Melissa Behring Project

Featuring sultry songstress Melissa Behring and jazz pianist, Neil Donato, The Melissa Behring Project delivers a perfect balance between smoky “torch” jazz standards and a fresh approach to many familiar tunes. MBP draws on Detroit’s finest assortment of jazz musicians, presenting a flexible contemporary jazz ensemble in a traditional format.

Take a listen to the sweet sounds

Come Rain or Come Shine by Harlod Arlen and Johnny Mercer

I Love the Way You Are by Chad Jeffers

for booking information contact: 248.798.2080 or melissabehring@gmail.com

More About Melissa Behring:

The parents of this talented musician have said that she “came out singing”. Melissa Behring was born knowing one important fixation in her life; she had a passion and talent for musical styles of all kind. She had an early start singing in her church from the age of 4 and progressed quickly as a principal soloist in the high school choir. In her youth, Melissa had little inclination that her knack for music would lead her to places only imagined in her dreams.

Melissa Behring received her Bachelor’s from Central Michigan University in Music focusing on Voice Performance. She is currently pursuing her Master’s at the Berklee School of Music studying Music Business and Songwriting. Throughout her college career, she had the honor of studying under Timothy Caldwell who helped craft her strong voice. Robert Hohner, the percussion ensemble director was also a strong influence on her musical development. Hohner’s group of students recorded a live album together, ”The Robert Hohner Percussion Ensemble: World Music Tour.” Behring toured with the Ensemble across the Midwest and Northeastern United States performing at numerous universities and many prestigious halls including Powers Center at the University of Michigan, SUNY Stony Brook and in New York.

Currently, Melissa Behring is in the studio recording “The Melissa Behring Project” to be released in the fall of 2010. The recordings are taking place at The Orchard, Pretty Suite Recording, with Brandon Wiard engineering the project. Wiard is well known as a pop/rock producer. Working with The Melissa Behring Project, Wiard is helping to craft an exciting sound for the group. The Melissa Behring Project draws on Detroit’s finest assortment of jazz musicians, presenting a flexible contemporary jazz ensemble in a traditional format. Neil Donato is an award winning pianist and music instructor. His hypnotizing sound goes hand in hand with Melissa Behring’s sultry, soulful, angelic tone. Chuck Bartels is featured on bass, and has also played bass for the “great lady of soul”, Bettye Lavette. Julian VanSlyke is the drummer on The Melissa Behring Project, and also can be found playing drums with the talented Brett Lucas. Nathan Montgomery is featured on guitar on two of the tracks. He is a graduate of the Wayne State University Jazz Performance Program and performs with the contemporary Latin/Jazz band, Saoco. Rounding out the recording, Sir Tim Duvalier, best known for his guitar work with The Orbitsuns, contributes a soulful bluesy lead on a track. With all of these sounds fused together, The Melissa Behring Project delivers a perfect balance between smoky “torch” jazz standards and a fresh approach to many familiar tunes.

Melissa Behring is also front woman of Detroit’s very own 7 Million Jigawatts (7MJ) boasting a unique style of rock and soul infusion. In 2009, 7 Million Jigawatts released their first album, Taking Flight. Their unique style of music caught the attention of Ford Motor Company. Their song, “I’ve Got You Covered,” was featured in the 2010 Mustang online advertising campaign. They were also chosen by the Hard Rock Café to open their 2009 National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Kick Off Party “Pinktober”. 7MJ performs over 75 national shows annually pleasing fans across the Midwest.

When Melissa isn’t performing with the jazz group or fronting 7MJ, she can be found singing in the light and contemporary acoustic guitar/vocal duo, The Attention Mongers. The duo features Melissa on vocals and percussion and Jake Tobias on vocals and guitar. The Attention Mongers cover hundreds of pop, classic rock, jazz and country songs and are favorite performers at resort communities from Mackinac Island to Chicago, Petoskey to Put-in-Bay and across the Midwest.

all photography by cybelle codish

Upcoming MBP Performances:

Past MBP Performances: