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.