"The Missing Link Jazz Ensemble" is: Louise Salvador - featured vocalist, John LaIacona - saxophone/clarinet/vocals, Norwin Mergler - keyboards, and Rick Soriano - drums.

The Ensemble has been evolving from its amoebic form since 2000 A.D. and continues to re-define itself at each presentation offering an appealing and entertaining mix of jazz styles. Using the muse as its guide, The Ensemble has given interpretation to the writings of Hoagy Carmichael ("Georgia On My Mind"), George Gershwin ("Summertime"), Paul Desmond ("Take Five"), Herbie Hancock, Duke Ellington, Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Louis Armstrong, and other notables. Integrating lively sax/vocals, lilting keyboard, and sizzling drums with jazzy melody and improvisation, this band provides unique and interesting music that appeals to a wide audience.

Our keyboard extraordinaire is Norwin Mergler who moved from Montreal, Canada just to become part of "The Missing Link". With talent and excitement for his craft, Norwin brings a special dynamic to Columbus and the world with great improvisational interpretations, which, until now, have only been heard from other galactic systems! The members of The Missing Link Jazz Ensemble, through no fault of their own, bring musical entertainment to the public and the "Missing Link" in music to humankind.

The Missing Link Jazz Ensemble has found itself entertaining corporations, has been a featured musical guest on WCLL television, has played at the Columbus Jazz & Rib Festival, the Short North Sunday Jazz Series, Worthington Concerts On The Green, Gahanna Music In The Park, Central College Church Summer Concert Series, St. Elizabeth Festival, Starbuck's Coffee, for Toastmasters, for Big Fish Networking, and recently produced its first CD at Jazzy J's Nightclub in Columbus.

Our featured vocalist, Louise Salvador is probably one of the best kept secrets and certainly one of the best kept treasures of Central Ohio. She has jammed with artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderly, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, Little Richard, and Fats Domino. She performed in The Sally Rand Musical Review. In the Houston and New Orleans areas, she performed with the Ames Brothers, was featured vocalist in opening acts for Mickey Rooney, Ray Bolger and The Smothers Brothers. She has had extensive club appearances and has been a featured artist with a variety of pop, jazz, R&B and rock touring acts.

Should you be fortunate enough to experience Louise in action on stage, you will receive a rare treat. Her "in charge", yet not overbearing, manner allows the listener to relax in a setting whereby her voice will soothe you during one song and grasp you with excitement the next. In a word, Louise has "style". The matter-of-fact way she moves from corner to corner of the stage leaves her audience members feeling like they have known Louise all their lives. Louise has a way of taking a song and making it her own, taking possession of its message and meaning and giving it new life. She has a sense of delivery whereby, if one were to have heard a song before, it would take on freshness and ease because of the life she breathes into it. Her love for music, together with the way she smiles and loves her audience, bring a live atmosphere to any room in which she performs.

Her singular talent was recognized and nurtured from early childhood, with formal vocal training under several respected instructors and coaches. Her parents and teachers helped kindle a passion for musical theater. In the Columbus area, Louise has performed at the Jazz and Rib Fest, with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, A Taste of Columbus, and the Columbus Arts Festival.

Some of her recordings include Jazz and Eggs Live with Gene Walker (1998), The Jim Masters Quartet Live at Spagio (1998), Louise Salvador Live (1997), The Smooth Jazz Columbus Collection (1997), and The Louise Salvador Sampler (1996).

One interesting vignette about Louise was when she was living in New Orleans. The jazz community in "K Town" has been, and still is, very tight. Musicians there have been very supportive of one another over the years as demonstrated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. While Ellis Marsalis was performing at the Super Bowl in New Orleans with The Al Hirt Band, Louise, as a friend of the family, kept an eye on Wynton and his brother Branford as youngsters while in the audience.

The Missing Link Jazz Ensemble is happy to have Louise as part of its offering to its listeners.