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.

We are proud to announce this year’s theme show for 2024 – “Time Capsule”.  Performed are the songs of the great 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. Then there were also the young men who harmonized from street corners to the golden stages of America.

Older viewers can revisit their teenage years and younger viewers can enjoy the music of their past generations. There is nowhere else today where audiences could see performances of the music of unique groups like The Chiffons, Ronettes, Martha & The Vandellas, The Temptations, Tavares, Four Seasons, Manhattan Transfer, The 5th Dimension and more.

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.

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.

Dave

  • Trombone/Trumpet

Dave attended Berklee College Of Music where he studied trumpet with Ray Kotwika, Greg Hopkins and Wes Hensel. He also studied arranging with Michael Gibbs and Phil Wilson. After Leaving Berklee, Dave performed with a wide variety of musical acts throughout New England, playing 70-100 events annually. He attained a Masters of Sp. Ed and worked as a educator in eastern New York State. Since retiring, Dave continues to perform and works as a special education paraprofessional in a local school district.

Jim

  • Tenor Saxophone

Jim comes to the band from Pittsfield, MA. He has been playing saxophones and clarinet in concert bands, marching bands (the Pittsfield Eagles Band) and in dance bands since 1983 including 16 years in the German Oom Pah Band.

Mike

  • Drummer

Michael born into a family of great light in Queens (2 glorious parents, 8 brothers, and 2 sisters), at a tender age, leaped outside of his house to play the kitchen pots and garbage cans. Soon he discovered and percussively played the corner mail box, stop sign, neighborhood wrought iron fences, and NYC metal sculptures. Michael dove deep into the resonant tonal wonderlands of his surroundings, and soon his parents gifted him a blue sparkle Slingerland drum set. My oldest brother Tom through his drummer friend Jack, found Michael a great neighborhood drum teacher, Paradiddle Joe (Johnny Morris: the drummer from Sammy Spear’s Orchestra for the Jackie Gleason Show), Soon Michael studied at Frank Ippolito’s Professional Percussion Center (PPC) with Norman Grossman (hip Jazz drummer/Manes College of Music symphonic percussion instructor). Having a firm foundation with drum lessons at 50th st. & 8th ave., Michael met Papa Jo Jones (Father of Modern Drumming: drummer for Billie Holliday & Count Basie), and Elvin Jones (innovator and John Coltrane’s drummer). Those experiences ignited Michael to performing and recording in various idioms, to this day. Michael is also a national board certified music therapist, who utilizes music as a tool to achieve goals for special education children.

Jeremy

  • Electric Bass

Jeremy Levine has been playing electric bass for 15 years in big band, musical theatre, jazz, folk, and rock settings. His favorite chord progression is the endless IV-I loop.

Outside of music, he studies education and literacy at UMass Amherst and spends his free time writing, cycling, doing poetry, and seeing his friends.