Music

Greg Banaszak - Saxophone

Greg Banazak, one of today's leading saxophonists, has performed as concerto soloist with orchestras and at concert halls throughout the world. As a member of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, Mr. Banaszak is a voting member for the annual Grammy Awards ceremony. A graduate of the Hartt School of Music and the Chopin Academy of Music, he serves in the faculties of the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University. Mr. Banaszak takes great pride in educating the future generation of world class saxophonists and young artists. Hailed as a Saxophonist "Tour de Force" by the New York Times, Mr. Banaszak continues to perform world-wide.

Dan Bruce - Saxophone

By embracing the influence of his heroes from the jazz tradition and retaining his own musical personality, guitarist Dan Bruce has developed a unique and impressive musical voice. Now a resident of Cleveland, Ohio after spending a decade as an important member of Chicago's vibrant jazz scene, he is active throughout the United States as a performer, recording artist, composer and educator. Bruce has performed on more than fifty albums as a sideman and has released four albums as a leader. He has worked with several eminent musicians including Seamus Blake, Ali Jackson, Sean Jones, Dan Wall, Lynn Seaton, and Marquis Hill. His groups have been featured in The Chi-Town Jazz Festival, The Chicago Composers Collective series at the Green Mill, The Chicago Cultural Center Chamber Music Series, The Jazz Institute of Chicago NextGen Jazz Series, South by Southwest (TX), The Toledo Jazz Festival, and The Rubber City Jazz Festival. He has been profiled in Fingerstyle Guitar, allaboutjazz.com, on WDCB 90.9 FM Chicago, WKSU 104.9 Cleveland, coolcleveland.com, and Chicago Jazz Magazine. In 2020 and 2024 Dan received an Individual Excellence Award in Music Composition from the Ohio Arts Council. He is a member of The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Alla Boara, The Oblivion Project, Stephen Philip Harvey Octet and Big Band, and Reclamation Band. Bruce is the founder and Artistic Director of The Hingetown Jazz Festival. In 2024 he was named a "Jazz Hero" by the Jazz Journalists Association. Dan Bruce is currently on faculty at Cleveland State University.

Aidan Plank - Bass

Double bassist, electric bassist, and composer Aidan Plank has performed for the past 27 years in the broad and diverse circumstances required of a jazz musician. Since 2013 Plank has served as the bassist for the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra where he has collaborated with guest artists including Gerald Clayton, Joe Lovano, Maria Schneider, Michael Philip Mossman, Bobby Sanabria, Tierney Sutton, Regina Carter, Ken Peplowski, Bria Skonberg, and many others. Plank's own collaborative ensemble Pulse features saxophonist Brad Wagner, pianist Anthony Fuoco, and drummer Dustin May. Pulse explores new compositions by its members and also works to cultivate a midwestern sound drawing influence from the music of Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden. Plank is also active as a jazz composer. His compositions and arrangements are performed by the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra as well as the Third Law Collective, a composers collective in residency at The Bop Stop in Cleveland, OH that focuses solely on new works by jazz composers. Third Law also featured guest trumpeter Russ Johnson in the spring of 2024. As an educator Plank served as an instructor at the Tri C Jazzfest Academy in Cleveland, OH from 2015 to 2021 and as the jazz bass instructor at Kent State University from 2016 to 2024. Aidan has served as an adjudicator at The Maple Rock Jazz Festival and The Lakeland Jazz Festival, as well as offering masterclasses at the Chicago School of the Arts and Bowling Green State University. Currently, he serves as the Assistant Teaching Professor of Jazz Bass at Bowling Green State University's College of Musical Arts. Plank holds a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from Youngstown State University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Cleveland State University. He studied double bass with Dave Morgan of Youngstown State University and with Kevin Switalski of the Cleveland Orchestra.

Demetruis Steinmetz - Bass

Demetruis Steinmetz holds a Master of Music in string performance and Bachelor of Music in jazz studies from Bowling Green State University (BGSU).

His career includes over a decade of instructing for Tri-C's Jazz Preparatory Program and "Summer With The Jazz Masters" camp, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra's outreach program, the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning's ArtWorks program, BGSU, the 21st Century Community Learning Center, The Fine Arts Association in Willoughby and the Beck Center for the Arts.

Steinmetz spent four years as Artist in Residence at the Cleveland School of the Arts, where he was director of bands and jazz ensemble. Steinmetz performs professionally in the Cleveland area and has performed with nationally known artists such as Jimmy Heath, Carl Allen, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Kim Nazarian, Howard Johnson, Doug Lawrence and Chico Hamilton. He has been recorded on Cadence Records, which received four stars in a review in Downbeat magazine.

Dr. Matthew Saunders is professor of music and music department chair at Lakeland Community College, where he teaches courses in music appreciation, popular music, music history and first-year experience, and directs the Lakeland Civic Orchestra. Prior to coming to Lakeland in 2012, he held the position of associate professor of music and director of bands at Oklahoma Panhandle State University from 2007 to 2012. He received degrees in music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and The Ohio State University. Dr. Saunders studied composition with Donald Harris, Thomas Wells, Jan Radzynski and Wes Flinn, and trombone with Joseph Duchi and Tony Chipurn. His 20 years' experience in music education includes teaching band; general music; and music theory in public elementary, middle and high schools, and colleges and universities, in rural, suburban and urban settings in Ohio, Georgia, and Oklahoma.
Dr. Saunders' original compositions have been performed across the country, including performances at national conferences of the National Flute Association, the International Horn Society, the Society of Composers, and the College Music Society. He has presented his research at conferences of the College Music Society, the Society of Composers, the Oklahoma Music Theory Roundtable, and the Aspen Composers Conference. His works for large ensemble have been performed by the McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra (Columbus, Ohio), the Marquette (Michigan) Symphony Orchestra, the Southwest Florida Youth Orchestra, the New Music Guild Festival Orchestra, the University City Symphony Orchestra (Missouri). They have also been performed by the orchestras of Florida Gulf Coast University and Westminster College, and the bands and wind ensembles of The Ohio State University, Kansas State University, West Texas A&M University, Kutztown University (Pennsylvania), Dennison University (Ohio), Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Garden City (Kansas) Community College, and Sinclair Community College (Ohio). Locally, his works have been performed by the Lakeland Civic Orchestra, the Lakeland Civic Band and at Lorain County Community College. He has collaborated on original compositions with members of the Minnesota Orchestra and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and faculty members from South Dakota State University, University of Minnesota at Morris, Minot State University (North Dakota), Eastern New Mexico State University, New Mexico State University, and Eastern Illinois University. He performs as a trombonist, and was featured soloist in the premiere of his concert piece for trombone and wind ensemble "Homo sapiens trombonensis," and presented the first complete performance of his epic unaccompanied trombone work "Twenty Views of the Trombone" in Atlanta, Georgia, in February 2017, after performances and premieres of portions of the piece in New York City; Norman, Oklahoma; Aspen, Colorado; and Cleveland (at both MOCA Cleveland and for the Cleveland Composers Guild). In Northeast Ohio, Saunder's works have been performed by the Blue Streak Ensemble and the Gruca White Ensemble, the Chamber Music Society of Ohio, the Solaris Wind Quintet, and Oberlin Choral Spectrum. He received the 2007 Ruth Friscoe Prize for composition, was the Oklahoma Music Teachers Association 2011 Commissioned Composer, and is a five-time recipient of the ASCAP Plus Award. He was elected to membership in the Cleveland Composers Guild in 2012 and has served as secretary since 2015. Dr. Saunders' compositions are published by Imagine Music and martiandances.com, and he has written articles for "The Journal of Band Research," "Music Educators Journal," "The Chronicle of Higher Education," and "The Instrumentalist." He is on the web at www.martiandances.com, but the physical Dr. Saunders lives in Willowick, Ohio, with his wife Becky and their children Noah and Melia.

• 2025 - Eileen Burns
• 2024 - The Three Divas
• 2023 - Dan Bruce's :beta collective, Chuchito Valdés, Cleveland State University Jazz Ensemble
• 2022 - Diego Figueiredo, Nellie McKay; Red Light Roxy, Kent State University Jazz Orchestra
• 2021 - Carol Welsman Trio
• 2020 - Festival cancelled
• 2019 - The Ralph Moore Quartet featuring Ralph Moore, tenor sax, Xavier Davis, piano, Rodney Whitaker, acoustic bass, Sean Dobbins, drums
• 2018 - The Donald Harrison Quintet featuring Donald Harrison, saxophone/vocals, Zaccai Curtis, piano, Darryl Staves, drums, Jasen Weaver, bass; East Central Jazz Educators; All Star Big Band
• 2017 - The Ernie Krivda All Star Quartet featuring Lafayette Carson, Renell Gonsalves, and Jeff Halsey; The Dizzy Gillespie All Stars featuring John Lee, Claudio Roditi, Eric Alexander, Cyrus Chestnut and Tommy Campbell
• 2016 - The Tony Monaco Hammond B-3 Organ Trio; The Kenny Garrett Quintet featuring Marcus Baylor, Rudy Bird, Vernell Brown, Cocoran Holt; Youngstown State Jazz Ensemble
• 2015 - Sammy De Leon y su Orquesta; Baldwin-Wallace Jazz Ensemble
• 2014 - Dan White Sextet; The Carmen Lundy Quartet featuring Carmen Lundy, vocals, Patrice Rushen, piano, Ralph Peterson, drums and Kenny Davis, bassist
• 2013 - Chris Potter Quartet featuring Chris Potter saxophone, David Virelles piano, Larry Grenadier bass, Eric Harland drums; Jamey Haddad All-Star Trio featuring Jamey Haddad drums, Leo Blanco piano and Robert Occhipinti bass
• 2012 - Dave Morgan and Friends; Yellowjackets; The Dave Banks Big Band
• 2011 - Organ Ism; Bobby Selvaggio's Grass Roots Movement; Kurt Rosenwinkel; Mojo: The Generations Big Band
• 2010 - T.S. Monk Sextet featuring T.S. Monk Jr. on drums, Helen Sung piano, Dan Loomis bass, James Zollar trumpet, Patience Higgins alto sax, and Michael Karn tenor sax
• 2009 - Pat Martino guitarist, Tony Monaco Hammond B-3 organ, Louis Tsamous, Drums; Helen Welch, Quintet
• 2008 - Larry Coryell, guitarist, Jeff Berlin, bass, Paul Wertico, drums, Jazz Fusion; Dave Sterner Quintet
• 2007 - Jim McNeely, piano, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
• 2006 - Bobby Sanabria, drums, Quarteto Ache, Ed Michaels, tenor saxophone, Jackie Warren, piano; Roberto Ocasio Latin Jazz Project
• 2005 - Paquito D'Rivera, clarinet, Barbara Knight, vocalist, Paul Ferguson, trombone, Ed Michaels, tenor saxophone, Dave Sterner, alto saxophone; Youngstown State Jazz Ensemble; Jazz Impact Reunion Band; Youngstown State Faculty Trio; Clinic with Dr. Bob Brown & Paquito D'Rivera
• 2004 - Barbara Knight, vocalist, Paul Ferguson, trombone, Ed Michaels, tenor saxophone, Jack Schantz, trumpet, Dave Sterner, alto saxophone; The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra; The Silky Sounds, Jazz Vocal Quartet; Youngstown State Jazz Ensemble
• 2003 - Marji Jay, vocalist, Barbara Knight, vocalist, Dave Sterner, alto saxophone, Ed Michaels, tenor saxophone, Alton Merrel Jr., piano, Dave Morgan, bass; The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra; Youngstown State Jazz Ensemble
• 2002 - Banu Gibson, vocalist & The New Orleans Hot Jazz; The Fat Tuesday Big Band featuring  Susan Hesse, vocalist, Warren Vache, cornet, Dominic Farinacci, trumpet, Jiggs Whigham, trombone, Ernie Krivda, tenor saxophone, David Boeddinghaus, piano, Howard Alden, guitar, Chris Berg, bass, Jim Rupp, drums
• 2001 - Ken Peplowski, clarinet, Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar, Terry Blaine, vocalist, Mark Shane, piano, Jim Masters, trombone, Susan Hesse, vocalist, Ernie Krivda, saxophone
• 2000 - Buddy DeFranco, clarinet, Marlene VerPlanck, vocalist, Cal Collins, guitar, Gene Parker, vibes, Dave Powers, piano, Chris Berg, bass, Jim Rupp, drums
• 1999 - Terry Gibbs, vibes, Bob Breithaupt, drums, Jeff Halsey, bass, Bob Brown, piano
• 1998 - Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band featuring Jerry Gonzalez, trumpet, flugelhorn, congas, John Stubblefield, tenor, Joe Ford, alto/soprano Kenny Kirkland, piano, Steve Berrios, drums, bells, Percussion
• 1997 - Lew Soloff, trumpet, Pharez Whited, trumpet, Jeff Jarvis, trumpet, Phil DeGreg, piano, Bob Breithaupt, drums, Chris Berg, bass, Ernie Krivda, saxophone
• 1996 - Phil Woods, saxophone, Chuck Israels, bass, John Fedchock, trombone, Dan Wall, piano, Val Kent, drums, Ernie Krivda, saxophone
• 1995 - David Baker, cello, Bill Dobbins, piano, Jim Rupp, drums, Paula Owen, vocalist, Marion Hayden, bass, Erinie Krivda, saxophone
• 1994 - Chuck Findley, trumpet, John Von Ohlen, drums, Mar'shal Baxter-Beckley, vocalist, Ernie Krivda, saxophone, Marion Hayden, bass, Joe Hunter, piano
• 1993 - Louie Bellson, drums, Gary Carney, trombone, Ernie Krivda, saxophone, Bill Plavan, bass, Bob Brown, piano
• 1992 - Kenny Burrell, guitar, Nick Brignola, saxophone, Jeff Halsey, bass, Val Kent, drums, Bob Brown, piano
• 1991 - Donald Byrd, trumpet, Ed Uribe, drums, Jim Kurzdorfer, bass, Paul Ferguson, trombone, Bob Brown, piano
• 1990 - Bud Shank, saxophone, Pete Christlieb, saxophone, Kenny Davis, trumpet, Jeff Halsey, bass, Mark Gonder, drums, Bob Brown, piano
• 1989 - Conte Candoli, trumpet, Howie Smith, saxophone, Anthony Leonardi, bass, Mark Gonder, drums, Bob Brown, piano
• 1988 - The Rob McConnell Trio featuring Rob McConnell, trombone, Robert Piltch, guitar, Neil Swainson, bass; The Ernie Krivda Quartet featuring Ernie Krivda, saxophone, Chip Stephens, piano, Joe Brigandi, drums, Jeff Halsey, bass
• 1987 - Ernie Watts Quartet featuring Ernie Watts, saxophone, Pat Coil, keyboards, Bob Leatherbarrow, drums, Joel DiBartolo, bass, Mike Barone, composer/ trombone
• 1986 - The Jim Pugh Trio featuring Jim Pugh, trombone, David Ratacjzak, drums, David Finck, bass
• 1985 - The Nick Brignola Quartet featuring Nick Brignola, saxophone, Bill Dobbins, piano, John Lockwood, bass, Dave Calarco, drums
• 1984 - The Jeff Tyzik Quartet featuring Jeff Tyzik, trumpet, Brian Scanlon, saxophone, Ed Czach, piano, Dave Mancini, drums
• 1983 - Randy Purcell, trombone, Tim Eyermann, saxophone, Jack Schantz, trumpet, Tony Leonardi, bass
• 1982 - Phil Wilson, trombone, Howie Smith, saxophone, Jack Mouse, drums
• 1981 - Bob Curnow, composer/trombone, Marv Stamm, trumpet, Rufus Reid, bass
• 1980 - Rich Matteson, euphonium, Jack Peterson, guitar, Ed Soph, drums
• 1979 - Allen Vizzutti, trumpet
• 1978 - The Phil Woods Quartet featuring Phil Woods, saxophone, Mike Melillo, piano, Steve Gillmore, bass, Bill Goodwin, drums
• 1977 - Arnie Lawrence, saxophone
• 1976 - Bill Watrous, trombone
• 1975 - Curt Wilson, saxophone, James Adkins, drums
• 1974 - Al Blaser, saxophone
• 1973 - Clark Terry, trumpet

-The Yellowjackets