Trumpets | Trombones | Saxes | Rhythm | Vocals
Ted Carlson, trumpet
Ted retired in 1995 as an elementary classroom teacher in Avenal,
California, where he was an active trumpeter with the West Hills College
Jazz Band in Coalinga, the Red River Dutchmen dance band and the Valley
Echoes Dance Orchestra in Visalia.
In addition to the Big Band Sound, Ted has joined the trumpet sections of the
Pleasant Hill Ensemble and the Cumberland
County Community Band since moving to Crossville, Tennessee in 2000. Ted
is the featured soloist on String of Pearls as well as some of our
popular blues tunes such as Kansas City.
Mike Chilcutt, trumpet
Mike is a retired band director who remains musically active
playing the jazz book with the Big Band Sound, trumpet with the O.J.
Cummins' 4-Horn group, lead/jazz with the South Jackson Street band,
and conducting his church choir. In his spare time, he tries to catch
every bass in the state of Tennessee.
Roger Shelley, trumpet
Roger is a founding member of the Big Band Sound, and is
the section's high-note specialist. Roger also performs regularly in Middle
Tennessee with the South Jackson Street Band, and plays trumpet with the
praise and worship team at Trinity Assembly in Algood, Tennessee.
Jeff White, trumpet
Jeff holds B.S. and M.A. degrees in Journalism from Austin
Peay State University, where he was the soloist with the Jazz Collegians
Big Band for three years. He has played professionally with a variety
of groups including The Establishment, the
Bo Thorpe Orchestra, and in the pit for several productions at the Cumberland
County Playhouse. He has studied privately with Rick
Steffen, Brad
Goode, and
has had individual lessons with Bobby
Shew, Jerry Coker and Pat
Harbison.
Carroll Gotcher,
trombone
Carroll Gotcher is the band's lead trombone player and also plays trombone
in the 4-Horns combo and first trombone in the
Cookeville Community Concert Band. He is the director of Bands in
Jackson County (Gainesboro) TN and maintains an private teaching studio.
Carroll is also a very active euphonium performer with his quartet, Euphouria,
and with the Nashville Wind Ensemble. He plays
regularly in his church as well. Carroll also plays the bagpipes. He
holds degrees from Tennessee Technological University and the
University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Ben McMillan, trombone
Ben was born in Cookeville. He attends Tennessee Technological University
working towards a Bachelors in Music Composition. His primary instrument
is the euphonium where he plays with the Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble
and the Eutubia quartet. Ben is also the current World Champion procrastinator.
Clay Crabtree , trombone
Clay's bio coming soon.
Dr. Wayne Pegram, tenor
sax
Dr. Pegram (lead/jazz tenor) has been playing professionally
since the mid 1950s, primarily in the Nashville and Knoxville metropolitan
areas. He has toured with Woody Herman, Billy Butterfield, the Jazz Giants,
Tom Jones, and the King Family show. He is recently-retired professor at
Tennessee Technological University, and remains active as a performer,
conductor, clinician and writer of music.
Joe Brindisi, alto sax
Joe received his Bachelors of Music Education from the University of Miami, and
was most recently the band director at Miami Edison Senior High School. Joe
was also a clarinet instructor for the University of Miami Preparatory Division,
and played saxophone and clarinet professionally on Miami Beach backing up
performers such as comedian Jackie Mason and singer Connie Francis. He has
also played with the Sammy Spear Orchestra (from the The Jackie Gleason Show),
and he studied with legendary jazz educator Jerry Coker.
Joe also performs with the "Four Horns" group with O.J. Cummins, plays tenor with the East Tennessee Jazz Orchestra, and clarinet in the Cumberland County Community band, the Maryville College Community Band, and the Cookeville Community Band.
Chuck Smith, tenor sax
Chuck played in high school jazz band and in a small Rock & Roll
combo for two years after school. Chuck then attended engineering school
and didn't play again for 30 years. Chuck eventually met Big Band Sound
leader O.J. Cummins, played in Dr. Joe Robertson's Big Band in Crossville
for one year, and became a charter member of the Big Band Sound. Chuck
says it is a joy in his life, and a renewal of an old love of music.
Phillip Church, baritone sax
Phillip's bio coming soon.
Wade England, drums
Wade's bio coming soon.
Don Nyequest, bass (and sometimes trombone!)
Don's bio coming soon.
Marty Gibson , guitar
Marty's bio coming soon.
O.J. Cummins, (piano, tenor sax, clarinet, leader)
O.J. (piano, bandleader) founded the Big Band Sound on September
19, 1996, a 21-piece orchestra of top-notch musicians in the Upper Cumberland
area. Under O.J.'s direction, the band average 18 performances each year,
with regular dances on the second Saturday of each month at the Fairfield
Glade Civic Center. Previously, O.J. founded the Dayton, Ohio Jazz Society
(1970-77), a 20-piece orchestra, until work relocated him to this area
in 1978.
O.J. continues to write, arrange and compose music for the orchestra, as well as perform with his small group, "The Four Horns," a group available for more intimate settings.
Wanda Hepburn
Wanda is a charter member of the Big Band Sound, and also sang with
the Crossville Big Band under the direction of Dr. Joe Robertson. Wanda also
enjoys singing in the Gospel group, the Sweet Adeline Quartet. Formerly
of Miami, FL, she was a member of a barbershop quartet that placed in the
Top Ten internationally.
Lloyd Holt
Lloyd 's bio coming soon.