
Chicago Yestet Musician Biographies

Saxophonist Pat Mallinger has spent time performing in Los Angeles, Dallas , Boston , and Japan , before establishing Chicago as his home in 1990. He is a co-leader of Sabertooth which has been the mainstay band at the Green Mill Lounge each Saturday night for 16 years. He is also heard around town performing with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, and Bobby Lewis Quintet. Pat has performed with Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Harry Connick, Aretha Franklin, Cedar Walton, Marcus Roberts, Kurt Elling, Jack McDuff, Clark Terry, Randy Brecker, Tom Harrell, Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, Jimmy Heath, Johnny Griffin, James Moody, Paquito D'Rivera, Von Freeman, Roy Hargrove, Lester Bowie, Terell Stafford, Charles Earland Band, and Woody Herman Orchestra.

Saxophonist Scott Burns' performance credits include Joe Lovano, Tom Harrell, Kenny Werner, Louis Bellson and Nicholas Payton, and received an outstanding soloist award from Down Beat magazine in 1999. As an established member of the local jazz scene, Scott frequently shares the stage with veteran Chicago jazz musicians including Jodie Christian, Bobby Broom, the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. Scott has toured nationally, playing select dates with legendary singer Harry Connick Jr., as well as with the Mighty Blue Kings.

Saxophonist John Wojciechowski has performed or recorded with The Chicago Jazz Orchestra, The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, The Woody Herman Orchestra, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Detroit Symphony Orchesta, Clark Terry, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Charlie Haden, Kurt Elling, and Kenny Burrell. John was also a finalist in the 1996 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.

Trombonist Tom Garling has played with such greats as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, and Randy Brecker. He joined Maynard Fergusons Big Bop Nouveau Band, and toured with Maynard as Musical Director and Trombonist for six years. Tom currently resides in the Chicago area, and is highly sought after around the world as a recording artist, composer and arranger, teacher, clinician and professional musician.

Trombonist Joel Adams won the International Trombone Association Frank Rosolino Memorial Scholarship in 1986. He toured with the Woody Herman Orchestra performing with Clark Terry, Joe Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, and Diane Schuur. He has also played with Rich Perry and the Gary Morgan Latin Big Band while living in New York City . Locally, he has performed with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble with Jon Faddis, Doug Lawrence, Jimmy Heath, Arturo Sandoval and Clyde Stubblefield as well as his own groups.

Lead trumpet player Roger Ingram plaed with the Quincy Jones Big Band, Tom Jones, The Woody Herman Orchestra, Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles. He played and recorded with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and continues to perform with Harry Connick, Jr.

Victor Garcia has had the opportunity to play trumpet with many well-known artists in various genres such as The Temptations, Tito Puente Jr., Hamiett Bluiett, Brian Lynch, Jimmy Bosch, Richie Cole, Aretha Franklin, Steve Turre, Bobby Valentin, Howard Levy, and many others. He currently co-leads the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble with piano phenom Darwin Noguera.

Pianist Dan Trudell has been voted "a rising star" by Downbeat Magazine and has recently toured with Matt Wilson's "Arts and Crafts" quartet featuring Terrell Stafford and Dennis Irwin in Italy. Dan holds the piano chair in the Chicago Jazz Orchestra and has performed as a sideman with Aretha Franklin, Kenny Burrell, Ron Carter, Benny Golson, Roy Hargrove, Jeff Hamilton, Kurt Elling, Joe Williams, Jimmy Heath, and Doug Lawrence. Dan resides and performs in the Chicago area and has toured and performed throughout the world.

Bassist Clark Sommers is featured on the Grammy Award winning album "Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman." Clark has toured and performed extensively throughout the world with Cedar Walton, Kurt Elling, Kevin Mahogany, Peter Bernstein, Von Freeman, Bobby Broom, Michael Weiss, The Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Charlie Haden Liberation Orchestra, and the Joe La Barbara Sextet. From 1997 to 1999 Clark performed and toured with Sony Recording Artists The Mighty Blue Kings. He has also performed at international jazz festivals in the US, Ireland, France and Canada, sharing bills with Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, B.B. King, Dr. John, The Staples Singers, Koko Taylor and Buddy Guy.

Guitarist Dave Miller has been a three time consecutive winner in the Union and Civic Arts League of Chicago Jazz Improvisation Competition and is a member of Ted Sirota's Rebel Soul as well as the band Algernon.

Drummer Dana Hall has been an important musician on the international music scene since 1992. The list of exceptional artists that Mr. Hall has performed, toured, and/or recorded with includes Branford Marsalis, Ray Charles, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Horace Silver, Michael Brecker, Nicolas Payton, Wycliffe Gordon, George Coleman, Wallace Roney, Diana Krall, Sonny Fortune, Joe Williams, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Von Freeman, Kenny Barron, Jackie McLean, Mulgrew Miller, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Joe Henderson, Curtis Fuller, and Steve Wilson, among others. Additionally, Mr. Hall is both a member of the Terell Stafford Quintet and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, and formerly a regular member of the prestigious Grammy-nominated Carnegie Hall Jazz Band under the musical and artistic direction of trumpeter Jon Faddis.

Vocalist/Poet Rob Dz combines elements of jazz, R&B, funk and gospel and has rocked with Nas, Talib Kweli, Blackalicious, Black Eyed Peas, The Dave Matthews Band, Naughty By Nature, Bone Thugs and Harmony, Afroman, and others. He was a national semi-finalist on MTV's Ultimate Hip Hop Talent Search.








