| Director |
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Donn Weaver |
| Vocals |
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Stephanie Cortes |
| Alto Sax |
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Betty Minckler:
Betty began playing clarinet at Schmitz Park Elementary School and has continued playing through high school and college. She has been fortunate to study privately with the wonderful Mr. Johnny Jessen, Dr. Eric Hansen, and Mr. Bill Wicker. While attending Seattle Pacific University she had the opportunity to double on the saxophone in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and "WindStorm" a Saxophone Quartet.
In her real life she is a mom to two boys, teaches special education for Highline School District, and is "this close" to completing a Master Teacher program through Central Washington University. Whenever possible - Betty would like to express the importance of an "Arts Education" for all students!
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Rob Zoffel |
| Tenor Saxes |
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Lisette Klee |
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Jeff Ellsworth: Jeff Ellsworth started in the music business at 10 years of age as a jazz/rock drummer. Years later, captivated by the sight and
sound of jazz saxophone, underwent a musical epiphany of sorts and has been playing alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone for much of the last two decades. He
has studied with the San Francisco-based multi-instrumentalists Kristen Strum and Jeff Sanford and Seattle-based saxophonists Don Lanphere, Sue Orfield, and
Dan Greenblatt. He currently studies with the great tenor player Gary Hammon. Jeff has been an active participant in the Stanford Jazz Residency and the Bud
Shank Jazz Workshop.
In addition to his small group work, he has played with the San Francisco-based Rudy Castro Big Band and the Canada College Jazz Band and various groups in
the Seattle area including the Kings of Swing, Cascadia Jazz, The Tempos, Friendly Fire Big Band, and currently plays saxophone in the West Seattle Big Band.
In 2005 and 2006, he toured in China and Vietnam as lead tenor saxophonist with the San Francisco Bay Jazz Ensemble. Jeff currently lives in Seattle with his
wife Jackie and their German shepherd dog Zoot. In his spare time, he dabbles in cell/molecular biology at a local biotechnology company. |
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Max Forbes: Max started tinkering around on the piano in his home as a child. Formally, he began with the clarinet at Arbor Heights Elementary under the wise Tony Reineke. He then added the piano,
studying under the extremely talented Jorge Morales for seven years. At Denny Middle School, Max dabbled in the bassoon and bass clarinet, also composing a few dozen instrumentals for a CD. By the
seventh grade, the ever-inspirational Marcus Pimpleton encouraged Max to take up the tenor saxophone – which was probably a good move – and join the Seattle All City Band, with which he played for three years.
Chief Sealth High School saw Max playing extensively under the direction of the wonderful Debbie Meyer in the jazz band, marching/pep/concert bad, the orchestra (cello and piano, under Jorge Morales), and finally
leading the jazz combo. Outside of Sealth, Max played for one year with the SPU Jazz Ensemble under the great Bill Parks, and learned a lot studying sax for two years with the skilled bop-enthusiast
Aaron Jenkins.
Max is now entering the UW, hoping to earn a Computer Science degree.
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Bari Sax |
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John Dirks: John 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 |
 |
Stephen Morris |
 |
Steve Cuddy: 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: 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. |
 |
Chris Fergus |
 |
Jeff Carter |
Trombones |
 |
Jim Edwards: Jim 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. |
 |
Kevin Varney: Kevin 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!
|
 |
Karl Johnston |
 |
Bill Ayer: 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. |
| Piano |
 |
Brooke Yool:
Brooke 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.
|
 |
Michelle Edwards |
| Drums |
 |
Doug Weaver |
 |
Lionel Kramer: 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: Music has alway been an important part of Kirks 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. |
| Guitar |
 |
Lonnie Mardis |
| Bass |
|
Aaron Appelbaum: Aaron Appelbaum has been playing music since 1993. He first started on the violin, moved to the clarinet, and took up the tuba and bass guitar in high school.
Aaron continued his music studies after high school, receiving a Bachelor of Music in Commercial Music from Musician’s Institute. He has studied with Putter Smith (bass), Brian Allen (bass), Mike Mennell (bass), Alexis Sklarevski (bass), and Carlos Campos (piano/arranging), He plays a 4 string electric bass, 5 string fretless bass, and a Palatino electric upright.
Aaron also plays in his quartet Jazzmer and freelances in Seattle. He enjoys playing swing, Latin jazz, world music, modern jazz, and funk.
Aaron works in IT as a Systems Administrator. He has a Master of Science in Information Assurance from Capitol College.
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