All members of Charisma have extensive experience performing in a variety of musical formats, including R&B, rock, funk, disco, and jazz.
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Lead vocals, percussion, piano
Marie G has been singing and playing in the NY, CT, and MA region with various original and cover bands since 1985. Prior to joining Charisma, Marie played with many top-notch wedding/cover bands in the area, including: Locomotion, Solid Gold, Stolen Moments, Moonlight Silhouettes, Steppin’ Out, and Forever Yours. She has been featured as a singer and flutist on numerous studio recording sessions covering a wide range of musical styles. Notably, Marie has worked with Janice Dempsey (songwriter for Chaka Chan), and jazz musician Chris Geith. In 1997, Marie wrote, recorded, and produced a 4-song demo which received extensive local airplay – and eventually became one of the 20 finalists in the Levi's/Lilith Fair Talent Contest out of thousands of applicants. Currently Marie is a music teacher for the Danbury, CT school system.
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Lead vocals, guitar, keyboard
Ever since his first gig in 1974, George D’Aiuto has had the privilege of performing in the Connecticut and New York area with a wide variety of phenomenal musicians. During the 1980s, George worked as a studio musician and also toured with Michael Bolton. For nearly 15 years, George shared the spotlight in a popular guitar/piano duo, Scratch & Sniff. In 2005 George joined Charisma as lead singer, keyboard player, and guitarist. Experience, hard work, and professionalism have brought George a long way since he first decided to pursue a career in music - a decision he made after seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show!
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Guitar, lead vocals
Peter Obre is a professionally trained and accomplished musician and music educator. Peter has a Master’s Degree in music composition and performance from The Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut. Peter has been the Band Director at the Newtown Middle School and now performs and teaches guitar full time. Peter can switch effortlessly among nearly all styles of music, including solo classical guitar, which can provide a relaxing atmosphere during the cocktail hour at your event.
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Saxophones, piano, keyboard, vocals
Jazz saxophonist, pianist, and composer Jon Blanck graduated from WestConn University with a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance. In addition to Charisma, Jon's performance credentials include: Varsity Squad, Deep Intentions, The Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, The New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and the Jazz Stars Big Band. He has been teaching piano and saxophone privately for 10+ years and currently presents clinics and master classes via the Armstrong Chamber Concert Series at schools throughout the tri-state area. In addition to piano and saxophone Jon also plays flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, and percussion. Jon can provide cocktail hour piano during a ceremony and/or cocktail hour.
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Bass, vocals
Mitch Taub has been involved in musical performance since elementary school. Mitch plays multiple instruments, including the bass guitar, an instrument he has been studying and performing with for over 25 years. Mitch studied jazz improvisation with bebop legend Max Roach during college, was awarded the bass seat in the Northeast District Jazz Band in the early 1980s, and has performed in various formats and venues in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Drums, percussion
Bob Bonvini studied drums and percussion for many years with teachers in Connecticut and New York City and has been laying down soulful rhythms in various bands for over 30 years. Bob's drumming style has been heavily influenced by legendary drummers such as David Garibaldi (Tower of Power) and Dave Weckl. Bob’s solid grooves are a key component of the Charisma’s sound and a favorite focus point for those in our audiences who appreciate a solid and tasteful percussive foundation.