Jeanne Brei &
The Speakeasy Swingers !
The Speakeasy Swingers !
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The Speakeasy Swingers
at Bugsy's in 2008!
at Bugsy's in 2008!
Jeanne Brei & The Speakeasy Swingers on opening night of the gig - July 19, 2008 - with Michael Ray Tyler on trumpet, Don Hill on sax, Bob Scann on trombone, Ty Lemley on bass, George Pollock on piano and Bruce Harper on drums (out of frame).
Saturday nights are tough to book these fabulous musicians - so here's some bios on the "regulars" and a few of the "sweet substitutes" too!
The Speakeasy Swingers on CD:
On piano,
Charlie Shaffer
Charlie hails from Houston, TX and has performed at virtually every hotel in Las Vegas plus
Liberace's "Tivoli Gardens". He appeared in a Warner Bros. movie, on
the Dick Clark TV Show, and other network shows. Charlie has written several award winning Las Vegas hotel commercials as well as orchestral arrangements for performance on the TV shows of Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Sammy Davis Jr, and Joey Bishop. As rehearsal pianist for the Jackie Gleason Las Vegas TV Show he worked daily with June Taylor, Ben Vereen, Lola Folana and others, creating dance sequences and musical arrangements. He has accompanied Peggy Lee, Debbie Reynolds, Dean Martin, Steve Lawrence, Robert Goulet, Joe Williams and others.
Upcoming recording projects in Charlie's studio (Charmar) include new albums of beautiful piano music. The album he arranged and produced for Willie Nelson and Don Cherry, It's Magic, is now available--Boots Randolph and Charlie McCoy added some outstanding sax and harmonica, under the supervision of legendary Nashville producer Fred Foster. One track from it ("It's Magic") can be heard on the album Joy by Willie Nelson & Friends. The earlier album Augusta (featuring Willie and Don, and produced-arranged by Charlie) is still available.
Charlie's many CDs are heard nationally on the ABC Radio Stardust Network, and other syndicated programs, also on the new digital cable systems' easy listening audio channels, as well as Internet radio and XM and Sirius satellite radio. His music is available as MP3 downloads (complete albums or solo tracks) at iTunes.com and Amazon.com. Visit www.charlieshaffer.com for his upcoming cruise schedule and more info.
On bass,
Ty Lemley
Ty, originally from Pittsburgh PA, was with the Sorta & Kinda Dixie Jazz Band for 17 years at the Gold Coast Casino in Las Vegas. Also experienced as a writer and arranger, Ty has played night spots and hotels in Las Vegas since 1981.
For 10 years, he was a member the famous Guy Lombardo Orchestra. He's also worked with a number of other legendary orchestra leaders, including Art Mooney, Lawrence Welk, Sammy Kaye, Freddie Martin and Wayne King. During his spare time, Ty found time to write and record on his own label, Tymena, and released a CD called Legacy.
On drums & comedy
Jim Racey
Jim Racey, a wonderful drummer and comedian honed his craft by spending many years performing with the Dumkoffs, a wonderful oompa-band that specializes in comedy! You can currently catch him at Nora's on Saturday nights (darn, he was already booked for Saturday nights)!Speakeasy Swingers
at Bugsy's
On trombone,
Bob Scann
Originally from Philadelphia, Bob Scann began work with a hitch in the U.S. Army Band in Washington, D.C., then as a freelance
trombonist in the Big Apple for a year before moving to Las Vegas in 1976. His
first LV gig was on an Elvis Presley Tour for two weeks. In Vegas, he played in the Ice Show Review at the Hacienda Hotel, then was the lead trombone chair in the Al
Ramsey Orchestra at Caesars Palace for the next 13 years; then
on to the Lou Elias Orchestra at the Desert Inn Hotel for another 3 years.
He has played in most of the Casinos on and off the “Strip” over the
years for the many legendary stars on
the Las Vegas Strip, including two tours with “Old Blue
Eyes” Frank Sinatra to Japan/Hong Kong and Manila and with Pia
Zadora's Vegas Band that performed for the 1985 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. He was
the trombonist in Stan Mark's “Hot Horns” a local Las Vegas Dixieland/swing band that toured the festival circuit nationwide. He performed in the Las Vegas Symphony
Orchestra during the '70s and as leader of his own brass quintet. As a part time trombone and euphonium teacher at
UNLV, he has organized trombone choirs
(both classical and jazz), Euphonium/Tuba ensembles (both classical and jazz)
and private lessons leading to juries and recitals. He was also a Band Director in the Clark County
School District. He occupies his time now teaching privately, composing,
arranging and playing trombone when and wherever he can.On trumpet,
Merv Harding
Merv Harding grew up in Milwaukee and Chicago and went into the Navy School of Music, landing in a unit band on an aircraft carrier for three years during the Korean War. After the Navy, he played with Phil Bovero's band in San Francisco and moved back to Chicago to play with Jack (Poncho) Madell before going with Eddy Howard's band for a year in 1957. He followed that with six months with Spanky Masters in Chicago & then Tommy Dorsey's band for three years. He came to Las Vegas in 1963 playing in Lew Elias' relief band (at six different hotels) for seven years and Viva Les Girls at the Dunes. In 1971 he went to L.A. to play with Louie Bellson & The Carol Burnett Show, returning to Vegas to play the Casino Paris at the Dunes as well as the Lido show at the Stardust. He's played with Woody Herman, Bob Crosby, Les Elgart, Ralph Marterie, Tommy Vig and such stars, as Dean, Frank, Sammy & Mel Torme. On drums,
Bruce Harper
Bruce
Harper hails from Ft. Worth, Texas and has lived in Las Vegas for
nearly 30 years. He played for TK years with the Sorta Dixie &
Kinda Dixie Jazz Band at the Gold Coast Hotel in Las Vegas and left to
tour with the 10th Avenue Jazz Band for another 3 years. He's the
leader of the 2 Cool 4 School Jazz Band, which covers for Jeanne &
The Speakeasy Swingers, whenever she's out of town working.
And, of course,
on sax, Don Hill;
on bass, Ty Lemley
&
on piano,
Charlie Shaffer
(see their bios above)
on sax, Don Hill;
on bass, Ty Lemley
&
on piano,
Charlie Shaffer
(see their bios above)
On saxophone,
Don Hill
Don grew up in the 9th Ward of New Orleans during the Roaring Twenties! He's celebrating his 88th birthday on Nov. 3 playing with the Speakeasy Swingers at The Rhythm Kitchen in Las Vegas. He attended Alabama State in 1939, rooming with Claude Trenier - who left college to sing with Jimmy Lunceford's band. Don left college in his junior year to play with Tiny Bradshaw, one of the most prominent jump-blues bandleaders of the '30s and '40s. Tiny led jazz-trained musicians into the developing and more commercial
field that came to be known as rhythm & blues. After Tiny Bradshaw, Don played, toured & recorded with Louis Armstrong for three years (from '44-'46). He then started his own band in 1947 and joined forces with his old college roommate in 1948 to start The Treniers! They performed continuously for 55 years -- signing with the legendary Okeh label and producing a
remarkable string of killer rock 'n roll sides, including Rockin' Is Our
Business, Rockin' On Saturday Night, and It Rocks, It Rolls, It
Swings! They appeared on various TV shows, including Jackie Gleason's and Red Skelton's programs, Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin's Colgate Comedy Hour, and through a number of movies, including Don't Knock the Rock and The Girl Can't Help It, appearing with
Alan Freed, Little Richard and Bill Haley. After their final engagement in Atlantic City in 2003, Claude Trenier passed on and Don Hill found himself playing for Jeanne Brei, a vocalist whom the Treniers had always invited up to sit in with them. Don Hill was again a founding member of yet another swingin' band - The Speakeasy Swingers! To check out some images from his extraordinary life - visit http://picasaweb.google.com/JazzinwithJeanneBrei.
Don Hill
Don grew up in the 9th Ward of New Orleans during the Roaring Twenties! He's celebrating his 88th birthday on Nov. 3 playing with the Speakeasy Swingers at The Rhythm Kitchen in Las Vegas. He attended Alabama State in 1939, rooming with Claude Trenier - who left college to sing with Jimmy Lunceford's band. Don left college in his junior year to play with Tiny Bradshaw, one of the most prominent jump-blues bandleaders of the '30s and '40s. Tiny led jazz-trained musicians into the developing and more commercial
field that came to be known as rhythm & blues. After Tiny Bradshaw, Don played, toured & recorded with Louis Armstrong for three years (from '44-'46). He then started his own band in 1947 and joined forces with his old college roommate in 1948 to start The Treniers! They performed continuously for 55 years -- signing with the legendary Okeh label and producing a
remarkable string of killer rock 'n roll sides, including Rockin' Is Our
Business, Rockin' On Saturday Night, and It Rocks, It Rolls, It
Swings! They appeared on various TV shows, including Jackie Gleason's and Red Skelton's programs, Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin's Colgate Comedy Hour, and through a number of movies, including Don't Knock the Rock and The Girl Can't Help It, appearing with
Alan Freed, Little Richard and Bill Haley. After their final engagement in Atlantic City in 2003, Claude Trenier passed on and Don Hill found himself playing for Jeanne Brei, a vocalist whom the Treniers had always invited up to sit in with them. Don Hill was again a founding member of yet another swingin' band - The Speakeasy Swingers! To check out some images from his extraordinary life - visit http://picasaweb.google.com/JazzinwithJeanneBrei.On cornet/trumpet
Corey Gemme
Corey, a native of Los Angeles, picked up the trumpet at
about age 10 and studied music at Pasadena City College and California State
University Los Angeles. Corey has performed with many groups including the Hot
Frogs, Conrad Janis and the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, The 10th Avenue
Jazz Band, Janet Carroll, Johnny Crawford, Dean Mora's Modern Rhythmists, The
Black Swan Jazz Band, Jim Cullum's Happy Jazz Band, The Reynolds Brothers'
Rhythm Rascals, The High Sierra Jazz Band, The Titan Hot Seven, and Banu
Gibson. He currently performs around the Los Angeles area with Dwight Kennedy's
Le Jazz Hot and Dwight Kennedy's New Orleans Dixie Kings, Janet Klein And Her
Parlor Boys, Dutch Newman And His Musical Melodians, Suzi Williams And her
Solid Senders, Ginger and the Hoosier Daddys, The Mike Henebry Big Band,
Daniell Glass's Rhythm Club All Stars, John Reynolds and His Hollywood
Hotshots, The Jonathan Stout Big Band, and Mark Tortorici and the Torchlighters
and in Las Vegas, with Jeanne Brei & The Speakeasy Swingers. Corey has traveled throughout the US,
Canada, Japan and China, England, Sweden, Europe, and appeared as a featured
guest at the Sancy Snow Festival in France. He is regularly featured at the
Sweet and Hot Jazz festival in Los Angeles. See his website at www.coreygemme.com!
Speakeasy Swingers'
Sweet Substitutes
Sweet Substitutes
On trombone, #1 sub,
Brian O'Shea
Brian
O'Shea hails from Glasgow, Scotland and his credits are extensive! He's
been playing for the the International House of Blues Foundation's
"Blues SchoolHouse," in Las Vegas for the last 10 years, bringing the Great American Songbook as well as the blues to schoolchildren from all over Las Vegas. .
On trumpet, #1 sub, Michael Ray Tyler
Michael Ray Tyler is an active solo artist, performing Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Vocals, Drums and Percussion throughout the Las Vegas Valley. In 1992-93, Michael played lead/solo trumpet for Wayne Newton on his U.S. tour and also in Las Vegas. Michael currently freelances with the Vegas group "Nightshift", playing at corporate events such as ShoWest, Tiger Woods-"Tiger Jam", City of Hope, McDonald Corporation, Century 21, Comdex, State Farm, Toshiba, SEMA, Metlife and Andre Agassi fundraisers. He has also opened for major acts such as Jay Leno and Lionel Richie. Michael is also a band leader, big band composer/arranger and also produces shows for special events. He continues to write for high school & college level jazz bands as well as work with clients out of his home studio. He is currently working on his pop vocal CD, Fire & Desire to be released in 2008. Michael Ray Tyler holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Kansas and a Master of Music degree in Jazz Composition from UNLV.
On piano, #1 sub,
David DeCosta
David DeCosta
David DeCosta hails from Chicago and came to Las Vegas via Miami Beach first. He played at Milt Treniers club in Chicago as well as some wonderful hotels in Miami. He comes from a very musical family - his brother, David, portrays Frank Sinatra in The Rat Pack is Back at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas and his father, brothers, sons and just about everyone is in the DeCosta family band! Copyright 2007 Tin Pan Alley Cat Productions All rights reserved.
