Sherry Summerville sings at the Jazz Station in Eugene
Tight harmonies and seamless lyrical lines create a show inspired by great vocal jazz groups such as Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, and Jacky & Roy.
- Sherry Summerville vocals
- Duane Summerville vocals
- Mike Doolin guitar
- George Mitchell piano
- Kevin Deitz bass
- Mark Powers drums
Vocalist Sherry Summerville began her professional career as a singer and performer with Carnival Cruise Lines. Her talent has taken her throughout the Northwest, East Coast, the Caribbean, and parts of Europe. She has performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival. West Coast Jazz Festivals include the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, and, most recently, the Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival. Sherry's wide vocal and stylistic range enables her to appeal to many. Sherry has an innate ability to connect with audiences, creating a synergetic experience for her audience. She connects with audiences of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds. Combined with the boundless talent of her musical team, Sherry is guaranteed to give an unforgettable performance. She has performed with many of Portland's finest musicians, who welcome the opportunity to play with her. Sherry is a woman with range, both vocally and stylistically. Sherry has a variety of shows. She is capable of captivating audiences in small, intimate venues, using only a piano or trio, or entertaining wide-reaching events with a band behind her.
Vocalist Duane Summerville has been described as a man of many talents. Noted for his wide range of vocal abilities, Duane’s strong background in all types of music has put him in high demand as a vocalist. Whether solo work or in a group, he’s covered a broad spectrum of vocal styles and genres. Duane’s musical career has been far-reaching. From local venues such as Jimmy Mak’s, the Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, to international locations, including Switzerland’s Montreux Jazz Festival and the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. Duane has shared the stage with several musical greats, including Mel Torme, The Hi-Lo’s, Mark Murphy, Dave Frishberg, Ward Swingle, Take 6, and Ella Fitzgerald.
Pianist George Mitchell and the Diana Ross band were guest artists at the 2016 White House Holiday Concert for President Obama and his family. He has played at every conceivable venue worldwide with Miss Ross’s ensemble. As band pianist, he performed with a 40-piece orchestra at the prestigious Symphonica in Rosso, at the Gelredome, Arnhem, Netherlands; at the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in Oslo, Norway; and a 2002 command performance in Hyde Park, London, for England’s royal family. Not to mention private concerts for U.S. President Bill Clinton, South African President Nelson Mandela, and Motown Founder Berry Gordy. Mitchell played piano at the famous Motown Records’ 25th Anniversary TV broadcast, at VH1 Divas Live in 2000, at Super Concerts in Tai Pei and Tokyo with renowned opera singers Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo and got soaked but played on during thunderstorms at Miss Ross’ famous 1983 Live in Central Park mega concert before a massive crowd of 400,000 fans! More recently, Mitchell was a guest keyboardist on Wicked: The Musical at the Keller Auditorium. He joined Miss Ross’ band numerous times on top-rated TV shows, including Oprah, The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, and the TODAY Show.
Bassist Kevin Deitz is a versatile acoustic and electric bassist, composer/arranger, educator, clinician, and adjudicator. He currently teaches Music and the Media, History of Rock and Roll, Jazz History, Contemporary Music Ensemble, and Jazz/Classical Bass at Clackamas Community College near Portland, Oregon. As a classical bassist, Kevin has performed with many regional symphonies and chamber orchestras, including the Portland Ballet Orchestra, Portland Opera Orchestra, Portland Chamber Orchestra, Fear No Music chamber orchestra, Oregon Music Festival Orchestra, and with many regional symphonic choir orchestras. As a cellist, Kevin has performed with the Portland Summer Festival Orchestra, Collage Trio, the Nu Shooz Orchestra, with Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson and talk show host Regis Philbin. Jazz bass performances include concerts with Mose Allison, Terrence Blanchard, Dave Brubeck, Kurt Elling, Herb Ellis, Dave Frishberg, Benny Golson, Bobby Shew, Janis Siegel, and Diane Shurr. Pop and smooth jazz performances include concerts with the Oregon Symphony, Frankie Avalon, Andrea Bocelli, Sheena Easton, Fabian, Robert Goulet, Tom Grant, Marvin Hamlisch, Il Divo, Jeff Kashiwa, The Moody Blues World Orchestra, Kenny Rankin, Bobby Rydell, The Shirelles, Dan Siegal, Toni Tenille, and Mason Williams. Kevin is a veteran of the Portland studio scene, appearing on 20 album/CD projects to date and on numerous recordings for commercial clients like Music Minus One, Oregon Catholic Press, Roland Musical Instruments, QFC Foods, and Nike. Kevin’s critically acclaimed CD of original jazz compositions, “Skylines,” was released on June 16th, 2009 on the Origin Arts label. http://www.origin-records.com/. Jazzweek Magazine ranked it in the top 50 jazz recordings in its first week of release, and it is currently receiving international radio airplay. “La Contessa,” from the CD, was recently chosen for NPR’s Morning Edition radio show. Kevin is an artist/clinician for Conklin. basses and Conklin Sidewinder strings.
A drummer, educator, author, speaker, actor, and more, drummer Mark Powers has studied, performed, and taught throughout North America and Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the South Pacific. As a teaching artist, he facilitates various percussion programs—educating students of all ages in schools, presenting at youth/adult correctional facilities, and leading businesses and organizations in rhythm-based leadership and team-building workshops. Mark is a two-time TEDx speaker, co-author of Alfred's Drumset Method: Book 2 and The 2-in-1 Drummer, and author of Solo in Style all three published by Alfred Music), as well as the author of two children's board books, I Want To Be A Drummer and I Want To Be A Reader (both published by Blue Manatee Press). He has written for Modern Drummer Magazine, Percussive Notes, and other percussion publications and released 60-second video drum lessons on DrumItInAMinute.com. Mark plays and endorses Tycoon Percussion instruments, REMO drumheads, SABIAN cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, ProLogix practice pads, Humes & Berg cases, and Cajon Brush. Find out more at PowersPercussion.com.
Mike Doolin is a guitarist of some 40 years professional experience. He received his formal music education at Mt. Hood Community College and North Texas State University. He played music professionally through the 80's, then became a software engineer and technical writer for the early 90's. In 1995 he founded Doolin Guitars, working as a solo luthier crafting handmade acoustic guitars. In his 15 years in lutherie, he built instruments for recording artists Esperanza Spalding, Muriel Anderson, John Stowell, Justin King and Nancy Conescu. He also wrote extensively on lutherie topics for the Guild of American Luthiers, and served as guest lecturer at the Roberto-Venn School of Lutherie, the American School of Lutherie, Healdsburg Guitar Festival, the Montreal Guitar Festival and the Guild of American Luthiers Conventions. In 2010, Mike retired from professional lutherie to return to full time music. Mike has performed with such Northwest mainstays as Mel Brown, Shirley Nanette, Louis Pain, LaRhonda Steel, Fred Stickley, Gary Ogan, Mitzi Zilka, Soul Vaccination, Dan McElrath, Body and Soul, and Cruise Control. His recording credits include a duo recording with Mitzi Zilka, "Lazy Aspirations", Dan McElrath's "907 Central", Obo Addy's "Wonchi Bi", Timothy Bryson's "Playground", Linda Daiber's "Remembring June" and The Flying Stickley's "Behind the Hangar". He has released three CDs of original music as a co-leader with David Martin - "Reflection", "Tough Commute", and "Dark Star".
