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In mid-April, 2009, I played in the first appearance of the newly formed
Raven Symphony Orchestra in Healdsburg. I also work with three other local
community orchestras: Ukiah Symphony Orchestra, Lake County Symphony
Orchestra, and The Symphony of the Redwoods. These three groups have
eleven shows (eighteen performances) collectively between September and
May. I began doing orchestral work in September 2007 to improve my jazz
chops, and I'm having too much fun learning and playing with them.
I've also been playing in two community big bands, the Boonville Big Band, and Mendocino College Community Big Band, and a professional one, the Starlight Swing Band. Some of my recent work in orchestras and musicals have gotten in the way of playing in the Boonville Big Band, and they’ve another bassist now. I'm also the bassist in several jazz/swing combos, including a quartet, Queen Jane’s Swingtet (sax/piano/bass/drums), and my own band, the Boontniiks, which is based upon my relationship with guitarist Pilar Duran, who is from a very musical family that includes her dad, the local SF Bay jazz "legend", Eddie Duran. We play as a duo, trio (add drums), and have gigged as a quartet (w/a violinist who doubled on sax) and a septet (w/trumpet, sax, violin, vocalist). I've recently become involved with a Gypsy-Rock band, Electrika, which is based in Novato. I generally play upright, though the fretless bass guitar has become useful recently, including some rock-based music and for work on some big band charts and in some musicals, including "Miss Saigon" (Summer ’08) in an eighteen piece pit band, and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (Winter ’09) in a nine piece pit band, both at the Raven Theater in Healdsburg. “Joseph” went to Ukiah with a trio for the pit band. I played upright in a fourteen piece pit band for "Into the Woods" (Summer ’08) with Ukiah Players Theater. I'm scheduled to perform in "Little Shop of Horrors" with Ukiah Players Theater in July, and "Pajama Game" in August with Gloriana Opera Company. I started playing music at age 8, taking violin lessons for four years, and since then I've played guitar, clarinet and saxophone, and I've studied a bit at the piano. I’ve played in many settings over the years, playing in a wide array of styles, including blues, rock, R & B, reggae, folk, fusions within those and others. |
Lark Camp, PO Box 1176, Mendocino, CA 95460 USA (707) 964-4826