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Saxophones


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Brian Thorlacius
Lead Alto — Founder and Grand Poobah: Started the band with Rich Condon. “Retired” high school band director, award winning teacher for 30 years in the Calgary Area.
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Karen HeatonAlto — An athlete and dog lover, with some health-care related lab day-job that we don’t really understand. First met Thorlacius when she was 14 years old. When she was four she called attention to her shoes during a recital.
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Karl Lingwood
Tenor — Also plays banjo but knowing the problem is the first step. Day job was flying people around now gets paid to pretend to do so.
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Bev SorianoTenor — Winnipeg import, with that mid-continent experience. Rides motorcycles. Makes crazy hallowe’en costumes and does her own auto mechanic work.
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Dana KaukinenBaritone — Former member of the RCMP Big Band, loves to arrange songs featuring the Baritone Saxophone or Bass Trombone. Played bass trombone with us last year.
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Trombones

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John TowellLead — Nearly an original member of the band, cycled through many other bands on other nights but stuck with us through it all. Recently moved to be closer to rehearsals. Day job: land man. Skier.
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John Abraham2nd — Has a secret love for ska, and founded Delirium ska.punk.brass. Plays simcity for real as a day job. Skis a lot. Ask Thorlacius to tell stories about him from high school.
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Jacqueline Abbott3rd — From PEI via Vancouver etc. Hillhurst chic. Training her offspring to sub for her.
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Jean-François CotnoirTuba — "JF" to his friends, is a tuba player for over 30 years playing in every band possible in Calgary and around, to promote this awesome instrument that people do not know so much but worth knowing. Life member of the Bugs Bunny fan club and a big fan of martial arts.
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Trumpets

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Dave PrenticeLead — Not much is known about our Lead Trumpet player Dave Prentice. Other than the faint whiff of meatballs while he arrives at the rehearsal room, and that at least two of his kids are called Louder and Higher. Answers on a postcard please ...
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Jon Mossing — 2nd
— What to say about Jon? If you’ve heard his solos you’re probably also at a loss for words. Day job: Actuary.
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Marco Verlaan3rd — Fairly recent dutch import cheesehead (low fat), allegedly fled the country after "ghosting" a double high G. Some say he has transplanted lips from a former aboriginal didgeridoo player to be able to hit all the low notes. Favorite chart: “Fat Mamma's Revenge”.
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Michael Hynes4th — Michael is a Microbiology Prof at University of Calgary, and is not quite ready to quit his day job. He hopes to go back to University in retirement and learn how to do music properly.  He plays in several big bands in Calgary, and used to be a regular member of the U of C Red Band. He moved from Lethbridge to Calgary in 1990, and before that lived in Germany, Guelph, Nova Scotia, Winnipeg, and Scotland.
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Rhythm


Alex NetelenbosBass — One of the longest serving members of the band. Day jobs over the decades have included owning a coffee shop, a framing place, and burning CDs for musicians.
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Ron Wrigley
Piano — Has played with many bands but recently settled with us. Occasionally hangs out at Koi open mic. Doesn’t know any funny stories about himself.
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Bryan Niblock
Drums — An impressive knowledge of all things drums. Sells implants as a day job. Has a wine collection with more than a dozen bottles.
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Brian ChellasGuitar — Another long serving member of the band. Retired from his day job as a philosophy professor one year, and within two years became seriously good. Camera shy.
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Vocalists



Mari Jo de Waal — Fan of jazz and the Great American Songbook from an early age. Partied with the band even before she decided to seriously perform jazz.
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Wendy Lomnes — Singer, jazz lover, hiker, traveler, retired geologist.
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