Michael Stechison / Doctor Stech & Nervous Habit Jazz Duo from Atlanta, GA

At the core of Doctor Stech and Nervous Habit is the dynamic husband and wife team of Michael Stechison and Cheryl Gratton. Michael has been playing piano since age 5 and performing on vocals and keyboards since he was a boy. Originally classically trained, Michael has been playing jazz since the 1970's. His style has been called creative and energetic. Michael is clearly driven by the desire to perform and believes that the joy in being a musician can only be achieved by sharing through performance. The groove is artistically provided on drums by Cheryl. She visually enhances the trio and refreshes the look of the standard jazz trio with a female presence anchoring down the rhythm section on the drum throne. The instinctual communication between husband and wife can be seen musically, like finishing each other's sentences if they choose to. The trio is rounded out by a solid bass line outlined on either upright or electric bass. If budget or space limitations require it, this band can also be hired as a keyboard/vocal and percussion duo. The band plays a mix of jazz standards, pop, and original material. The Nervous Habit playlist is diverse with a broad range of jazz standards such as The Way You Look Tonight, Route 66, Mack the Knife, My Romance, My Funny Valentine; classic jazz tunes with elaborate piano work such as In a Sentimental Mood, Round Midnight, Caravan. Romantic classics like Georgia on My Mind, You are so Beautiful, Sunny, and Moondance can set a romantic tone. Some R + B tunes such as Just the Two of Us, Just My Imagination, and Me and Mrs. Jones provide a mellow background or encourage people to dance. Pop songs done in a jazz style such as Just the Way You Are and This Masquerade provide a fresh perspective on old favorites. In addition we play original material as well. For this trio, playing is truly a labor of love and a calling. They pride themselves on satisfying the audience. Their energy is said to be infectious. They are timely and well-organized, in keeping with their other careers as a neurosurgeon and psychologist/ neuropsychologist. Doctor Stech and Nervous Habit would love to work with you to make your event special. Stechison's musical work has been featured and reviewed in national magazines like Jazziz magazine(October 2007), and local publications such as the Atlanta Journal Constitution Living Section (Aug 18, 2008), the Piedmont Review, Atlanta Magazine, Creative Loafing, and Vigor magazine. Two CD's are available for purchase in iTunes.

• Take the "A" Train | Billy Strayhorn
• Misty | Errol Garner
• Girl from Ipanema | Carlos Jobim
• 'Round Midnight | Thelonius Monk
• Killer Joe | Benny Golson
• East of the Sun | Diana Krall
• Smooth Operator | Sade
• Fly Me to the Moon | Frank Sinatra
• New York | New York
• Route 66 | Multiple
• On Green Dolphin Street | Chick Corea
• Yardbird Suite | Charlie Parker
• Just the Two of Us | Grover Washington
• Over the Rainbow | Multiple
• This Masquerade | George Benson
• Mack the Knife | Frank Sinatra
• As Time Goes By | Multiple
• The Way You Look Tonight | Frank Sinatra
• Just the Way You Are | Billy Joel
• Speak Low | Kurt Weill
• Georgia on My Mind | Ray Charles
• September | Earth Wind and Fire
• Theme from Midnight Cowboy | Nillson
• Moondance | Van Morrison
• No Woman | No Cry
• My Romance | Carmen McRae
• Linus and Lucy | Vince Guaraldi
• Take Five | Dave Brubeck
• Caravan | Duke Ellington
• Popsicle Toes | Michael Franks
• Sunny | Multiple