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Tea Cup Gin

Original & Vintage Jazz | Blues | Torch

About Me

The members of Tea Cup Gin share a passion for crafting original musical cocktails under the influence of an eclectic blend of early 20th century genres (deco era jazz standards, tin pan alley classics, ragtime & delta blues, torch, chanson, cabaret, bossa, tango, & show tunes). The band takes an authentic yet unconventional approach to the great American jazz tradition, stirring together original melodies and lyrics, served up via two blazing acoustic guitars, impassioned vocals, dynamic upright bass & percussion, with occasional guests on trombone, trumpet, violin, sax, & more.

Why the name “Tea Cup Gin”? During prohibition, speakeasies served bootleg gin in ordinary tea cups to hide what was inside. Although the band’s original songs may look innocent enough from the outside, you’ll soon taste a deliciously intoxicating blend of unexpected ingredients. So “Tea Cup Gin” evokes vintage jazz, while being catchier than saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

My Jazz Story

Members John Klonowski – After growing up in Chicago immersed in the blues, JohnK listened to a recording of the Rev Gary Davis’ “Ragtime Guitar”, and set off on an odyssey to learn how to play ragtime and jazz fingerstyle guitar. His solo performances often include intricate ragtime and jazz instrumentals from composers such as Scott Joplin, Louis Chauvin, Fats Waller, and Jelly Roll Morton. Christy Benson – Inherited a passion for vintage jazz and blues from her late father, who worked as a radio DJ during the 1940s when he began amassing a huge collection of 78 rpm records and LPs (ranging from Brownie McGhee and Bessie Smith to Big Bands, Ethel Waters, Kurt Weill, Pete Seeger, Peggy Lee, Ellington, Mingus, & far too many others to count). Christy has performed with various acts in North Carolina, Georgia, and Washington DC, including as a longtime backing vocalist with Dexter Romweber and The New Romans. Mike Reid – As the lead guitar player for Tim Hardin, Mike toured internationally. In addition to fronting many of his own bands, Mike has also recorded extensively in NYC, Nashville, and New Orleans with various artists including Mick Fleetwood. Doug Vuncannon – Doug plays a mean string bass, and is also a composer, documentary photography instructor, journalist, and world traveler. He’s played with an eclectic variety of bands and productions, ranging from Curtis Eller’s American Circus and Billy Sugarfix’s Carousel, to Felix Obelix and with various symphony orchestras in the USA, Australia and Asia. Isaiah Simpson – Isaiah began his journey into music through classical percussion in middle and high school, broadening out to multiple genres and instruments of study following collegiate music schooling in New York. Currently Isaiah actively teaches and performs drumset/hand percussion, vibraphone, piano, and voice in both independent and group settings across the Triangle, with a philosophy and approach of instilling passion and enthusiasm to students and audiences of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds.