Tucson's BIG BAND EXPRESS

About the Express

The Band in All Its Glory

Tom Patrick - Drums (Founder of Big Band Express) Tom has played percussion for Bob Crosby, Liberace, Jack Jones and Vicki Carr. Retirement from public school administration allows him plenty of time for the Express as well as Choral Music Consulting with special emphasis on Vocal Jazz.	Geoff Hamilton - Bass Geoff holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from the U. of A. He has played bass with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra since 1980. He plays jazz and commercial music in the Tucson area. He’s played for Bob Hope, The Fifth Dimension, Bernadette Peters, and was thrilled to play with noted jazz great, Bud Shank.
Lloyd Bartlett - Piano TELEVISION: CBS-8yrs., HBO special w/Red Buttons, EMMY award-winning TV Commercials. SHOWS: Carson, Liberace, Sinatra, Hope, Ann-Margaret, Martha Raye. BANDS: Tex Benecke, The Tommy Dorsey Band, Bob Crosby.	Linda Spencer - 3rd Trombone Nursing Degree, Pima C. College. Nurse, U.M.C. Linda has played with Philharmonia of Tucson, Southern Arizona Winds, New Generation, Sandy Braun-Expression of Him. Keyboardist at Christ Community Church.
Michael Harrison - 1st Trumpet (Lead)	Ken Smukal - 2nd Trumpet Played lead trumpet and was Jazz Soloist with the USAF’s *Airmen of Note* in Washington, D.C. Also worked with Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, Joe Williams, Lou Rawls, and many others. Plus recording national TV/Radio commercials.
Mark Nelson – Bass Trombone Director of Bands and Chair of Performing Arts at Pima Community College. Member of AZ Symphonic Winds. MM, DMA from Arizona State University. Former Principal Tuba of Vermont Symphony Orchestra. Has backed Rita Moreno, Tony Bennett, Shirley Jones, Moody Blues, Marvin Hamlisch, and others.	Kelland Thomas - Alto Sax (Lead) Kelland is a Professor in the School of Music at the University of Arizona. He has performed with The Four Tops, Louis Bellson, Donald Walden, Jimmy Heath, and Marcus Belgrave. He can be heard locally with such groups as Descarga, Original Wildcat Jazz Band and Big Band Express. Kelland Thomas Online
Darrell Prochaska - 3rd Trumpet Currently the Director of Bands at Canyon Del Oro High School in Tucson, this native of Iowa has also taught in New York City and Minnesota.	Bruce Tost - 2nd Alto Saxophone Graduate of U of A, Graduate work Ill. St. U. He's performed with: World Saxophone Conf., Bo Didley, Bob Crosby, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Willie Nelson, and Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Glenn Harmon - 4th Trumpet Often a featured soloist with the Express, Glenn also is currently performing with various brass groups in Tucson. Before moving to Tucson, he was Principal Trumpet in the Beach Cities & Peninsula Symphonies in the LA area.	Gary Love - 1st Tenor Saxophone (Lead) Gary attended the University of Arizona and North Texas State before completing his degree at the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. For the last forty years, he has balanced his private practice with his playing for groups from both Tucson and L.A.
Rob Boone - 1st Trombone (Lead) B.S. (UA), M.M. (UA), Adjunct Jazz Faculty at U of A; 4 years as trombonist with several cruise ships; played with Wayne Newton, Natalie Cole, and Linda Ronstadt. Rob Boone online	Tom O’Kelley - 2nd Tenor Saxophone Tom has played clarinet with the TSO & Flagstaff Summer Festival Orchestra. He has conducted Symphonies in Calif. and Az., and was named Music Educator of the Year 1995.
Lanny Webb - 2nd Trombone Lead Trombone - Stardust Hotel, Las Vegas. Along with backing many known stars, Lanny toured with the DeCastro Sisters and for a time played lead Trombone with Sammy Kaye. BS..Univ. of Arizona.	Wayne Anderson - Baritone Saxophone Attended Cal. State Northridge. Led his own band across Asia. Performed studio work/backed Lou Rawls, LA Brass & wings of light. Currently is a senior Engineer for Raytheon.

A recent Gaslight Theater concert featured a terrific guest artist: Katy Martin Click here for more about Katy!
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