The Charleston Charlies! Playing popular hits from roaring 20s. Enjoy this visit to an era of wonderful nonsense, quirky original music and cheerful entertainment. Lets misbehave! Kidnapped by aliens from the Savoy ballroom in 1929 the Charleston Charlies reappeared on the streets of Manchester in 2007 having aged not one jot… and still playing their infectious and quirky 1920s hits. *Love them or laugh at them, you'll have to dance to them*

The Charleston Charlies! Playing popular hits from roaring 20’s. Enjoy this visit to an era of wonderful nonsense, quirky original music and cheerful entertainment. Let’s misbehave! Kidnapped by aliens from the Savoy ballroom in 1929 the Charleston Charlies reappeared on the streets of Manchester in 2007 having aged not one jot… and still playing their infectious and quirky 1920's hits. Love them or laugh at them, you'll have to dance to them!

Their affectionate 1920's pastiche delights and delects its way through an era of prohibition, speakeasies and mob violence, when the jitterbug was scandalous, flappers bobbed their hair and raised their skirts and a damn good time was to be had by the reckless and young at heart. Strike up the band! Everything is hotsy totsy now!
 
The Charleston Charlies are Oscar Bernhardt (singer and trumpet), Chester Walmsley (drums), Lord Wetherall of Chorlton (piano), Burley Martell (double bass), and Milton Colehill (sax and clarinet).
 
The Charleston Charlies performance is a delightful pastiche of 20’s and 30’s music, in character and in costume. Oscar and the boys play upbeat, high energy songs and the odd heartfelt ballad, with a decidedly humorous spin and a driving mixture of American and British influences reflecting the unique spirit of the 20’s.
 
The Charleston Charlies inspiration is the music of phonographs, Broadway shows and vaudeville by Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein 2nd, Gershwin , Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, performed and made famous by Al Jolson, Al Bowly, Bing Crosby, Ambrose, Paul Whiteman and the many hotel ballroom orchestras of the times.

The musicians who play in Charlston Charlies have had years of entertaining fabulously as The Oscar Bernhardt Ensemble, before donning spats, tails, top hats and white ties for this lively venture.
 
Previous clients of the Oscar Bernhardt Ensemble include: Phil Neville, HRH Prince Edward, The Bankfield Jarvis Hotel, The Duke of Westminster, Mere Golf and Country Club, The Alderly Edge Hotel,The Portland Thistle Hotel, Adlington Hall Hunting Lodge, Canon UK Ltd., Waterside Hotel, The Dorchester Hotel, Mottram Hall Hotel, Wincham Hall, W. H. Smiths Ltd., Anderson Consulting, The Royal Mail, Marakon Associates, Boots The Chemists, Magnus Ltd., Swinton Insurance Ltd., Bellway Homes Ltd., Rockware Glass, CST Lynxserv Ltd., Granada Studio Tours, Granada T.V., Arthur Royle Ltd., Leeds Metropolitan University, Drive Time Ltd., Saddleworth Parish Council, M.E.I. Design Ltd., Packaging Automation Ltd., Eurotec Services, The David Lewis Organisation, Liverpool Law Society, Rotary Club of Macclesfield Castle, Baldwin's Omega, Brian Robson, Susie Mathis, Frank 'Fou Fou' Lammar, Warners, Tescos, Asda, AFAS, Pizza Express...
 
Some of the venues the band have appeared at include: Salters Hall, The Dorchester Hotel, The Four Seasons Hotel Park Lane, Woburn Abbey, Temple Island, Soughton Hall, Arley Hall, Mottram Hall, Adlington Hall Hunting Lodge, Shrigley Hall, Leighton Hall, Rookery Hall, Crewe Hall, Capesthorne Hall, Baldwins Omega, Mere Golf and Country Club, Goldstone Hall, Grafton Manor, The Alderley Edge Hotel, Belle Epoque Knutsford, Botanical Gardens Birmingham, Langdale Chase Hotel, The Bridge Inn...

The Charlston Charlies are able to perform as either a 4 or a 5 piece line up. The 4 piece consists of Vocal, Flugel, Piano, Double Bass and Drums, and the 5 piece adds an additional Sax/ Clarinet. The band is also able to play background music in between sets.

Please note, the band utilises a top of the range Bose L1 model 2 PA System. This is the new generation of live sound equipment and provides clarity without uncomfortable volume! Fabulous sound quality for up to 400 people, space saving, elegant and quick to set up.

The musicians who play in Charlston Charlies have had years of entertaining fabulously as The Oscar Bernhardt Ensemble, before donning spats, tails, top hats and white ties for this lively venture. Please see The Oscar Bernhardt Ensemble testimonials, venue and client lists for a pedigree check.

Wedding
What can we say??? Thank you, Fantastic, Absolutely Brilliant, First Class, Wonderful. Please pass on our thanks and compliments to the ensemble for the wonderful music you provided on the 23rd. From our first conversation right through to the evening we have been impressed with your attitude and competence, and now are still enjoying the memories of the music and your entertainment.  Please feel free to use us for any references for any future bookings you may have. You can be assured that we shall say nothing but praise for you and the ensemble With our thanks and appreciation etc. 
 
Wedding
You performed at our wedding and what a performance,!! You blew us away with your music and voice... it was such a perfect day. The evening was so jazzy and soul it was better than we imagined it could be. All of our guests could not believe how fantastic you were, and me and Danny were just bowled over.
Our wedding day was perfect from start to finish there is nothing we would do differently, we are so happy that we chose the Oscar Bernhardt ensemble for our wedding day, you have given us some unforgettable memories that we will treasure for the rest of our lives.
 
40th Birthday party at Southport Cricket club
Just a short note to say thank you so much for making Angela's party such a special night on Saturday. Everyone adored the Ensemble, as was clear from the packed dance floor. Singled out for special praise were your pianist, bass player and incredible multi-tasking saxophonist/ flautist. One of your greatest new fans is on the house committee at the Club and has pocketed a card with the intention of re-booking you for future events. I hope that you all had a safe trip back to Manchester and am so grateful to you all for making the trip over, as well as our evening.
 
Corporate function
Hope you had a good journey back from London on Wednesday, following our Cocktail Party. This is just to say a big thank you to you and the other chaps for all your hard work in helping to make the party go with a swing. You pitched it just right and we had many complimentary remarks on your behalf, which I am only too pleased to pass on. It has been a pleasure to work with you and I shall have no hesitation in recommending you. 
 
Dinner at Salters Hall attended by The Lord Mayor of the City of London
Once again, many thanks for the smashing program you and the Ensemble put together for the dinner at Salters' Hall last month. I have had many gushing comments on the playing and the choice of pieces and I know you went down particularly well with one of my noble Law Lord colleagues, T L, who cannot believe that a stuffy ..…….. chemist like me can know such excellent players.
 
Cheshire Business Event Gala Dinner
Thank you for providing us with such excellent entertainment during the evening. All the guests enjoyed your performance greatly and your presence was in large part responsible for such a successful evening.
Would you please let me know whether you are available for a similar bash! 
 
Wedding
Yet again words can’t express how much the band meant to both of us. They were the best entertainment and played beautiful music. A few friends actually thought it was a CD until I asked them to turn round and see the double bass etc. They were stars. They interacted well with the guests, my family thought of them very fondley. I have shouted from the roof tops about this band and some friends get married next year therefore I have given them your email address for the same guys we had. 
 
Wedding
We just wanted to write to say thankyou for your wonderful performance at our wedding at the Saddleworth Hotel on Sunday 9th March. We had a wonderful day and the music you played really was the icing on the cake. We really enjoyed dancing to your music and our guests commented on how wonderfully you played and how nice it was to be able to talk to friends and relatives they hadn’t seen for a while whilst being entertained by such great music.