Who’s Who in Straight, No Chaser
Maria
holds a grade 9 vocal certification from the Royal Conservatory of Music, and
has been a church organist and vocalist for 25 years, as well as choir director
for youth choirs. She sang for 5 years in “Sweet Music”, a Sault Ste. Marie
wedding band, and was the lead vocalist in “Little Avenue”, a Barrie-based
blues band featured in the Barrie Blues Festival. She is currently the vocalist
for the 17-piece Skyliners Orchestra and the Skylites Jazz Quartet. She held
leading roles in Barrie’s Madcap Players acclaimed annual “Cabaret”, as well as
Kempenfeldt Players’ Community Theatre productions of HMS Pinafore, Cindarella,
Music Man, and Nunsense I & II.
Scott is a professional engineer and self-taught musician
who sings and has been playing keyboard 'forever'. He has rocked, polkaed,
waltzed, and symphonized, with several musical organizations in London,
Kitchener and across Canada. As a resident of Barrie for the last 18 years he
has been performing with the likes of the Skyliners Orchestra, B&B, King
Edward Choir, and the high-energy vocal ensemble, Bravado! He is now just
starting to find his 'stride' (sorry the pun for all you jazz piano players) in
R&B/jazz. Aside from being a safety engineer and food manufacturer by day
(figure that combination!), Scott enjoys the variety and energy of this
outstanding celebration band, “Straight, No Chaser”.
Ian has played sax, guitar, bass and piano in clubs, orchestra pits, and recording studios from Montreal to Hamilton since 1960.He's played with such greats as Mel Torme, Michel LeGrand, Phil Woods, Buddy DeFranco, Rich Little, the Lawrence Welk Show and Sesame Street's Big Bird. He was in the studio band of Steve "Red Green" Smith's first television series, and has composed and performed the soundtracks for several audio books. He lives in Barrie where he plays with the choir Bravado!, the Madcap Players, the Skyliners Orchestra, The Other Side of Brass, Not Quite Jazz, B & B and sundry jazz and country duos and trios. When not performing, he is a computer consultant with a variety of clients through the GTA. He has worked in the past as a college instructor, a sales manager, and an award-winning political columnist.
Ralph studied
bass at Humber College and York University and privately with Mike Downs, Dave
Young and Neil Swanson. Ralph worked out of the London, Ontario area for
a number of years with the show band “Friendly Persuasion”, touring Canada and
the United States. During this period he worked with B.B. King and
Barbara McNair. After relocating to Barrie he worked the local jazz scene
in trios, quartets, big bands and for a number of years in the popular jobbing
band the “French Connection”. He is now pleased to be a member of “Straight, No Chaser”.
Tom is a school drummer having studied with Ray Reilly (Toronto
Symphony Orch.) Ed Thigpen ( Oscar Peterson) and Peter Magadini ( Author of
Poly-rhythms for the Jazz drummer). Tom
has worked with various Toronto based notable acts as David Clayton Thomas. He
has also played in Toronto produced Broadway shows as Mame, Kismet, and The
Fantastics. He also works extensively in the Barrie area with local jazz
musicians and is an award winning big band drummer. |
