Roots - Beth Molberg grew up listening to Peggy Lee and her dad's recordings of 1940s swing bands. At age 15 she began performing professionally and won awards as a classical pianist. As a college student she toured nationally with the St. Olaf Choir and later studied music at the University of Minnesota and the MacPhail School of Music in Minneapolis. She mastered a number of vocal styles by

• Studying opera
• Working as a church and wedding soloist
• Performing as a "swingle singer"
• Entertaining as a German Beer Garden vocalist at regional Octoberfests and the Mall of America.

But when Beth discovered jazz and began her love affair with the " vibes" she found her musical focus. She began singing with Twin Cities big bands - The Chamberlain Band, The Vets, The Bob Benham Big Band, The Classic Big Band - and with the Nostalgics, a 1940s-style vocal quartet. She was also a founding member of Sentimental Journey, a six-piece combo.

Currently Beth performs vibes and vocals with her own combos throughout the Twin Cities and the Midwest. She has been featured at many of the top jazz venues in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area including the Times, Dakota, Luxx and Gabbert's Jazz series. She has also performed in Japan and Hawaii. She enjoys performing in concert settings, for corporate and private events, and in club and restaurant venues.

Music Educator - Beth holds a certificate in piano pedagogy from MacPhail and teaches piano and voice in her home studio. She has also taught at Minneapolis area high schools as an adjunct vocal coach. Teaching the variety of students who come to her with a wide range of personalities and musical abilities keeps her challenged. Her favorite students are the ones who practice!

Style - Beth sings with intelligence and passion. "A beautiful voice," says Hawaiian jazz guitarist "Keoki" Ruiz. Her sweet but swinging voice gives elegant jazz standards a light, breezy feel. She's smooth but expressive, allowing her late-night ballads to stretch and pull any way they want. Phrasing is always interesting, and she's not afraid of taking risks. She handles lightning fast scats across nearly three octaves with jazz sensibilities that stem from years of instrumental performing.

Repertoire - Beth loves well-crafted songs from the Great American Song Book—the ones that sound both fresh and wonderfully timeless. She draws heavily from songs by Cole Porter, Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hart, and Jobim. Major jazz influences include Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan. Beth also enjoys performing on the vibes. They're flashy and fun, but mellow too. The vibists she most admires are Gary Burton, Lionel Hampton and Terry Gibbs.

A Class Act - Professor emeritus Mike Nelson, a fan, sums it up this way: "Beth brings beauty, style and taste to every performance."