Michael Hartigan
Michael Hartigan is a multi-talented pianist, composer, arranger, and producer based in Burlington, Vermont.
Growing up in Potsdam, New York, Michael started music lessons at age 6 and was performing regularly with local musicians by age 12. He received a Summa Cum Laude degree in composing and arranging from Berklee College of Music after studying piano performance and music theory at the Crane School of Music.
Michael is a versatile performer with a focus on Jazz but is equally comfortable in other genres such as Pop/Rock, Blues, Latin, Country, Folk, and Classical.
Michael is a regular performer in Vermont, playing solo, accompanying singers and choirs, and with numerous bands and jazz combos. He also takes trips to Chicago, New York, and Nashville for shows and collaborations.
Michael's passion for music extends beyond performances and into the recording studio where he works as a session musician, producer, composer, arranger, and orchestrator. He has written educational choral arrangements, composed original instrumental music, written orchestrations for video games, and helped songwriters and composers bring their visions to life.
He is dedicated to understanding his collaborators' goals and always strives to learn something new with each project
Michel Lajeunesse
Michel Lajeunesse is an accordionist, pianist and bandoneist living in Williston, Vermont.
Growing up in Montreal, Canada, he began studying accordion at age 9 at Marazza Music School and played with various musicians and orchestra.
He studied Piano and Music Theory at Université du Québec in Montréal.
Michel established his permanent residence in Williston, Vermont in 1990 for work purposes. After retiring in 2006, he pursued his passion for music.
He studied composition with David Feurzig and bandoneon with maestro Hector del Curto. Michel composed the music for “Fugato Labile for Camille Claudel” which was featured in Burlington, Vermont and Bucharest, Romania. Over the years he played with various ensembles among them 'La Rebelion del Tango', 'Leading Tone Project', 'Pine Street Irregulars', Stowe Tango Music Festival, and ‘Déjà-Nous’.
As a musician, Michel performs in several genres including standard and modern jazz, classical and contemporary, tango, French, traditional French Canadian and klezmer music
Ron White
Ron White is an active bassist, educator and conductor.
He is currently the Director of the Middlebury Community Music Center’s Chamber Camp as well as the bass instructor and Jazz Camp Faculty. White spent twenty-six years in the classroom directing student orchestras in Dallas, Richardson, College Station and Spring Texas, His orchestras consistently achieved the highest awards at state and local competitions. The A&M Consolidted HS Symphony was invited to perform in Bejing China by the Chinese National Television.
White has had a thriving bass studio since 1976. He has hosted many bass events including the Northside Bass Camp and the College Station Bass Bash as well as section coaching at high schools in Houston and Summer String Camps at Sam Houston State and the University of Texas at Arlington.
Since moving to Vermont in 2010, White has been heard In the Vermont Jazz Ensemble, Sain and Steel, La Rebellion del Tango, the Handymen and Deja Nous as well as productions at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury and the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival.
Most Thursday Nights, White can be heard with the Jazz Collective at the Middlebury Inn. He has been conducting Burlington’s Amateur Musicians Orchestra since 2018
Jean-Jacques Psaute
Jean-Jacques Psaute is the creator, band leader and singer, composer of Deja-Nous.
The repertoire of songs evolved over the years from 100% French to now 50% French and 50% American Standards. The repertoire includes songs from Jacques Brel, Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Gilbert Becaud, Charles Trenet, Yves Montand and also from Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Nate King Cole. Jean-Jacques composes as well. Original songs are now part of every show.
French songs are always introduced in English with humor, and with funny anecdotes. This allows the American audience to understand how the story of each song is unfolding.
Jean-Jacques establishes a fun rapport with the audiences and invites them to participate. That makes the shows always entertaining, educative and fun!!
Nick Aloi
Nick Aloi was born and brought up in Burlington, Vermont.
Nick started playing drums at the age of 7. His main influence was his father (Zip) who also played drums internationally and locally. Nick played his first gig at the age of 14 and has been playing ever since for the past 50 + years. Nick’s father started him with lessons at a Burlington Music Store with owner and drummer Boyd Cheeseman, as well as, lessons with other local drummers.
Nick plays regularly with many different bands covering Jazz, Swing, Blues and more. He is the drummer on two of Jenni’s four CDs. Nick has also performed on international stages with Jenni in the Jazz over the Volga River Festival in Yaroslavl and Rostov, Russia which is one of Burlington’s sister Cities.
Nick started playing steady with the Mark Lamphier Muskat Jazz Band from the late 70's to the early 2000's
Nick lives in So. Burlington with his wife Mary. They have several adult children who also live in Vermont.