The Music of Cole Porter - On March 5th, the MMC will reprise this sold-out October, 2009 concert focusing on American composer and lyricist Cole Porter, one of the greatest contributors to the Great American Songbook.  His pieces are outstanding for their clever rhymes, complex forms and sophisticated sexual innuendos.  In this concert, vocalists Kelly DeHaven, Gerri DiMaggio and Marilyn Fisher will bring their unique talents and years of experience to explore the man and his music.  Performing solo and as a group, they will once again provide our audience a chance to hear several of Porter’s less frequently performed songs as well as many perennials from his oeuvre.  Pianist Paul Hastil, bassist John Mesoloras and drummer Michael Brenneis will accompany them. 

This concert will also include a narrative element that offers background and insight into Porter’s life and compositions.  The result will be a many-faceted perspective on Porter’s melodies and lyrics, and we expect this program to be exceptionally popular, both for its subject matter and its featured performers.

Artist Bios:

Kelly DeHaven - “Kelly De Haven possesses a vocal style full of drama, subtlety, and sensuality perfect for wistful ballads but also flexible enough to go sultry and rough on other material – a voice not to be tied down to one style of music.” Cadence Magazine.

“Kelly De Haven has developed into a master of her own craft, achieving that ever elusive jazz goal – a style of her own....she improvises like a horn player, and loves textures, whether luxuriating in a dreamy fog or articulating with shivering intensity..... few other singers bring such a yearning to a romantic lyric”.  WI State Journal

The name De Haven has been synonymous with Jazz in the Midwest for decades, beginning with her father, trumpeter Doc De Haven. For over 20 years, Kelly De Haven’s dynamic vocal style and popular appeal have been wowing audiences throughout the Midwest. Kelly was featured on a 30 minute special on WHA-TV aptly titled, “Standing Room Only”. Kelly was voted “Best New Regional Jazz Vocalist” by Arts Midwest, and received second place honors in a national competition sponsored by Downbeat Magazine. She has consistently been honored in Wisconsin’s state capital with “Best Jazz Group” and “Best Jazz Vocalist” awards throughout the 90’s, and in 2000, was voted “Jazz Personality of the Year” by the Isthmus Jazz Festival. Kelly has produced and recorded 7 recordings, and has several commercial-jingle recordings to her credit, two of these receiving state-wide Addy awards.  Her musical ventures include collaborations with dance companies, visual artists, poets, symphony orchestras, big bands, bass – vocal duos, musical theatre, children’s musical theatre, corporate showcases in Las Vegas, college football Bowl games, school residencies, and countless club, festival and concert dates.

Kelly is from Madison, Wisconsin, and has a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from the UW Madison. She also benefits from well over 20 years of dance training from the UW Madison, the Wisconsin Ballet Company, and the Dayton Ballet, as well as study and experience in the theatre arts.  She currently resides in Black Earth, WI with her husband, musician David Cooper and daughter, Skye La Rue.

Since 2006 she has also been involved in philanthropic development for the UW Foundation and is passionate about supporting the UW Madison as one of Wisconsin’s leading economic engines as well as an educational, research, and cultural gem dynamically informing Wisconsin’s leadership in these areas in the 21st century.

Prior to her work with the UW Foundation, Kelly has also been a program director and fund-raiser for a variety of Wisconsin Arts organizations, managed photography studios, including Lands’ End’s in-house photo studio, worked for advertising/marketing organizations, including the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Gerri DiMaggio - Gerri DiMaggio's take on jazz is as original as it is enticing. With a unique blend of Brazilian beats and traditional American jazz, her voice invites the audience into her own creative and colorful world. She is a superb interpreter of Americana.

As one of the original producers of Madison’s outdoor summer jazz series “Jazz at Five” and recently named “Jazz Personality of the Year” by Isthmus publishing, DiMaggio continues to be an integral member of Madison’s jazz scene. After the release of her latest CD, “Comes Love”, her following has grown to even greater depths.

She was the first jazz vocalist to sing with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra at Concerts on the Square and performed a special jazz concert with John Demain and the Madison Symphony orchestra. Earlier this year she was an invited performer for the Mantova, Italy music festival.

Marilyn Fisher - Vocalist Marilyn Fisher has been involved with the Madison music scene for many years, as a performer, educator, listener and supporter. As a performing artist, she was a vocalist and percussionist in the all-female group, Low String Swing (which included bassist Laurie Lang and cellist Mary Gaines), and later worked most closely with guitarist and pianist Doug Brown. In recent years she has been collaborating with pianist and arranger Paul Hastil.

In 1997, Marilyn also joined the ranks of Madison's all-female big band, Ladies Must Swing (LMS), and remains their primary vocalist. You will also find her on "Skippeth Out of Work" Thursdays in the summer at American Players Theatre (APT), with guitarist John Vitale. CD recordings on which she is featured are Ladies Must Swing's "And Swing We Must", John Becker's "Time Stands Still", Laurie Lang's "Crossing Over" and "Beautiful friendship", and Madison Music Collective's "Gatherings".

A graduate of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, Ms. Fisher began teaching voice and piano privately in 1996, and continues teaching, coaching vocal recording projects, and performing today. She is also a Master Adjudicator for Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) annual Solo & Ensemble contests. Outside of performing and teaching, Marilyn's primary musical focus has been on jazz and improvisation. Her intermittent involvement with the Madison Music Collective (MMC) since 1987 has included serving as a volunteer, board member, and as staff. She is once again a part of the current resurgence of the Collective as it seeks to unify and inspire the Madison jazz/improv/music performing and listening community. For more information, see marilynfisher.net.

Paul Hastil - Keyboardist/Composer Paul Hastil has written and performed music for television, film, and theatre. Originally from New York City, Paul studied piano technique and theory with Jaki Byard and Richie Beirach. He was a composer for the National Dance Institute under the artistic direction of Jacques D’Amboise. Since moving to the Midwest with his family in 1992, he has composed scores for many plays at the American Players Theatre. Productions have included Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”, “The Merchant of Venice”, Moliere’s “The Misanthrope, and Sheridan’s “The Rivals”. He also composed and performed music for dance with “Tap-It” and “Synergy”.

Paul is active in the Madison area as both a teacher and performer. He is an annual participant in the Isthmus Jazz Festival, in the “Jazz at Five” series, and has performed throughout the Midwest, as a leader and sideman. For the past ten years Paul has been music director for vocalist Gerri DiMaggio. He has performed with her with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and, most recently, at the 2008 Montova Music Festival in Montova, Italy. He has performed with jazz legends Archie Shepp, Sheila Jordan, and Frank Morgan. The review of improvised music, Cadence, called Paul “a strong presence who revels in melodic invention”.

John Mesoloras - Born in Chicago, John has been on the Madison scene for the past 8 years. After having graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a degree in Music Education, John moved to the Madison area to pursue a career as a teacher and as a bassist. While a student at UW-Whitewatter, he was also a founding member of the UW-W Jazz Symposium, and performed on the group's two tours throughout Europe. Among his teachers were UW-Madison professor Richard Davis, and Jeff Eckels. He is currently the Orchestra Director at Mount Horeb Middle and High Schools.

A versatile bassist, John can be seen playing both electric bass, as well as double bass in a variety of settings. Some of these include The Madison Jazz Orchestra, Gerri DiMaggio, Joe Scalissi and the Dry Martinis, and Vibe Syndicate.

Michael Brenneis - For 12 years, drummer Michael Brenneis has been leaving his mark on the Madison music scene. Both with his own groups Tomato Box, Executive Tea Set, The Ten Sleeps Trio, The Active Percussion Duo, and as an ubiquitous sideman with The New Breed, Alison Margaret, The Patrick Breiner Trio, The Sean Michael Dargan Band, The Cadillac Joe Band and many others. Two cds of his compositions are available from cdbaby.com, and several of his horn arrangements can be heard on the upcoming Sean Michael Dargan cd “Snap Your Fingers, and Stomp Your Feet.”

In addition to a busy performance schedule, Michael also builds custom drums, and operates a small recording studio.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kellydehaven or KELLYDEHAVEN2

http://www.gerridimaggio.com

http://www.marilynfisher.net

http://www.johnmesoloras.com/

http://www.facebook.com/brenneis