Gregg Marquardt didn’t grab a microphone at five years old and wow a crowd with his beautiful singing. Instead, he began performing in a high school musical only because all his friends were doing it. Yet after the music director at that show called him the worse singer she had ever heard (true story), Gregg decided to begin formal training in classical voice at the MacPhail Center for the Arts in Minneapolis and took his first steps to upgrade his singing. Then, over the years, Gregg developed his jazz talents by studying with such Twin Cities professionals as Roberta Davis, Leon Thurman and Vicky Mountain.

Today, with more than 30 years of experience, Gregg has performed as a jazz solo artist, as a member of a vocal jazz quartet, and as singer and master of ceremonies with the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra, an 16-piece big band. He has performed at many jazz venues, including the Dakota Bar and Grill, The Times Bar & Café, Mystic Lake Casino, Bryant Lake Bowl, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival and the Wabasha Street Caves (Minneapolis/St. Paul), Winter’s Jazz Club, and Davenport’s (Chicago).

Gregg’s style draws influence from Mel Tormé, Sarah Vaughn, Mark Murphy and other vocal jazz masters. He seamlessly transfers his classically-trained voice which one fan has said “sounds like butter” (true story) into the improvisation, energy, and butter-like smoothness of jazz.

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