Beverly Taft inherited her love of jazz standards and show tunes from her music-loving parents. Mom (Margie) is a classical piano teacher who really swings on the weekends, playing popular music at parties and for seniors. Dad (Bill) is a fan of greats like Bunny Berigan, Anita O'Day, Ellington and the "Velvet Fog" (Mel Torme), and can be heard crooning enthusiastically (albeit a little off-key) 7 days a week in and around their suburban home.

This atmosphere and childhood trips to high school productions of shows like "Guys and Dolls" fostered in Beverly a burning desire to sing on Broadway. In April, 1992 she ventured timidly onto the stage as a guest at Toronto jazz singer and composer John Alcorn's Sunday Salon at Theatre Passe-Muraille. About a year later she took up vocal lessons with Mr. Alcorn and continues to study with him today. Inspired by favourites Ella Fitzgerald and Anita O'Day, Beverly has always loved tunes by Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Ellington, Irving Berlin and lesser known composers whose novelty numbers won't be forgotten if she can help it.

In 1994, Beverly began singing at open stage nights in Toronto (mostly Parkdale) and even Banff, Alberta. In the Spring of 1995, at John Alcorn's suggestion, Beverly hired an accompanist and rehearsed about 25 cabaret favourites for a performance at The Treehouse on Church St. The accompanist? None other than Bev's mom, Margie, who hadn't played jazz in a ginjoint for thirty years. The mother-daughter team was a big success, filling the club and raising money for Equity Fights Aids and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Bev really struck a chord with audience member Fred Spek, local saxophone player and jazz lover. The two were obviously in tune but Beverly was headed for Japan, so Fred made a plan to follow her. In the three months that Fred and Beverly were apart, loverboy would jam regularly with Margie in the suburbs, keeping up both his jazz chops and his connection with the Taft family.

In Japan, Beverly studied jazz with pianist Bill Montgomery and sang at clubs in Tokyo, as well as teaching English. When Fred arrived, he and Beverly performed with several local musicians and eventually began making music together under the name THe MooD SWiNgeRS. They're still at it back home in Toronto. Hope you'll swing with 'em soon.

Fred Spek first started playing the alto saxophone in 1982, inspired by the likes of Steven Brown (Tuxedomoon), Lora Logic (X-Ray SpeX), Andy McKay (Roxy Music), James Chance (Contortions) and the tone of older players like Earl Bostic, among many others. In 1983 he studied electronic/experimental music at Brock University night school (St. Catharines, Ontario) where he forgot many of the assignments and proceeded to sign up for as much studio time as possible to record an album-length cassette under the name of BLANK CROWD along with classmate Malcom Lewis. Later this duo moved to Toronto and completed more recordings and also did many live concerts, adding guitarist Rich Konik (INFRARED WORLD, OBNOXiCO, H.P. LOVESAUCE etc) and later bassist/guitarist Richard Wyman (DIVORCE COURT,THE BLUE MARTIANS). Other projects included film soundtracks for cinematographer Miroslav Bazak (of ROADKILL fame) and also indie filmmakers Sandra Moffat and Edie Steiner.

BLANK CROWD dissolved in 1991 and Fred continued the studies in jazz that he'd begun in 1985, attending various jazz workshops (with local teacher/performer Howard Ress and jazz piano legend Barry Harris, among others), as well various jam sessions. Other (non-jazz) projects included recording dates with bands like WIGGLEPIG and VARSOL, and gigs with PARADE. In 1992, at the request of Chris Gehman and Gary Johnston, he attended the first rehearsal for a band soon to be called BRAINO.

The cold winter of '92 came and he left for balmy New Orleans, staying for approximately one year, busking jazz tunes, taking some sax lessons, hanging out at coffee houses, getting involved with some fringe artists/musicians, and learning a thing or two about the roots of jazz and blues music.

Back in Toronto in late 1993 he switched from alto to tenor sax and rejoined jazz-punksters BRAINO, playing many dates around Ontario. Fred also resumed weekly jazz studies with Howard Rees and workshops with visiting jazz musicians. In addition Friday evenings were spent jamming with DUB ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, a dub, jazz and ska outfit which counts SUCKING CHEST WOUND's Wayne Morris and UIC's Kevin Kelly among its ranks as well as a large horn section, The Horny Humans! (Trombonist Neil Gardiner occasionally joins THe MooD SWiNgeRs for live gigs.)

Fred continued playing with both bands until October 1995, when he followed his heart to be with Beverly Taft who was teaching English in Japan. Beverly is a singer, and along with Fred has a love of old cheezy jazz standards and novelty tunes, many written when their parents were entering puberty. Together form a standards & novelty duo called THe MooD SWiNgeRS. This project had been lurking in Fred's braino since 1993. Utilizing a versatile electronic backup band, they got paying gigs in Japan and expanded their repertoire to meet the demand.

In August 1997, they made a permanent return to their home in Toronto. Sometime soon THe MooD SWiNgeRS might be swinging their way into your neck of the woods. Look out - here they come!!