Background on Some local musicians in Eastern Iowa Provided to you by the Jazz Society of Eastern Iowa
Also: Click here for information on Jazz Educators in Eastern Iowa and Read about the bands - large and small
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The Musicians

Eve Adamson is an accomplished jazz singer with a wonderful repertoire of Broadway show tunes, blues, all the favorites. She can be seen performing periodically at Martini's in Iowa City, North Side Book Market in Iowa City, and at The Lighthouse Inn in Cedar Rapids.

Dan Alt <click for photo
Dan Alt is a trumpeter with Vanguard Jazz Collective, Dan is a graduate of Iowa State University, where he majored in computer engineering and minored in music. He is moving to England to take a job there, which will make it very difficult for him to make the Thursday night gigs on time. We'll miss Dan back there in the trumpet section!

Ray Blue <click for photo
Technically, Ray Blue does NOT belong on a list of local musicians in Eastern Iowa. After earning a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Iowa, Ray left us for what he thought were greener pastures. Where have Iowans heard that before! Ray's spectacular sax playing was heard regularly in New York City's Cotton Club (Ray, is that truly better than Iowa?). Ray interrupts his New York City gigs when he is on tour, such as his European tour in November, 2000 to February, 2001. Ray, however, does return to Cedar Rapids with some frequency, and will play at the best venues, and with the best people. Ray has played frequently at The Lighthouse with the Dick Watson Trio, and jammed with the jazz vocal stylings of Paula Grady. Ray's playing with jazz pianist Dan Knight and bassist Craig Dove at The Mill, in Iowa City, was spectacular where they did a be bop version of the Avery Parrish classic After Hours (which I hope is on their planned CD). Ray also played with a Dan Knight quartet at Dockside in Cedar Rapids. Although Ray hopes eventually for a home with some acreage (which he CANNOT get in The Bronx!), we will have to content ourselves with his frequent return to Cedar Rapids, where he will make the rounds with the best. You can read his e-mail musings to use from his European tour here.

He has performed with the Charlie Byrd Big Band, Sun Ra Arkestra and currently works with the Cotton Club and Spirit of Life Ensemble Big Bands. He is often requested to perform with Community Orchestras for special events. His festival performances include; The Macao Jazz Festival, Macao, China; The Newport in New York Jazz Festival, New York City; The New York State Black Arts Festival, Opening act for Lalah Hathoway and as a Headline performer. He has performed at clubs in Frankfurt and Heidelberg, Germany; Geneva, Switzerland; Annecy and Paris, France.
Whether as a leader, sideman, in big bands or as a soloist, Ray Blue brings a distinctive sound to nightclubs, concert halls and the recording studio. His performance style and infectious passion for music permeates his audiences and transports them to another level of pleasure.

Ray has issued his brand new CD, "Always with a Purpose" - this will be the debut release of the CD which hase the following tunes composed by Ray Blue: Always With a Purpose, Okay Now, Desiree, Stuff 'n Such, Two Kings (with Saeed DuPree), as well as others: Amazing Grace, In a Sentimental Mood, Little Sunflower, Precious Lord. Great CD!


Larry Bobe <click for photo
Larry Bobe is a trombonist with Vanguard Jazz Collective, Larry is originally from New York. He earned his music degree from the University of Iowa and has been directing the band at Marion High School since 1988. He has played with many area bands, including the I-380 Express for the Variety Club Telethon. He is an active adjudicator for state and local music contests.

Steve Charlson, Bass
Steve Charlson is a well known bassist in Iowa and throughout the country. He has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Northern Iowa, and is the principal bassist of the Dubuque Symphony. He has performed with the Des Moines Symphony and the Des Moines Big Band as well as stints with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, cruise ships and recordings with the Daugherty/McPartland Band. He is adjunct Professor of Bass at Drake University and Wartburg College.
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/Charlson.htm

Paul Cunliffe, Percussion
Paul Cunliffe resides in Iowa City, Iowa. In addition to his being a member of the percussion section of Orquesta de Jazz y Salsa Alto Maiz, he performs with the folk group 'Big Wooden Radio'; the R&B funk group, 'Dennis McMurin and the Demolition Band'; 'The Bob Washut Trio' and the 'Cunliffe/Thompson Duo'. He also works as an accompanist for the University of Iowa Dance department.
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/cunliffe.htm

Don W. Dodge <click for photo
Don W. Dodge is a trumpeter with Vanguard Jazz Collective, Don's a retired attorney, with multiple degrees from the University of Iowa. He has played with the CR Symphony, the municipal band, and various dance bands. Don's health has prevented him from playing with the VJC for a few months now. We wish Don a quick and full recovery and hope to have him back with us soon.

Jim Dreier, Percussion
James Dreier is a drumset educator, clinician, and performer. He receieved his Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music and has completed his course work for a Masters degree in Music Theory from the University of Iowa. He has studied with such master drummers as Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Enrique Pla, Bobby Sanabria, Giovani Hildalgo, Pascoal Meirelles, and Alan Dawson.
For four years, James performed and traveled with Brazilian pianist Rafael Dos Santos, including a residency at the Conservatorio Pernambucano de Musica in Refice, Brazil. James ia also a founding member of the Latin/jazz group "Orquesta Alto Maiz" which has released three CD's, and was a featured group at the 1997 International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in Chicago. He recently recorded a CD for the 9Winds label with his jazz group "Odd Bar Trio + Trombone."
James teaches drumset at Augustana College, and is the drumset/ethnic percussion specialist in the University of Iowa percussion program.
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/dreier.htm

Craig Dove is a multi-talented and versatile bass player, vocalist, and pianist. He performs with Dan Knight, Gail Williams, and many other area musicians.

Ed East, vocalist
Ed East was born and raised in Panama City, Panama where he began studying classical guitar at the National Conservatory. As a high school student he began playing percussion and trumpet landing his first professional gig while still in high school. Later he received a scholarship from the Institute of International Education to study music at the University of Northern Iowa where he earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree. He graduated with honors and was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. While at UNI he studied trumpet with Dr. Keith Johnson and was a member of the Orchestra, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and Faculty Jazz Quintet. He has been teaching instrumental music in grades 5 through 12 since 1984. He presents clinics on Latin American music and performance, and multicultural music education. He adjudicates jazz festivals, concert band festivals, and has been a guest conductor for the Northern Festival of Bands. He performs Central and South American Folk music in a duo with Colombian-born artist Karin "La Negra" Stein and jazz with the Aguiar, East & Schwabe trilogy. He is currently director of Bands and chairman of the music department at East High School in Waterloo, IA. More recently Ed has begun performing as a jazz vocalist with "Ed'e Duz Jazz".
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/east.htm

Gabriel Espinosa is Director of Jazz Studies at his undergraduate alma mater, Central College in Pella, where he has developed a distinctive approach to the study and performance of jazz by augmenting the traditional jazz program with decidedly Latin and vocal influences. Espinosa earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Central in 1979 and continued his study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, earning a diploma in arranging in 1983. He then returned to his home on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula where he established himself as a sought-after composer, arranger, music educator and professional entertainer in Cancún. He returned to the U.S. in the early 1990’s and earned a Master’s Degree in Music from The University of North Texas. He is now at home in Pella directing Central’s jazz program, teaching private lessons, performing professionally throughout the Midwest with his Latin jazz group “Ashanti,” and composing and arranging commercial music.

Willie Fastenow <click for photo
As I type this, I am listening to Willie's first CD - Humber for the Holidays. The CD is cut as a jazzy Christmas CD, a jam session with his college friends at Humber College in Toronto Canada- all jazz majors. Willie's extensive liner notes apologize for the roughness of the CD - cut originally as a jam session for friends and family. As far as I am concerned, apologies are not needed - this is quite excellent. Note, I did NOT say "excellent for his first" - but excellent, as a stand-alone term. Real jazz, great be bop sounds. Terrific CD.
Read about the New Years show

Nick George, jazz drummer and percussionist, performs regularly with numerous musicians including Gail Williams, Eddie Piccard, and CR Jazz Big Band. Nick also performs with the Follies, Theatre Cedar Rapids, and Classics At Brucemore.

Paula Grady
Paula Grady is Iowa's answer to the Renaissance Woman. She is a gifted vocalist and a professional actor and artist. She has performed with Riverside Theatre, The Old Creamery Theatre Company and The Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre as well as several community theatres in the area. Paula's main focus in singing is in the area of jazz and blues. She has a smokey-colored voice and nearly four octaves of vocal range. She sings with The Eddie Piccard Trio, The Daugherty McPartland Group, The CR Jazz Big Band, Steinway Artist Dan Knight, The Dick Watson Trio and pianist Gail Williams. She has also performed with New York saxophonist Ray Blue.
A Des Moines native, Paula's interest in singing started at a very young age. At four she was singing pop songs she heard on the radio. Paula's parents didn't have the means or ability to support her interest in singing and acting, but that didn't stop her. At about 8 years old she walked, by herself, to the Community Playhouse and auditioned for a play. At age 10 she had her first solo in a church choir production of "The Sound of Music". Through the assistance and encouragement of talented choir directors, Paula developed her vocal abilities and began getting solos. In her senior year at Roosevelt High School she played the role of Hodel in "Fiddler on the Roof".
Growing up, Paula was influenced by Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Carole King and Bonnie Raitt. It was Joni Mitchell's "Twisted" that sparked her interest in jazz. This became her first jazz solo, where, at age 20, unrehearsed, Paula sat in with a local jazz group in Des Moines.
In the past 10 years Paula has studied with professional vocal coach Karla Goettel and jazz innovator Paul Smoker. Her work with the various jazz groups has cultivated her jazz style. Her current major vocal influences are famous jazz vocalists Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Chaka Khan, Carmen Bradford, and Lambert, Hendricks and Ross.Her reputation in the local jazz community has grown as evidenced by the established musicians she appears with. Dan Knight recently said of Paula, she "swings harder than anyone".

Steve Graham <click for photo
Steve Graham is a trombonist with Vanguard Jazz Collective, a 1981 graduate of UCLA, Steve studied trombone with the late Dick Shearer of the Stan Kenton Orchestra. Steve was kicked out of several good bands before entering the witness protection program and moving to Cedar Rapids in 1988. He currently works for McLeod USA.

Steve Grismore, Guitar
Steve has been playing the guitar for over thirty years and has degrees from the Guitar Institute of Technology(Los Angeles) and his undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of Iowa.
Steve also has a long history jazz education in the state of Iowa. He has taught at several small colleges including Coe, Cornell, Central, Iowa Wesleyan and more. He was Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Iowa from 1990-93, and is currently on staff at Augustana College (Rock Island, ILL.)
He has performed with numerous ensembles throughout the Midwest over the years including Johnson County Landmark(in his college days), the Rhythm Rockers, the Often Ensemble, Orquesta de Jazz y Salsa Alto Maiz, the Damon Short Band,the Sizemore band, Odd Bar Trio + Trombone and many more.
Steve has one tape with Happy House and has recorded two tapes and three CD's with Alto Maiz and also records for Accurate Records (Boston),with the Grismore/Scea Group. Their most recent disc, Of What, has received high praise in many of the national jazz periodicals and was voted one the 10 best of 97 by the Boston Phoenix Magazine. He has also recently recorded a new side with The Odd Barr Trio + Trombone released on Ninewinds record label (Los Angeles).
He is co-founder and Music Director of the Iowa City Jazz Festival. The Jazz Fest is in its eighth year and has received national acclaim and has been recorded three separate times by National Public Radio for rebroadcast on Branford Marsalis's show "Jazz Set".
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/grismore.htm

Lynne Hart <click for photo
Lynne Hart is a saxophonist with Vanguard Jazz Collective, Lynne has a bachelors degree in music from the University of Minnesota, and a master of fine arts in music from the University of Iowa. She owns a music teaching studio in Cedar Rapids. Lynne writes many of the arrangements that the band plays. She has performed with Natalie Cole, Ray Charles, Steve Allen, Buddy DeFranco, Clark Terry, James Ingram, and The Temptations, among others. She has also played numerous Broadway touring productions including "Grand Hotel", "State Fair", "City of Angels", "A Chorus Line", and more.

Peter Hart <click for photo
Peter Hart is a saxophonist with Vanguard Jazz Collective, a native of Madison, Wi., Pete holds a bachelors degree in music from the University of Wisconsin and a Masters degree from the Eastman School of Music. He repairs band instruments for West Music. Pete has performed with Ray Charles, Clark Terry, Roberta Flack, Louie Bellson, The Temptations, and a host of others. He has also played numerous touring Broadway shows including "A Chorus Line", "Mame", "Grand Hotel", "City of Angels", and "The Fantastics".

Besty Hickok<click for photo
Betsy Hickok has a love for nearly all vocal music styles, but enjoys singing jazz standards the best. She performed in a jazz duo with guitarist Ron Hillis for several years and has been a member of the group "Too Much Yang" since 1994.

Ron Hillis
As a guitarist, Ron Hillis plays finger-style swing and blues. He performs as both a guitarist and bassist with many groups and in many styles. He has played with Dick Watson, "Lazy Boy and the Recliners," and "Too Much Yang," and has played in bands for stage shows at Riverside Theatre and other local venues.

Dan Hummel, Percussion
After starting to play percussion in bands since the age of fourteen, I have experienced a multitude of musical challenges over a 30 year period, collecting a B.A. and a M.A. from the University of Northern Iowa. None have been as much of a challenge as Salsa. Having played the gamut of jazz bands/combos, symphonies, dance & rock bands, and even an ocassional circus and rodeo, I have settled in on R&B with the Nationals and the hottest music of today with Alto Maiz. In addition, as a teacher for severe Behaviorally Disordered students, teaching and musical endeavors seem limitless and I am thankful for being involved with both. My wife, Sue, and three pets take the rest of my attention with some time left over to grow as many peppers as possible in my garden. Ahhh, salsa. Caliente. Alto Maiz.
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/hummel.htm

James Kennedy<click for photo
James Kennedy has recorded with Enja Records Munich, Germany, and now records for Heart Consort Music, He is an endorsed artist with the Guild Guitar Co. James has appeared regularly on KUNI's "Live From Studio One" and has been featured on Iowa Public Television's "Take One" produced by Pat Oswald. His music has been featured on National Public Radio programs such as Echoes, Fresh Air, Soundscapes, and on commercial syndicated programming. His latest releases are now receiving heavy airplay on radio stations across the U.S., as well as in Europe, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere across the globe. James performs contemporary and straight ahead jazz , latin, rock/fusion, and more on 6 & 12 string electric & acoustic guitars in a solo, duet, or trio setting.
http://www.heartconsortmusic.com/
Kennedy's Heart Consort Music has full membership in the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS is the organization that gives out Grammys). They receive nominating/voting ballots for Grammys and vote. They are members of both the national and regional organization and have already participated in regional activities. Heart Consort Music is honored to have membership in this prestigious organization.

Dan Knight<click for photo
Jazz is America's Classical Music - its contribution to world culture. And Dan Knight is one of its most capable proponents. A member of the Worldwide Steinway Artist Roster, an honor reserved for a select few of the world's best pianists, Dan is "quietly establishing a place for himself among the masters of jazz piano."
He's earning an international reputation as a warm, engaging person whose personality and musicianship fills concert halls and jazz clubs alike.
He's performed and studied with some of the greatest musicians of this or any time: Wynton Marsalis, Max Roach, and his mentor, the incomparable Dr. Billy Taylor.
By the time he was three years old Danny Knight knew every song on the "Hit Parade", and could sing any melody he heard after hearing it once. He began playing keyboard instruments at age four by singing the melodies he knew and matching the pitches on his older sister's chord organ, which he wasn't permitted to play.
His ability became known to his family when they visited an aunt who owned a piano. His older sister and a cousin had attempted to play the "Dragnet" theme on the piano, with no success. After they gave up, Danny walked to the piano and played the theme. Correctly. His parents went home and bought a piano.
By the time his mother persuaded Mrs. George Maither, a local piano instructor and former student of Paderewski, to take him as a student, his repertoire included television show themes, church hymns, and a two-handed, boogie-woogie version of "Sentimental Journey."
His teacher discovered his interest in jazz after he heard Brubeck's "Take Five" for the first time, when he ran to her house to ask if it was possible to have five counts in a measure. As she lectured him regarding the evils of jazz, he determined to learn to play it on his own.
He transcribed every jazz recording he could find. He swept floors in a second-hand store in exchange for 78 rpm recordings of Art Tatum and Fats Waller.
Steinway Artist Dan Knight has performed with some of the giants of jazz. A protégé of Dr. Billy Taylor, he performs internationally as a soloist and with his own trio.
http://www.danknight.com/

Dr. Doug Langbehn <click for photo
Dr. Dough Langbehn is a pianist with Vanguard Jazz Collective, Doug is a physician on the faculty of the University of Iowa College of Medicine. He is a native of Des Moines, where he began his musical career in 1976. He composes and arranges, plays piano with several groups, and gets volume discounts on band-aids and aspirin.

Mike Maas<click for photo
Mike Mass has phenomenal talent which provides a cohesive ingredient to any ensemble with which he works. His strong, warm vocals and extraordinary musicianship help him to establish an easy rapport with an audience. A BMI published songwriter who began writing music at an early age, Mike has shared the stage with such great performers as John Hartford, Greg Brown, Catfish Kieth, Susan Shore and Dave Moore. He has toured extensively in the U.S. and Canada and has performed in France and Egypt, as well. Mike's music is included on such recordings as "Let It Shine" with the Cedar Creek Band and "A Sheep at the Wheel" and "Deep Sheep" with the popular Iowa folk band, Black Sheep. The incredible range of talent that Mike brings as a songwriter, singer and musician, is a key ingredient in what makes him a special talent. Mikes is a regular cast member and the resident songwriter for Liars Holographic Radio Theatre. He has also been out performing with Red Devil Down. RDD plays everything from Bluegrass and Folk to Blues - R & B to straight ahead Jazz.
http://soli.inav.net/~mmaas

Dennis McPartland <click for photo
Dennis McPartland is a percussion specialist in drumset performance and a Sabian cymbal artist. He has been involved in music since 1976 when he played his first professional job. He made an appearance at the 1977 Notre Dame Jazz Festival and then headed to Los Angeles, where he lived and performed until 1980. His performance credits include Steve Allen, Richie Cole, Duffy Jackson, Warren Hill and Mike Metheny. Since returning to Iowa in 1980, he has been performing with the Daugherty-McPartland Jazz Group. The group toured Mexico in 1988 and was chosen as cultural ambassadors for the state of Iowa to Russia in 1991. They performed at the International Association of Jazz Educators jazz conference in New Orleans in 2000. The group has released ten recordings. Dennis released his own solo project, Off the Beaten Path, in Spring 2000. In addition to performing, Dennis provides in-depth drumset study and jazz history instruction for both students and band directors. He is the percussion instructor at Kirkwood Community College and Indian Hills College. He has also taught at the University of Iowa and Cornell College. Dennis received a BA in sociology with minor in music and MA in music from the University of Iowa.
The Daugherty-McPartland Group specializes in the history and performance of jazz music. Rostered Iowa Arts Council artists since 1986, Tim Daugherty (keyboards) and Dennis McPartland (percussion) have conducted over 100 residencies performing original and classic jazz music in both concert and workshop formats. Working in hands-on clinic and performance settings, jazz music is explored as a musical disclipline to be mastered. The Daughtery-McPartland Group has appeared on Iowa Public Television's Live From Studio III, traveled to Russia as cultural ambassadors, and given clinics and performances in South Dakota, Minnesota, the Iowa Band Masters Convention, and at the International Association of Jazz Educators conference in New Orleans. The group has made numerous recordings and is listed in the Iowa Art's Council's Performing Artists Touring Roster and the Arts in Education Artists Roster.

Rich Medd, Trombone
Rich Medd has been the trombonist with Alto Maiz since 1991, which makes this the longest steady job he has ever held. Rich is a band director at Iowa City's West High School and directs marching band, jazz band, and concert band. But on the weekends he sheds his buttoned-down Mr. Holland's image and becomes a greasy, loud, un-kept and rude musician. Rich has seen his family three times since 1995, even though he still lives with them. Rich also performs with the I-380 Express and various shows that come through the area.
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/medd.htm

Mike Monnahan<click for photo
Mike Monnahan is a guitarist with Vanguard Jazz Collective, by day, Mike is the mild-mannered Director of Administration at AMT, Inc., but after 6pm he's a blues guitarist with the Tabasco Cats when he's not with the VJC, doing the best Freddie Green impersonation you'll hear outside the Basie Band. He is from Everly, Ia. and resides in Iowa City.

Al Naylor, Trumpet
Alan Naylor has been a band director in the Linn-Mar school district since 1981. He is currently the Director of Jazz Studies and teaches instrumental lessons in the seventh through the twelfth grades. He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa.
Linn-Mar's jazz program consists of five jazz bands, four of which Mr. Naylor conducts, and a jazz improvisation class. Jazz I has been a consistent participant in the Iowa Jazz Championships.
A trumpet player, Mr. Naylor has performed professionally in a wide variety of settings, including the Barnum and Bailey Circus, for such touring Broadway shows as Chorus Line and South Pacific, for local productions of Annie, Music Man, Anything Goes, Guys and Dolls, and the Cedar Rapids Follies. He has played with many dance and swing bands including the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. He was principal trumpet for the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band for 10 years.
He has performed with many great jazz artists including Clark Terry, Sonny Stitt, Dick Oatts, Bill Frisell, Ray Anderson, and Steve Turre. In 1985, Naylor performed as guest soloist with the University of Northern Iowa's Jazz Band I at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland.
The I-380 Express is Naylor's own professional big band which is featured on the Variety Club Telethon each spring on the Cedar Rapids television station, KCRG-TV. He has been on numerous recordings and commercials as lead trumpet. He is a member of the popular group, Orquesta de Jazz e Salsa Alto Maiz (the Salsa Band) which has released three CD's, Dancing in the Corn, Azucar Caliente, and Decada. He is also a member of the blues band, the Moe Band.
As a composer and arranger, Naylor's works have been performed by the Cedar Rapids Symphony, the I-380 Express, and his own junior high and high school groups. For the past three years, he has been the composer for the sight-reading piece for the IHSMA Class A, 1A, and 2A Jazz Band Contest. His improvisation book, Jazz Band Warm-up Exercises for Teaching Improvisation, is used by many schools throughout Iowa. His book, Basic Jazz Improvisation Theory, has been found useful by many directors and students.
Alan is married to Rochelle, a violist, operations manager, and librarian for the Cedar Rapids Symphony. They have a son, David, who is seven years old.
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/naylor.htm

Dave Parsons currently plays lead trombone with C.R. Jazz Big Band, Iowa City Community Band, DOX Big Band, Eastern Iowa Brass Band, Brick Street Ramblers (dixieland band). You can contact Dave at:
Dave Parsons
103 South 7th Avenue
Iowa City, IA 52245
W 319-338-7701
H 319-338-4913
FAX 319-338-7484
e-mail: dave@frohwein.com

Eddie Piccard
http://www.eddiepiccard.com/
http://www.iowaalive.com/features/fea069.htm
The following is from the liner notes of the Year 2000 CD - Eddie Piccard: Main Stage
You might be more likely to see Bela Lugosi in broad daylight than Eddie Piccard. Eddie's a creature of the midnight jazz club, a place that whispers softly of illictness and depends on an atmosphere as crisply overcase as a black tuxedo and bow-tie to maintain the kind of cool that just melts in the morning glare. From 1994 through 1999, Eddie's Cedar Rapids jazz club provided a forum for his trio, a land place for jazz legends like Duffy Jackson and Chick Corea, and a proving ground for young upstarts looking for a break. When the old ClubJazz building fell victim to the widening of Mt. Vernon Road, Eddie relocated to decidedly less subteranean digs at the top of the Five Seasons Center. But it wasn't until Friday, July 1, 2000 that Eddie really emerged to find himself in the sunlight - and the spotlight that he has so long deserved - opening the 10th annual Iowa City Jazz Festival. Although heavyweight innovators like Ravi Coltrane, Bill Frisell, Lonnie Smith, Christian McBride and John Scofield would all eventually follow, it was Eddie's earnest yet perfectly offhand new-swing set that provided the foundation - albeit a rippling one - for an extraordinary two-day event.
"The main thing that I believe in is to make it swing," Eddie says. "You know when you've struck that groove. That's what you strive for. If you hit that, it's the best feeling in the world." Such transcendence can last a moment or longer. "It's maybe a stretch, a tune, a whole good night where you've struck that groove and been able to hold it," he continues. "That doesn't happen very often." It happened one balmy but bright day in downtown Iowa City. It shouldn't have. There was no champagne to speak of, just boysenberry smoothies. Audience members weren't wallowing in plus pleather - they perched on brittle lawn chairs. There were no blonde dames in evening gowns wearing too much lipstick, just fresh-faced coeds in shorts and tubes. By all rights the groove shouldn't have been spotted, let alone struck with such a loud snap and then leveled for the wide-open road. But there it was.

Brent Sandy, Lead Trumpet
Brent Sandy is an Educational Clinician for the Conn division of United Musical Instruments, USA, as well as a frequent performer. He is a graduate of Indianola High School and the University of Northern Iowa. He has performed at the Ozone, Montreux, and North Sea jazz festivals in Europe along with many festivals in the USA. Brent has also played at four International Association of Jazz Educators conventions. He regularly performs with The ODDBAR Trio, a band that plays “creative chamber music,” Orquesta de Jazz y Salsa Alto Maiz, a latin dance band, and the University of Iowa Faculty Jazztet. Sandy also presents improvisation clinics, adjudicates numerous jazz festivals, and is a working trumpet player for pit orchestras and recording sessions.
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/sandy.htm

Debbie Schuerer - A vocalist with Vanguard Jazz Collective, Debbie has a degree in Communicative Arts and is currently pursuing a degree as a paralegal. She has performed with Louie Bellson, Woody Herman, and locally in the Follies, the Cedar Rapids Symphony, the Variety Club Telethon, and numerous TCR productions.

Eric Sickler is higher education marketing consultant with Stamats Communications, Inc. in Cedar Rapids. But he's also been playing piano professionally since 1980 and has performed with a variety of bands over the years. Presently, Sicker is a member of the Latin Jazz sextet "Ashanti" based in Pella where he also makes his home.

Nina Swanson is a musician and actress, currently performing as a regular at Liars Holographic Radio Theatre, an eclectic monthly music/comedy fest with somewhat of a cult following. She also performs with Tribute, a trio of women (Carol Montag, Kathy Donnelly, and herself) who perform unique arrangements of old Christmas standards. They produced a CD three years ago, "Silent Night" which received much local airplay and is now in its second pressing.
http://www.iowaalive.com/features/fea008.htm

Bob Thompson, Sax, Flute
Originally from Agency, Iowa, Bob came to the University of Iowa in 1977 as a saxophone performance major. Upon realizing the inherent worthlessness of an undergrad degree in saxophone performance, he promptly quit school and went on the road with an R&B band. He played in Bo Ramsey and the Sliders for two and a half years; shortly thereafter he joined the Blue Band, staying on for four years. After that staying closer to home seemed like a good idea, so he joined Dennis McMurrin for 7 years. After 12 years of playing with a backbeat, the Salsa Band was quite a stretch. Bob enjoys watching TV, sleeping, and climbingladders with dangerous power tools.
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/thompson.htm

Bob Washut, piano
Dr. Robert Washut is Professor of Music at the University of Northern Iowa where he has been Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Northern Iowa since 1980. An accomplished jazz composer and arranger, Washut has received several commissions from collegiate jazz ensembles, with numerous compositions and arrangements published by the UNC Jazz Press, Walrus Music and Encore Publications. His book of Lee Konitz’ transcribed solos is disributed by Jamey Aebersold’s Jazz Aids.
An active jazz pianist, who leads the 11-piece Latin jazz band Orquesta Alto Maiz, Washut has performed and recorded with the Iowa City Jazz Orchestra and the Des Moines Big Band. In addition, he performs frequently with the UNI Faculty Jazz Quartet as well as his own jazz trio.
Director of the award-winning UNI Jazz Band One, Washut has published numerous articles in the field of jazz education. His UNI Jazz Band has recorded six compact discs and toured Europe on three occasions. He is in constant demand as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the country and has conducted all- state jazz ensembles in Maryland, Arizona, Georgia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and South Dakota. In 1996, Washut was selected as Outstanding Teacher at the University of Northern Iowa.
http://www.salsaband.com/bios/washut.htm

Ross Vander Werf, guitarist in Ashanti, is from Pella, Iowa. After graduating from Pella Community High School in 1995, he attended Central College in Pella. Under the direction of Gabriel Espinosa, Ross was introduced to a new world of Latin jazz. While performing on bass at the Elmhurst College Jazz Festival, he was named an Outstanding Performer. During and after college, Ross spent his summers performing at Valleyfair Amusement Park in Minneapolis. Upon returning to the artistic hotbed of Pella, he began a long and fruitful career as guitar and bass instructor at Rieman Music in Urbandale. Though his focus is now guitar, he still plays bass actively.

Greg Young <click for photo
Greg Young is a trombonist with Vanguard Jazz Collective, a lifelong resident of the Cedar Rapids area, Greg graduated from the University of Iowa, where he studied with Max Lyon and David Johansen. He also played lead trombone in the Johnson County Landmark jazz band, Hawkeye Marching Band, Iowa Pep Band, and whatever musical ensemble he could find that would tolerate him. Greg is a software engineer for MCI. He has an evil twin named Dilbert.

Gail Williams<click for photo
Gail Williams is the leader of the jazz group, the Gail Williams Trio, and also plays with the jazz/pop duo Paul and Gail Williams Duo with her guitarist husband. She is a jazz and classical pianist who has performed with the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra and numerous jazz and classical musicians since moving to Iowa in 1985. Prior to that she was a professional musician in Chicago, where she earned a Bachelor Of Music in Piano Performance at Northwestern University. The Gail Williams Trio plays regularly at Sip n' Stir, and may also be heard at The Lighthouse Inn and the Top of The Five. Her recent CD, along with drummer Nick George and bassist Dick Kriz in Let's Fall in Love.

Dick Watson<click for photo
http://www.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Dick_Watson_Trio/

The following is from the liner notes of Live from the Lighthouse - The Dick Watson Trio, recorded August 23, 1997, written by Dr. Chuck Berg, University of Kansas
In Kander and Ebb's paen to The Big Apple, New York, New York, the lyrics opine that "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere." To this day, making it in New York is still a crucial test for aspiring jazz players.
However, as anyone who's traveled the nation's byways with an ear tuned to jazz's inimitable sounds-of-surprise can attest, there's also a legion of "local legends," fine players who've opted to stay home, raise families, and establish professions, mostly outside the field of music.
One such "local legend" is pianist Dick Watson. A 1962 graduate of the University of Iowa who remained in the home of his alma mater, Iowa City, Iowa, Dick quickly established himself as an insurance agent for New York Life. With his lovely wife Penny, he also established a family including three beautiful daughters, and a growing brood of grandchildren. Throughout, the torch for jazz has continued to burn bright.
As a jazz pianist with a host of regional gigs to his credit, echoes of the great tradition abound. In ballads, there's a melodic eloquence and clarity of line reminiscent of Teddy Wilson. In up-tempo tunes, one recalls the harmonic boldness and boppish virtuosity of Bud Powell. As for blues, watch out, because there's the power of such masters as the soulful Gene Harris. These, though, are touchstones.
Indeed, Dick has evolved a compelling and personal style.
As a budding jazz tenorman, I first met Dick in 1968, when I arrived in Iowa City in pursuit of a doctorate in film studies. Everything clicked. Dick knocked me out. Here was a guy who soloed and comped with class. He really cared about the music. Indeed, some of my happiest memories involve piling into Dick's car, one of those behemoths of the period, and heading out of town for a gig. We debated politics. It was the 1960s. Then, when the tapes rolled, we argued about the relative merits of Oscar Peterson vs. McCoy Tyner or John Coltrane vs. Stan Getz. Of course, we loved them all.
The gigs were always fun. Serious fun! It didn't matter if it were a wedding reception, a country club dance or a smoky jazz club. There was passion. And a commitment to push the envelope while also trying to keep listeners and dancers plugged in. Then, as now, Dick's playing had a "smile," a wry aside, a bit of musical sleight-of-hand. Serious fun? You bet!
As I listen to these warmly wrought tracks recorded live on August 23, 1997, at the Lighthouse Inn in Cedar Rapids (home base for the Watson Trio), I'm still knocked out by Dick's Playing. Like other "weekend" players, there's a palpable joie de vivre that's often missing in the work of many "pros" whose daily grinds have given them and their music unrelenting darkness.
That upbeat glad-to-be-alive quality extends to the playing of Dick's colleagues. It's clear that this is a real group, a tightly knit unit with a shared vision, and the musical means to make things happen. Like Dick, drummer Craig Wood has a "day job." He's Director for Services for People with Disabilities, for Linn County, Iowa. Bassist Steve Charlson, an alum of the Glenn Miller Orchestra and various cruiseship stints, has just finished a degree in finance from the University of Northern Iowa, suggesting he too will soon settle down.
The music more than speaks for itself. Still, I think that its freshness, its spontaneity, its capacity to surprise is both a reflection of the trio's considerable talents, and a reflection of the untarnished joy brought to the creative process by weekend players who want, rather than are forced, to play.
Yes, there is obviously great music being made in New York, and Chicago, and Los Angeles. But as this ebullient performance by the Dick Watson Trio points up admirably, there's also great music being made along America's byways, indeed in heartland communities like Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.
Now, good listener, it's your turn. From the spirited trio romp with the sprightly Rosetta to Dick's solo meditation on All the Things You Are, this is a banquet created to delight and replenish both body and soul.
Enjoy!
Dr. Chuck Berg, University of Kansas
JazzTimes; Jazz Educators Journal; Gramophone Jazz CD Guide
12 October 1997

Craig Wood is a drummer in the Dick Watson Trio. Craig majored in music at the University of Iowa, played in the United States Military Academy Band, and has played many styles of music in over 35 years of performing.
See photo of Craig Wood with the Dick Watson Trio

Coulter Wood <click for photo
Coulter Wood has been singing and dancing on stage since age 6. He performed in many Follies productions in Cedar Rapids as well as several college musicals at Northwestern University and the University of Iowa. Coulter received specialized training in jazz singing at Northwestern University and at summer jazz insitutes in New York and Massachusetts. Now a Geologist in Cedar Rapids, he retains his love for jazz and singing, and he performs weekends as often as possible.
Read about the New Years show.


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