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| In Northern Michigan ... |
... everybody loves Samba
D sometime!
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Who are we? Samba D is a trio of northwestern Michigan musicians comprising:    -Sara
Hartley (Voice)*
-Don Les (Piano/Synthesizer)* -Dave Goodwin (Drums/Percussion)  Our Trio  *We also perform as a duo |
What is our musical genre? Samba D performs an eclectic
selection of music "for the discerning palette." We
select songs that have been popularized by a rich
diversity of classic artists (ranging from Duke
Ellington, Nancy Wilson, Quincy Jones and Stevie
Wonder to Michael Jackson, Sting, and The Stylistics),
and play them in a light, rhythmic jazz vibe. Our
repertoire also includes original material that is
crafted in the same style. As Dean Martin once sang
that "Everybody loves somebody sometime", we are
confident that you will love Samba D sometime,
and hope that sometime is soon!
  YES, we are available for private events! Please contact us for details. |
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| Why Samba D? Our group takes its name from an
original song "Samba D" (a.k.a. "[I need]
Samba D"), which was written by Don in 2017.
Essentially it is a samba written in the key of D, but
incorporates lyrics that play on the phonic similarity
between "Samba D" and "somebody".
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When/where can
you hear us perform?
(You can join our mailing list here) |
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| More about us: | |||
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Sara Hartley (a
Traverse City resident) received her music degree
from Alma College and has sung in various venues
throughout the USA since. After working as the
Music Program Director for the National Cathedral
in Washington DC, she returned to our area to
perform drama and to sing. She has performed at
the Traverse City Opera House, The Old Art Building in
Leland, and is vocalist in the popular "Haunting of Ebenezer"
that tours the area during the holidays. She
sang in clubs and vineyards with the North Coast Trio for a year and co-founded Samba
D with Don in 2024.
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Don Les (a Northport resident)
has played keyboards since his teens and co-founded
Samba D with Sara in 2024 (both were with the
North Coast Trio previously). He originally is
from Detroit, where he did some studio work and
played in the USA and Canada with a number of
different groups including his own trio. During
that time he also played piano for several
different groups that accompanied vocalists
Cloe Martin, Jason Steel, and
others. Don later worked with saxophonist
Duane Parham,
guitarist Juan Gartrell, and
others in a Detroit jazz combo known as Cash
Money.
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Dave Goodwin
(a Traverse City resident) is known for his many
area performances with Jazz North and the Tundra
Tones. He was percussionist for the
Detroit Metro Area Directors Adult Jazz Ensemble
and Wind Ensemble while studying marimba and
timpani under Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Sal Rabio. He did studio work in Detroit
and toured the USA and Canada with several
professional acts. Dave also spent time in Los
Angeles to study drum technique with Dick Wilson and marimba with Karen Ervin-Pershing. Dave joined up with Samba
D in September, 2024.
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 "Music for the discerning palette" |
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| Our Experience:
We have performed separately or together at numerous
venues throughout northwestern Michigan including Cedar
(Bel Lago Vineyard, French Valley Vineyard), Gills Pier
(St. Wenceslaus Annual Chicken Dinner), Glen Arbor (The
Homestead), Lake Leelanau (Fountain Point Resort),
Leland (The Leland Lodge, The Old Art Building), Maple
City (Little Traverse Inn), Northport (Faro, Leelanau
Uncaged, Marina Park, Northport Arts Association,
Northport Point, The Union, Verterra Vineyard,
Willowbrook), Suttons Bay (Bistro Polaris), and Traverse
City (Grand Traverse Pavillions, Little Bohemia,
Milliken Auditorium, TC Country Club, TC Elks Club, TC
Film Festival, TC Opera House, Two Lads Vineyard). |
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Contact us: Samba D music@samba-d.com (860) 794-1859 [Don] |
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