MIKE FLAHERTY'S DIXIELAND DIRECT JAZZ BAND is an exciting and energetic Washington, DC, based band that specializes in traditional New Orleans Dixieland music but its versatility encompasses other styles as well, these range from the music of the swing era, to society music to the Blues.

Although DIXIELAND DIRECT performs with as many as seven musicians, the nucleus of the group is a trio. Fashioned after the Swing and Dixieland styles of Benny Goodman and Pete Fountain, DIXIELAND DIRECT features Henning Hoehne on clarinet, Bob Boguslaw on piano and Mike Flaherty on drums. Dixieland Direct has been performing together for almost two decades. Along with being featured on numerous recordings, members of DIXIELAND DIRECT have been featured at major jazz festivals and have toured extensively throughout the United States and abroad.

Focusing on musicianship as well as entertainment, the band combines humorous lyrics and a dose of bandstand shtick to make a fun-filled and enjoyable time for all audiences. The band is uniquely complemented with its own arrangers and an extensive library of over 500 arrangements. The collection includes arrangements from the early Scott Joplin Rags, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington...to name just a few.

Mike invites you to come see Dixieland Direct at their regular weekly performances:

Sundays from 7:30-10:00 PM - Zoo Bar
Please come and join us. No Cover Charge! The Zoo Bar was voted 1st Runner-Up, Washington City Paper's Best Jazz or Blues Venue 2009, right behind Blues Alley.
Dixieland Direct performs every Sunday evening at The Zoo Bar Café from 7:30-10:00 PM. The Zoo Bar Cafe' is located at 3000 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20008 (Directly across from the main entrance to the Washington National Zoo) 202-232-4225 - Directions

Mike Flaherty's Dixieland Direct Jazz Band is the winner of the 2010 French Quarter Jazz Festival "Battle of the Bands" that took place in New Orleans, LA

Band Members

Henning Hoehne
Henning is from Hamburg, Germany. He started playing clarinet at age 13, joined Dr. Abbi Huebner's ' Low Down Wizards in 1954, and then Huebner/Vohwikel's Original Barrelhouse Orchestra. Henning came to US in 1955 and joined the United States Navy as a musician in 1957. He was the leader/founder of USNA Band's Original Crab Town Stompers. After retiring from the Navy in 1980, Henning earned a B.S. in IT from University of Baltimore in 1984. Along with being a freelance musician in the Baltimore/Washington area, Henning has performed with many groups such as: Southern Comfort, Paradise Jazz Band, and the Federal Jazz Commission.

Bob Boguslaw
Bob has been performing in many different capacities as a pianist in the Washington/Baltimore areas for the last 15 years. In the field of jazz, he has appeared with the likes of Louis Bellson, Manhattan Transfer, Marc Egan and Vinnie Colaiuta. A classically trained pianist, Bob has performed with the National Gallery Orchestra, Mclean Symphony, and The United States Marine Band Orchestra as a soloist. He has also appeared with the Royal Philharmonic and the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra. He has two CD's on the Summit Record label which have both received critical acclaim. He currently performs as a member of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band.

Mike Flaherty
Drummer Mike Flaherty retired as an Army musician after 22 years. He started out as a percussionist with the 2nd Armored Division Band in 1980, but spent most of his career as a drummer with the famed United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps performs at the White House and regularly entertains at military and State Department functions and events. Since his retirement, Mike plays regularly with the Peabody Ragtime Ensemble, and is a freelance musician in the Baltimore/Washington area. Over the years, Mike has played with several bands in the area such as: Eric Felton Big Band, New Columbia Jazz Orchestra, Kaleidoscope Big Band, and the New Breed Quintet. Mike has performed with Ryan Burrage and His Rhythmakers, and Jacques Gouthe and His Creole Rice Jazz Band, at the 2006 French Quarter Jazz Festival in New Orleans. Recently, Mike performed with the famous New Orleans Jazz clarinetist, Louis Ford at the 2007 Takoma Park Jazz Festival.

Dallas Smith
After attending The Eastman School of Music, where he studied clarinet, Dallas Smith has maintained a busy and varied professional career as a string bassist.

In 1972, he joined the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, the premiere jazz ensemble of The United States Army, based in the Washington, D.C., area. As a member of the Blues, Dallas led a dual musical life. Initially a woodwind doubler - playing saxophone, flute and clarinet - he was equally comfortable on upright bass and electric bass and eventually moved full-time to the string bass chair. He performed regularly at the White House, the Vice President's residence and many diplomatic functions as well as many concerts and jazz festivals, including the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland) and the Monterey Jazz Festival (California). For the final 10 years of his career, he served as the Blues' enlisted group leader and retired as sergeant major.

Dallas has recorded and performed with such artists and personalities as Bob Hope, Steve Allen, Clark Terry, Patti LaBelle, Stanley Turrentine, Louis Bellson, Herbie Hancock, Arturo Sandoval and Lou Rawls. He can be heard on recordings for Warner Brothers, Hal Leonard, CPP Belwin, Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion.

In 2009, he joined Dixieland Direct and continues to freelance in the Washington, DC, area.