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| Lynne Jackson & Mike Palter |
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Lynne Jackson & Mike Palter
The Unusual Bio of An Unusual Couple
Perhaps the renowned musician and composer Dave Frishberg said it best when he exclaimed, "I can’t exactly describe what Lynne and Mike do, but whatever it is they do it better than anyone else on earth!" Of course, what they DO is play and sing the songs of "the great American songbook." And the uniqueness of their performances reflects their disparate backgrounds.
Introduced by their fathers who were golf partners, Lynne and Mike seemed a mismatched pair. Lynne had studied at both the Longy Conservatory and the Berklee College of Jazz in Boston. Her musical interests ran from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez to Nina Simone. Mike, who had no formal musical training, taught English composition at the University of Massachusetts. Mike’s musical tastes ran from Nat Cole to Frank Sinatra and the great jazz pianist, Bill Evans. In a sense, Lynne and Mike were, musically, worlds apart.
On the heels of a favorable review by the Boston Globe, the pair relocated to Los Angeles, eventually establishing themselves as the most successful cabaret duo in that city. Interestingly, although presenting standards and show tunes as cabaret performers, the duo attracted a faithful following of a diverse group of outstanding musicians including Frishberg, jazz greats Alan Broadbent, Bill Mays, Nick Ceroli and Gary Foster, the inimitable Roger Williams and cabaret artist Michael Feinstein.
Through their musical career, Lynne & Mike have “worn two hats.” While still in Boston, the pair had been given the first Encore Cabaret Humanitarian Award for their efforts on behalf of children, the hungry and the homeless. After moving to Los Angeles, they co-composed the "We Dream A Brighter Day" anthem for UNICEF which helped to bring awareness of the Ethiopian famine to the world. The song, performed by Lynne and Mike at the United Nations and by choral groups around the world, has subsequently been used to raise funds for countless humanitarian endeavors ranging from AIDS hospices to the Duke Children’s Hospital At this writing, their "Song Of Peace," written in English, Arabic and Hebrew, has been forwarded to important cultural and political figures in the Middle East.. Their performances in Normandy, sponsored by the family of General George Patton to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the Liberation of France earned the personal congratulations of President Jacques Chirac.
In the wake of September 11th, jazz legend Blossom Dearie recorded a CD single of their "It’s All Right to Be Afraid," co-written by their frequent collaborator, Academy Award nominee Arthur Hamilton. Their “Jazz is a Rainbow” projects introduce under-served children to the history, the creators, the performers and the songs of jazz, with the children doing the actual performing. Most recently, their “Birds: Kids to Newport” brought a busload of under-served children to the Jazz Festival at Newport, the first such Festival-sponsored trip in the history of that event.
Whether at the United Nations or Carnegie Hall, in churches, synagogues, universities or in the studio, Lynne & Mike continue to present what critics have described as "magical" performances of "the great American songbook," celebrating the sublime melodies, the wit, the wisdom and the lyrical genius of our greatest songs.
In the words of the distinguished music historian and critic, R.C. Smith:
"Lynne and Mike are an American resource."
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