Musicians
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Director |
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Donn Weaver – Director |
Vocals |
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Stephanie Cortes – Vocals |
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Jeff Carter – Vocals / Trumpet Born and raised in Spokane, Jeff began trumpet in junior high school, then played in the bands, orchestra, and Jazz Lab Band at Shadle Park High School. Since then, he has played in various community bands, brass groups, and small ensembles. He played trumpet and sang in numerous churches from a young age and throughout his nearly 20 years in the ministry. He now teaches multiple subjects, including music, at New Horizon School, a small, private school in Renton, which serves 6th to 12th grade students with learning disabilities.Jeff enjoys honing his skills on voice, trumpet, and other instruments, particularly in connection with his teaching, where he is comfortable performing folk, pop, or rock styles with his student groups. He has enjoyed adding his vocal talents to the WSBB, singing standard tunes in his favorite styles of Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, or Michael Buble. |
Saxophones |
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Rob Zoffel – Alto Sax |
| Kyle Gibson – Alto Sax |
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Lisette Klee – Tenor Sax |
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Joel Thornton – Tenor Sax Joel Thornton joined the West Seattle Big Band in 2010. He was born and raised in Vermont. A persistent grandmother would make him listen to Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland every Sunday. Finally, after 10 years of classical piano, he took his first jazz piano lesson from Fred Haas as a high school senior. Joel continued to study jazz piano with Fred Haas while majoring in chemistry at Dartmouth College. After realizing he was a terrible piano player, he switched to alto saxophone his junior year and then shortly thereafter to tenor saxophone in order to join Dartmouth College’s Barbary Coast jazz ensemble. Joel continued playing tenor during graduate school, working with the Berkeley Jazz Workshop, gigging with amateurs around the San Francisco Bay Area, and a two year stint in a Toronto community big band (The Advocats). |
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John Dirks – Bari Sax John Dirks grew up in West Seattle and took up alto sax in 4th grade in Jefferson Elementary School’s instrumental music program. In the 1970s, he played in the jazz and concert bands at Madison Jr. High and West Seattle High School, the latter under the leadership of WSBB Director Donn Weaver. John switched from alto to baritone sax at some point, likely because he was one of the few kids who could actually lift the thing.After a long hiatus from music, John received a call from Jim Edwards in 1996, saying he was organizing a West Seattle High Alumni jazz band for a benefit concert. He dusted off his sax and has been playing with what is now the West Seattle Big Band ever since. By day, John is a software usability consultant. He lives in Ballard with his wife Ellen and daughters Ruby and Caroline. |
Trumpets |
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Stephen Morris – Trumpet |
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Steve Cuddy – Trumpet Steve Cuddy began playing trumpet in public school music programs in North Idaho, and remembers playing with his high school “stage band” in one of the first Lionel Hampton Jazz Festivals.…but long before it was named for Mr. Hampton. While in college he played lead trumpet for the Harvard University Jazz Ensemble, managed the band, and toured with that group overseas. During college he occasionally also played in theatre pit orchestras in the Boston area. He later gravitated toward improvisation, changed mouthpieces… several times…and began learning to improvise. While in Graduate School in London, Steve played jazz trumpet in the host combo for the Sunday Night jazz jam at the Rock Garden Club at Covent Garden. After moving to Seattle, Steve joined the Jay Thomas Big Band, and continued learning jazz techniques from Jay. Steve travels some for his day job, and often takes his horn to sit in with small jazz groups in different towns around the country. |
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Kristen Rasmussen – Trumpet Kristen Rasmussen has played music ever since she insisted on taking piano lessons at the age of 5. Born on Maui and raised in Boulder, Colorado, she played the clarinet in middle school and switched to trumpet to be in the jazz band. She participated in numerous jazz festivals and honor bands in high school including the Mile High Jazz Festival, All-Star Jazz Band, All-State Jazz Band, Mile High Jazz Camp, Jazz in the Sangres Arts Camp/Festival, Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts, and many more.Kristen attended the University of Miami for her undergraduate degrees of B.S. in Meteorology and B.A. in Music. Past teachers include Greg Gisbert, Alex Norris, Craig Morris, Darryl White, Chuck Bergeron, etc. Now living in Seattle, she plays regularly with the West Seattle Big Band, Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra, Cascadia Jazz, and a few others. She is currently working on a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science at the University of Washington on the side. |
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Chris Fergus – Trumpet |
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Jeff Carter – Trumpet / Vocals Born and raised in Spokane, Jeff began trumpet in junior high school, then played in the bands, orchestra, and Jazz Lab Band at Shadle Park High School. Since then, he has played in various community bands, brass groups, and small ensembles. He played trumpet and sang in numerous churches from a young age and throughout his nearly 20 years in the ministry. He now teaches multiple subjects, including music, at New Horizon School, a small, private school in Renton, which serves 6th to 12th grade students with learning disabilities.Jeff enjoys honing his skills on voice, trumpet, and other instruments, particularly in connection with his teaching, where he is comfortable performing folk, pop, or rock styles with his student groups. He has enjoyed adding his vocal talents to the WSBB, singing standard tunes in his favorite styles of Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, or Michael Buble. |
Trombones |
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Jim Edwards – Trombone Jim Edwards has been playing big band music since junior high school. He continued into college playing with Fred Radke’s Studio Jazz Orchestra at North Seattle Community College, and at one time or another performed with all four of the big bands associated with that program. After a break of a few years he got the horn back out and started playing in a small group under the direction of Pianist Barney McClure, and later was one of the original members of the Jay Thomas Friendly Fire Big Band. A few years later, he formed the West Seattle Big Band.Over the years Jim has played with numerous big bands throughout the Northwest, including The MOJO Big Band and The Kings of Swing. He has had the pleasure of performing with sidemen that include alumni of Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton, Harry James, and Tommy Dorsey bands. Jim also performs with the Highline Symphonic Band, plays in a couple orchestras when called upon, and sometimes can be seen playing Taps on trumpet at the local cemetery. When he’s not playing music, Jim is by trade an Outside Marine Machinist, and a marine hydraulics specialist, working on the North Pacific fishing fleet that home ports in Seattle. |
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Kevin Varney – Trombone Kevin Varney started playing music as a child taking formal piano lessons and informally strumming his ukulele. He was known to pick up and play anything musical, gladly annoying anyone within earshot of it! In 6th grade he took up playing the trombone and continued to blow right thru high school and college. Unfortunately, the horn then found the back of his closet for the next 15 years or so, until he rediscovered his passion for jazz and joined the West Seattle Big Band shortly after its inception. Many years and numerous performances later, he happily continues to occupy his chair in the middle of the band, surrounded by many talented musician friends. He is occasionally seen filling in with other local swing bands and pit orchestras around town, but for now, is advised to keep his day job! |
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Mike Walsh – Trombone Michael’s horn took him back after he walked away from it for about 20 years. He’s grateful to the Band for giving him a place to play. |
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Bill Ayers – Bass Trombone Bill Ayer is a West Seattle native, and a bona fide alumni of West Seattle High, including the jazz band led by Donn Weaver. After playing in high school and college, his horn sat idle for several years until he found out that adults were allowed to play in amateur bands. Besides the West Seattle Big Band, he also plays bass trombone in the 85th Street Big Band and lead trombone in the Sammamish Sublimation Band, and occasional pit bands and other groups. His day job is in the engineering department at a downtown hotel, and he is pretty proud of the fact that his son also took up the trombone and has become a pretty serious musician. |
Rythmn Section |
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Brooke Yool – Piano Brooke Yool started playing piano around age 4, and can’t remembera time when she could not read music. In early 2004, she left her native California for Seattle, and three days later, joined the WSBB, playing alto sax. Needs quickly changed, and she has held the piano seat since.In addition to WSBB, Brooke has played with other local groups such as Kings of Swing, 85th Street Big Band, and Cascadia Jazz, which she co-founded. She also played alto sax and was the vocalist for the Charles Hamilton Band in the Bay Area, and did some quartet work with some individuals from that group. She also writes (and occasionally performs) piano/vocal pieces.Brooke has “career ADD”, but has worked in the fields of molecular biology, physiology, science education, and pharmaceuticals. She is happily married to Bruce. |
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Michelle Edwards – Piano |
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Doug Weaver – Drums Born in Seattle and raised on Vashon Island Doug has always had a special connection with music. His father Donn Weaver had been a music teacher since 1958. A third generation musician as well. Doug’s grandfather played piano for silent movies as well as playing for traveling vaudeville performers. Doug started playing the drums in 6th grade and hasn’t stopped. He likes all music, especially if its live. After leaving his corporate advertising job in 2000 he finds it a very rewarding experience to give back to the community by volunteering his time to The West Seattle Big Band. “Its a great group of people. Amazing to get 14 people to show up every Tuesday for rehearsal”. Now with job commitments outside of Seattle Doug is now one of three rotating drummers, but always loves to play when he’s back in town. |
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Lionel Kramer – Drums Lionel Kramer is a pharmacist by profession, originally from Johannesburg South Africa. He has worked with various overseas artists touring South Africa both classically and in the jazz field. He has many years of experience in recording and television studios, including live radio and TV. Together with his wife, Cooksie, formed a band that became the group of choice in the Johannesburg area for weddings, bar mitzvahs and shows. Lionel now resides in Kirkland, Washington and gigs around the Puget Sound concentrating on Jazz both in small combos and big bands, including The West Seattle Big Band & MOJO Big Band. In Seattle he has studied advanced drumming techniques with John Bishop and has participated in clinics with Steve Gadd and Louis Bellson among others. |
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Kirk Skaggs – Drums Music has always been an important part of Kirk Skaggs’ life. Growing up is the Jazz area of St. Louis, his parents and grandparents were all involved in music, with his Father and both Grandfathers playing guitar and his paternal Grandfather & Grandmother playing Mandolin and Violin. He started out learning piano at 7 and shortly thereafter guitar. Then he discovered the drums and Big Band during a visit to Scott Air Force Base and a performance by the Air Force Stage Band. From then on he was hooked. Taking up drums in the school music program in St. Louis MO in sixth grade and staying in through twelfth grade graduation as a member of the Jazz, Pep, and Concert Bands as well as earning numerous peformance awards at various adjudication events, including a coveted First Place award from the famous jazz drummer Louie Bellson. Kirk continued to play numerous instruments through college and beyond and has supported a wide range of music. He was the drummer for the the Christian Band IHS, played drums and bass for the Jet City Jazz for 11 years, has been the Principal Percussionist for the Rainier Symphony for the last 9 years, and supported the Emerald City Ballet, and Twelfth Night Theater Group as a pit orchestra drummer. Kirk has been in the Puget Sound area since 1990 and is an Aerospace Engineer by trade and spends his spare time flying his 1968 Piper and collecting and displaying military history. |
