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 Trumpeter
MARIO GUARNERI brings a fresh creative voice,
amazing technical ease, and an intense desire to touch
people with his music to the group's performances. His
career has encompassed everything from playing with Louis
Armstrong at the age of 13 to fifteen seasons with the Los
Angeles Philharmonic. Guarneri has recorded solo albums on
the Crystal and Nonesuch labels, played principal trumpet
with the L.A. Chamber Orchestra for ten seasons, and
appeared on over 300 T.V. and motion picture soundtracks,
most notably as soloist on Godfather III. Since his return
to the Bay Area, where he was born and raised, he has
concentrated his energies on the Guarneri Jazz Quartet. He
teaches trumpet and improvisation at the San Francisco
Conservatory of Music. He is the inventor of the B.E.R.P., a
learning tool for brass instruments which is sold all over
the world (BERP.com).
He has performed over the years with a diverse list of
creative musicians including Earl "Fatha" Hines, Frank
Zappa, Sarah Vaughn, Cleo Lane, and Roger
Kellaway.
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 OMAR
CLAY - Drums
Born in St. Louis,
Missouri, OMAR CLAY has lived and worked in the Bay Area for
the past 25 years. He received a Bachelor of Music Education
degree from the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts
Degree in Music Education from San Francisco State
University. He has composed, performed and/or recorded as a
drummer/percussionist with Sarah Vaughan, Max Roach with
M'Boom, Charles Mingus, Marian McPartland, Frank Foster, Bob
James, The Bee Gees, Ernestine Anderson, and many others. He
has played in the orchestral pits of Broadway Musicals,
"Raisin" and "Guys and Dolls," and has toured Europe, South
America, Australia, and Japan. Omar, who resides in Mill
Valley, CA, has taught instrumental music in the Bay Area
since 1984, and retired as the Music Director of Tampalpais
High School in Mill Valley in 2000. He continues to perform
at concerts and festivals, locally and internationally, with
Bay Area and nationally known artists. For a complete
discography, refer to All Music.com.
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 RANDY
VINCENT - Guitar
Randy began his
career in Florida and moved to the Bay Area in 1980 . Since
then he has divided his time between performing and teaching
.Among the many musicians with whom he has performed and
recorded are: Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Henderson, Bobby
Hutcherson, Bill Watrous, Herb Pomeroy, Ernie Watts Bill
Watrous, George Cables, Tony Dumas, Akira Tana, Billy
Childs, Bob Sheppard, Steve Smith, and The Turtle Island
String Quartet. His own CD, "Mirror Image" with Mel Graves,
George Marsh and Bob Afifi has recently been released. Randy
has taught jazz guitar at Sonoma State University for 24
years and has conducted clinics throughout the U.S.
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 John
Wiitala - Bass
John Wiitala has
performed with Joe Henderson, James Moody, Benny Golson,and
Pete Jolly.He has performed and recorded with Mark Levine,
Scott Hamilton, Jessica Williams, Bruce Forman. and Wesla
Whitfield. John is currently teaching at the Jazz School in
Berkeley, Jazz Camp West, and the Stanford Jazz
Camp.
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