Founding Members

The Rest of the Band

|-| Carol Steffens (TENOR SAX) |-|


Carol Steffens, originally from Sault Ste. Marie, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, grew up in a family who loved to play and listen to music, especially jazz music. The love of jazz music over the years has been a driving force for her to play, compose and teach.

Her most current projects involve playing in a twelve piece big band, Wasatch Jazz Project and her jazz quintet. Carol say that playing in the Wasatch Jazz Project, WJP, is not only musically challenging, but also is so much fun!! She points out that there are exceptionally talented musicians in the band who know how to create a great sounding band. The band stays busy playing for private parties, clubs and other numerous venues. The jazz quintet, on the other hand, is also demanding. Carol's quintet has produced three CDs, two of which are her own compositions. One of the original composition CDs was chosen by City Weekly as one of the top CDs produced in Salt Lake City. Her latest CD, a recording of jazz standards, was produced and released in June of 2004.

Other professional accomplishments include, her quartet chosen to participate in the 2001, 2002, and 2003 Utah Arts Festival, Park City Arts Festival in 2003, and chosen to play for the International Olympic Committee and German dignitaries during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Carol's group was also chosen to perform in the SLC Brown Bag series in 2003. She has also served on the board of the American Federation of Musicians Local 104 from 1998-2002 and is a present member. She has also developed jazz education programs for inner city elementary age students, organized and ran weekly jazz jam sessions in SC, helped organize the 2004 Jazz Downtown Night and many other numerous projects that involve community and jazz music.

Carol says that the reason for doing these musical endeavors is just not to play music. It's a whole lot more than that. It's about the challenges of studying jazz music, the discipline you gain from it and of course, most importantly of all, the great people, musicians and non musicians alike, that you meet along the way and the lasting friendships gained from it.

|-| ANDREW LOVEGROVE(LEAD GUITAR) |-|


I have been studying music and playing guitar for nearly 25 years. I am from Darien, CT and throughout high school I studied locally with Chuck Dudley, Todd Schneider, and Sal Salvador (jazz guitarist for the great Stan Kenton Band). I attended Berklee College of Music in summer of '84. I attended the University of Utah and was a music major briefly in the Fall of '84 studying with Kevin Johanson. I then shifted gears and moved to Hollywood and graduated from Musicians' Institute (G.I.T.) in '86. While in Hollywood I met another great guitarist and producer Edward Tree (a guitarist with Rita Coolidge and the Spencer Davis Group). I moved back to Salt Lake City and acquired a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Utah. I have been working as ban Engineer since 1992 and for the past 7 years at Harman Music Group designing and developing products primarily for the DigiTech brand. It has been exciting for me to be involved in the music industry on a global scale. It has allowed me to meet and interact with many world class musicians.

In the mid to late 90's I assembled an original band named Jambella playing Blues/Rock/R&B/Pop covers as well as originals. We played out live locally in Salt Lake City and recorded/produced a 5 song CD made up of my original tunes.

I have been an original member of the Wasatch Jazz Project since October 2003 and am looking forward to contributing even more and trying to take this band to the highest level possible.

I hope to see you at our gigs.

Andrew (a.k.a "Drewski") Lovegrove

|-| JAY KIRSCH (KEYBOARD) |-|

Keyboardist Jay Kirsch is originally from New York, and worked as a sound engineer, guitarist, and keyboardist on both coasts of the United States before moving to Salt Lake City in 1999. He also plays piano with Straight No Chaser, a jazz quintet with vocalist Erica Isom, and is a founding member of the Wasatch Jazz Project big band. Locally he has played with rock groups Zion Tribe, Shaken Not Stirred, and Long Shot, and well as some local blues and jazz groups. His other musical interests include playing classical guitar, collecting vintage musical instruments, and musical history (especially useless trivia). His life work is in audio research and development, most recently designing hearing aids, which makes him an advocate for unpainful sound levels at concerts.

|-| GREG SCHLEGEL (ALTO SAXOPHONE) |-|

No bio

|-| KEVIN FLYNN (SAXOPHONE) |-|

No bio

|-| David Bradshaw (TENOR SAXOPHONE) |-|


Tenor Saxophonist David Bradshaw joined the Wasatch Jazz Project in February, 2005. A multi-instrumentalist, playing flute, oboe and French Horn, David came to the saxophone fairly late in life, beginning with bari but recently moving to tenor, and loving it. He studied jazz with David Baker at Indiana University, where he received his bachelor's and master's degrees in music. Following his interest in science and music's effects on emotions, David received a PhD in Music and Psychology from the University of Washington. He is now a research professor at the University of Utah, studying the use of music for relieving pain.

While pursuing his research into the health benefits of music, David has continued to perform music in several styles: jazz, classical, and even rock. His Salt Lake City-based rock band, the Original Blue Healers, has performed locally, most recently in a concert to benefit the Madeleine Choir School, and at the Kennecott Land Daybreak Development. They have performed at prominent national and international venues, including the Hard Rock Cafen Boston, the Chicago House of Blues, and in Vancouver, British Columbia. On classical flute, he has performed solo and chamber music recitals at Seattle Pacific University and University of Washington in Seattle. He also did a short stint with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, performing with the likes of Segi Ozawa and Eugene Ormandy. David recently participated in the Centrum Jazz Workshop, where he performed with the Clarence Acox Big Band. As composer and arranger, David has had original compositions performed at the University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He studies jazz saxophone with Jeff Clayton of the highly acclaimed Clayton Brothers Quintet and Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and with Salt Lake City's own Allen Michael.

|-| NANCY JEFFERS (ALTO SAXOPHONE) |-|


My adventures through music have led to meeting wonderful people and going to wonderful places. It has led to a fantastic path with my playing in Stan Kenton"s big band camp, to playing behind Rosemary Clooney, Cab Calloway, Chris Calloway, Clark Terry, Mel Torme, Sarah Vaughan, Maureen McGovern to name a few . Plus, playing side by side with professional players from NYC and the Boston Pops . I"ve enjoyed many community groups of all styles, many recording sessions and playing in over 50 musicals in pit orchestras. Now, I can add the Wasatch Jazz Projects to the list.

|-| LANCE LEE (TRUMPET) |-|



Compared to my fellow band members, I`m a new comer to both the instrument and style of music. I only picked up the trumpet as a Sr. in High School, but flourished through my training with the Anaheim Kingsmen Drum & Bugle Corps. After a short hiatus (15 years), I picked up my horn and began playing with a Big Band called the Music Makers and this smaller but exciting Jazz/Big Band group the WJP. The WJP has given me the opportunity to explore jazz and big band music while requiring the delicate balance of a small group. When not performing with the WJP, you can find me playing trumpet in the pit orchestra for a number of local community musicals.

|-| WALLY LEE (TRUMPET) |-|

No bio

|-| ROB CARY (TRUMPET) |-|

No bio

|-| CYNDY CARLTON (TROMBONE) |-|

No bio

|-| KEN MARVEL (TROMBONE) |-|

No bio

|-| BLAKE DRYER (TROMBONE) |-|

No bio

|-| PAUL HOWARD (Bass) |-|

He has played guitar and bass professionally for over forty years. He visited Salt Lake (from Schenectady, NY) in 1974 to go skiing for six weeks and never left. In Utah he played in The Smoulder Brothers, The Bill Browne Band, The 911 Band, The Groovemasters, Roadhawg, and other rock bands, always increasing the jazz feel of his bass lines. He recently joined the Wasatch Jazz Project and has jumped into the jazz world head first.

|-| DAVE Beutler(DRUMMER) |-|

He began his drumming career at the early age of 10 with a band named The Gruelers. Since then he has played with such bands as Desert Wind, The Spoofs, and Positive Mayhem. He started taking lessons from renowned drummer/composer Jay Lawrence. Now David joined the Wasatch Jazz Project in January 2005 and is proud to be the lead drummer.

|-| MARK MOTTONEN (DRUMMER) |-|

No bio

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