Would You Like a Song with That Steak?

Jazz, Latin, and Afro-Cuban bands anchored by a window-shattering voice have produced countless superstars: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Celia Cruz, Sarah Vaughan, and, if you feel the rhythm getting stronger, Gloria Estefan. Miami’s Michelle Manzo aspires to put her name on that list. The vocalist first heard the syncopated rhythms...

By JOE LAPIN

August 13, 2009

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Jazz, Latin, and Afro-Cuban bands anchored by a window-shattering voice have produced countless superstars: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Celia Cruz, Sarah Vaughan, and, if you feel the rhythm getting stronger, Gloria Estefan. Miami’s Michelle Manzo aspires to put her name on that list.

The vocalist first heard the syncopated rhythms of jazz in college and immediately fell in love with the genre because it reminded her of the Cuban and African music she heard growing up in Miami. Now she fronts an outfit of some of the most talented local musicians, fusing everything from jazz, merengue, and contemporary Latin music.

Manzo has played venues ranging from the Zinc Bar in New York to the Cape Cod Jazz Festival. And this Saturday at 7:30 p.m., she’ll perform at Gotham Steak in the Fontainebleau, scatting and pouring her heart out while you indulge in beef at one of the most extravagant hotels in town. The concert is free; the meal depends on market price.
Sat., Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m., 2009

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