Irene worked as a professional performing musician in New York in its heyday, the 1970s and 80s. The Irene Hartfield Trio played some well-known watering holes in Manhattan: Jimmy Weston’s, Jilly’s, 8th Street Gallery, Red Onion, Buddy Rich’s club, and the Grand Finale, being a few. Her group also played at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Sneaky Pete’s in Hollywood, Florida, and The Summit Club in Caracas, Venezuela.
Irene also worked in the recording industry, both playing and singing, and played with some wonderful musician friends: Will Lee, Steve Gadd, Steve “Fonz” Gelfand, Arnie Wise, Jay Leonhardt, Stu Woods, and others.
For three years, Irene worked on Holland America cruise lines, sailing to Bermuda, the Caribbean and Brazil. Irene also spent a summer playing a month each in three cities in Sweden, a highlight of her career.
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- Program from the Summit Club in Caracas, Venezuela.
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- Summit Club – click to see who’s appearing in future weeks!
Currently, Irene lives in Ely, Minnesota, in a beautiful part of the world bordering on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness where she is a church musician, musical director of productions and musicals, accompanist, along with playing gigs as a solo or with her friends.
