Matt Niess
Since 1988 Matt Niess has served as lead trombonist with The US Army Blues Jazz Ensemble based in Washington, DC. He is from Levittown, PA where he attended Woodrow Wilson High School. He earned an undergraduate degree in Instrumental Music Education from West Chester University in 1986 and Masters’ in Trombone Performance from George Mason University in 1996.

He was director of bands at Calvert High School in Prince Frederick, MD from 1986-1988, has taught on the jazz faculties of Shenandoah and Towson Universities and served as director of jazz studies and professor of trombone at West Chester University from 2003-2007. With The Army Blues he has served as Senior Producer and Jazz Coordinator of the Eastern Trombone Workshop producing over 200 concerts at various venues from The White House to the Monterey, CA Jazz Festival. He is the founder and director of The Capitol Bones, a jazz trombone ensemble, which has received national recognition and was winner of the 1991 International Trombone Association Kai Winging Award. He has appeared as a soloist, clinician, and adjudicator at numerous jazz festivals, universities and schools. These venues include The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, IAJE, ITA, ETW, MENC, PMEA, VMEA, University of Las Vegas, University of North Texas, West Virginia University, Disneyland & Disneyworld All-American College Band, James Madison University, UARTS, University of Utah, The Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, Longwood College, The U.S. Air Force “Noteables”, Mary Washington College, Shepherd College, University of Kentucky, University of Texas, George Mason University, University of Wisconsin, Towson University, University of North Carolina, Shenandoah University, Longwood College, West Chester University, University of Tennessee and others.

With The Army Blues he has performed with Clark Terry, Doc Severinsen, Bill Watrous, Phil Wilson, Conrad Herwig, Carl Fontana, Don Menza, Chris Potter, John Clayton, Alabama, Rany Travis, Ertha Kitt, Allen Vizutti, Jon Faddis, The New York Voices, Terrell Stafford, Michael Abene, Dave Steinmeyer, Steve Turre, Tim Hagens, John Swana, James Moody, Buddy DeFranco, Dr. Billy Taylor, Bob Curnow, Mike Tomaro and many others. Venues include numerous Univeristies, schools and jazz festivals, I.A.J.E., ETW, The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, MENC, The Montreux Jazz Festival, The Monterey Jazz Festival, Elkhart Jazz Festival, International Trombone Festival, National Trumpet Competition, The Trumpet Guild, Performances abroad include Germany, Switzerland, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Norway and Sweden. As a sideman he has performed with Ray Charles, Shirley Jones, The Temptations, Diane Shuur, Joan Rivers, The Ink Spots, Merv Griffin, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra Jr., Ben Vereen, The Four Tops, The Manhattan Transfer, Pia Zadora, The Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra, David Baker, The Rob Parton Jazz Tech Big Band, The Gene Krupa Orchestra, Slide Hampton and many others.

He has produced CDs with The US Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, The West Chester University Criterions Jazz Ensemble, The Capitol Bones and The Capitol Bones Big Band and has appeared on many recordings to include The Mark Taylor/Steve Fidyk Big Band, The New Gene Krupa Orchestra, Graham Breedlove, Doug Hamilton, The Mike Tomaro Big Band, over 50 recordings with The Studio A Big Band and The Washington Winds, Warner Bros. Publications, FJH Music, Carl Fischer Music, Belwin Publications and Hal Leonard Publications. He has also recorded sound tracks for FOX TV, HBO, Discovery and TLC.

Matt Niess is a SeaBreeze recording artist and performs on a Courtois trombone.

Dr. Steve Wright
Dr. Steve Wright is a nationally recognized trumpet and flugelhorn soloist, as well as a composer-arranger of hundreds of works. After graduating from the University of Iowa, his professional career began in 1968 as a jazz/lead trumpet player with the U.S. Air Force Jazz Ensemble, the Airmen of Note. After leaving the Air Force in 1972, he moved to the Twin Cities (Minneapolis, St. Paul) and resides in Minnetonka. He holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Iowa and Masters and DMA degrees from the University of Minnesota.

As a trumpeter, Steve Wright has played in everything from the Minnesota Orchestra to recording tracks for Motown Records (including a track on the Janet Jackson CD, “Janet”) and has played lead trumpet for such stars as Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, Joe Williams, the 1991 Special Olympics (ABC TV “Special”--August 15, 1991) and many others. In January of 1997, he was part of a featured solo group with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra on a pops concert series conducted by Doc Severinsen. He was heard as the solo trumpet on the award winning EDS.com commercial (the “Cat Herders”) for the 2000 Super Bowl.

The Steve Wright Big Band was formed in 1974 and frequently plays for concerts, conventions and private parties. A month long six-state Midwest tour in 1981 featured the music of the great jazz and dance bands. They performed at the 1982 Kool Jazz Festival in Minneapolis, fronting for Red Rodney/Ira Sullivan and Dexter Gordon. Their album, Take Two, was recorded in 1981 and the compositions are published by Wright’s firm, Music Endeavors. The album has been re-released on CD. Members of the band have played with such varied bands and artists as Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, Prince, Luther Allison, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson and many others. These musicians are first-call players for recording, shows and jazz concerts.

Wright has also composed and arranged dozens of jazz ensemble arrangements and compositions for Hal Leonard and Jenson Publications, as well as music for numerous shows, industrial shows and recording projects. Original jazz ensemble and brass publications are available at: SteveWrightMusic.com.

Wright’s recent activities have included performances with his own groups, clinic appearances, the Gustavus Band, Ellington Echos and the TC7. Recent compositions include "Three Impressions for Trumpet Choir" (premiered at the 2004 ITG Conference in Denver) and jazz compositions "Thad", "Einstein by the Numbers" and "Slip 'n' Slide".
He is an Associate Professor of Jazz Ensembles, Trumpet and Arranging at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota and is in his 21st year of teaching at the school. " Jazz at Gustavus" is an integral part of the music curriculum and the Gustavus Jazz Lab Band tours annually.

Wright is a member of the International Trumpet Guild, Twin Cities Jazz Society, American Composers Forum, IAJE, MENC, Phi Mu Alpha and has been an American Federation of Musicians union member for over 40 years. He now plays the Accent Artist Series line of brass instruments, performing as a soloist and clinician nationwide.

Karyn Quinn
Karyn Quinn teaches bass, music theory and directs instrumental jazz ensembles at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She is also an active bassist and clinician.

Quinn received her Bachelor degree in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Master degree in String Bass Performance and Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado.

Quinn has served on the music faculties of Michigan Technological University. She is in great demand as a freelance bassist in both classical and jazz settings. As an orchestral bassist she has performed as principal bass with the La Crosse Symphony, Keweenaw Symphony and in the section of the Cheyenne Symphony. Karyn has performed in concert with many jazz artists including Diane Schuur, Ernie Watts, Clark Terry, James Williams, Red Rodney and Kurt Elling. Currently she performs with the Great River Big Band, and The La Crosse Jazz Quartet. Quinn was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship to study with bassist, Rufus Reid and has also performed in master classes for Gary Karr. She was a finalist in the 1997 International Society of Bassists Jazz Bass Competition. Quinn is an active member of The International Society of Bassists, and The International Association of Jazz Educators. Her method books for beginning bass students, Bass Sessions, are published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company.

Dennis McDermott
Mr. Dennis McDermott graduated from Northern State University with a BS in Music Education in 1971. He has been involved in music education since 1972, teaching students from fifth grade through college. The last 22 years of his teaching career, he taught at Central High School in Aberdeen, SD. His high school concert and jazz bands were very successful in concerts and competitions. Jazz I was an award-winning group winning many accolades in a tri-state area.

Throughout his career, Mr. McDermott has adjudicated numerous solo and ensemble contest, marching band festivals, regional music contests, and jazz festivals. He has performed with high school groups, college jazz bands, the Air Force “Noteables”, and jazz ensembles locally and throughout the state.

As the coordinator of the South Dakota All State Jazz event for eighteen years, Mr. McDermott was able to bring in many nationally recognized music educators. The All State event was in its infancy when Mr. McDermott took on the challenge of widening the spectrum of jazz opportunities for high school musicians in the state.

In 2010, Mr. McDermott received the SD Band Director of the Year Award from SDBMA, and also received the Distinguished Service Award from the SDHSAA.

Mr. McDermott currently teaches Jazz Improvisation at Northern State University.
 

Dr. Steve Wright

Karyn Quinn

Dennis McDermott