Gary Gold - Drums and Percusion
By the age of seventeen, Gary's drumming had attracted the attention of Gene Krupa, who recognized his passion and musical prodigy. Krupa advised Gary to continue his studies and with Krupa's encouragement, Gary soon became the protégé of the Miles Davis Quintet's legendary drummer Tony Williams. Gary Gold has since played with Phoebe Snow, Keith Richards, Michael Brecker, B.B.. King, Dr. John, Robben Ford, Chuck Berry, Howard Tate, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (Steely Dan) and Bruce Springsteen. His music has been featured on many TV shows and films.
Gary Gold received his first Grammy nomination for Smokey Robinson’s "Timeless Love" and won a Grammy for his work on Michael Brecker's "Pilgrimage".
Gordon Johnson - Bass
Eastman School of Music graduate, jazz bassist Gordon Johnson toured extensively throughout the ‘70s & ‘80s with the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra, Chuck Mangione, Gene Bertoncini, George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band (euromusic), Doc Severinsen, Roy Buchanan and the Paul Winter Consort. Back home in the Twin Cities in recent times, he has performed with many great jazz artists, including Joanne Brackeen, Rosemary Clooney, Herb Ellis, Curtis Fuller, Scott Hamilton, Slide Hampton, Sean Jones, Stacey Kent, Delfeayo Marsalis, Jay McShann, Maria Muldaur, Dewey Redman, Jim Rotondi, Diane Schuur, Ben Sidran, Freda Payne, Marlena Shaw, Toots Thielemans, plus many Twin Cities players & vocalists. He has appeared regularly for over 23 years with jazz pianist Benny Weinbeck and his duo or trio at various D'Amico & Partners restaurants in the Twin Cities. Gordy has produced five critically acclaimed piano trio CDs which include a multitude of local and internationally known pianists and drummers: Gordon Johnson TRIOS, TRIOS V.2, TRIOS Version 3.0, TRIOS GJ4 and TRIOS No. Five.
Bill Schimmel - Accordion
Regarded as the world's greatest accordionist by National Public Radio, he has performed with virtually every major symphony orchestra in America (and the Kirov ) including a longstanding relationship with the Minnesota Orchestra, as well as virtually every chamber music group in New York including Ensemble Sospeso and the Odeon Jazz Ensemble. Pop star colleagues range from Sting to Tom Waits, who has made the legendary statement: “Bill Schimmel doesn't play the accordion, he is the accordion”. He is founder of the Tango Project, which, in addition to his hit recordings with them, has appeared with Al Pacino in the film: Scent of a Woman, for which Pacino won an Oscar. The Tango Project also won the Stereo Review Album of the Year Award, received a Grammy nomination and rose to number I on the Billboard Classical Charts. He can be heard in other films including True Lies, Kun Dun and many others including films that he both scored and performed and a series of films for the Nature Conservancy which have won numerous prizes in documentary categories.
Lorraine Nelson Wolf - Piano and Vocals
Pianist, singer, and composer Lorraine Nelson Wolf has played on the stages of Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center. As a theater musician she has performed in over a dozen Broadway shows, from Sweeney Todd to Grease. Her composition credits include the CBS NASCAR theme, various commercial scores, and songwriting both for herself and other artists. She composed the music for the Telly Award winning documentary Four Hands, One Heart, currently airing nationwide on PBS. She has played for Chita Rivera, Marvin Hamlisch, Peter Allen, and Alan Menken, among others. Lorraine is also a harpist, organist, and accordionist. She made her New York accordion debut at the Tenri Cultural Arts Center in the summer of 2002.
Charlie Tokarz - Sax
Charlie Tokarz plays saxophone, flute, and clarinet. Through an association with children’s music artist, David Grover, he has played many concerts with a children’s chorus in major cities, as well as at the White House, and the Today Show. He plays for the American Tap Dance Foundation in NYC as well as on tour with A Jazz Tap Odyssey, Brenda Bufalino, and Drika Overton. As a free lance musician in the Berkshires, he has recently played for The Four Tops, The Temptations, Joan Rivers, and done pit band work for Broadway summer stock of A Chorus Line and West Side Story in addition to local musicals. He has done cultural exchange trips to Ireland, Italy, and Istanbul with the Sister City Jazz Ambassadors. Recent recordings reflect an interest in various types of music. Contradance with The Eclectic Dance Orchestra, kirtan with Ned Leavitt, duo recording with kora player John Hughes, duo recording with drum master, Bob Weiner, free improv for musician/video artist, John Pritchard and vYZ Productions, and work with electronic music pioneers, the McLean Mix are a few examples. He regularly plays more straight ahead jazz in Newport with the Fran Curley Jazz Explosion and with various groups in the Berkshires and Albany.
Steve Ide - Electric Guitar
Steve began his professional musical careers in bands that toured the Northeast. In 1976 they were hired by Arlo Guthrie as members of his back-up band, Shenandoah. For the next eight years they recorded and toured extensively. They circled the United States several times including Alaska and Hawaii, and participated abroad in the 1979 Woodstock in Europe tour with artists Country Joe MacDonald, Richie Havens and Joe Cocker. With Arlo, the band also made several T.V. appearances. Steve has also appeared and performed with David Bromberg, Pete Seeger, John Sebastian, Willie Nelson, John Denver, John Hall, Rory Block, Alan Gorrie (Average White Band) and The Empire Brass Quintet to name a few.
Michael Wilde - Lyricist
Michael Wilde is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editor, author of the forthcoming Sun and Moon, painter whose work was shown at Gavin Brown, and collaborator with Ridge Theater in productions at La Mama and The Kitchen. This is his first time out writing lyrics, and excited to be working with Godfrey Nelson.