The D-Major Project
The D-Major Project features a brilliant collaboration of musicians who approach the repertoire they perform from a wide eclectic mix of influences. Although often referred to as “an improvisational jazz group”, that only describes one aspect of what their music really is. More accurately, The D-Major Project performs everything from folk to jazz to classic soul, Latin, neo-funk, world beat, roots and pop music, but always in their own unorthodox way! They take popular songs from every era, in all genres and styles, and mostly re-write, re- arrange, re-harmonize and rhythmically transform them into their own fun, sometimes quirky, original, and truly unique renditions. The band is centered around the mesmerizing vocal stylings of DEBBIE MAJOR (“D-Major”) accompanied by the extraordinary talents of KEN McGLOIN (guitar & ukulele), KENDALL BUCHANAN (bass), and JON BATES (drums & percussion).
Debbie Major (Vocals) is a very active award winning “first call” vocalist, performer, music teacher and vocal coach based in New York’s Hudson Valley, who has recorded and collaborated extensively with many prominent musicians, producers and music contractors throughout her career. She is also a prominent Training Coach and Director for the world renowned Rhythmic Arts Project (TRAP) founded by Eddie Tuduri, and she was the founder of "ZYLOFONE", a music arts program created to provide powerful life-changing music and drama therapy programs for people with cognitive and physical disabilities. She has become well known for her innovative teaching methodologies that empower people to discover and develop their own inherent creative gifts.
Jon Bates (Percussion & Vocals) has established a very solid track record as a bandleader, music contractor, drummer and percussionist over his almost 50-year career. For 20 years he was the production coordinator for many worldwide music events, presenting a Who’s Who of music royalty in numerous renditions of “The Floating Jazz Festival”, “The Blues Cruise”, and many other highly acclaimed festival events aboard luxury cruise ships around the world, while also performing with such notables as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Dr. John, Astrud Gilberto and others. He was also a studio manager and in-house producer/engineer for the Chiaroscuro Records label, and has production and/or performance credits on more than one hundred commercially released recordings.
Ken McGloin (Guitar) has been a working musician since the age of 14, able to play many styles with an authentic feel and appreciation for what makes each valid in its own way. He is the Music Director and Guitar-Bass- Ukulele instructor at The Poughkeepsie Day School in Poughkeepsie, NY and runs their Summer Jazz Camp program. Ken has led bands ranging from swing to hip-hop, folk to funk, and his “hard-core alternative” band, Lunchmeat, played the main stage at the 1994 25th Anniversary Woodstock Festival. He is the guitarist and musical director for the internationally acclaimed "Face The Music"- www.facethemusicblues.com - which presents innovative team building programs, using music to inspire and enhance the performance of corporate management and sales teams, administrators, researchers, and ranking professionals at Fortune 500 companies around the globe, and his music has been featured on many popular shows, including "The Real World" (MTV) "Road Rules" (MTV), “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, and the ESPN network.
Kendall Buchanan (Bass) is a highly sought after bassist, who has built an impressive resume of musical performances at such venues as The Urban Arts Corp in New York City, Medgar Evers College, Avery Fisher Hall, the JVC Jazz Festival, and The Ed Sullivan Theater. He performed in the original band for Tony Award nominated Vinnette Carroll in “Your Arms Too Short To Box With God” on Broadway. He recorded and toured the world extensively with jazz guitar legend Sonny Sharrock, and has been a member of the prolific World Music jam band, SUNDAD, since 2018, as well as consistently collaborating on many other exciting musical projects and endeavors.