Highfield

Band Members:
Leading the band in vocals, and playing rhythm guitar is Heather Burke. Heather, born and raised in CT, has been singing since she could speak. Her soaring and dynamic vocals captivate the audience and bring an unexplainable amount of energy to every performance. Her voice has often been compared to Melissa Etheridge, Anne Wilson, and Janis Joplin. Growing up with parents in a rock band, her style has been influenced by the great musicians of the classic rock era, as well as some of today's newer artists. Artists such as Billy Joel, Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, Melissa Etheridge, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, to name a few. Heather has been on the local music scene since she was 17, when she was the lead singer for The Islanders. After a little hiatus in which she was married and gave birth to her daughter, she got back on the scene with Eclipse, an acoustic duo act. Through Eclipse, she was introduced to Jim Januski. Heather and Jimmy connected on stage, and felt the need to start a new project together... That's when Highfield was born.

With his hard hitting and aggressive style, Jim Januski is the driving back beat for Highfield. Jim Januski has been playing drums since he was 11 years old, So he's been playing for .....let's just say....a few years! Jim also lends his vocal talents to Highfield. Jim has been in many bands throughout his career. He has been a member of "Low Rent", "Eye To Eye", "The Whole Shebang", "The WPLR Breakfast Band", "Hells Bells",(AC/DC Tribute Band), "The Heat", "The Sharkpool Orchestra", "Out of The Blue", among other local area bands. Jim has been on the road, in the studio & has appeared on many recordings. He has played with "Southside Johnny", "NRBQ", "James Montgomery", has auditioned for "Dick Clark", warmed up "The Marshal Tucker Band", and sat in & jammed with "Earth ,Wind & Fire" on a business trip to Puerto Rico. He has also played with some of the area's best musicians. His style of drumming is very aggressive yet very dynamic with many tasty grooves. He is a solid 2 & 4 type of player who likes to stay in the pocket & let the other band mates shine. In his own words, "Less is more". But don't let that fool you... His style and abilities are definitely hard to miss.

Without a bass player, there isn't a band. With Tim Olander, you don't just have a band, you have a rockin' machine!!! The day that Steely Dan put out the Aja album in 1977 & he heard the innovative notes played by the Bass session player, Chuck Rainey... Tim was hooked. From that moment on, Tim studied the electric bass. In the beginning, Tim was called upon to play in a wedding band for a time where he made the connection with Jim Januski. Jim wasn't even old enough to play in bars & had to get a note from his mother...true story! Jim brought Tim along with him to rock the band "Low Rent". After "Low Rent", Tim kept busy playing with a number of projects including, "Blue Lunch", "Empty Pockets", "Double Take", and "Aint Noth'in But Trouble". Tim was searching for another project to fulfill the need to play, when he got the call from Jim & Heather to join Highfield. What timing! Tim's bass playing fit well into the hard but polished style of the band and his vocal ability was a welcome asset!

When looking for a guitarist, Highfield decided that going with what (or who) you know is sometimes the best choice. Well, it definately was when Jim got in contact with another bandmate from the past to try out for the band. Michael Mychajluk played guitar with Jim back in "The Heat" days. Michael was the perfect fit for Highfield. His love for music, and the intensity with which he plays complimented everyone elses abilities perfectly. Michael, who as a result of his European parents played accordian as a child, has been playing guitar since he was 12 years old. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple are his greatest musical influences. His guitar playing has been heavily influenced by the styles of Robin Trower and Pat Travess. Along with playing in "The Heat", he has also played with other bands such as "The Girth" and "Bad Mojo". Michael and his dynamic style was the final piece of the puzzle and he is a perfect fit!!!

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