Musicians Bio

John White is a freelance alto saxophonist/flutist/bassist and is also the band director at Columbine Middle School in Montrose, Colorado. From 1999-2005 John was the band director at Delta Middle and High Schools, where he won the 2A State Marching Band Championship in 2002 and 2003. Before coming to Colorado, John taught at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas for three years. Mr. White received a BA in Music Education with an emphasis in performance from Western State College in 1992. From 1993-1996, John was a graduate teaching assistant in Jazz Studies at the University of Kansas under the direction of Dan Gailey. During that time, he directed KU jazz ensemble 3, jazz combo 5, as well as taught introductory courses in jazz improvisation. He also played baritone saxophone and alto saxophone in KU jazz ensemble 1, which won the downbeat award for ‘Best College Jazz Band in North America’, in 1996. Mr. White played in the Kansas City Boulevard Big Band, which put out an album with Eric Marienthal, in 1996. From 1994-1999, John was a member of an all-original pop-rock-R&B band, The Band That Saved The World, which put out three albums and was featured at the Festival Internationale de Musique Universitaire in Belfort, France, in 1999. John White has performed with such artists as Kevin Mahogany, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Louie Bellson, Rick Margitza, Hal Galper, Maria Schneider, and Jim McNeely. John is currently a member of the band Mike Gwinn and the North Fork Flyers. He lives in Montrose, Colorado with his wife, Erica and his two sons, Jack and Sam.

Justin Hess Biograpy…as best as I can recollect right this minute…
First drum at age 10, full set by 11…
1973 or so…First rock band, one gig in Goleta, CA parking lot. Stones covers, etc…
1977 - Next band, The Street Dogs, Isla Vista, CA. Grateful Dead covers, originals, moved to Bay Area 1978, recording studio built, gigs etc…
1981 -
Moves to: Oklahoma City…
In original band called "Fat Man and the Maniacs", they win Battle of the Bands in 1985, get free recording time and radio interview. Also plays in numerous local bands. Fat Man opens for:
Bachman Turner Overdrive, the (sort of) Byrds, Tommy Shaw and a bunch of others…
1986 - Moves to Austin Texas…the Maniacs are already there…
Play numerous clubs in Austin : the Dollhouse, The Flying Circus, Soap Creek Saloon, and many more, finally landing at the Austin Outhouse….Several recordings made at Arlyn Studios. Band disintergrates in 1988…
1989 - joins Zydeco Ranch, tours Texas, Canada, New Mexico, live radio broadcasts, many gigs at the Continental Club…
1991 - Joins Ponty Bone and the Squeezetones…many miles of Texas, Louisiana, in between joins D'Jalma Garnier's French Band, with Keith Ferguson on the bass, Steve Doerr from the Leroi Bros. on guitar, Dan Del Santo on guitar…many gigs, live broadcast at KUT Radio, also plays with several country bands, starts playing with RC Banks and the Texas Shieks, Spencer Jarmon Band, co-writes a song with Traci Lamar of the Texana Dames, records and plays with the Keepers (records a Ronnie Lane tune with Ronnie Johnson, David Grissom )records with Blaze Foley, tapes never surface…eventually starts band Apaches of Paris with Julieann Banks, Paul Lemond Nick Travis and then Jimmy Nutt, play SXSW renegade gig, get written up in Billboard, gigs in Louisiana, Texas Gulf Coast, win Budweiser sponsorship at Steamboat in Austin, Chesley Milliken loves the band, we play Saxon Pub countless times, make one live CD, leaves band in 1995.
1996 - Joins Paul Lemond and Chris Wright in the Agents of Karma…records CD…
1997 - Moves to Wimberley Texas, plays drums with The Volunteer Fire Ants,
(Grateful Dead and originals with Doug Floyd, Arly Blankenship and Gerry Burns..Still playing with the Squeezetones…Many gigs at Gruene Hall and the legendary Cibolo Creek Country Club, a tour of Italy with RC Banks…
Records a CD with Andres Cantisani from Monterrey Mexico, tours Mexico for ten days, records a CD with Pat O'Bryan featuring Keith Karper, Bradley Kopp, David Grissom…Country gigs with Bret Graham and Gerry Burns. Records records with Erik Moll. Co-writes tune with Erik that turns up later on his next record…
1999 - Moves to Paonia in Western Colorado, joins Thicker Than Thieves, (Rick Stockton and Helen Highwater) (2 CDs)tours Colorado, becomes Three in the Morning, morphs into the Strolling Scones.
Plays with many local bands including Beat Smash Square, records at least 8 CDs in 4 years..original song on a Blaze Foley Tribute in 2001…
Currently drumming with the Strolling Scones (opened show for Joe Cocker in 2010), Three in the Morning, Mike Gwinn and the North Fork Flyers (we record a live radio broadcast CD from Grand Junction, CO), The Bobby Walker Band, and Mojo.
Working on original music…

Willie Wright is currently the band director and elementary general music teacher in Paonia, CO. Along with K thru 12 teaching, he also performs regularly in Western Colorado with several different musical groups, chief among them Mike Gwinn and the North Fork Flyers. Willie is primarily a saxophonist but also doubles on flute and clarinet (though seldom simultaneously).

Before moving to Paonia, Wright lived in the Denver area, performing with several area big bands, including “Jazz West” and “The Neophonic Big Band.” He also performed regularly with several small-group jazz and R & B units while teaching instrumental music at Brighton Charter School.

Prior to starting his musical and teaching careers in Colorado, Wright spent a year playing in dance orchestras on board Carnival Cruise Lines ships, cruising the Mexican Riviera and Eastern Caribbean runs between September 1997 and August 1998.

Some of the highlights of Willie’s professional music career include performing live on KUVO Jazz in Denver, playing in the pit orchestra for Bernadette Peters, and opening for Joe Cocker.

Wright grew up in Riverton, Wyoming and graduated from Riverton High School in 1986. In the fall of 1986 he enrolled at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, studying music education and playing in the jazz band, wind ensemble, and symphonic band. He also walked on to the football team and earned a full-ride football scholarship in the fall of 1987. As an outside linebacker, Wright earned honorable mention all-conference honors in 1988, 1989, and 1990. He also received outstanding jazz soloist awards at the UNC jazz festival on tenor and alto saxophone in 1989 and 1990.

In the spring of 1991, Wright signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He earned a spot on the practice squad for the 1991 season and made the final roster in 1992, playing in 9 NFL games that season. He pursued a professional football career from 1991 thru 1996, playing for teams in NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League while going through 5 training camps for the Cardinals.

Wright now resides in beautiful Paonia, Colorado with Amy, his wife of 11 years and their 8 year old son, Trey. As a family they enjoy playing music together; Amy is also a saxophonist and bassoonist, while Trey is a budding piano player. They also enjoy many of the wonderful outdoor opportunities that Western Colorado has to offer, including fishing, hiking, camping, and biking.

Tony Peters is a freelance musician living in Paonia, Colorado. He play a variety of instruments, most notably the trombone, guitar and bass. Tony is currently a member of The North Fork Flyers, Fever Shake and the Paonia Community Jazz Band. He also teaches private lessons on guitar, bass and trombone.
Tony began playing the trombone at age ten and guitar at twelve. He was a featured soloist with the Elmhurst High School Jazz Ensemble which won many festival competitions and awards during his time there. Tony was a trombone, theory and composition major at Indiana State University where he earned a BA degree. He played with the symphonic band, wind ensemble, jazz band I and orchestra as well as several local funk bands. He moved to Indianapolis after graduation and worked as a freelance trombonist for seven years. During this time, Tony toured with the Ted Weems Orchestra, The Glen Miller Orchestra, Vince Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, The Lettermen, The O'Jays. When in town , he played with several local big bands including the John Von Ohlen, Steve Allee Big Band as well as numerous small jazz combos.
Tony moved to the Colorado mountain town of Paonia in 1999 and for the past twelve years he has collaborated with many local musicians and performed widely on Colorado's Western Slope. These bands include One World, The Jazz Renovators, The Strolling Scones, Dusty Onyx, Feast, Triangulo and the Mountain Harvest All Stars.