About the Band

Soirée (also known as Soiree of Western Mass) is an entertainment big band specializing in a variety of events and venues (private or public).  These include milestone birthday celebrations, anniversaries, weddings, restaurant entertainment, and fundraisers.  The performers are centered around Springfield, Massachusetts.  We present the top songs of recent and past decades.  While we initiate a dialogue with our listeners, we’ll get all viewers tapping and dancing to our diva’s vocals, screaming guitars, wailing horn section, and exciting percussion energy.  Our song choices are enjoyable, nostalgic and intoxicating for dance with diversity covering rock, pop, disco, swing, and Latin, jazz, and R&B. View our song list.

SOIRÉE THEME SHOWS

Soirée also presents theme shows in concert format.  The theme show for 2023 was “The Story Of My Song” – the story behind the creation of works of iconic performers of the 20th century, told with audiovisual aid and performed live.

The theme show for 2024 – “Time Capsule”.  Performed are the songs of the great female singing groups of the late 20th century.  Many were formed by teenage girls in their high school years starting out in their parent’s basements.  The groups appeared in the late 1950s and made it into the hearts of everyone both nationally and abroad.  Sadly many lost stardom to the musical “British Invasion” of the late 1960s.  There is nowhere else today where audiences could see performances of the music of unique groups like The Chiffons, Ronettes, Martha & The Vandellas, The Marvellettes, The Crystals., and The Shirelles.

For 2025 we are proud to announce the arrival of “Memories” to the Soirée Theme Show Collection.  In an entertaining and joyful manner, we revisit the past of yesteryears, also call the wonder years. So much has changed throughout our long lifetimes and we tell it all with live music in an audio visual spectacle. This year we welcome Erin and Dan Johnson who have taken major role in creating and performing in “Memories”.

Easthampton, Ma is the home of Soirée so don’t forget to look for us performing at the local venues and also throughout Western Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Explore our website further. We sincerely hope to perform for your next soirée.

Tim

  • Bandleader

Tim’s musical undertakings started as leader of teenage bands in the sixties, which culminated in a brief period with “The Peppermint Rainbow” (Will You Be Staying After Sunday). He enjoys playing both piano/keyboard and guitar. His dedication to music was put on hold for the next 4 decades as he delivered primary care as a physician in Oceanside, NY.

Prior to retiring he directed vocals and orchestration for local public schools and theatre guilds.  During that time he also authored a musical (“South Of The Border”in 2008) holding performances in Island Park, NY.

Now in retirement from medicine, Tim scores music for Soirée, plays keyboard and guitar and sings.  Other joys include scuba diving and trying to keep up with his five grandchildren.

His mother, Jean DiMarco-Mailloux wrote songs and was his biggest influence, encouraging him to find fulfillment in both medicine and music.

Joanne

  • Vocalist

Joanne is the front woman – entertainer/singer for Soirée. She started singing as a teenager and has never stopped. Following the earlier years of working motherhood, she returned to the arts performing in local theatre guild musicals. Her most memorable role was “Lola” in “Those Dam Yankees” by the Bayswater Players.

Joanne’s other enjoyments are her grandchildren as well as her exercise class, book club friends and playing Mahjong.

She looks forward to entertain you.

Erin

  • Vocals

Erin Johnson performs as a jazz & R&B singer and is the cofounder of the jazz-folk duo Soulpajamas.

She began her music studies at an early age, commuting into New York City for singing lessons, as well as studying classical organ. In college she majored in theatre and worked summers as a singing waitress on Martha’s Vineyard.

She put her performing arts on part time status while pursuing a successful career in publishing, culminating in work as a consultant to environmental non-profits. Her work for the environment continues.

Dan

  • Guitar & Vocals

Daniel Johnson is an award-winning songwriter and a lifelong singer and guitarist. In his younger years, he toured North America and Europe with alt-bluegrass band, the Buffalo Chipkickers (think: Motown with a banjo).

He fulfilled a childhood dream when he cofounded Savoy Truffle, a popular Beatles cover band in Washington, DC.

Today, Dan devotes his time to three passions – travel, writing custom love songs for clients, and performing music with his wife, Erin and bandmates in Soirée.

Aaron

  • Bass Guitar and Vocals

Aaron grew up playing in cover bands and at party jams in Amherst. After college, he moved to New York City to pursue his career as a recording engineer at Power Station Studios, where he worked on many well-known albums, TV shows and movie soundtracks. Returning to the Pioneer Valley in 1994, he enjoyed a long career as a science teacher, while continuing to play in musicals and with a variety of acoustic and electric music groups. Aaron is thrilled to be part of Soiree.

Bruce

  • Drummer/vibist

Bruce Alan Kelley grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts and began playing drums at the age of eight, at the height of the British music invasion. Some of his earliest influences were The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Herb Alpert, Spencer Davis; and later became Van Morrison, Blood, Sweat and Tears, David Sanborn, Steely Dan, The Brecker Brothers, Herbie Hancock, and Miles Davis – the latter which led him to study jazz.

After 2 years of music school, Bruce left school to study drumming privately with Sonny Igoe and at Drummer’s Collective in NYC. After that, he traveled and performed with a trio throughout the mid and southwest. He married and settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he taught music, performed with commercial rock, country and jazz groups, and worked for 3 years at Universal Music and Post on a variety of recording and film projects; and has performed at the legendary Cain’s Ballroom, and Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.

Bruce returned to New England in 2000, studied vibraphone with Berklee great, Ed Saindon, drums with Bob Galotti, and has been active playing R&B and jazz with the groups: Soul Sound Review of Hartford, Soul Folks and Rescue Lola of Northampton, and his own jazz group, Bok Choy Quartet. Bruce now resides in Easthampton, Massachusetts where he stays busy and happy with his wife, music, and his dog Ty.