First Friday Jazz Performers

"Taste and understatement. Swing and savoir-faire. Grace and grooves. Intimacy and panache. Singer Charmin Michelle delivers all of the above and more. This is what the Minneapolis Star/Tribune had to say about this charismatic chanteuse whose conversational style recalls the late Billie Holiday and other legendary ladies of jazz. And, yet, her music is free of tiresome camp and easy nostalgia. She's a savvy songstress and, while putting her own imprint on a melody, is always respectful of those who first inhabited it. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Charmin moved to Minnesota while still a child and has called it home ever since. Though based in Minneapolis, she is no stranger to life on the road and began touring internationally in 1986. She has performed at jazz festivals throughout Europe with pianists Mulgrew Miller and Kirk Lightsey, and saxophonists Harry Allen and Grant Stewart, among others. The late Brother Jack McDuff, one of her biggest fans, was instrumental in launching her career abroad. He said, "She's really different. I call her 'Chow Mein.' With her trio, less is more. And they're right in the pocket." On her last tour to Spain, she recorded with the aforementioned Allen and Stewart, as well as saxophonist Scott Hamilton, guitarist Peter Bernstein, and Barcelonan musicians Ignasi Terraza, and the Toni Sola Quartet. Her four acclaimed CDs---Your Eyes, Destination Moon, Hot, and Pure Imagination---have received glowing reviews and are available at performances, retailers, and online at www.charmsongs.com.

Doug Haining is one of the most swinging sax and clarinet players, citing the influence of Johnny Hodges. Doug has been delighting audiences for over three decades, working in Minneapolis, Minnesota area bands including The Wolverines Big Band, The Mouldy Figs, Red Wolfe’s Ellington Echoes, the Hall Brothers Band, the JazzMn Big Band, the Russ Peterson Big Band, and many others. He has also backed many national performers such as Steve Allen, Don Rickles, Aretha Franklin, and The Temptations, and has played for such Broadway shows as West Side Story, Cats, and Chicago. Much of Haining’s musical energy goes into leading his bands. His septet, The Twin Cities Seven (http://www.tcseven.com), was founded in 1998 and plays in the tradition of the great small bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. In 2012 Doug teamed up with trombonist Scott Agster to form the Explosion Big Band, (http://www.explosionbigband.com) a 17 piece big band that has exploded in popularity of late, and has a contagious repertoire of Basie, Ellington, Thad Jones, and many more contemporary composers’ works. Doug also leads a small combo called The Hardest Working Band In Show Business that plays outside the Vikings stadium for a couple of hours before select home games every year. Doug also works alongside vocalizer Maryann Sullivan in her group Maryann and the Money Makers (http://maryannsullivanvoice.com/music.html). Doug provides bands of any size for private events as well. If you are looking for a group of any size for your next big thing, contact Doug for details. Use the Contact page to send Doug a message. Doug has several CDs in his name with the TC Seven (see the TC Seven web site for details). His latest release, a CD titled Last Man Swinging with his quintet, was selected to Bebopified’s top ten releases of the year (Pamela Espeland, www.bebopified.com). Doug calls Minneapolis, Minnesota his home.

Jazz Savvy is a Twin Cities trio that makes every room feel like the right room — warm, swinging, and completely at ease. Keyboardist Dan Duke has been making the piano swing for more than thirty years. As a faculty member at MacPhail School of Music, he’s conducted piano labs as far away as Heidelberg, Germany. Drummer Joe Steinger locks in the groove with a percussive signature all his own. Catch him at a gig and his relaxed style will be sure to make you tap your feet. Bassist Terry Bailey holds it all together with the quiet confidence of someone who has played just about everything. Whether it’s jazz, bossa, blues, or swing — they make it look effortless.