WHO NEEDS DAVE? About the band

The
WHO NEEDS DAVE?
Jazz Ensemble

Who are these guys?
There's enough versatility and talent in this band to stun a herd of oxen. To wit:

Larry Glenzer, trumpet & flugelhorn
Larry Glenzer grew up in the foothills of Appalachia, born into a family of extremely poor investment bankers. He did not find his niche musically until much later in life, around his 50th birthday (he has a rare genetic condition that makes him permanently appear 25 years old). Glenzer is an accomplished horn player, and puts his on indelible mark on the instrument.

Justin Gruby, alto saxophone
One of the newest additions to the Who Needs Dave ensemble, Justin has had a long and distinguished career, notably as one of the only arms merchants able to successfully sell to all parties in the Balkan Conflict in the 1990's. After that he turned his attention to the illicit Naugahyde trade in Southeast Asia in the early aughts. Tired of being on the lam, Justin returned home, traded his exotic career ambitions for the comfortable life of a chiropractor, picked up the saxophone, and never looked back. His solo work features a blistering, take-no-prisoners style well-suited to the band's jazz and funk pedigrees.

Dino Meo, percussion
With the WND Jazz Ensemble's recent expansion into Latin Jazz, we had to go get us a percussionist. Dino has more than 35 years of drumming and percussion experience, and in this band he is featured on the Congas. Dino brings the sound of the hand drums not only to our Latin Jazz repertoire, but also to many blues and straight jazz tunes. It's a special treat to hear a double-drum solo between Dino and Gary Barkov, featured on a few of our tunes, the result being a rich tapestry of percussion.

Bob Rodriguez, electric guitar
Bob is one of the last known and rarest of specimens on Earth -- an electric guitar player without an ego. The WND Jazz Ensemble is delighted to have him within its ranks. With more special effects than a 70's-era Steven Spielberg film, his sound remains tasteful, liquid, and pleasing to the ears. Well-versed in many styles of jazz, Bob brings a new sound to the band. Though he may disagree, his solo work is virtuosic, and never petulant.

Charley Shallcross, bassist
Charley is our newest bassist, replacing a series of previous bass players who consistently exploded, typically on stage. We hope to keep Charley a long time. His strong sense of timing and tenacious grasp of music theory helps to anchor the band's sound and keep us on the same page, often times literally. Charley also plays the tuba in a brass band, though for us, he plays a mean electric bass guitar.

Gary Barkov, drums
Barkov, a founding member of the WND Jazz Ensemble, has played drums for over 30 years since his days growing up in Philadelphia. He’s been in Chicago since 1986 and has most recently worked with the Chicago-based hard rock band R&R (a.k.a. Menace, a.k.a. Big Block Chevy) and Chicago/Cleveland-based experimental music ensemble of Death on a Stick (a.k.a. Litany of Garbage). Here he showcases his more sophisticated side while demonstrating his versatility.

Dave Newcorn, piano
Dave Newcorn has been playing piano for over 30 years, and is proud to be one of the founding members of the WND Jazz Ensemble, and even happier to have the privilege to play with a group of really talented musicians. Rather than dazzle listeners with technique, Dave tries to focus his solos on rhythmic and tonal explorations. When that fails, he resorts to trying to dazzle listeners with technique. When that fails, he orders a drink.

Who Needs Dave Alumni

Over the years, these fine musicians have played with the band:

David Bachowski, bass
Julie Bremmer, vocals
Eduardo Corzo, piano
Nicholas Furtado, guitar
Travers Gauntt, guitar
Karyn Hair, vocals
Jacque Harper, bass
Wilson Hogan, saxophone
Shuji Iida, saxophone
Sammy Kayes, bass
Bryan Kyrouac, saxophone
Eric Kopp, trumpet & flugelhorn
Hugh Liebert, saxophone
Alison Logan, vocals
David Malatesta, bass
Anthony Mancini, electric guitar
Paul Miller, trumpet & flugelhorn
J.T. Mueller, saxophone
Shoji Naito, guitar & bass
Jose Ormaza, drums
Chris Kunle Soetan, trumpet
Nick Siegel, trumpet
Dan Silver, electric bass
Ben Taylor, bass clarinet

For more information, contact Dave Newcorn: e-mail dave@whoneedsdave.com

	Larry Glenzer, trumpet & flugelhorn Larry Glenzer grew up in the foothills of Appalachia, born into a family of extremely poor investment bankers. He did not find his niche musically until much later in life, around his 50th birthday (he has a rare genetic condition that makes him permanently appear 25 years old). Glenzer is an accomplished horn player, and puts his on indelible mark on the instrument.
	Justin Gruby, alto saxophone One of the newest additions to the Who Needs Dave ensemble, Justin has had a long and distinguished career, notably as one of the only arms merchants able to successfully sell to all parties in the Balkan Conflict in the 1990's. After that he turned his attention to the illicit Naugahyde trade in Southeast Asia in the early aughts. Tired of being on the lam, Justin returned home, traded his exotic career ambitions for the comfortable life of a chiropractor, picked up the saxophone, and never looked back. His solo work features a blistering, take-no-prisoners style well-suited to the band's jazz and funk pedigrees.
	Dino Meo, percussion With the WND Jazz Ensemble's recent expansion into Latin Jazz, we had to go get us a percussionist. Dino has more than 35 years of drumming and percussion experience, and in this band he is featured on the Congas. Dino brings the sound of the hand drums not only to our Latin Jazz repertoire, but also to many blues and straight jazz tunes. It's a special treat to hear a double-drum solo between Dino and Gary Barkov, featured on a few of our tunes, the result being a rich tapestry of percussion.
	Bob Rodriguez, electric guitar Bob is one of the last known and rarest of specimens on Earth -- an electric guitar player without an ego. The WND Jazz Ensemble is delighted to have him within its ranks. With more special effects than a 70's-era Steven Spielberg film, his sound remains tasteful, liquid, and pleasing to the ears. Well-versed in many styles of jazz, Bob brings a new sound to the band. Though he may disagree, his solo work is virtuosic, and never petulant.
	Charley Shallcross, bassist Charley is our newest bassist, replacing a series of previous bass players who consistently exploded, typically on stage. We hope to keep Charley a long time. His strong sense of timing and tenacious grasp of music theory helps to anchor the band's sound and keep us on the same page, often times literally. Charley also plays the tuba in a brass band, though for us, he plays a mean electric bass guitar.
	Gary Barkov, drums Barkov, a founding member of the WND Jazz Ensemble, has played drums for over 30 years since his days growing up in Philadelphia. He’s been in Chicago since 1986 and has most recently worked with the Chicago-based hard rock band R&R (a.k.a. Menace, a.k.a. Big Block Chevy) and Chicago/Cleveland-based experimental music ensemble of Death on a Stick (a.k.a. Litany of Garbage). Here he showcases his more sophisticated side while demonstrating his versatility.
	Dave Newcorn, piano Dave Newcorn has been playing piano for over 30 years, and is proud to be one of the founding members of the WND Jazz Ensemble, and even happier to have the privilege to play with a group of really talented musicians. Rather than dazzle listeners with technique, Dave tries to focus his solos on rhythmic and tonal explorations. When that fails, he resorts to trying to dazzle listeners with technique. When that fails, he orders a drink.