Live!

Debbie Duncan may be considered the upper Midwest's "best-kept-musical secret", but she has become a local legend and treasure in her home of Minneapolis. Her personality, vitality, and versatility all contribute to that fact. She is a terrific entertainer, and this is certainly part of her appeal. Most importantly, however, "she's a superb vocalist, probably the finest in the area/" [Bob Protzman, St. Paul Pioneer Press]

Debbie was raised in Detroit by parents steeped in jazz, and was surrounded by the vibrant sound of Motown that was sweeping the country. She also has a strong love of folk, classical, and gospel music. The combination of these influences has given her the ability to blue the lines between jazz and popular music, and to sing with a rare level of emotional conviction that draws the audience into the heart of a song. She can move from a whisper to a fever pitch in the breath of a phrase and testigy in a way that commands the listeners rapt attention. Her choice of songs reflects her background. It ranges from jazz standards by great American composers to obscure bluesy sounds [bu Oscar Brown, Jr.] to popular music [by writers like Carol King]. Always, the treatment is Debbie's alone.

Debbie hones her skills through years of experience. She studied classical voice for 14 years, including 4 years at Wayne State University. In Detroit she recorded back-up vocals for Mitch Ryder and Bob Seger. She then spent several years in the Los Angeles music scene recording back-up vocals for various artists and performing with her own jazz groups in popular nightclub settings.

Originally brought to Minneapolis by Rupert's Nightclub. This ambitious and widely popular new club featured only the strongest performers and a crack 10-piece band. Jon Bream of the Minneapolis Star and Tribune raved: "Duncan is quite simply the star of the show... she's superb on funky upbeat workouts, tender ballads and all kinds of jazz numbers; she energizes the ordinary and puts her stamp on everything she does."

She soon got noticed by the rest of the Twin Cities music community and began working extensively with her own trio. Composed of master pianist Don Stille, bassist Gary Raynor [formerly in Sammy Davis Jr's trio] and Phil Hey [one of the finest bop drummers in the Midwest], they found themselves in constant demand. Debbie has since then surrounded herself with some of the Twin Cities finest musicians creating many different sound, colors, and textures.

She started collecting awards; Best Female Jazz Vocalist, Best Jazz Vocalist, Best Female Performer, Best Jazz Group, Best Jazz CD: Minnesota Music Awards; Best Female Jazz Vocalist: Minnesota Black Music Awards.

As her reputation grew, touring musicians began to learn about her and inviting her to sit in on their performances.