JAZZ cookin' Artists and Booking Info

Booking Information

Artists - High notes in the lives of your favorite musicians

• Rick Bell



Tenor saxophonist and composer Rick Bell has been playing professionally since his Birmingham, Alabama high school days. Rick has been a member of numerous local jazz groups, has appeared in all major Atlanta jazz festivals as well as regional festivals and has composed vocal and instrumental ensembles ranging from big bands to quartets. He has had the good fortune to sit in with jazz greats Milt Jackson, Urbie Green, Clark Terry and the late Zoot Sims, and in 1988, Rick was featured with trumpeter Red Rodney at the Atlanta premiere of Clint Eastwood's dramatic film of Charlie Parker's life, "Bird." The Rick Bell Quintet was showcased at a conference at the International Association of Jazz Educators and was also one of 12 semifinalists from more than 800 national and international entries in the 1991 Cognac Hennessey Jazz Search. Rick was a charter member of Rod Henley's Hotlanta Jazz Singers, and some of his vocal jazz arrangements are being published by the University of Northern Colorado Press.



• Jim Burke



Pianist Jim Burke was a native New Yorker whose mother was a pianist-singer in Gotham during the twenties. As a young adult, he moved to Chicago, and from 1973-1982, he played all the downtown clubs, hotels and restaurants, honing his skills and working with such esteemed sidemen as Marshall Thompson and Rusty Jones on drums, Kelly Sill and Eddie Calhoun (Errol Garner's bassist) on bass, and then backing up jazz violinist Johnny Frigo, vocalist Alma Balier, and tenor player Don Shelton of the Singers Unlimited. Local critics gave rave reviews, comparing Jim's style and sophistication to that of George Shearing and Ahmad Jamal. Larry Kart wrote, "He is a master of the segue, the seamless transition from one song to the next." In 1982, Jim brought his talent to San Francisco. He played virtually all the rooms in the city, mostly solo, and worked with the likes of Wyatt "Bull" Ruther, Dean Reilly, and Vince Lateano, as well as his pals, Robb Fisher and Lee Charlton. On December 22, 2000, Jim Burke was taken, too early, by a massive stroke. He is missed dearly by all who knew him.



• Bruce Cale



Bruce Cale began playing classical violin at nine, graduating to the double bass by age eighteen when he began performing professionally in Sydney. He joined the Bryce Rohde Quartet in the early '60's, and in '65, began playing and recording in England and Scotland. A DownBeat Jazz grant brought Bruce to America where he worked with Phil Woods, John Handy, Zoot Sims, Ernie Watts, Toshiko Arkioyoshi, Bryce Rohde, John Klemmer, Mike Nock and many others. In 1974, Bruce renewed his interest in classical music, writing a commissioned work dedicated to John Coltrane, and two others premiered by members of the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1981, he undertook formal study with George Russell in Cambridge MA, and since his return to Australia has continued to receive numerous awards for his compositions.



• Joe Carroll



Born Joseph Marcus Fischer in Los Angeles to professional musicians, Joe took childhood lessons on piano and violin, but it was not until the early 1950s that he discovered the bass and became Joe Carroll. He played San Francisco clubs with small jazz ensembles and became friends with George Rhodes and Charlie Mingus. Later, in Las Vegas, Joe played electric bass and keyboards, learned sitar to perform with the cast of Hair, made his own instruments and organized groups with experimental instrumentation. Back in the Bay Area, he produced the Rowan Brothers recordings, organized an all-bass ensemble, toured with Red Norvo, and was the first bass player in the David Grisman Quintet. Joe died at the age of 47 in San Francisco, December 18, 1983.



• Jay Cave



Bassist Jay Cave began his career in 1961 when he arrived in New Orleans to play with Al Belleto. In 1965, he began an extended tour with Al Hirt's band, including a CBS summer show and highlighted by two concerts at Carnegie Hall. In 1969, Jay moved to Las Vegas to play in MGM and Desert Inn house orchestras as well as a stint at the Stardust Lido, where he formed a jazz trio with Roy James on drums and Harvey Leonard on piano, and later added Billy Root for an extended engagement at the renowned Pogo's Tavern. He's played various concerts for the Las Vegas Jazz Society and continues as an active contributor to the Las Vegas jazz scene, currently a regular backing up the Inkspots.

• Lee Charlton



Born in Attalla, Alabama, the son of a salesman who played sax, trombone and drums, Lee began playing drums at age 10, and never looked back. He was twice awarded Best Drummer in Alabama state competitions, and, as a teenager began both local and road jazz gigs, influenced early on by Shelly Manne, and later by Max Roach. During the Korean conflict, Lee was fortunate to have been surrounded by excellent musicians in the Army band. Once released, he played in bands all over the South, including Don Reitan's quintet on the Gulf Coast, and in Atlanta, played a trio gig with Wynton Kelly, and enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame playing with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Lee brought his New Orleans Quintet--which included pianist Ellis Marsalis and bassist Bun Blessey--to the Bay Area in 1963, where he has since made his home, playing for twenty years with fellow southerner Mose Allison, and recording with Mose, Vince Guaraldi, Van Morrison, Boz Scaggs, Beaver & Krause, pianist-composer Bryce Rohde and experimentalist Richard Waters. Lee has also played with Red Rodney, Chet Baker, Cal Tjader and Kenny Drew, and has joined Dave Grusin, Jack Sheldon, Maynard Ferguson, June Christie and Bob Cooper on various Bay Area gigs. Lee has used Verisonic drumsticks and brushes for over 30 years and endorses them.

• Robb Fisher



Robb grew up in Los Angeles, the son of a jazz musician who played in and directed an Air Force Band throughout World War II, arranged for the Dorsey brothers, and hosted a jazz show on KPFK. In 1967, Robb moved to San Francisco where he played his first gigs, and met drummer Lee Charlton. For over seven years, he toured and recorded with the late, great Cal Tjader, anchoring Cal's Grammy Award winning album, "La Onda Va Bien" and Grammy Nominee album, "Gozame Pero Ya." He has recorded or worked extensively with such luminaries as Chet Baker, Art Pepper, Tania Maria, Carmen McRae, Anita O'Day, Poncho Sanchez and Clare Fischer. Along with his bass work, two of his compositions are featured on the Monarch CD entitled, "The Nighthawks Featuring Eddie Marshall," released in 1996. Rob recently performed at the San Francisco Jazz Festival with Mel Martin's Bebop and Beyond 2000 with Bobby Watson, Jack Walrath, and Wynard Harper. He also performs locally with the group XNY that includes Rob Schneiderman and Ron Marabuto.



• Chuck Foster



Trumpeter Chuck Foster's early career began in 1963 with the Si Zentner Band, and included years with Della Reese until he joined the Buddy Rich Band at its inception in early '66. Aside from a tour with the Harry James Orchestra, Chuck spent the next ten years in Nevada, a regular at Harrah's, then nonstop Las Vegas showroom and lounge work punctuated by after hours jazz gigs. Since 1976, Chuck has lived and continues to work in Los Angeles, and in 1985 recorded his own aptly titled, "Long Overdue."



• Jim Haden



Bassist Jim Haden, born into a family known for its radio music shows, introduced his younger brother, Charlie, to the string bass, while shaping his own talent toward a life in jazz. He worked with Roland Kirk, among many others. His untimely departure due to heart attack in 1984, left his fellow musicians with fond memories of his fine, solid minimalist style, the subtle echoes of which can be heard in Charlie's work.



• Jackie Henderson



New Orleans trumpeter Mike Serpas met and married vocalist Jackie Henderson before forming his own Biloxi band that played an extended gig at Gus Stephens'. Jackie's career had begun in Washington, DC, where she auditioned with Willis Conover for the reformed W. Bradsher band and sang many club dates in the Southeast. Back in New Orleans, Jackie sang at the Playboy Club, while Mike worked for twelve years with Pete Fountain, and also worked with Al Belletto, Bill Huntington and Johnny Vidacovich, among many others, before his career was interrupted by a brain tumor. Mike and Jackie are now in the best of health, are woodsheddin' in Picayune, Mississippi, and making plans for their comeback.



• Sara Klotz de Aguilar



Pianist and composer Sara Klotz de Aguilar began writing songs 30 years ago, and began to perform in the Bay Area in 1979. She has appeared in numerous clubs and special events, including the Haight Street Fair and the Miss Haight Ashbury Pageant. She formed "Sara and Swingtime" in 1989, at the beginning of the latest (but not last) swing revival. A regular performer as a soloist and bandleader around the Bay Area, her swing is most inspired by the Teddy Wilson recordings of the mid-1930's. Recently, in addition to her swing gigs, Sara has again begun to perform original works, which range from introspective ballads to upbeat, danceable pop.



• Mike Lipskin



Mike Lipskin is one those exceedingly rare contemporary jazz pianists who play Harlem Stride, the sound of Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Duke Ellington, and Art Tatum. He first fell in love with Stride from his father's Fats Waller collection when he was 4 years old. By high school he was traveling to Harlem, learning from remaining Stride masters Willie The Lion Smith, Lucky Roberts, Cliff Johnson, and the amazing Donald Lambert. In his late teens, Mike made archive recordings of these Stride masters, and his ardent belief that they be made available to the public led to a staff job as producer at RCA Records, New York, when he was 21. During his 13 years there he produced historical reissues for the Vintage Series as well as new releases by Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Evans, Blue Mitchell, Cedar Walton, and many others. As a performer, Mike has played Carnegie Hall, Davies Symphony Hall, 92nd Street "Y" and Newport Jazz Festival and recently appeared in the jazz documentary film, "A Great Day In Harlem," which was nominated for an academy award. Mike has created his own vibrant, full jazz piano stride sound for which he is now writing new compositions. You can hear some of them on his recordings for Buskirk Productions and Downtown Records.



• Ellis Marsalis



Pianist and composer Ellis Marsalis is known globally as patriarch of the talented clan that has brought jazz leadership to the 21st century. A music educator par excellence, Ellis is recognized for helping to create the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA) where he mentored new generations of jazz greats during the 70's and 80's. Currently, he is director of the Jazz Studies Program at the University of New Orleans.



• John Peirce



Jazz theorist and educator, saxophonist John Peirce introduced revolutionary ideas and pioneered teaching techniques that are now absorbed into the mainstream of jazz pedagogy. Also known as one of the most versatile musicians in the business, he played lead and alto in David Baker's big band in the late '50s--a band which was hailed by Gunther Schuller as one of the most important of the decade. John also recorded with the George Russell Septet, and currently teaches in Carson City, Nevada.



• Nik Phelps



Saxophonist and clarinetist, Nik Phelps was the first musician to join "Sara and Swingtime." Nik is currently focused on his group, "The Sprocket Ensemble," which performs live, original accompaniment to animated films in theaters around the Bay Area.



• Bryce Rohde



Bryce Rohde began studying classical piano at age eleven, in Adelaide, South Australia. In his twenties, exposure to Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw inspired him to begin arranging for big bands and small group jazz. In 1953, he helped found the Australian Jazz Quartet/Quintet, which recorded ten albums and toured widely in Canada and the U. S. with Oscar Peterson, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Art Blakey, George Shearing, Dave Brubeck and many others, at such esteemed venues as Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Opera House and Boston's Storyville. Bryce's recognition as one of the most influential jazz artists Down Under followed the formation of the critically acclaimed Bryce Rohde Quartet in Sydney in 1958. Since moving to the States permanently in '65, Bryce has performed widely and composed over 60 jazz originals.



• Bob Schulz



Cornettist Bob Schulz leads both "The Frisco Jazz Band" and the "Turk Murphy Alumni Band." He's well-versed in the styles of Bob Scobey, Red Nichols and Bix Beiderbeck.



• Mike Serpas



New Orleans trumpeter Mike Serpas met and married vocalist Jackie Henderson before forming his own Biloxi band that played an extended gig at Gus Stephens'. Jackie's career had begun in Washington, DC, where she auditioned with Willis Conover for the reformed W. Bradsher band and sang many club dates in the Southeast. Back in New Orleans, Jackie sang at the Playboy Club, while Mike worked for twelve years with Pete Fountain, and also worked with Al Belletto, Bill Huntington and Johnny Vidacovich, among many others, before his career was interrupted by a brain tumor. Mike and Jackie are now in the best of health, are woodsheddin' in Picayune, Mississippi, and making plans for their comeback.