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Dirk Etienne

Dirk Etienne knew by sixth grade that he wanted to sing professionally. He began performing at the age of 5 and by 20 was singing in local Hollywood clubs. At the age of 23, Dirk opened on a top national tour and performed for over 1 million fans. He has worked with Grammy-winning producer Robert Margouleff and multi-platinum producers Kenny Kerner and Michael Lloyd, among others. After touring the U.S. in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Dirk married and settled in Carmel Valley, California, where he has continued to work as a producer and recording engineer while pursuing other business interests.

Dirk grew up attending the Monterey Jazz Festival every summer with his father who served as a voluteer there for over 50 years. He was exposed to the sweet sounds of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett and many more. In 2007, Dirk recorded “Fly Me to the Moon” for his mother who was sick in the hospital and with that his passion for singing and passion for jazz became one. He fell in love with the jazz genre all over again and he began conceptualizing his first album, High Standards. The songs on the album are those that Dirk heard during “cocktail hour” at home and at the Jazz Festival throughout his childhood. Dirk is inspired by his pure love for music and he feels that “these songs tell a story and set a mood.”

Jazz Vocalist Dirk Etienne returns to L.A. to perform at the Vibrato Grill Jazz etc... on October 17th

Source: Michael Ricci
October 8, 2010

Dirk Etienne will return to Los Angeles to perform at the Vibrato in Bel Air on Sunday, October 17th at 6:30 p.m. Dirk will take the stage with Mark LeVang, Jim Fox and other top L.A. musicians to perform selections from his first jazz album, High Standards. Mark, whose music credits include working with Natalie Cole, Jennifer Hudson, B.B. King and Elton John, will accompany Dirk on the piano. Jim, who has toured with artists such as Frank Sinatra Jr., ...
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“Dirk brings all the needed attributes to the table for a swell jazz experience .” Rosemary Chalmers, KSCO AM1080

“Dirk Etienne is one of those guys, like so many of us Boomers, who grew up actively listening to rock ‘n roll, the pop music of the day... but always in the background, there was this ‘other music’ that had a very subtle influence on us all. So Dirk cut his teeth and honed his musical skills as a 70’s and 80’s rocker, but like so many of our generation, time polished his style and helped him reach this new standard that touches the heart of a generation seeking a little sophistication.” Brad Chambers, MartiniInTheMorning.com

“Dirk brings all the needed attributes to the table for a swell jazz experience .” Rosemary Chalmers, KSCO AM1080

“It’s been a rough day at the office… but it’s nothing that a log fire, a pair of your most comfortable slippers and a glass of Monterey County wine can’t cure. Of course another key element to your recovery is music: silky, beautifully crafted music to ease your troubled day. Citizens of the world, worry not, as such an album has arrived! California-based vocalist Dirk Etienne has just released HIGH STANDARDS, his work utilizing impeccable standards. Lush arrangements of songs from the Great American Songbook, so familiar that their lyrics are almost part of our language such as ‘Fly Me to the Moon,’ ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ and ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’… just three of this twelve track trip down memory lane. Co-Produced by Dirk and Monterey’s legendary Bass man Dennis Murphy with Mark LeVang on keys and Bernie Dresel on drums, this is the quintessential wind down album of the year, cheers everybody!” Stewart Coxhead, smoothjazz.com

“...heard from other friends praising Etienne’s latest jazz CD ‘High Standards.’ I thought I would listen to a few songs, but ended up hearing the whole album... These songs have been recorded by many different artists through the years. Each and every one gives something special to it. Etienne is no different. When you hear him sing them, the music quite simply makes you feel good and you appreciate the lyrics one more time.” Donna Teresa, Independent Music Columnist, Soundtrack of Life

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