Enjoy a night of jazz at Berryessa Gap on March 7

By Michelle Martin Special to the Express Shake Don’t Stir will be at Berryessa Gap tasting room in downtown Winters on Saturday, March 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. There is no cover charge, so come enjoy a free evening of fabulous jazz. Chris Unkel (saxophone) and Gordon Douglas (keyboard) began Shake Don’t Stir over their mutual love of jazz movie themes and other less-performed jazz and latin repertoire. Chris has been infatuated with the saxophone for as long as he can remember. In the 1960s, the influence of Stan Getz and John Coltrane, along with Chris’s Long Island HS and Montana college bands, all combined to set the stage for a love affair with jazz that shows no signs of slowing down. When Gordon’s piano teacher finally allowed him at age 10 to play the theme from “Lawrence of Arabia” instead of a classical piece, he remembers it as a landmark moment. After moving from the UK to the USA he pursued lessons in keyboard harmony and jazz. He also teaches piano and computer music in Davis. Göran Muhlert (drums) started playing at age 6, then added guitar, piano, and bass. As a recording artist from Sweden, he toured Scandinavia and Europe in mid 1970s and 80s. A highlight of his career was performing his original music on TV with Jose Feliciano. For the last 25 years, Göran has been teaching music to children, teens, and adults in Davis. Steve Ackley (bass) grew up in Woodland where he learned to play bass in the public school music program. After almost 30 years of living and performing in the Bay Area, Steve recently returned to Yolo County and now lives in Winters. Michelle Martin (violin) studied violin performance at Furman University and the University of North Carolina Greensboro. In addition to performing in classical ensembles throughout the Sacramento area, she loves getting to collaborate with fantastic local rock, folk, and particularly jazz musicians, like her fellow Shake Don’t Stir bandmates. Shake Don’t Stir has performed at venues in Yolo and Sacramento counties including the Berryessa Gap Tasting Room, Bluenote Brewing, Steve’s Pizza, Scribner Bend Vineyard, Taber Ranch Vineyard, Natsoulis Gallery, and the Pence Gallery. The group offers a wide variety of jazz styles that always includes songs from movies. To learn more and get a sneak peek at their sound, check out their website at shakedontstir.com.]]>