2009 Clinicians will be posted when confirmed. Guest will be Lee "Westy" Westenhofer (tuba)

2008 Clinicians

Dr. Steve Roach is pleased to announce an outstanding faculty for the February 9, 2008 festival. Clinicians (in alphabetical order):

Melissa Collard — Vocals
For the last 20 years, Melissa has been featured in West Coast jazz festivals, concerts, and clubs covering a broad range of musical styles including Trad jazz, Swing, jazz standards, Brazilian and Latin jazz. While attending UC Berkeley, she had regular appearances as a guitar/ vocalist with many legendary traditional jazz musicians including Dick Oxtot, Bob Schultz, Jim Rothermel, Bob Helm, Bill Napier, Jim Goodwin, Ray Skjelbred, Tom Keats, Robin Hodes, Bill Bardin, Bob Mielke, and Rex Allen. She studied modern jazz and music theory with Ed Kelly and Elvo D'Amante at Laney College in Oakland.  Her music has been featured on NPR's All Songs Considered, and the BBC's Jazz Club.  In 2003 she toured Europe with the CRC Big Band. In 2005 she received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists for Best Swing Vocalist. In 2005, her CD "Old Fashioned Love" was released to an enthusiastic reception by Japanese jazz critics and fans. Scott Yanow sums: "Suffice it to say that lovers of superior jazz vocalists should make themselves aware of Melissa Collard."

Bill Dendle — Trombone/Guitar/Banjo
Bill began playing banjo in 1963, and by 1967 he performed at Mickie Finn's in San Diego as leader of the South Market Street Jazz Band.  Bill was the lead banjoist at Capone's Warehouse in Monterey for nine years. 1977 found Bill as an entertainment consultant, banjoist, trombonist, band leader and entertainer at Florida's Disneyworld, where he opened on the Empress Lilly Showboat.  In late 1977 he revived the South Market Street Jazz Band. From 1982 to 1995, Bill appeared as one-half of the duo called Goodtime Banjos.  Bill is currently director of three trad. jazz camp programs. He plays trombone, guitar and banjo in Shelley Burns & Avalon Swing, and with Fast Eddie Erickson. Bill has performed with Bob Haggart, Bob Crosby, Johnny Varro, Dick Cary, Abe Most, Nick Fatool, Bob Draga and others. He is currently Vice-Principal at Lindbergh Educational Center in Manteca, California.

Bob Draga — Clarinet
Bob’s professional career encompasses over thirty-five years of live performances (national and international) at jazz festivals, jazz cruises, and personal engagements.  Bob has appeared regularly with the Titan Hot 7, Wally’s Warehouse Waifs, and as a duo with Jeff Barnhart. Bob performs exclusively on the “high seas” for Jazzdagen Cruises, sailing throughout the world.  Since leaving the Garden Avenue Seven, a band he founded and led for twenty-two years, Bob has led several all-star bands, was co-leader of the Draga-Vax Connection for three years, and has worked frequently with Johnny Varro, Tom Saunders, Rick Fay, Bob Haggart, and other world-class jazz performers, and has many recordings to his credit. In addition to playing superb clarinet, Bob presents an almost wicked brand of humor, making him one of the busiest musicians on the trad jazz circuit today.

Bob Embry — Reeds
Bob holds a Masters degree in Conducting and is a veteran school band and orchestra director of over 21 years.  He was once known as music director and reed player for the Blue Street Jazz Band.  He returned to the Bay Area from Fresno last summer to teach and live in Brentwood. For the past five years, he has played tenor and clarinet for the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra.

Steve Homan — Guitar
A jazz guitarist and composer, Steve has performed professionally for over 30 years with a variety of top named jazz artists and has appeared at many jazz festivals including the North Sea Jazz Festival in Europe.  He currently holds adjunct teaching positions at Cosumnes River College, American River College and California State University Sacramento (1998-2006), and is one of the “Professors” at the STJS Trad Camps.

Dave Johnson — Trumpet
currently performs with the Bill Rase Big Band, Sister Swing, and the Horn Dawgs and formerly toured with the Wooden Nickel Jass Band, Conquista Musical, the Mike Torres Band, the Coasters, and the Drifters.  Dave is a private brass instructor and also directs the STJS Youth Band.  He freelances as a clinician, composer, and arranger, and continues his music education at Sac State Univ.  Dave’s recording credits include; the SF 49ers, Mick Martin and the Blues Rockers, Sister Swing, and the Wooden Nickel Jass Band to name a few.

Ron Jones — Drums
After Ron retired from playing drums with the US Air Force show bands for many years, he backed up such prime time entertainers as Frankie Laine, Kay Starr, the Ink Spots, and Diahann Carroll.  Since he moved to Sacramento in the early 1980s, he’s played with many top West Coast jazz bands.  A member of the Festival Committee, Ron is a very popular drummer on the national jazz festival circuit.

Jerry Lopes — String Bass
Jerry is a retired music educator who was a teacher for 38 years and continues to be a clinician/teacher, and adjudicator (since 1982). He is also conductor of the American River College Orchestra and the Capitol Pops Concert Band. Jerry is a classical musician with the Sacramento Camellia Symphony and a jazz performer on string bass with Dr. Bach and the Jazz Practitioners band. 

Mike McMullen — Reeds
Mike studied at the NaviBase Music School, the SF Conservatory, and the Dick Grove School in Los Angeles.  He is a composer, recording artist, private reeds instructor, and in his 10th year as Director of the Jazz Ensemble at University of California, Davis. He is a jazz faculty member at Sacramento State University and American River College.  Mike is the founding member of Sacramento region’s premier jazz group, Capital Jazz Project.
             
Lenny Pollacchi — String Bass
Lenny has been a music educator for over 32 years at middle school, high school and college levels, and has been a professional bassist since 1958.  He currently works with several bands in the Sacramento area, and has appeared in every Jubilee since its inception.  For the past 5 years he has served as the Music Supervisor for the Sacramento City Unified School District.

Dave Robinson — Cornet/Trumpet
Dave has toured with the top traditional jazz and swing bands in the Washington, DC area for nearly 30 years.  He is the founder of the Traditional Jazz Educators Network, and director of the Traditional Jazz Curriculum Project.  Dave has directed the award-winning Capital Focus Jazz Band youth group since 1988. His impressive collection of traditional jazz recordings can be heard on his weekly program. "The French Quarter," on XM Satellite Radio.

Bob Secor — Piano/Trumpet
Bob plays piano and trumpet, and with a Masters in Music Composition, he has written over 300 arrangements for jazz band, concert band and orchestra. He writes for radio and television shows and commercials, including being on staff for Young Indiana Jones.  Bob has taught jazz ensemble since 1990 at Delta Junior College and at Cosumnes River College.

Mike Vax — Trumpet
Mike is an international artist for the Getzen Company.  He has played lead and solo trumpet with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, the Clark Terry Big Bad Band, and the U.S. Navy Show Band.  Mike has also performed and/or recorded with such greats as Art Pepper, Al Grey, Freddy Hubbard, Joe Williams, Anita O’Day, the Four Freshman, the Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestras, and the Dukes of Dixieland in New Orleans.  He has toured extensively in Europe, Scandinavia, South America and Japan; and has done world-wide workshops and concerts in over 2000 schools and universities over the past 35 years.  He is very active as a clinician and soloist in both the classical and jazz idioms.  As a recording musician, he has performed on more than 75 albums, including 20 under his own name.

2007 clinician Howard Miyata sings "Yama Yama Man"