Mammoth Lakes, California USA

The D. Benjamin band, conducted by Duane Benjamin and featuring  Mel Collins, has been performing their music for over a decade. Based  in jazz, their big band sound is influenced by pop, r & b, and all music  that just “feels good”. Made up of 9 -horns, a 4-piece rhythm section,  and two BG vocalists, Mel Collins and The D. Ben-jamin Band present  their versions of John Legend’s “Ordinary People,” Cyndi Lauper’s “Time  After Time”, Miles Davis’s “All Blues” and much more. As members of  BMI their original tunes have been recorded and are often the fan  favorites of their performances. For more on The D. Benjamin Band,  head to @DuaneBenjamin on YouTube and Instagram.  

Affectionately known as Ben-jamin’, Duane Benjamin is a versatile  musician specializing in composing, arranging, and orchestration. As an  accomplished trombonist (who dabbles in electric bass) Ben-jamin has toured with legends Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and  many more. He is proud to say he served as Musical Director for Gladys  Knight for two years. His prolific career spans the gamut from  performances with the Count Basie Orchestra to recordings with artists Justin Timberlake and the great Michael Jackson. Benjamin’s arrangements have been featured on American Idol and The Voice, and  he has co-produced hits for the KPOP phenomenon, BTS. 

Through it all he remained happily tethered to his love for jazz. Ben-jamin instructs  jazz trombone at UCLA. There, he enjoys directing the Commercial  Music Studio Ensemble as well as instructing the undergrad GLUCK  ensemble for exceptionally gifted, emerging jazz musicians.  

Last, but certainly not least he is the annual Music Director for the  Mammoth Jazz Festival “Mammoth Jazz” – a 2-day event filled with  several jazz artists, fantastic food and wine, and an extraordinary  community of music lovers in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. 

Ben-jamin has released three albums, showcasing his talent in jazz and  original compositions. Life Is Music, A Little Jazz Now & Then, and  holiday album Sleigh Ride Vibes are available on all streaming platforms.  You can find out more about D. Ben-jamin’s work on YouTube @Duane  Benjamin 

Mel Collins began her career in musical theatre. It was there she  discovered the many songs from that world that contributed to The  Great American Songbook. This took her into a deep dive of Ella  Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Rosemary Clooney, and so many others who  used improvisation and storytelling, simultaneously. She had found her  tribe.  

In January 2009, Mel performed her very first jazz cabaret to a sold-out  audience. This was the beginning of a new direction for her career.  Since then, she has gone on to performing as a jazz artist all over the  U.S. touring with The Side Street Strutters for several years and  continuing as a solo artist at several jazz festivals. If you’re in Southern 

California Mel can regularly be seen at Catalina’s Jazz Bar & Grill,  Vibrato Grill Jazz, The Drake Laguna Beach., The Casino San Clemente,  and Disneyland California. 

This year she is one of the featured vocalists at LA jazz festival,  presented by Air BnB. Her most recent achievements include the  distinct honor of being voted Best Jazz Soloist for the Audience Choice  Awards 2022/2023, performing as special guest solo-artist for the South  Coast Symphony, and headlining the Mammoth Jazz Festival in  Mammoth Calif for the past 9 years. She has been a regular at the Sun  Valley Idaho Jazz festival, alongside the incomparable Side Street  Strutters, and has been the premiere jazz vocalist for Disneyland’s  exclusive Club33 for over eight years with her quartet, Bourbon Street. 

Mel is also an accomplished jazz recording artist and has released  several jazz albums. Her first, A Little Jazz Now & Then with the D. Ben jamin’ Band, followed by two with the Side Street Strutters- Shiny  Stockings and Vinyl Jazz. Her most recent recordings are singles  “Nearness of You”, “All Blues” and “Nothing Compares to You” on  Duane Benjamin’s Life Is Music. Her Neo-Soul single “Time Concubine”  with DJ True 129 was released last June, and her Holiday album entitled  Sleigh Ride Vibes was released the previous December. All music can be  found on Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube and Amazon Music.

Michael has performed with Michael Buble, Judith Hill, Kirk Franklin, Roz Ryan, Yolanda Adams, Eden Espinosa and Peaches and Herb. As well as performing with artists on TV— "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno, MTV's "The Cut," The WB "Popstars," BET's "Sunday Best" (Season 4 top 10 finalist) and General Hospital's "Night Shift" with Billie D. Williams. He has also toured with Josh Groban and The Alley Cats and performed in many stage shows for Disney and Universal.