I Won't Dance off/on

Rick Brunetto -- Drums

Bandleader

Rick Brunetto, a native of Piqua, Ohio, earned his Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music in 1974, and a Masters in Percussion at Ohio State University in 1978. He went on to study timpani in New York with Fred Hinger, world-renowned timpanist with the Philadelphia and Metropolitan Opera Orchestras.

In 1974, he joined the well-known Bob Allen Trio at the Christopher Inn located in Columbus, with whom he performed and recorded for over 13 years. In 1978, he joined the faculty of Denison University, teaching in the areas of percussion, jazz studies, and music technology. He served as Chair of the Music Department from 1992 to 1998. He has also taught at Kenyon College, Mt. Vernon Nazarene College, and Capital University. He has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra and Welsh Hills Symphony. Rick has conducted and directed concerts with many artists including Louie Bellson, Frank Foster, Marvin Stamm, Jon Faddis, and Bill Watrous.

In 1984, he fulfilled a life-long musical ambition to create a 17- piece big band. Today the Rick Brunetto Big Band enjoys great success on the Columbus music scene and appears regularly at festivals, clubs and special events. The band's recordings include: "Tuxedo Junction", "Pick Your Take", "Stand Up and Swing", and their latest CD "So Many Stars So many Dreams." He has written arrangements and compositions for percussion ensemble, big band and symphony orchestra.
Currently Rick is on faculty at St. Charles High School, Columbus State, and Mount Vernon Nazarene University where he directs bands and teaches courses in music and audio engineering. He continues to perform, write and arrange for the band.

Mark Donavan -- Piano

Mark is a multi-talented musician equally comfortable with saxophone and woodwinds as well as the piano. He has played with many of Columbus's finest bands including Hoak Wail and Moan, Vaughn Weister's Famaous Jazz Orchestra and many more. He is an instrumental music teacher with Columbus Public Schools and is now teaching at the Fort Hayes Career Center

Mike Clark -- Bass

Mike Clark is a graduate of The Ohio State University where he played with the OSU Jazz Ensemble.  He originally played with the Rick Brunetto Big Band in 1994 and has recently rejoined the band. Mike can also be seen with the British Invasion, a fabulous tribute band that covers the music of the Beatles and many of the original British bands. He also leads his own band County Line Junction and has played with the Smith Bros. Mike has been a songwriter since the tender age of 15. His love of Power Pop music fuels much of his songwriting ideas and led to many accomplishments as a writer including the purchase of “Without You” by the Fox Television Network for their show Undeclared. “Without You” was used in all of Fox’s promotional advertisements for the show. Michael also composed the theme song for the 2006 Wing Bowl Competition in Columbus Ohio. Wing Bowl is sponsored every year by 1460 The Fan.

Bob LeBeau -- Lead Alto Sax

Veteran saxophonist Bob Lebeau is a native of London, Ohio, where he began his playing in the school music program. Bob has a B.S. in Education from Wilmington College and a Masters in Education from Xavier University. For over 30 years he was the principal at Franklin Heights High School in Columbus. While in the U.S. Army he played in the show band with the "Second Army Showmobile", a touring variety show group. He also toured every major army command in the world with the famous "Rolling Along" All-Army Revue. Bob has worked with Steve Lawrence, Margaret Whiting, Pat O'Bryan, Myron Floren, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra directed by Lee Castle, and the Bob Crosby Orchestra.

Gordon Shaffer -- Alto Sax

A lifetime career musician, Gordon Shaffer spent his earlier years with the Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Army Band where he performed for the many official functions of Congress, 7 U.S. Presidents and numerous visiting world leaders including the Pope. Additionally, he has toured the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia appearing with such diverse celebrities as Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Clint Black and Marie Osmond, newsmen Walter Cronkite, Charles Osgood and Ted Koppel, and the famed operatic singer Kathleen Battle. Now residing in Columbus, he continues his musical endeavors as a freelance musician, woodwinds instructor and clinician. Regionally, he has performed with the touring orchestras of Harry James, Jimmy Dorsey and Everett Longstreth, and locally, with Vaughn Wiester’s Fabulous Jazz Orchestra and Johnny Mack’s Super Big Band. For “relaxation” he competes in major endurance sporting events and has successfully completed several marathons including Boston, New York, Berlin and Athens, and 3 Ironman triathlons.

Sonny McBroom -- Tenor Sax

Saxophonist Sonny McBroom has been a staple on the Columbus music. He was featured with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra for more than 25 years. A retired principal from the Columbus Public Schools, Dr. McBroom has delighted audiences all over the world with his superb saxology!!!

Tom Schwieterman -- Tenor Sax

Tenor Saxophonist Tom Schwieterman is originally from Dayton Ohio. After a stint with the U.S. Airforce Band he toured for several years with singer Johnny Mathis. He also performed with the Woody Herman Orchestra. He now lives in Lancaster with his wife Jan and is the co-owner of Sweetman Music, a retail music store serving schools through out the state. Tom specializes in musical instrument repair and is an active performer in Lancaster as well. His solo work is also featured frequently with the band.

Bob Carpenter -- Baritone Sax

Bob is a graduate of the Ohio State University with a Ph.D. in Music Education. He is retired from the Columbus City Schools. He is an alumni of the U.S. Navy music program and has played locally with the Bruno Masdea Orchestra, the Chuck Selby Orchestra, Sanhedrin Move and the Big Blues Band. He has also played with the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and the Lancaster Festival Orchestra. In his free time he enjoys cooking and travel.

Larry Everhart -- Lead Trumpet

Leading the trumpet section is Dr. Larry Everhart. Also a prominent physician in Columbus, Larry has played with his own group "Energy" as well as the Vaughn Wiester Famous Jazz Orchestra, The Doc Everhart Big Band and many fine bands in Central Ohio.

Bill Ferguson -- Trumpet

Bill Ferguson has been a member of the band for 18 years. He has been playing the trumpet since he was in the fifth grade. He minored in music at Muskingum College but majored in mathematics and has a master's degree from the Univeristy of Pittsburgh. He teaches mathematics at Columbus State Community College. Since moving to Columbus in 1983, Bill has played with the Ann Young Orchestra (Mrs. Chuck Selby), The Len Foster Orchestra, and the Toll House Jazz Band.

Stephen Fannin -- Trumpet

Stephen Fannin has been playing with the Rick Brunetto Big Band for the past year and a half. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Ohio Welseyan University where he played lead trumpet in the jazz ensemble under Dr. Larry Griffin. Stephen also has a Masters degree in Music Performance from the University of Minnesota where he studied with Dr. David Baldwin and Dean Sorenson. He is currently an Assistant Marching Band Director and Head Jazz Ensemble director in the Marysville City School District. He has performed with several orchestras and jazz groups throughout Columbus including "Faster & Louder", and enjoys spending time at home with his wife, Krista, and son, Bardey.

John Barnes -- Trumpet

John has been a full time member of the band since 1992, and a sub for a couple years before that. He is a lifetime resident of Grove City and been in banking for many years, and since 1994, with Heartland Bank.      When Bruno Masdea formed a new big band in the early 70’s, John was asked to play, and kept playing with Bruno for 20 years.      He is an original and current member of the Grove City Community Winds Concert Band.   John was also an original member of the Lincoln Village Great Big Band, and played several years with Dr. Bob Everhart's Big Band.   Sundays, you will see him as a member of the worship team band at Radiant Life Church in Dublin.    In addition to trumpet playing, he was a charter member of the Heart of Ohio Barbershop chorus.     He and his wife Diane have two children, Scott and Emily, both graduates of The Ohio State University, and are now living in Colorado.   “You can never have enough trumpets and mouthpieces.”

Gary McKaig -- Lead Trombone

Gary is originally from Los Angeles, California, and after some time in Michigan, moved to Granville, Ohio in 1979. He began playing trombone in the third grade and after high school spent four years in the Navy playing in bands and orchestras. After the Navy, he toured with several Hollywood show bands and recording groups.
He has been with the Rick Brunetto Big Band since its inception in 1984, and before that he played with Bruno Masdea.

In 1995 Gary fulfilled a dream of starting a trombone jazz swing group and formed his group Bone-a-Fide Swing. The band, which includes five trombones, rhythm section and vocalists, has performed at many venues in central Ohio, and features the arrangements of Herb Harrison and Clint Morse.

He resides in Granville, with his wife Sue and is the proud grandfather of nine grandchildren. In his free time he enjoys working on cars and model railroads

Kevin Baker -- Trombone

Trombonist Kevin Baker performs in a number of different musical genres including jazz, swing, and classical. In addition to playing the jazz trombone position for the Rick Brunetto Big Band, he currently leads the trombone section of the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra under the direction of Bill Tole. Kevin has also played with the New York based Dick Lowenthal Orchestra and has played with the Ice Capades Orchestra, the Ted Weems Orchestra, the Bruno Masdea Big Band, The Len Foster Society Orchestra, The Elson LeFever Quintet, and The Anne Young Combo. As a classical trombonist, he performs with, and co-founded the Baronscourt Brass quintet. In 1997, Kevin won the prestigious North American Brass Band Solo Competition while with the Central Ohio Brass Band. He also played for a season leading the trombone section of the Scioto Valley Brass Band and more recently, has performed with the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with recording artists such as Kay Starr, Ben Vereen, Marvin Stamm, the Inkspots, and classical pianist Michael Chertock. His teachers include James DeSano, former principal trombone of the Cleveland Orchestra (Cleveland Institute of Music), D. Scott Moore of Gustavus Adolphus College and bass trombonist of the Minnesota Orchestra, jazz trombonist Gary Carney, and Canadian trombonists Ian McDougall and Alastair Kay.

David Fletcher-- Trombone

David Fletcher is the youngest member of the band. He is a graduate of Grandview High School and is currently persuing his undergraduate degree at Capital Univerity where he plays lead in the Capital Big Band as well as the Bexley Community Orchestra.

Matt Smith -- Bass Trombone

Matt attended Capital University, where he majored in Trombone Performance. While at Capital, Matt performed with nearly every ensemble in the Conservatory of Music, including the Capital/Bexley Community Orchestra. After leaving Capital, he continued performing with the Cap/Bexley Orchestra until 2006, totaling eleven seasons with the orchestra. Matt now makes occasional appearances in the trombone section of the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra. In addition to the Rick Brunetto Big Band, he has also played with various other professional groups and big bands including The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Vaughn Wiester's Famous Jazz Orchestra, Jazz 2 Go, the New Remnants Dance Orchestra, and the Blue Wisp Big Band. When not spending time with his wife, Suzanne, and two sons, Logan and Merrick, he enjoys brewing beer, being a geek, watching sports, and moonlighting as a super hero.

Chuck Gillespie -- Vocals

Chuck is proud to be a featured vocalist with the Rick Brunetto Big Band. Its an association that began over twelve years ago. As an entertainer, Chuck is equally at home on a bandstand, on television, on radio, or on a theatre stage. As a singer, Chuck has also been vocalist for the Hauer Big Band in Dayton and The Mark Little All-Stars of San Francisco. On television, Chuck was Anchor/Meteorologist for ABC 6 and Fox 28. On radio, Chuck hosts a music program on WLZT 93.3 and is the vacation host for Bob Conners’ popular morning show on 610 WTVN. And on the legitimate stage, he has appeared locally as MacHeath in OperaColumbus’ production of “Three Penny Opera” and as Dwight Eisenhower in Catco’s world premiere of “You’re My Boy”. He is a regular host of many charitable events annually, as diverse as the Columbus Zoo/OperaColumbus “Go Wild For the Opera” and the Tri-Village Sertoma “ Beat Michigan Dance” with Phil Dirt and the Dozers.
He is a veteran of Dinner Theatre in Florida and Ohio and has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra as well.
“Its really a great thrill to perform those timeless arrangements with this great band. The music of Frank, Sammy, Dean, Tony, Bobby Darin and the rest will continue to enrich our lives. And its great to explore the more contemporary artists like Chicago, Michael Buble and others…keeping it fresh and alive for today’s audience.”

Kelly McLennan -- Vocals

Kelly McLennan grew up in Defiance, Ohio and holds a music degree from Bowling Green State University. While in college and playing trumpet with the jazz band, she was also honing her skills as a vocalist in the Toledo area with the Scott Potter Trio and the Stan Sterner Big Band. After relocating to the Columbus area in 1989, she sat in on Honeysuckle Rose with Rick’s band and has worked with the band since. In addition to recording 2 albums with the Rick Brunetto Big Band, and performing at the 94thAero Squadron, Kelly is a request for many wedding and society gigs. Kelly also performed on Tom Carroll’s “Women in Jazz” concerts’ alongside the talented Hank Marr, Gary Carney, Marie Walker, Mary McClendon, Jeanette Williams & Michelle Horsefield Carney. Kelly works as a sidewoman with various Columbus artists including, Vaughn Wiester, Bob Allen, Cornell Wiley, Joe Ong, Erik Augis, Mark Flugge, Andy Woodson, Pete Mills and Stan Smith. She has led her own group at many local venues, including Dick’s Den, Hyde Park Grill, Lindey’s and the 501 Jazz Bar and is featured vocalist with Bonafide Swing (led by Rick’s own 1st Trombonist, Gary McKaig)! She has been a featured artist with the Ashland Jazz Series, Galion Jazz Series, Dayton Jazz Orchestra, Dorsey Brothers Big Band, Cab Calloway Band and in March of 2003 performed with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestraon their Stan Kenton Tribute concert conducted by Vaughn Wiester. Kelly has studied with Michelle Horsefield Carney, Sunny Wilkinson and Kevyn Lettau and has performed with national artists, Frank Foster, Jon Faddis and Louie Bellson.

Michael Phillips -- Vocals

Michael is a Columbus Ohio native who has worked in the automobile industry for 28 years. Currently employed at Jim Keim Ford as the Internet Sales Manager. Started singing early in life at church and in school choirs. Rick Brunetto recognized his talent for singing big band while he was performing in the Pepsi Gimme the Mike competition in 2005. Rick asked Michael if I had ever considered performing with a big band and I jumped at the opportunity...and the rest is just sweet Big Band Sound!!