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Jazz Links

JazzMN Member Sites:
Mary Louise Knutson
Adam Rossmiller
The Hornheads

JazzMN Guest Vocalists:
Judi Donaghy
Debbie Duncan
Connie Evingson
Arne Fogel
Bruce Henry
Maud Hixson
Carole Martin
Charmin Michelle
Patty Peterson
Dennis Spears
Sue Tucker
Steve Vecchi

Meet the Band

Trumpets

Steve Strand plays with The Hornheads and St. Croix Jazz Orchestra, and teaches private lessons. Over his career, Steve has played with Prince, Lori Line, Lenny Kravitz, The Temptations, Wayne Newton, The Four Tops, Donny Osmond, Chubby Checker and many more.

Jeff Gottwig is director of bands at Farmington High School, Minnesota, where he conducts the Jazz, Concert and Marching Band groups. Jeff has worked with many of the areas top groups including the Minnesota Orchestra, the Cedar Avenue Big Band, the Wolverines, the Minnesota State Fair Orchestra and many other performance situations. His credits as a sideman include performances with Harry Connick Jr., Thad Jones, Steve Allen, Jon Faddis, The Manhattan Transfer and Janet Jackson. Jeff attended the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, graduating with honors in music education and is soon to receive his Masters in Music Education from the University of St. Thomas.

Dave Jensen is a member of the Hornheads, a Billboard magazine award-winning a capella jazz group. As a group, they have released two solo albums. As a horn section, they have recorded hundreds of tracks for artists in the U. S., Argentina, Denmark, Portugal and the UK From 1991 through 2001, the Hornheads recorded nine albums with Prince and the New Power Generation and toured Europe, Japan, Australia and the U. S. Before this, Dave spent three years touring with the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Dave is a pit musician for musical shows and theatrical productions at the Orpheum, Ordway and Guthrie theaters. Dave has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra and is a faculty member at McNally Smith College.He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Boston's Berklee College of Music.

Adam Rossmiller is an active performer and educator in both the classical and jazz idioms around the twin cities area. He has performed with The Glenn Miller Orchestra, The Air Force Notables, JazzMN, Pete Whitman's X-Tet, The Summit Hill Brass Quintet, The Bach Society of MN, and has shared the stage with John Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi, Rob McConnell, Bill Holman, Michael Mossmann, Dennis Diblasio, Phil Smith, Vince DiMartino, Tom Peterson, Phil Hey, and Manny Laureano. He was the interim director of Jazz Band at St. Cloud State University during the ’04-’05 school year, has been a teaching assistant in trumpet and jazz theory at the University of Minnesota and continues to maintain a private studio. Currently Mr. Rossmiller is completing a D.M.A. at the University of Minnesota, from which he holds a M.M. He received his B.M. in jazz studies from the LamontSchool of Music in Denver, Colorado. Visit his website at www.adamrossmiller.com.

Trombones

Michael B. Nelson has distinguished himself as leader, arranger and trombonist for the Hornheads, the a cappela jazz horn group. In addition to receiving the McKnight Composers Fellowship in 1996, he has composed and arranged for Prince and many international artists and has toured world wide with Prince. His trombone credits include performances with Doc Severinsen, Chaka Khan, Lenny Kravitz, Ben Sidran, Sammy Davis Jr., Phil Upchurch and many others. He has also produced and arranged several Target Lifescapes Series jazz CDs. He studied at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, Appleton WI, under Fred Sturm, current Director of Jazz Studies at the Eastman School of Music. He is also a member of the trombone ensemble Locally Damaging Winds, heard periodically at The Artist Quarter in St. Paul.

Dave Graf is one of the most versatile trombonists in the Twin Cities, Dave has worked in a wide range of musical settings. His jazz resume includes performances with Slide Hampton, Herbie Lewis, Jack McDuff, Charli Persip and Superband, the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Orchestra, and the Woody Herman Orchestra. As a member of local show bands, he has backed stars like Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Connick Jr., Julie Andrews and Rosemary Clooney. In addition to JazzMN, Dave is currently active in the groups Mulligan Stew, The Twin Cities 7, and Salsa del Soul. His debut recording as leader, Just Like That (Artegra), was released in 2005 and boasts a stellar lineup of Twin Cities jazz and latin artists. He also teaches, writes, arranges, and works as a graphic designer.

Ethan Freier is a band director, writer, arranger, and freelance trombonist. Since 1998, Freier has been a concert and jazz band director in the Northfield Minnesota school system. Freier earned his Master of Music degree in jazz studies from Indiana University where he earned a prestigious “Performer’s Certificate.” While at Indiana University, Freier studied arranging with Dominic Spera and David Baker, and trombone with Dee Stewart. Freier received his Bachelor of Music degree in music education from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Many of Freier's compositions for young jazz ensembles are published by Kjos Publishing and his arranging talents are called upon by many Latin and pop bands in the Twin Cities area.. As a trombonist, he is in demand as a freelancer in the Twin Cities and has shared the stage and performed with numerous famed musicians such as Kenny Rogers, Harry Connick Jr., Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis, Barry Manilow, Michael Bolton, Ray Charles, Marie Osmond, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Natalie Cole.

Wade Clark has had a wide-ranging musical career that's taken him all over the country: to Boston, where he attended the Berklee School of Music; to San Francisco as a freelance player; and finally, to the Twin Cities, where his finesse on the large horn has been in high demand for the past 20+years. His big band resume includes stints with Buddy Rich, Les Elgart, Nelson Riddle and Buddy Morrow. He has backed up countless shows, from Sammy Davis, Jr., to the Moody Blues to the San Francisco Ballet. Wade also has logged extensive "pit" time (at the Guthrie, the Ordway, and the Minneapolis Children's Theater, to name a few), and is an active session musician, having recorded on hundreds of commercials, soundtracks, etc. In addition to his performing credits, Wade stays busy as a freelance arranger, orchestrator, and copyist.

Saxophones

Brian Grivna is a freelancer in the Twin Cities, spent ten years as a staff woodwind player at the Guthrie Theater and has toured with the Buddy Rich Band. He has been performing and recording with the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He plays on the Garrison Keillor radio show, "Prairie Home Companion" and with Broadway pit orchestras; he teaches saxophone and jazz improvisation at Macalester College and the University of Minnesota.

Pete Whitman has been actively composing, arranging, and performing for the past 21 years. As a jazz saxophonist he has performed with such artists as Randy Brecker, Jack McDuff, and the Woody Herman Orchestra, and currently leads his own group, Departure Point. Whitman attended North Texas State University, where he received his B.M. and M.M. Majoring in Jazz Studies and Minoring in Flute. Currently, Whitman is also teaching at McNally Smith College, a Minneapolis-based music school where he heads the Woodwind and Brass Department.

Dave Karr is a professional musician involved in many aspects of the music business. He has been composing and producing music for radio and TV since 1970, and with Mark Henderson formed Mark & Dave Music and Sound Design in 1996. As an instrumentalist, Karr has performed with name bands, symphony orchestras, Broadway shows and recording sessions. His saxophone and original compositions can be heard at local jazz venues, such as the Artists' Quarter in St. Paul, where he frequently can be found listening tojazz or performing with his quartet.

Dale Mendenhall has over 30 years of professional music experience. As a freelance musician, Dale has performed at Orchestra Hall with the Minnesota Orchestra, The Guthrie, Ordway, Children's Theatre, The State and Orpheum Theatre, backing up such artists as Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, David Letterman,Jay Leno, and many more. He toured Japan with Ben Sidran and the Paris singer Clementine. He has toured Russia with the University of Minnesota concert band. His sound was heard on the #1 pop hit "Funkytown" and is in demand wherever quality music is a priority in the Twin Cities. He plays regularly with local groups like the Jimmy Behringer band, Minnesota Klezmer Band, TC Jammers with the Hornheads, Stud Brothers, Reuben Ristrom Trio,. His latest CD Four To GO can be heard on the KBEM jazz station. Dale also plays various jazz festivals around the country with the Orlando Florida based Bill Allred Classic Jazz Orchestra.

Kathy Jensen is a member of the Hornheads, a Billboard magazine award-winning a capella jazz group. As a group, they have released two solo albums. As a horn section, they have recorded hundreds of tracks for artists in the U. S., Argentina, Denmark, Portugal and the U.K. From 1991 through 2001, the Hornheads recorded nine albums with Prince and the New Power Generation and toured Europe, Japan, Australia and the U. S. Before this, Kathy performed with several local groups, including Moore by Four at jazz festivals in Italy and Finland. Kathy is a pit musician for musical shows and theatrical productions at the Orpheum, Ordway and Guthrie theaters. She has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra and with touring artists such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Frank Sinatra Jr. and Natalie Cole. She graduated fromthe University of Minnesota with a degree in music education.

Rhythm Section

Mary Louise Knutson (piano) has been called "one of the most exciting and innovative artists to happen to jazz piano in quite some time." Her debut jazz trio CD, Call Me When You Get There, charted in the Top 50 in the United States and Canada for eight consecutive weeks and earned Knutson the award for Top New Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year from KWJL Radio, California, in 2001. In 2004, Knutson was the recipient of Lawrence University's distinguished Nathan M. Pusey Alumni Achievement Award for significant contributions and achievements in a career field, and in 2005, she was selected as one of five finalists in the Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Pianist Competition. In 2006, Knutson was nominated for both Jazz Artist of the Year and Pianist of the Year by the Minnesota Music Awards. For more info, please visit: www.MaryLouiseKnutson.com.

Terry Burns (bass) is currently the Director of the Bass Department at McNally Smith College, St. Paul and has been a professional bassist for 30 years. His performance credits in range from performances with Linda Rondstadt and Joe Walsh to performances and recordings with the greatest names in Jazz including: Gene Harris, Dewey Redman, Lee Konitz, Marlena Shaw, Jane Monheit, Freddy Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, David “Fathead” Newman, Ray Bryant and Billy Higgins. Terry has released two solo recordings on SONGSPEAK Records to critical acclaim and received nominations for “Jazz Recording of the Year” and “Bassist of the Year” in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 from the Minnesota Music Awards.

Joe Pulice (drums) holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and a Master of Music degree in Percussion from the University of Minnesota. As a jazz drummer and show player, he has been an active, in-demand drummer/percussionist in the Twin Cities since 1980. In 1979, Joe won The Northern Midwest Regional Louie Bellson/Slingerland Drum Contest. In 1986, he toured with Woody Herman and his Thundering Herd during Woody's 50th Anniversary Tour. He has won two Minnesota Jazz Music Awards - one for Best Jazz Vibist and one as a member of world-renowned drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt's group "Kamanari". Joe has worked with such jazz greats as Stan Getz, Slide Hampton, David Liebman and Jack McDuff. As a show player, he has performed with many artists, including Ray Charles, , Aretha Franklin and Harry Connick Jr.

Dave Singley (guitar) has shared the stage with numerous jazz artists, including; Tal Farlow, George Shearing, Butch Thompson, Larry Elgart and Jim Snidero. He has also performed with Perry Como, Jimmie Rodgers, Debbie Reynolds, Rich Little, and many others. He can be heard on nearly a dozen CD's by local artists, including his own debut CD "How My Heart Sings". Dave holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Jazz Composition/Arranging from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and a Master of Music Degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University.

Artistic Director

Dr. Douglas R. Snapp was exposed to jazz at an early age. Raised in a musical family, his earliest memories include his parent's jam sessions in their basement with local musicians. It was inevitable that Snapp would follow his older brother to the University of North Texas, a breeding ground for many jazz musicians. Snapp's ambition from the start was to become a jazz educator. He received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas. Upon graduation, Snapp gained professional experience performing on Princess and Scandinavian cruise lines, performing at Disney World resorts, and backing various artists. In 1989, Snapp decided to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Northern Colorado. It was at this time that Snapp was offered a position as Assistant Director of the UNC jazz studies program. During his tenure at UNC, Snapp performed in, and directed groups that received the prestigious Downbeat magazine awards in the Big Band, Combo, and Vocal Jazz categories. In 1998, Snapp formed the JazzMN organization with the intent to promote, preserve, and perpetuate the jazz art form. Since that time, Snapp has brought international jazz artists such as Phil Woods, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Weckl, and Paquito D'Rivera to perform with the JazzMN Big Band. Snapp currently serves as the Jazz Studies and Trumpet professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and plays principal trumpet in the Mankato Symphony.