Dixie Doodlers - Wisconsin


	Making the Music Mark Kranz, tuba. Dixie Doodlers Founder and Manager, plays in the Milwaukee Letter Carrier's Band, Brookfield Community Band and others. Collects old records, cylinders and radios. Repairs and collects Victrolas and restores Model T Fords. Machinist. New Berlin.
	Rich Regent, clarinet, recorder. Plays clarinet since 1954, enjoys Dixieland, jazz and classical music with a variety of bands, theatrical groups and ensembles. Restores old tube radios, collects stamps and sells on eBay. Web Site. Master of Science in Physics from UWM, Licensed Professional Engineer, Army Veteran. Greenfield.
	John Knurr, piano, tuba, trombone and vocals. Plays with New Rampart Street Paraders. Retired HS Music Teacher, historian and musician's musician. Biography. Master of Arts in Music from California State University. Milwaukee and Delafield.
	Jack Clark, washboard and various musical gadjets. Began playing trumpet in 1948, also French Horn and drums. Plays Dixieland with several other groups. Biography. Former grain elevator supervisor, Army Veteran. Franklin.
	Dave Bock, trombone, tuba, trumpet, string bass, and piano. Dave's musical abilities are increasingly requested by well known Midwest and other bands. He's also a jazz historian and collector of 78 rpm records. Dave is about to begin a career in musical instrument repair. Biography and Myspace. Town of Vernon.
	Aftin Warren, singer. Vocal performance degree from UWM; operas: The Crucibal, Amahl, The Night Visitors and Three Penny Opera. Sings at weddings, funerals and events. Palmyra.
	Jake Tomasicyk, trombone. BM in Trombone Performance from UWM. Jake has performed in venues across the country and on cruise ships. He performs frequently with symphony orchestras, Rock/Salsa/Jazz groups, and musical theatre groups. Jake has performed in over twenty five premieres of new compositions, and has worked with composers on how to better incorporate trombone into their works. He not only plays tenor trombone, but also doubles on Alto/Bass Trombones, Bass Trumpet, Euphonium, and Tuba. When he is not performing or teaching Jake is composing new works for chamber groups including brass quintets, trombone choirs, and jazz combos. Waukesha.
	Andy Schumm, trumpet, piano, saxophone, banjo and drums. BM from University of Illinois. His trumpet/cornet style brings memories of Bix Beiderbecke. He performs frequently with nationally known jazz bands, writes period arrangements for big bands, and is frequently asked to perform with bands all over the world. Myspace and Web Site. Chicago, Illinois.
	Ken Olson, banjo, guitar and vocals. Retired Muskego HS Music Teacher and directed music for 35 years. Clarinetist with the Palmyra-Eagle Community Band. Master of Music Education from University of Illinois Champaign. Eagle.
	Gary Lavann, trumpet. Began music with accordion, clarinet and trombone; plays trumpet and cornet since 1954. Plays Dixieland at Potawatomi and Organ Piper Pizza. Directed the Milwaukee Letter Carrier's Band for many years. Retired Letter Carrier. Army Veteran. Town of Mukwonago.
	James Kelly, trumpet, is a graduate of UW-Platteville, with Masters work from Vandercook and UW-Wisconsin. He has been a private lesson teacher for 30 years of beginners and advanced students and has taught in the MPS school district. Performing in groups for George Burns, Nick Contorno, Bob Hope, Boots Randolph, Guy Lombardo and Temptations.

Footnotes

Stoughton Opera House program on October 6, 2011, for an audience of 200.

Greendale Gazebo Dixieland program on July 23, 2011, for an audience of 250 and next day at Franklin Lions Legend Park Bandshell.

First unit in the Kettle Moraine Parade Days at Eagle on June 26, 2011.

First Place Plaque Award for best musical group in Thiensville/Mequon Parade on June 25, 2011.

Celebrating 10 years of performances, 2001 to 2011.

Awarded 3rd Place in 2009 Muskego Fest Parade.

Played two programs for 2009 Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee at Fox Lake.

Played in July 4 Brookfield Parades 2011, 2010 and 2009; we saw News-12 Stephanie Sutton (2011), Fox6 Celebrities Tom Pippins (2008); Beverly Taylor (2007); Brad Hicks (2006).

Played on August 19, 2007, for the political congressional rally of Jim Burkee and Jeff Walz at the American Legion in Cedarburg. Was on TV 6 and 58.

The Madison Jazz Society enjoyed our program on March 25, 2007. Here is their letter.

Caribbean Lake Beulah Brunch 3 hours on July 9, 2006.

Bix Fest 2006 on March 11, 2006, at the Racine Marriott, and released our CD. WLIP-AM (1050 Kenosha) broadcast the program live. Photo 1, Photo 2.

Read the Dixie Doodlers newspaper article written by staff writer John Schultz with photographs by Bob Bailie, in the New Berlin Citizen and Frankln Hub, December 8, 2005, editions. Also an article and photographs of our Fall In to Art Festival music in Thiensville on September 9, 2006.

Three Dixie Doodlers have Masters Degrees, two have a Bachelor of Music degree, two are retired High School Music Teachers, and three are Army Veterans.

Gary Lavann and Rich Regent were in the Walker Junior High School Band with Henry Canitz. Photograph taken May 3, 1956. Rich, clarinet, is on riser 2nd from left. Gary, trumpet, has blond hair.

We can play over 546 tunes in The Firehouse Jazz Band Dixieland style. But especially enjoy these 263 tunes. One lady in an audience, requested the Just Because Polka followed by Happy Birthday, which is not on our list. But we capably played both with delight.

Dixieland music is a style of instrumental jazz associated with New Orleans, characterized by a relatively fast two-beat rhythm, and played as a group and by solo improvisations.

Making the Music

Performing

Footnotes