Listening to Gina Rene' speak is the next best thing to watching her sing. There's a quality of both sweetness and sauciness, and a genuine good humor about her, whether she is standing before a lively audience in a nightclub or sitting quietly in her own living room. As a performer she has the kind of voice that seems to celebrate it's source. When she is not singing, Ms Rene'...
Bob Alberti
April 4th "Alberti is every vocalist's dream accompanist. He literally breathes with the singers, sings duets with them and most of all, supports them totally. what he thinks a song should do never interferes with the soloist's own ideas." Louise Causey Lewis, Island Packet Born in Brooklyn, New York, Bob Alberti has spent a lifetime as a professional pianist, composer, conductor and arranger. With jazz as his primary love, he...
Howard Alden March 27th "He may be the best of his generation," writes Owen Cordle in JazzTimes. George Kanzler of the Newark Star Ledger proclaims that he is "the most impressive and creative member of a new generation of jazz guitarists." And Chip Deffaa of the New York Post observes that he is "...one of the very finest young guitarists working today." It seems that the only thing regarding Howard Alden on which...
Kenny Alexander
January 6th Kenny has more than 40 years of experience playing the saxophone. He's played a variety of styles including blues, R&B, jazz and gospel. His primary instrument is the tenor saxophone, but can also play the alto, flute and clarinet. He started his music training in middle school and continued from there through high school and college. He has played with Dionne Warwick, Ester Phillips, James Brown,...
Mike Allen January 6th Michael, one of the original members of Nu World Beat and Deas-Guyz, is originally from Massachusetts and had the advantage of growing up with a musical mother who was a professional Jazz and R&B singer. He fondly remembers growing up in a house with bands constantly rehearsing. While playing in high school he was exposed to many accomplished musicians in the Detroit and Springfield, MA, areas. Between...
Doug Allen January 11th Doug began playing in bands in the 60's and has continued ever since. He is considered a "variety player" and has played with blues bands, jazz groups and more, mostly in the South Carolina area.
Harry Allen October 17th "...a practitioner of such dense talent he sounds as if he invented tenor saxophone performance instead of Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. Allen is the Frank Sinatra of the tenor saxophone: a master interpreter of standards" - C. Michael Bailey Swing Bros. recording artist Harry Allen has over thirty recordings to his name. Three of Harry's CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan's Swing Journal Magazine, and his CD "Tenors...
Mose Allison December 4th ?I been getting good crowds. It only took 50 years. But I got an audience that knows what I do. They usually show up, so I usually do pretty good.? --Mose Allison (All About Jazz) Known as "The William Faulkner of Jazz," multi-Grammy winner Mose Allison has enjoyed a long career as pianist, singer and songwriter. Beyond his reputation as an engaging and ?hip? entertainer, there are few living musicians...
Mose Allison December 5th "I been getting good crowds. It only took 50 years. But I got an audience that knows what I do. They usually show up, so I usually do pretty good.” --Mose Allison (All About Jazz) Known as "The William Faulkner of Jazz," multi-Grammy winner Mose Allison has enjoyed a long career as pianist, singer and songwriter. Beyond his reputation as an engaging and “hip” entertainer, there are few living musicians...
Bill Allred It all started in New Orleans; Bill's grandmother was born near New Orleans in the town of Franklin. His Father, John, was a jazz pianist and banjoist on many of the steamboats of the great "Strickfus Line" playing in and around New Orleans as well as up and down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Bill Allred was also born near the Mississippi River in the town of Rock Island. He...
John Allred John Allred knew at a young age that he wanted to carry on the jazz legacy of his grandfather and father. Born in Rock Island, Illinois and growing up in a musical environment, John developed a deep appreciation for jazz. At the age of 13 years, John played his first jazz festival on trombone with his father, Bill Allred. A world-class trombonist, Bill played an important part in John's early musical...
Kevin Bales April 11th Winner of the 1994 American Pianist Associations Jazz Piano Competition, Kevin Bales is a graduate of the University of North Florida and the Florida State University. Hired by the University of North Florida while still a student, he spent eleven years teaching as a fulltime instructor in their American Music Program. For the past fifteen years, Kevin has been an integral part of the southeast jazz scene and has performed...
Professor Hazen Bannister teaches jazz piano in the Department of Performing Arts. Hazen studied piano at Lander College, Berklee College of Music, and with Tony Castelano, pianist with Sonny Stitt. Prof. Bannister served as an instructor of piano, and jazz studies at the University of South Carolina-Upstate. He has toured and recorded with many national acts since the seventies. Prof. Bannister is a first call studio musician and live performer...
Lee Barbour June 6th "Lee Barbour is at the forefront of the modern music scene" --Britney Spears Here’s what other experts are saying about Lee Barbour’s music! "I’m afraid your tracks weren’t chosen because we consider them too alternative to be included in our magazine. Please take a look at our website to get a better idea of the type of music we select." - Jazz Magazine Whether adding his own spin to unique genres such as...
Frank Baron January 6th Frank, one of the newest member of Deas-Guyz and originally from Tennessee, brings more than 30 years of musical experience to the stage. Through the 90's, he toured with Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, The Marquees, The Coasters, The Beach Boys, Travis Tritt and Toby Keith. He has also had the honor to share the stage with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops and...
Andre Barton Andre Barton started playing music at the age of 5 and continued through high school and college. He has had the pleasure of playing with Earth, Wind and Fire, Kathleen Battle and Deas Guyz. He opened for Al Green and toured with Jill Scott and The Roots.
Sabur Bismillah January 6th Sabur began his musical journey at the age of four years old, having been born into a very musical family, by singing in church and then by continuing singing in the grade school and middle school glee clubs. By the age of nine, he began experimenting with different intruments and finally settled upon the bass at the age of nineteen. He honed his bass skills and...
Terry Blaine August 8th Jazz vocalist Terry Blaine was born in NYC, and has been singing virtually all of her life. Embracing both pop and classical styles, it was not until after she graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Buffalo with a BA in Music that she chose to trade in her flute for a microphone. As a singer and musician, she has enjoyed a multi-faceted career that includes live performances, recordings,...
Johnny Brackett January 14th John Brackett has been on the local music scene for decades, creating and running the legendary "Monday Night Jams" around Hilton Head Island. In addition to being a great musician and all-around great guy, John is one of our top photographers here on Hilton Head and enjoys outdoor sports, music, his family and beautiful two daughters!
The Big Band Brass Bash May 30th Join Bobby Ryder and his group as they take you on a tour of the great American Song book and the big band era!
The Big Band Brass Bash! August 29th
Ron Brendle December 5th Ron Brendle, a freelance bassist in the Charlotte area since 1981, was recently recognized by Charlotte Magazine as "Best Bassist." His innovative compositions and improvisational style have also earned five awards as "Jazz Artist of the Year" by Creative Loafing Magazine. Ron was the recipient of two North Carolina Arts Council Jazz Composer Fellowship Grants, which helped to produce his CDs Hypermobility and Photograph. As a first-call bassist in the...
Ivan Bridgewater Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Ivan's interest in music began during grammar school. He began to play by listening and picking his way through melodies until eventually he learned the harmonies. Ivan then began a 20-year career in transportation before joining the fabulous Deas Guyz and was able to participate in their first CD!
Corey Burgess January 6th Corey is a South Carolina native who enjoys singing and hunting. Since graduating from college in 1992, he has served his country as a soldier in the US Army and a public school educator. He is currently the Principal at a South Carolina High School and adds his musical talents to Deas-Guyz as a back-up singer and percussionist when his busy schedule permits.
Arnell Byrd
January 6th Arnell studied classical music at Prince George's Community College for two years, as well as Howard University in Washington DC. Some of the renowned guitarists Arnell has studied under are: Fred Karns, Bill Biesecker, and Paul Bellenbach (the jazz guitarist touring with Jimmy Smith). He is no stranger to the music community with credits of performing with various R&B artists such as: Shanice Wilson, Eddie Murphy, The Gap...
Judy Carmichael November 13th "astounding, flawless and captivating" NY Times Grammy nominated pianist Judy Carmichael is one of the world’s leading interpreters of stride piano and swing. Count Basie nicknamed her “Stride”, acknowledging the command with which she plays this technically and physically demanding jazz piano style. Judy's newly released CD “Come and Get It” features her singing debut on everything from Peggy Lee inspired standards, to humorous takes on Fats Waller tunes. A...
Jimmy Charles January 3rd Jimmy Charles has performed at The Jazz Corner for 5 years, starting off as Earl Williams' drummer. He can now be heard and seen performing with Bobby Ryder, Bob Masteller, Earl Williams and many others.
Cheryl Christine
June 18th
Freddy Cole February 3rd From the New York Times, Sunday, December 16, 2007: "Is it my imagination, or does Freddy Cole continue to get better? The ranks of great male jazz singers are thinning perilously these days, but at 76 years old Mr. Cole, the brother of Nat King Cole, continually lays down authority in dark baritone whispers. He's made for jazz club dimensions, keeps a perpetually workmanlike and upbeat mood, and will...
Val Davis Val is one of the best loved and most talented drummers around. Hailing from Savannah, Val has graced The Jazz Corner stage for years and, thankfully for us, always brings his lovely wife Anne with him to all his gigs. She's quite the roadie.
Jeremy Davis August 1st Louisiana sax man, Jeremy Davis, relocated to Savannah in September of 2005. As the leader of the 20 piece Equinox Jazz Orchestra, Jeremy has headlined theaters, festivals and music venues all across the Country. Jeremy’s work as the President of the Friends of Johnny Mercer allows him to pursue his passion for the great American songbook, tradition jazz standards and jazz education. He has shared the stage...
Reggie Deas
January 6th Reggie, born in Newberry, SC, attributes his musical success to his father who was also a singer and percussionist, and his mother who encouraged him to sing at every given opportunity. He began taking serious interest in singing while attending Newberry College on a football scholarship. Upon graduation, Reggie moved to Savannah and began working for the Savannah-Chatham County school system as an educator and coach...
January 12th
Larry Duff A stage, studio, and touring expert, having been a session drummer for the Ichiban Record Company in Atlanta. He has brought what he learned from his mentor and World-Class Drummer Billy Cobham To his own style of drumming. He is the drummer in the Movie and on the Soundtrack ?The Color Purple? having the honor of working with Quincy Jones. He can also be seen in the church scene...
Renée Ebalaroza February 15th A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Renée Ebalaroza's singing career began at age 13 entertaining family, church, and civic groups. She has been a professional vocalist since the mid-70's. With roots in pop and R&B she made a full-time transition to jazz vocals in 1992. Renée brings to the stage a commanding presence. A consummate and committed professional both on and off the stage, she has taken advantage of her gifts...
EQUINOX June 12th Louisiana sax man, Jeremy Davis, relocated to Savannah in September of 2005. As the leader of the 20 piece Equinox Jazz Orchestra, Jeremy has headlined theaters, festivals and music venues all across the Country. Jeremy’s work as the President of the Friends of Johnny Mercer allows him to pursue his passion for the great American songbook, tradition jazz standards and jazz education. He has shared the stage...
Jody Espina
Jody Espina is the founder, president and designer of JodyJazz Saxophone & Clarinet Mouthpieces. He is a highly regarded New York City Jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist with a unique and personal sound and is also a respected Jazz educator. TEACHING EXPERIENCE Up until the year 2005, Mr. Espina was the Director of the Jazz Department at the prestigious Hoff Barthelson Music School in Scarsdale, New York, where he taught Jazz...
Maggie Evans February 1st Maggie Evans was in born in Denton, Texas in 1980. She holds an MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design (2007) and a BFA in Illustration from Utah State University (2003). Maggie's art is perpetuated by her intimacy with music. Her current portfolio is based on her experiences playing bass in a blues band...
Delbert Felix June 6th One of the greatest bass players to grace the Low Country.
Phil Flanigan April 4th Phil Flanigan, born on June 28, 1956, left his home town, Geneva, New York, at the age of 17 with the intention of playing with jazz greats in New York City. Two years later, he was doing just that. His father's record collection had provided an early exposure to the sounds of the giants of jazz, and his early performances with Scott Hamilton and Roy Eldridge provided the...
Noel Freidline February 15th A native of Clearwater, KS, Noel Freidline's musical career has taken him from coast to coast. Classically trained at the Wichita State University, then transferring to the University of North Florida to finish his degree in jazz studies, Noel graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in 1991. In 1992 he assembled the band that he still leads today. As a pianist, vocalist and bandleader, Noel...
Marco Frey June 6th Our first recipient of the "Dusty Fowlkes" Award!
Norm Gagne January 16th One of the most recent additions to the low-country jazz scene is none other than pianist and Connecticut native Norm Gagne. Gagne is a disciple of the legendary pianist and teacher, Lennie Tristano. His piano style is rooted in jazz history and evokes hints of Tristano, Bud Powell, Art Tatum, Hank Jones, Hampton Hawes and George Shearing. He has performed and recorded with a vast array of jazz masters including...
Scott Giddens February 22nd Born in Jacksonville Florida into a very musically diverse family, Giddens' formative years were immersed in every type of music from the Grand Ole Opry and Gospel to Jazz, Classical, Soul, and Rock and Roll. Scott began playing the organ at the age of five as he mimicked what he heard his Grandfather playing on the Hammond. Before his feet could reach the pedals he was also playing the piano,...
Will Goble August 1st Will was born Nov. 25th, 1983 and grew up in Durham, North Carolina. He currently lives and goes to school in Tallahassee, FL. where he feels lucky to perform with many great musicians. he also freelances as much as possible around the Southeast and elsewhere. Frequent members of these groups include: Chris Pattishall, Austin Johnson- piano, David Potter, drums, David Guidi- sax, and plenty more. His musical mentors, include Marcus Roberts...
Joe Gransden
August 20th Trumpeter/vocalist moves forward in his promising career At 37 years old, Joe Gransden has already performed worldwide and released seven CDs under his own name. Renowned first for the hard bop approach of his trumpet, Gransden's singing voice has been compared to that of Chet Baker and Frank Sinatra. "When I first heard Joe five years ago, I immediately thought of Chet," says Jazziz magazine critic James Rozzi, "but lately his voice...
Jakubu Griffin February 15th Jakubu Griffin is originally from the NYC area, and now resides in North Carolina. Son of trombonist Dick Griffin, his childhood was surrounded by music. Growing up with many musical instruments and influences around him, he was always drawn to percussion and can remember playing the drums as early as age 3 or 4. He started studying classical piano at age 5, and later added the trumpet. When his...
Jake Hanna March 21st Jake Hanna was born 4 April 1931, Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA. He began playing drums in a marching band at the age of five in Dorchester, Massachusetts. In his youth he played in and around the Boston area, a territory where many fine jazz musicians were to be found. During the late '40s and early '50s he played in bands led by Tommy Reed and Ted Weems; in the late '50s h...
Tom Hildreth February 15th Tom Hildreth is an acoustic and electric bassist who is comfortable playing in a wide variety of styles. He has performed with jazz greats like Clark Terry, Marvin Stamm, Chris Potter, Tommy Newsome, Bill Mays, Ross Tompkins, Buddy Morrow, Gene Bertoncini, Mundell Lowe, Bucky Pizzarelli and Larry Coryell. He has also appeared with some of the greatest vocalists of our time, including Linda Ronstadt, Bernadette Peters, Marlena Shaw,...
Billy Hoffman February 1st Local drummer Billy Hoffman is a regular fixture at the club, performing with several of our weekend performers and is featured on the Ryder and Masteller CDS.
James Hogan May 2nd James Hogan has been performing, recording, and teaching music professionally for nearly 20 years. He is a highly accomplished guitarist, composer, and educator who is held in the highest regard by his peers. James is known by many as a "world class" guitarist, and is admired by many for his musicality, his soulfulness, and his impeccable technique. He is also known for his naturally seamless integration of jazz, fusion, metal,...
HOTLANTA January 25th "Hotlanta coveys the charm and power of the music...the music pulls the listener in with its infectious rhythms and flights of improvisation, providing a glimpse of the excitement and creative energy of an earlier America" - Richard Mills, Creative Loafing, Atlanta, GA Hotlanta sets your feet firmly on Bourbon Street in Old New Orleans. You'll experience every bit of the joy, energy, and humor of that early American Jazz called...
Mark Husbands March 4th A native of Panama City, Florida, Mark Husbands is a multi-talented musician and percussionist, and a top-notch recording and mixing engineer. He attended famed Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he majored in drums, Latin percussion, and audio recording, and also attended Musician?s Institute in Hollywood, California. After years of nightclub, concert, and studio performances, touring in the US, Japan, Europe, the Middle East, and Hawaii, Mark moved to Hilton...
Althea Jacobs March 3rd Althea graduated from Columbia College and has performed with The Platter, Mary Wells, The Shirelles and many others. She has played the Pops Concerts with John Pizzarelli, Harry Watters and with various local orchestras. She has toured Europe and Central America and teaches at Columbia College.
Eric Jones February 1st Eric Jones was born in Moultrie, GA. He started to play piano by ear at the age of 5. At the age of eleven Eric started to study the trumpet. At age of 16, he started to take formal lessons on piano and within two years, he was awarded a piano scholarship to Andrew College. At Andrew College Eric completed his Associate of Music Degree. ...
June 25th Eric Jones was born in Moultrie, GA. He started to play piano by ear at the age of 5. At the age of 11, Eric started to study the trumpet. At age of 16, he started to take formal lessons on piano and within two years, he was awarded a piano scholarship to Andrew College. At Andrew College Eric completed his Associate of Music Degree. ...
Grace Kelly
April 9th "Grace Kelly plays with intelligence, wit and feeling. She has a great amount of natural ability and the ability to adapt that is the hallmark of a first-class jazz musician." --- Wynton Marsalis
Rebecca Kilgore April 10th Rebecca Kilgore is one of America's leading song stylists and is passionate about preserving the vocal jazz of the 30s and 40s, an era which she feels remains unsurpassed in its high quality songwriting and heartfelt lyrics. Her mission is to learn every song from that era, and to swing in the process. With 32 recordings bearing her name, she is well on her way. Her singing has been enriched through...
Bill Labant March 28th Bill Labant started playing drums at an early age and played at weddings and ethnic clubs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After graduating high school, Bill played with various bands and singers, including Jimmy Beaumont, and did shows with the Coasters, Drifters, Gary US Bonds, and Little Anthony. Bill was drafted in 1966 and auditioned for the Army Band. It wasn't until after training that Bill received orders for the...
Kirk Lee February 8th Widely regarded as one of the most versatile performers in the area, Kirk got his start in Southern California in the 70s and solidified a passion for Jazz during high school years in Illinois and Wisconsin where he began playing professionally. While completing his degree in Chemical Engineering, Kirk held the Lead Trumpet chair in the top Jazz Ensemble at Ole Miss all four years under the direction of...
Martin Lesch
January 15th Martin is a force on the local music scene - as one of the regions top artists, Martin is not only a great pianist and vocalist, whose musical abilities cross genres, he is also a composer, producer, arranger, engineer, great guy and happens to be the hubby of our Manager Kelli. Visit Martin at http://www.myspace.com/martinlesch
Jason Marsalis
September 4th "From a tender young age it was clear that Jason Marsalis had what it took to be great. Jason is the son of pianist and music educator Ellis Marsalis and his wife Dolores, and the youngest sibling of Wynton, Branford and Delfeayo. Together, the four brothers and their patriarch Ellis, comprise New Orleans venerable first family of jazz. Ellis and Delores began to cultivate Jason’s interest in music at age three,...
Bob Masteller
January 13th Bob is the owner of The Jazz Corner and plays his regular gig on Tuesdays. You can hear multi-jazz sounds from Gershwin to Jobim, played by his multi-talented band! Bob Masteller has been a major force on the musical scene of the Low Country since 1973. In the period between '73 and '80, while a Senior Vice President of The Sea Pines Company, Bob played in a group called Jazz...
George Mesterhazy
July 23rd There are few things traditional about this Hungarian-born musician, and that goes for his look - which is stubble-faced louche - as well as his sensibility, which is far off the track of today's academy-trained jazz experts. Mesterhazy, 55, is half "Hey, I'm just having fun backing up a singer; my real job is running a restaurant-inn in New Jersey" and half deadly serious about extracting every musical value possible...
Eddie Metz April 4th Born in Allentown, PA and raised in Ann Arbor, MI, Ed received his first pair of drumsticks at the tender age of three from the drummer in his Dad''s dixieland band. He played his first professional job when he was twelve years old and hasn't stopped since. Some of Ed's private teachers include Butch Miles, J.C. Heard, Dave Samuals, Mousy Alexander, Elliot Zigmund and Horace Arnold. A graduate of the...
Jon Miller February 8th Jon is a trombonist, musician and retired director of Navy bands. He has extensive experience as a musician, composer, arranger, band leader and entertainment coordinator. He is a graduate from the Armed Forces School of Music, as well as Hawaii Pacific University, Columbia College and Webster University, where he respectively holds Associates, Bachelors, and Masters degrees. Mr. Miller is a winner of the prestigious George S. Howard Citation of Musical...
Takana Miyamoto
May 28th Born in Japan, Takana Miyamoto began playing the keyboard at age 4, and decided to become a composer when she was 14, choosing music over the visual arts career. She left Japan at age 19 to study in the US, with the aspiration of becoming a film composer. Accepted to Berklee College of Music with an honorary scholarship, Takana received several awards for her performance and composition talents from Berklee,...
Joe Negri
October 9th In 1999, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust honored me by naming me the "Established Artist of the Year." I remember telling them that my career has been a "work in progress" since age three. As a child performer, I performed on radio and appeared in theatrical and stage productions throughout the tri-state area. I was even chosen to become one of Pittsburgh's "Stars of Tomorrow." A voice change shattered my confidence...
The Statesmen of Jazz
March 26th All on one stage, the best in the jazz industry! Featuring Vibraphonist Chuck Redd, Drummer Joe Ascione, Trombonist and Coronetist Dan Barrett, Jazz Vocalist and Bassist Nicki Parrot, and Pianist Robert Redd
Tish Oney July 25th "Tish Oney is an impressive singer with a subtle style within the jazz mainstream. Oney digs deep into the songs and shows that she is one of the more rewarding jazz singers currently based in the Los Angeles area. 'Dear Peg' is highly recommended." (Scott Yanow, L.A. Jazz Scene) "A voice like Tish Oney 's is a prime example of what other jazz singers strive for. Pitch perfect. Crystal clear. ....
Howard Paul January 14th Howard Paul grew up in Atlantic City, N.J, and has been playing guitar since the age of four. He was drawn to jazz at 10 years old, eventually working both small and big bands, and performing in clubs, hotels, showrooms and eventually casinos. At seventeen, he joined the Judy Cahill Trio, backing or played opposite artists including Chris Conner, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Ayres, Freddie Cole and Carmen McCrae. ...
Bucky Pizzarelli March 27th Close to 65 years ago a 17 year-old guitarist named John "Bucky" Pizzarelli was tapped by big band leader Vaughn Monroe to sit in for a weekend. As a result, the jazz world gained what was to become one of its most significant practitioners, one who continues to perform and share his wisdom with a modesty that belies his stature. Born in Paterson, NJ, Pizzarelli is part of a tradition...
John Pizzarelli
January 8th With a Song in My Heart John Pizzarelli has had a multi-faceted career as a jazz guitarist, vocalist and bandleader. Internationally known for classic standards, late-night ballads, and the cool jazz flavor he brings to his performances and recordings, he has recently established himself as the consummate entertainer and radio program host with the launch of "Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli" a nationally syndicated radio program co-hosted with his wife,...
Maurice Potrello January 6th Maurice, or better known as "Mo", has been a local favorite for many years, and is known as one of Hilton Head's best drummers. He is featured in the band "Target" and can be seen regularly with Deas Guyz!
Teri Rini Powers March 28th Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Teri studied piano from the age of 5 and attended Youngstown University as a special student at the age of 10 to study classical piano. She played her first benefit at the age of 10 at the Stambaugh Auditorium for the benefit of Muscular Dystrophy. At the age of 15, she had her own variety show for 2 years on WKBN-TV. Teri moved to Pittsburgh...
Bill Prince March 13th Bill Prince comes from a background rich in music. He has performed with numerous bands and orchestras including Buddy Rich, Billy Maxted, the NORAD BAND, the Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, and Jacksonville Symphonies, and the American Wind Symphony Orchestra. His TV credits include The Today Show, The Tonight Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Steve Allen Show and numerous other shows throughout the United States, Canada, Japan, the Philippines,...
Elisa Pruett March 7th Elisa is originally from Hemet, CA and moved east in 1990 to attend the University of North Florida?s prestigious jazz program in Jacksonville, FL. Playing jazz has taken her throughout South America, Japan and Europe performing with such names as Terri Lyne Carrington, Wycliffe Gordon, Noel Friedline, Chad Lawson, The Christian Tamburr Quartet and most recently Kenny Barron. This past summer she had the great experience of performing at Fasching...
Raymond E. Reach January 28th Ray is a pianist, vocalist, guitarist, arrange, composer and producer! As a practicing professional musician of some 44+ years, Raymond E. Reach (or just plain Ray, as he prefers to be called) lives an unusually diverse musical life. Ray has kept both feet firmly planted in two musical worlds - always having one foot in academia and the other in what he calls the "real world" of professional music. He is...
Chuck Redd Chuck Redd is a seasoned performer on both drums and vibraphone. He is currently the 2004-2005 Artist-In-Residence at The Smithsonian Jazz Café in Washington,DC. Chuck began performing internationally when he joined the Charlie Byrd Trio in 1980 at the age of 21. That year, he joined the Great Guitars (Barney Kessel, Charlie Byrd and Herb Ellis.) To his credit are twelve extensive European tours and five tours of Japan, with...
Randy Reese February 8th Saxophonist and flutist Randall Reese lives in Savannah, where he teaches in the music program at Armstrong Atlantic State University and directs the AASU Jazz Ensemble. Reese and trombonist Teddy Adams are co-directors of the Savannah Jazz Orchestra, a 16 member ensemble that presents an annual concert series in Savannah. Guests with the SJO have included Kevin Mahogany, Diane Schuur, Vincent Herring, Jimmy Heath, Benny Golson, Clark Terry,...
Gina Rene
June 25th Listening to Gina Rene' speak is the next best thing to watching her sing. There's a quality of both sweetness and sauciness, and a genuine good humor about her, whether she is standing before a lively audience in a nightclub or sitting quietly in her own living room. As a performer she has the kind of voice that seems to celebrate it's source. When she is not singing, Ms Rene'...
Teri Rini Powers January 18th Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Teri studied piano from the age of 5 and attended Youngstown University as a special student at the age of 10 to study classical piano. She played her first benefit at the age of 10 at the Stambaugh Auditorium for the benefit of Muscular Dystrophy. At the age of 15, she had her own variety show for two years on WKBN-TV. Teri moved to Pittsburgh in...
Leon Rivchun March 28th Leon Rivchun began his study of music in Brockton, Mass in 1958. His study of piano, clarinet, sax, flute and guitar provided him an opportunity to interact with many other professional musicians covering venues from Burlington, Vermont to the Florida Keys. His credits include performing at Expo '67 in Montreal and at the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival with the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble in 1972. Since 1981, Leon has...
Lynn Roberts
May 23rd Lynn started her exciting career with Charlie Spivak at the age of 15. Songbird Roberts spent one year with Charlie, a year with Vincent Lopez, five years with Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, ten years with Benny Goodman and four years with Harry James. She also shared the spotlight with Sammy Kay for a year and a half, on the ABC-TV show "Music From Manhattan". Lynn also sang with the Pied...
Juan Rollan February 15th
Lisa Roti July 18th "Roti is for real, bringing an understated sensuality to what she sings,with grace and a smile, at that. Her sultry, laid-back delivery masks an uncanny knowledge of the lyrics, and did we mention her intonation and diction are to die for? This is one to take to the bank." - TIMEOUT CHICAGO, CRITIC'S CHOICE Beginning as a band singer, with Franz Jackson, taught Lisa Roti how to swing with Chicago style from...
Chris Russell January 14th Chris Russell has been in the local music scene for years, as one of the island's top drummers. A native of Binghamton N.Y., Chris began playing the drums at 8 years of age. He took lessons and performed in all kinds of musical situations that were available to him. In 1982 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy Band program. He was stationed in Guam and Norfolk during his enlistment. After the...
Bobby Ryder
January 11th If longevity is the goal of most professional entertainers, then Bobby Ryder has proven himself a master. Bobby has allowed his music and his creativity to flourish with fresh innovative performances night after night. Currently headlining at The Jazz Corner, Hilton Head?s premier jazz club and restaurant and playing venues such as Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Lodge in Orlando, Callawassi Island Member's Club, Sun City Hilton Head, Mens Apparel Mart...
Ali Ryerson May 9th Ali Ryerson has emerged as one of the most exciting and versatile flutists on the scene today. She has performed with such diverse talents as Dr. Billy Taylor, Kenny Barron, Stephane Grappelli, Frank Wess, Red Rodney, Laurindo Almeida, Art Farmer, Maxine Sullivan, Roy Haynes, Julius Baker, and (as principal flutist with the Monterey Bay Symphony) with Luciano Pavarotti. Ali has toured the USA, Canada, Europe, Japan and Africa, and has performed...
Spider Saloff May 16th "One of the finest jazz singers working in this or any other city." the Chicago Tribune stated emphatically. Heard worldwide as the co-star and co-creator of the internationally syndicated weekly Public Radio series Words and Music on PBS, Spider Saloff has received critical acclaim nationally and internationally. As one of the rare officially sanctioned acts of the Gershwin Centennial, her concert, Spider Saloff Sings Gershwin, has been touring the U.S. since...
Anne Sellick April 11th Perhaps Annie Sellick's best quality as a singer is her ability to make people happy. An unusually engaging performer, she has won a large, devoted following and earned rave reviews, winning numerous "Best Jazz Artist" awards in the Nashville Media. Her third CD, recorded live in L.A. and released in 2005 is as free-spirited and full of attitude as she is. Annie Sellick's jazz journey began auspiciously when she sat in...
Pete Sencevicky February 24th Ever since bassist Pete Sencevicky?s advertisement in The Island Packet back in June, 1992, the Society has progressed from a small handful of musicians to nearly 140 members in the US, Canada, and Europe. The Society has not missed playing a ?Last Sunday Jam Session? since its inception, so you can expect to find us at The Jazz Corner on Hilton Head Island, SC, from 2:00-5:00 on...
Michele Shaheen-Tasoff August 24th Jazz vocalist Michele Shaheen-Tasoff began her singing career in the historic jazz & blues city of St. Louis, Missouri. Fresh out of college, she was in the audience at the acclaimed Just Jazz nightclub, and was asked to sit in to sing with legendary guitarist, Herb Ellis. The owner was so impressed by what he heard that he hired her as the nightclub’s vocalist on the spot. Michele soon...
Mark Shane May 6th Mark Shane plays classic jazz piano in a rowdy, rambunctious, rollicking style. His spirited "striding and tickling" gets parties off the ground. This hot piano combines ragtime feeling, infectious humor, virtuosic technique and a time-honored repertoire drawn from the golden age of jazz and swing. Listeners delight to hits made famous by Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Art Tatum, Duke Ellington, Teddy Wilson and other jazz legends. When Mr. Shane...
George Sheck January 11th George Sheck has worked as a musician in the New York/Connecticut area for the over 40 years before relocating to Bluffton South Carolina. In his early 20?s, George was forced to make a choice. While he was performing with Peggy Lee in venues around the Northeast, He was approached by Judy Collins about joining her group and at the same time, offered an audition for Texas Blues and Rock musician,...
John Sheridan March 21st Stride and swing pianist John Sheridan was born in 1946 in Columbus, OH. He caught the jazz bug early, at the age of eight, when he first heard a recording of Benny Goodman's 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. By the time he was 13 he was already working professional piano gigs. Sheridan attended Capital University in Columbus following high school, earning a bachelor's degree in piano, then enlisted in the U.S....
Jerry Sims March 14th Jerry Sims is originally from Greenwood, South Carolina, where he began playing and performing with neighborhood bands at an early age. After graduating from high school in 1972 and touring with the Swingin' Medallions, a nationally recognized band of the late '60s and early '70s, Sims' dedication to the guitar led him to pursue a musical education at the Berklee College of Music. Upon graduation from Berklee in 1979, he...
