Guest Musicians

Check the schedule page to see who's playing this week. Regulars and special guests:

Mark Lewis, a native of Kitsap County, is one of the most lyrical saxophonists of his generation. Mark lived for years in Holland, where he gained renown as one of Europe's leading instrumentalists. Mark lived and performed for several years in San Francisco and Victoria, BC as well. Mark has recorded or produced over 20 albums on various labels and composed over 1000 songs. Mark's CD "In The Spirit," recorded at Music Annex in Menlo Park, CA, made the Top 40 on Billboard Magazine's Jazz Albums chart. Jazz musicians Mark has performed and recorded with include pianists Mark Levine, Overton Berry, and Ted Gioia; drummers Candy Finch, Eddie Moore and Billy Higgins; bassist David Friesen; saxophonists Johnny Griffin and Art Foxall; trumpet player Randy Brecker; and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. Mark often subbed for Stan Getz and John Handy during his time in San Francisco.

Allen Alto graduated from Central Kitsap High School with many awards for his musical abilities. He was invited to attend Central Washington University where he studied music and played in the prestigious Jazz Ensembles there. He has done extensive road and studio work with many well-known artists, such as John Sebastian and Jerry Jeff Walker, in almost every style of music. This shows in his playing as he blends all those influences into a truly unique style of guitar virtuosity.

Norm Bellas holds a Master of Music degree in composition. He won the Washington State Blues Society "BB" for Best Keyboard and was nominated for best songwriter. Norm's eclectic style is a synthesis of jazz and blues with bursts of funk, R&B, Latin and country. He might be said to play bluesy jazz or jazzy blues. Norm's CD of original jazz compositions "Out of the Norm" was played on heavy rotation for six months on the Seattle jazz station, KPLU. Norm has played with jazz artists such as Tutti Heath, Don Lanphere, Jessica Williams, Frank Wess, and Art Lande, and has played and/or recorded with many blues and R&B legends including Big Momma Thorton, Buddy Miles, Carlos Santana, and the Temptations.

Overton Berry, a Northwest jazz legend, has played piano extensively in venues around the world including Japan, China, Viet Nam, Thailand, and Egypt. Overton is a voting member for the Grammy's, music director for the TOBE School of Music, and regular performer at major Northwest jazz festivals. Overton has worked with such jazz greats as Carmen McRae, Joe Pass, Dave Brubeck, Vonne Griffin, and Peggy Lee.

Mark Bullis, a highly respected Seattle guitarist and bassist, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Cornish College of the Arts and studied bass with jazz masters Gary Peacock and Dave Holland. He has worked professionally with Steve Allen, Diane Schuur, Barbara McNair, and Johnny Barnes of the Platters, to name a few. In addition, Mark has worked with The Bellevue Philharmonic and the Seattle Philharmonic.

Frank Clayton studied music at the Berklee College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music. He studied Bass with Dave Holland and Cecil McBee, and percussion with Alan Dawson and Morris Goldenberg. Frank has performed nationally and internationally with some of the top names in jazz, including Jaki Byard, Herb Ellis, Lee Konitz, Charles Mingus, Sam Rivers and Albert Ayler.

TJ Clement is a Kitsap County native who has played in many jazz ensembles and has performed and won outstanding soloist awards at various festivals. She studied jazz at Columbia Basin College and Olympic College. TJ currently performs mostly in salsa bands throughout the Northwest, while still holding to her roots of jazz by playing solo, duos, trios and quartets.

Jim Day plays fingerstyle on an acoustic jazz guitar with a bit of amplification. Jim has played with many jazz legends, including Miles Davis, Freddy Hubbard, Stan Kenton, Della Reece and Henry Mancini. In his early rock and roll days he played with Jerry Lee Lewis, Chubby Checker, Connie Stevens, and Brenda Lee. Jim has three CDs of his own and has been on numerous recording sessions with national and local recording artists.

Ted Enderle was originally from Philadelphia were he studied double bass with noted jazz bassist Al Stauffer and with Roger Scott, principal bassist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Ted is one of the Olympic Peninsula's busiest jazz bassists, and has performed on both coasts of the US with musicians that include Larry McKenna, Chuck Anderson, Darryl Brown, Hadley Caliman, Art Foxall and Paul Moen.

Chuck Easton, a multi-instrumentalist, performs with Mark on guitar. Chuck graduated from Boston's Berklee College of Music and plays bass in the Pt. Townsend Orchestra and other groups. Chuck teaches guitar, flute, trombone, saxophone, bass, piano, and clarinet. For many years he has been on faculty for Centrum's Jazz Pt. Townsend and the Elderhostel NW Big Band. He often joins local groups, playing a variety of instruments. Chuck is also a composer, and was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant for jazz composition.

Steve Luceno is a highly respected Northwest acoustic bassist for a number of regional artists, and has produced CDs of his own original jazz compositions. Steve's playing experience includes many trips to Mexico with the Jerry Michelsen Trio and working with a variety of artists in the Northwest, including Obrador, Kelley Johnson, Bert Wilson, Jack Perciful, John Stowell, Slim Galliard, Sonny Simmons, Mose Allison, Ocho Pies and Hadley Calliman.

Robert Matthews has performed nationally and internationally with some of the top names in jazz. He was the original bass player with Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66, and in the Willie Bobo Band, the Woody Herman Band, and the Tex Beneke-Glen Miller Band, to name a few. Robert has performed in numerous major jazz festivals, and in venues such as Caesar's and Harrah's in Tahoe, Harrah's in Reno, and the Playboy Clubs in Chicago and Los Angeles. Robert has performed with a long list of famous musicians, including Duke Ellington, Errol Garner, Roger Kellaway, Shelly Manne, Lenny Breau, and Antonio Carlos Jobim, and singers Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, Al Jarreau, and Lou Rawls.

Bob Merrihew is one of the Northwest's most tasteful and sensitive drummers. Bob and Mark started working together over 30 years ago, and their long association is obvious when you hear them perform together in a quartet.

Lucy Mitchell studied music at the University of Washington and played piano bar jazz several nights a week for many years in Seattle during the city's piano bar heyday. Name a piano lounge from the Edgewater Hotel to Rosellini's 410, from the Olympic Hotel to the old El Gaucho, and Lucy played it in her own upbeat and humorous style. She also played a 10-year steady gig at King Oscar's restaurant in Seattle, was the Music Contractor for the Arthur Murray Dance studios in the Seattle area for 13 years and played accordion at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.

Steve Nowak has been a well-respected guitarist in the Pacific Northwest for many years. After touring nationally in the 1970's and '80's, Steve has spent the past two decades in Seattle, honing his formidable jazz and rhythm and blues skills. Steve has played and recording with talented performers such as Lonnie Williams, Jay Thomas, Norm Bellas, Seattle Women in Rhythm & Blues, Jay Roberts, the Drifters and numerous others.

Ray Ohls teaches jazz piano at Olympic College and performs extensively in the Bremerton and Seattle area as well as in Canada. Ray recently retired from the US Navy Band. He was Chief Protocol Piano Player for Navy Band Washington DC and first call pianist for the vice-president under two administrations. Jazz artists Ray has performed with include Marcus Belgrave, Wendell Harrison, Bobby Shew, and Andy Martin.

Milo Petersen is currently on the affiliate faculty at Seattle Central Community College and was recently honored by the National Foundation For Advancement In The Arts. In 1993 he was awarded a composition grant by the Seattle Art's Commission. Milo Petersen and the Jazz Disciples were featured in the Encyclopedia Of Northwest Music by James Bush. Milo has performed with a wide array of artists including Eartha Kitt, Ernestine Anderson, Julian Priester, Cedar Walton and Mose Allison. He has also played for a variety of shows including The Fifth Dimension, The Bob Hope Show, The Coasters and The Drifters.

George Radebaugh holds a bachelor's degree in music composition from the University of California, Santa Barbara, but is currently most interested in the spontaneity of jazz improvisation. Originally from the East Coast, he now resides in Port Townsend and can be heard throughout the Northwest playing jazz, funk and other styles. He has worked with Chuck Easton, Pete Toyne, Rickey Kelly, Phil Sparks, Bud Shank, and many other Northwest jazz greats. George frequently plays solo piano and is a preferred accompanist for jazz singers.

Mikel Rollins, a multi-instrumentalist, will perform with Mark on bass - and maybe guitar, and maybe even some sax … Mikel has performed throughout the Western U.S. and Japan, and has shared his broad musical knowledge with children by teaching instrumental music classes at Seattle's Cooper Elementary and Stevens Elementary schools. Mikel currently leads his own Momentum Jazz Quartet, and has performed with a number of well-known Northwest jazz groups, including the Lonnie Williams Group, Clarence Acox Group and Hadley Caliman Ensemble.

Bud Schultz holds a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Puget Sound. Bud has played and recorded with such greats as Milt Hinton, Larry Bunker, and Martin Denny. He is the former accompanist for Patti Suzuki, and has accompanied such jazz notables as Mel Torme, Johnny Desmond, Dorothy Dandridge, and Helen O'Connell.

John Stowell is a highly acclaimed Portland-based jazz guitarist who tours, records and teaches internationally. He has been Artist-In-Residence at schools in Germany, Indonesia, Argentina, and in the United States and Canada. He served as assistant director and performer in Oregon Public Broadcasting's PDX Jazz Summit in 1991, and since 1995 has been a contributing columnist for a number of magazines, including "Downbeat", "Guitar Player" and Canadian Musician". His album, "Through the Listening Glass" with David Friesen, was chosen one of the "Ten Best Jazz Albums of the Decade" by the Los Angeles Examiner. John has performed or recorded with a number of famous jazz musicians, including Milt Jackson, Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer, Herb Ellis and George Cables. "In the age of mediocrity and clones, John Stowell's uniqueness and originality are a breath of fresh air." - Paul Horn

Pete Toyne, guitarist, pianist, and vocalist, is a Northwest native who has played hundreds of venues all over the globe over a fifty year career. Pete has operated his own jazz clubs, the most recent in Port Townsend, WA. He has shared the stage with jazz luminaries Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts, Charlie Byrd, and others. He is presently involved in CD and DVD recordings of his own compositions.

Rick White is a classically trained composer and jazz bassist, which combine to make both his compositions and his playing truly unique. His first experiences as a bassist were in R&B bands playing clubs all over the Western U.S. giving him strong roots in groove oriented music. After this he chose to pursue a more formal music education and received a masters degree in Music Composition from Northern Illinois University, where his compositions received top awards each year he attended. While in school Rick maintained a busy schedule as a sideman as well as back up to many guest artists such as Tito Puente, Clark Terry, Mark Murphy, and Bob Mintzer to name a few. Currently, Rick is the Director of Instrumental Music at Olympic College where he teaches music theory, jazz theory, bass lessons, and conducts both the Jazz and Wind ensembles.