Mike Flaherty's Dixieland Direct Jazz Band

MIKE FLAHERTY'S DIXIELAND DIRECT JAZZ BAND is an exciting and energetic Washington, DC, based band that specializes in traditional New Orleans Dixieland music but its versatility encompasses other styles as well, these range from the music of the swing era, to society music to the Blues.

Although DIXIELAND DIRECT performs with as many as seven musicians, the nucleus of the group is a trio. Fashioned after the Swing and Dixieland styles of Benny Goodman and Pete Fountain, DIXIELAND DIRECT features Henning Hoehne on clarinet, Bob Boguslaw on piano and Mike Flaherty on drums. Dixieland Direct has been performing together for almost two decades. Along with being featured on numerous recordings, members of DIXIELAND DIRECT have been featured at major jazz festivals and have toured extensively throughout the United States and abroad.

Focusing on musicianship as well as entertainment, the band combines humorous lyrics and a dose of bandstand shtick to make a fun-filled and enjoyable time for all audiences. The band is uniquely complemented with its own arrangers and an extensive library of over 500 arrangements. The collection includes arrangements from the early Scott Joplin Rags, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington...to name just a few.

ABOUT THE MUSICIANS

Henning Hoehne

Henning had a 24-year career with the United States Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, during which time he founded and led a spin-off Navy Academy Band jazz group, The Original Crab Town Stompers. Since retiring from the Navy, Henning is a free-lance musician and has performed with many groups such as Southern Comfort, Paradise Jazz Band, and the Federal Jazz Commission. Prior to coming to the US, Henning, who began his life-long love of reed instruments at a young age in Germany, performed with two German jazz bands, the renowned Dr. Abbi Huebner's ' Low Down Wizards, and Huebner/Vohwikel's Original Barrelhouse Orchestra. After retiring from the Navy Henning earned a B.S. in IT from the University of Baltimore.

Bob Boguslaw

Bob currently is the pianist for “The President's Own" United States Marine Band. He has been performing in many different capacities as a pianist in the Washington/Baltimore areas for the last 15 years. In the field of jazz, he has appeared with the likes of Louis Bellson, Manhattan Transfer, Marc Egan and Vinnie Colaiuta. A classically trained pianist, Bob has performed with the National Gallery Orchestra, Mclean Symphony, and The United States Marine Band Orchestra as a soloist. He has also appeared with the Royal Philharmonic and the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra. He has two CD's on the Summit Record label which have both received critical acclaim.

Mike Flaherty

Drummer Mike Flaherty spent most of 22 years as an Army musician with the famed United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps performs at the White House and regularly entertains at military and State Department functions and events. Mike also performed as a percussionist with the 2nd Armored Division Band during his early days with the Army. Since retiring from the Army, Mike plays regularly with the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble, and is a freelance musician in the Baltimore/Washington area. Over the years, Mike has played with several bands in the area including the Eric Felton Big Band, New Columbia Jazz Orchestra, Kaleidoscope Big Band, and the New Breed Quintet. Mike has performed with New Orleans bands Ryan Burrage and His Rhythmakers, and Jacques Gouthe and His Creole Rice Jazz Band, at the 2006 French Quarter Jazz Festival in New Orleans. Recently, Mike performed with the renowned New Orleans Jazz clarinetist, Louis Ford at the Tacoma Park Jazz Festival. After retiring from the Army, Mike received a Master’s Degree in special education from the George Washington University in Washington, DC.