Doug Brunelle - Flute / Clarinet / Bass Guitar
Doug is a classically-trained professional musician with more than 35 years as a multi-instrumentalist performer, playing clarinet, flute, and bass guitar in a variety of musical genres. He has played in a wide variety of musical groups, from school orchestras to professional bands, to small jazz and rock combos, big bands, and wind ensembles. He has also performed as a lead and backup vocalist in various small rock and pop bands.
He is conversant with a large variety of classical repertoire, as well as country, bluegrass, jazz and various jazz fusion styles; his 22-year career in the Army Bands included performances in all these styles of music both here in the United States and in Japan.
He has also worked as a professional sound and recording engineer, and can work with a variety of DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software and systems, including the current version of Digidesign's Pro Tools. He records and produces music and has worked in this capacity for other musicians and bands.
Carla Van Blake - Bizzett - Vocalist / Songwriter
Carla is a Singer, Songwriter, Graphic Artist and Designer. She started singing at the age of 3 under the tutelage of her parents who were gospel singers. The family would spend hours singing 3 part harmony during long road trips. Carla grew up singing in church. At the age of 8 her family moved to rural West Africa. For the next 9 years she listened to local West African music and her parent's extensive jazz and gospel collections. This planted the seeds for her love of jazz classics as well as World Beat music.
Her style influences, in addition to her mother, were Carmen Mcrae, Billy Holiday, Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Roberta Flack and Mahalia Jackson.
Carla has been singing professionally since 1993. In 1994 her first original single, "Skinny Women Can't Sing The Blues", aired on local radio in Sacramento, CA. In June of that same year Carla was the featured artist in "Jazz Now" Magazine.
Since then Carla continues to perform in local venues, lead worship and write songs. A flexible singer, she can render a smooth jazz ballad as easily as a funky dance tune or a heart felt gospel song. Carla has produced three collections of original music and is currently working on her new CD release for 2011.