for 4 1/2 hours at my son’s wedding- 5 stars- Beautiful music. Bride and groom wanted just music- no vocals- and they fully accommodated. Ben, the band leader, was a pleasure to deal with! Highly recommended! Thank you Soul Wagon!!!
— Fred A, Father of the Groom
Benito and Soul Wagon provided music during the cocktail hour of our wedding reception. They were PHENOMENAL! Exactly what we were looking for! We booked the Duo option to play jazz standards and made some special song requests. Ben was responsive and easy to work with throughout the process. AND, they knocked it out of the park at our event! They are incredibly talented and set exactly the mood we were looking for! Some guests were even dancing along! We got tons of compliments! Would HIGHLY recommend.
— Alexandra S, Bride
We booked Soul Wagon for our outdoor wedding without having heard them in person beforehand (scary for most brides-to-be). I’d book them a million more times for any event- can’t imagine better wedding music! We loved the laid back Jazz and although we didn’t have a wedding with a lot of dancing (the groom and I can’t dance to save our lives), you CAN dance to their set if grooving and shaking and swirling is your thing. Wish we had another upcoming event - We’d book them again in a heartbeat!
— Sarah S
Soul Wagon played for our wedding reception and were amazing. My husband’s career is in music and I’ve been playing music my whole life— so we do not speak lightly when we say that we were blown away by the caliber and talent of these musicians. They were great to work with and gave us everything we asked for. They set the mood wonderfully and everyone enjoyed them immensely!
— Angeline
This band was AMAZING!!!! They made my wedding so wonderful!!! Everyone is still raving about them!!! I definitely recommend them for any event.
— Melodi M
Soul Wagon did an amazing job at our wedding reception. We wanted a jazz band that would make our reception fun for our Cajun relatives, and that is exactly what we got. Our guests kept telling me how much they loved the band, and how talented the musicians were. Ben was very professional and accommodating, too. He communicated with me throughout the entire planning process, and fulfilled every request I made. I would definitely recommend Ben and his band for any event. They will make it a special occasion.
— Emily Beck
Having a live band for our wedding was the one requirement I (groom) had. Having heard Soul Wagon play at a restaurant already, we had no concerns about their musical talent. But the extra effort that Benito made to make sure that all of our other needs and concerns were met was wonderful. Even going so far as to briefly meet with me before the ceremony to make sure that all of the details were correct.
— Andrew S
Ben played piano at our Catholic wedding at Lady of the Guadalupe church in east Austin. He sounded wonderful, as usual. The next day we had a courtyard soiree for guests. Ben and and an additional guitarist played for a couple of hours. It was a beautiful sound that filled our ears and hearts. Ben no longer lives in my neighborhood, and I will always miss his practice sessions when his windows were open.
— Nirav
We had Soul Wagon perform at our wedding at Green Pastures in Austin, TX. We could not be happier with the experience and highly recommend Ben and his amazing band. Very professional, accommodating and superb musicians that provide the perfect atmosphere. Thanks Ben!
— Aric

AS FEATURED ON

 
Gigmasters - Booking Jazz Bands Online Since 1997
 
One of the most outstanding GigMasters members for 2013!
 
Gold Member
 

Voted "Best Jazz Band" on Gigmasters.com  

Gigmasters - Booking Jazz Bands Online Since 1997
 

Booking contact: Soulwagonband@gmail.com