Charmin sings Carmen

Legendary jazz vocalist Carmen McRae’s famous tribute recording of all Thelonious Monk tunes is brought to life by local chanteuse extraordinaire Charmin Michelle. Joining her are two acclaimed Twin Cities veterans: Joel Shapira guitar, and Larry McDonough piano. Shapira and McDonough open the show with selections from their Bill Evans/Jim Hall tribute “Intermodulating Undercurrents”.

Charmin Michelle: Vocals

Joel Shapira: Guitar

Larry McDonough: Piano

Guitarist Joel Shapira, who spent a number of years in the NYC jazz scene and is now a preeminent musical force in the Twin Cities, has released great music in varied contexts, small group, accompanying singers, duo and solo guitar, but it is his latest release, Unscripted, that shows his mastery as a guitarist as well as his wide ranging repertoire from standards to Wayne Shorter, though it’s his originals, including his homage A Tune For Towner, that reveal his deep artistry. Jack DeSalvo