THE KANSAS CITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA
19-20 Season
A Big Thanks to our Sponsors!
© 2018 by The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.
300 E. 39th Street, Suite LL1H
info@kcjo.org
#KCJAZZORCHESTRA
The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is formed by 19 of the best musicians and people in the Kansas City area. Pulling from active performers to educators, the KCJO is very proud of the members of this ensemble and all that they do to serve the music.
Bob Long is the Director of Jazz Studies/Saxophone Instructor at Missouri Western State University. He holds the BME and MA degrees from Truman State University, with additional graduate study at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. As an educator, his ensembles at both the high school at collegiate level have performed at regional and national music conferences and festivals. As a performer, credits include the Des Moines Big Band, the Latin group Ashanti, Des Moines Symphony, as well as backing such acts as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Lou Rawls, and Manhattan Transfer, to name a few.
Bob Long
Doug Talley is a graduate of the University of Kansas and the University of North Texas. He is a recipient of the 2010 Kansas Governor's Arts Award and the 2009 Johnson County Library
Pinnacle Award for arts in education. His discography includes four recordings on the Sea Breeze label with the Trilogy and Boulevard Big Bands and four recordings with his own quartet, including the critically acclaimed Kansas City Suite.
Doug Talley
Stephen Molloy is an Artist in Residence at Missouri Western State University and also teaches at Kansas City Kansas Community College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from St. Cloud State University and a Master of Music degree in Trumpet Performance from the University of Kansas. Steve has recorded with the Boulevard Big Band, Tim Whitmer, Mike Metheny, the Vince Bilardo Orchestra and the Kansas Brass Quintet. Steve toured extensively with the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1991-92 and in 1994.
Steve Molloy
Bob Harvey teaches band and trumpet in the Lee's Summit School District and is a member of the St. Joseph Symphony. He has performed and recorded with the Boulevard Big Band, the Trilogy Big Band and the Kerry Strayer Orchestra. Bob played lead trumpet in the Kansas City Cheifs Band for over 20 years. Bob holds degrees from Missouri Western State University and Michigan State University.
Bob Harvey
Steve Dekker, a trombonist and arranger, native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, is currently the Director of Instrumental Music at The Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City. Dekker also teaches jazz trombone and jazz arranging at the UMKC Conservatory of Music. Dekker received the B.S. degree in Trombone Performance and his M.M. degree in Jazz Composition from Towson University, Towson, MD. Dekker was also a member of the First United States Army Band at Fort Meade, Maryland, where he played lead and jazz trombone, bass guitar, and became a staff arranger.
Steve Dekker
Earlie Braggs is best known as a jazz trombonist, however he is equally proficient as a vocalist and bass player. In addition to his first CD as a leader, the Earlie Braggs Quartet/It's About Time, he has recorded with the Kerry Strayer Septet, the New Kansas City Seven and the Jazz Heritage Orchestra. Earlie has also performed with Claude "Fiddler" Williams and Jay McShann and has toured Europe with the Illinois Jacquet Big Band.
Earlie Braggs
David Chael is a graduate of Southwest Missouri State University and the University of North Texas where he was a member of the famous One O'Clock Lab Band. He currently works for the Social Security Administration and performs regularly with Bram Wijnands, Roger Wilder Quartet, Westport Art Ensemble, Kerry Strayer and the New Kansas City Seven and Horacescope.
David Chael
Brad Gregory attended the University of North Texas where he was a member of the One O'Clock Lab Band. Brad is also an alumnus of the Houston Jazz Orchestra. After working in New York City as a professional jazz musician for several years, Brad began a full-time career in the plastics industry and relocated his family to Kansas City. He performs regularly with the Boulevard Big Band, Jim Lower's Big Band as well as with Molly Hammer's Quintet and his own groups, KC Reeds and Rhythm and the Brad Gregory Sextet.
Brad Gregory
Mark Cohick has played baritone saxophone since junior high school, and has played with the UMKC Jazz Ensemble, the S.S. Norway Big Band, Trilogy Big Band, Boulevard Big Band, New Jazz Order and the People's Liberation Big Band. Cohick plays all woodwind instruments, and has played with Kansas City Symphony, Ballet and Opera, toured Europe with Broadway shows and recorded for radio, TV and film.
Mark Cohick
Jay Sollenberger attended Wichita State University and the University of North Texas where he performed with the renowned One O'Clock Lab Band. Jay toured and recorded with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Buddy Rich Big Band and the Jazz/Rock group Chase led by trumpeter Bill Chase. He has freelanced in Kansas City since 1980 and has played with the Boulevard Big Band, the Vine Street Rumble, and at Starlight Theatre. He is also a member of the International Trumpet Guild.
Jay Sollenberger
Dr. David Aaberg is the Director of Jazz-Commercial Music at the University of Central Missouri, a position he has held since 1986. In 2011 he received the Outstanding Jazz Educator Award from the Missouri Association for Jazz Education. David holds BA and MM degrees in Composition from Central Washington University and a DMA in Composition from The University of Texas at Austin. He regularly performs in the Jim Lower Jazz Orchestra and has played lead trumpet with the Louis Neal Big Band since 2004. His playing and arrangements can be heard on numerous recordings with the Boulevard Big Band and the Trilogy Big Band. As well as playing in the KCJO trumpet section, David also serves the organization as a staff arranger.
David Aaberg
Jeff Hamer studied trombone at the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. He has performed on more than twenty recordings, including Tim Whitmer, the New Vintage Big Band, Kerry Strayer Orchestra, Boulevard Big Band, and others. As a freelance artist he has performed with Natalie Cole, Debby Boone, and with such touring groups as the Jimmy Dorsey and Guy Lombardo Orchestras. Jeff is the Director of IT with 360 Architecture.
Jeff Hamer
Charles D. Williams has been performing in Kansas City for over 40 years, having backed up such Kansas City icons as Sonny Kenner, Claude "Fiddler" Williams, Queen Bey, Angela Hagenbach, Sharon Thompson, The McFadden Brothers and Bobby Watson. He has also performed with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Ernie Wilkins and Cannonball Adderly. Charles performs regularly with the Louis Neal Orchestra and Ida McBeth, in addition to leading his own groups.
John Kizilarmut has performed and recorded with a wide range of artists and ensembles, including Matthew Wilson, Branford Marsalis, DJ Starscream, and the Des Moines Symphony. He is a frequent guest performer and clinician at percussion and jazz festivals throughout the midwest, and most recently performed with TOCA artist Jamal Mohamed and Marimba One artist Matthew Coley at the 2013 PASIC convention in Indianapolis, IN. Also an active composer and arranger, John currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife Nicole and son Evan.
Drummer/Percussion
John Kizilarmut
Sam Wisman is a versatile fixture in Kansas City's creative music scene. Sam is a member of the Mark Lowrey Trio, Kinnor Philharmonic, Marimba Sol de Chiapas, the Owen/Cox Dance Group, the People's Liberation Big Band, the Shay Estes Quartet, HoraceScope, and the Roger Wilder Quintet & Trio. Sam has performed with the Kansas City Symphony, the Topeka Symphony, newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, the St. Joseph Symphony, the Northland Symphony, Kansas City Puccini Fest, Krystle Warren, Bobby Watson, The Sons of Brasil, Angela Hagenbach, Terrell Stafford and many more. He has worked extensively as a percussionist in musical theater including the Kansas City Repertory Theater, New Theatre Restaurant, Unicorn Theater, Musical Theater Heritage, and the Coterie Theater. Sam has helped to premiere works by Harry Connick Jr., Stephen Schwartz, Shirley Jones & Richard Maltby Jr., Henry Krieger & Bill Russell, and Ahrens & Flaherty. You can also listen to Sam as a DJ for Jazz Afternoon on 90.1 FM KKFI
Sam Wisman
Paul Andrew Roberts has been performing in Kansas City since the mid-1980's both as a bass trombonist and pianist. In the early 1990's Paul left Kansas City to serve our country in the United States Marines where he played bass trombone and led several musical ensembles. Paul holds a bachelors degree in Music Composition from the University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance and currently performs regularly with Ida McBeth. In addition to being a fine bass trombonist and pianist, Paul is an excellent composer/arranger and is one of KCJO's staff arrangers.
Rod Fleeman has been a professional guitarist for over 30 years. Following his studies at the University of Miami, Rod moved to New York City where he toured and recorded extensively with the jazz fusion group Dry Jack. Since returning to Kansas City in 1981, he has toured and recorded with such artists as Marilyn Maye, Karrin Allyson, Jay McShann, Claude Williams and Interstring. Rod currently serves on the staff at the University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance and the Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Rod Fleeman
James Albright holds a music degree from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. While in Nebraska he performed with the Lincoln Symphony, and the Omaha Symphony. In 1992 he came to Kansas City, and currently makes his living playing, teaching, and recording music. James continues to use his classical bass skills through his principal positions with the Northland Symphony, and Liberty Symphony, in the KC area. He teaches bass at his private studio, at William Jewell College, and at Missouri Western State College.
In addition to the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, he performs with a wide variety of groups, including Tim Whitmer, the Terry Hancock Band, the Ones, A La Mode, Triple Play, and The Bon Ton Soul Accordion band. He is equally at home in the classical, rock, country, jazz, and pop music styles, on both upright and electric bass. His onstage persona makes him as much fun to watch as he is to hear.
James Albright