Jazz and blues vocalist and band leader Maia Santell is a descendant of Seattle's Jackson Street era of jazz. Her mom, dad and uncle were prominent entertainers in the Northwest music scene. Maia and her backing band, "Maia Santell and House Blend," have been performing around the Northwest for twenty-five years, at such venues as Jazz Alley, Jazzbones, Muckleshoot Casino, The New Orleans Creole Restaurant, Argosy Cruises, St. Michelle Wineries, Northwest Dance Network, Dancing Til Dusk, Studio 6 Ballroom, Sonny Newman's Dance Hall and the Tacoma Jazz and Blues Festival. Performing a mix of jazz, blues, Latin, swing, R&B, big band and contemporary favorites, Maia Santell and House Blend's repertoire is similar to that of the TV show, "Dancing with the Stars," accommodating swing and ballroom dancers, as well as professional dance coaches.
"Maia belts the blues and swings on a jazz tune to an audience of dancers with the same level of soul and intensity as she does to a listening crowd. She exudes the spirit of the vocalists in her mother's era. Like her uncle, Frank Sugia, she is a consummate entertainer," says NW music critic, Norm Bobrow.
"Her phrasing is impeccable and her voice is clear and natural, totally free of the contrived theatricality that besets many of her contemporaries. Supported by the seasoned musicians of House Blend, she offers one of the most dynamic sounds on the Northwest music scene." (Doug Bright, Heritage Music Reveiw, 1999.)