Santa Cruz Brass

 

The Quintet has performed hundreds of concerts throughout Santa Cruz County and elsewhere. They play for civic events, school groups, church services, weddings, festivals, graduation ceremonies, company parties, shopping centers, mixers, and just about anything else. They have made numerous television and radio appearances and have been twice featured on the front page of the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

They also play at several annual events: UCSC Commencement Exercises, The KUSP Auction, The Santa Cruz Mission Fiesta, The Santa Cruz County Land Trust Picnic, The Capitola Art and Wine Festival, The San Jose Tapestry in Talent Festival, The California Gray Bears Christmas Dinner, and The Santa Cruz Downtown Association Estival Festival.

 

The SANTA CRUZ BRASS QUINTET has been delighting audiences throughout Northern and Central California since 1983. The group's massive repertory includes a very wide variety of musical styles. On the Classical side, they play traditional brass compositions and transcriptions of the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic masterpieces, and also some Twentieth Century compositions as well. Composers include Gabrieli, Palestrina, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Ewald, Debussy, Mussorgsky, Shastakovitch, and Hindemith.

Music on the "lighter side" includes Jazz Standards, Ragtime, Dixieland, popular songs of the 1920's, 1930's, and 1940's, Marches, Show Tunes, and even Beatles songs.

Making noise is serious business!

 

 

The SANTA CRUZ BRASS QUINTET is equally at home playing formal classical concerts, and informal Saturday-afternoon-in-the-park type concerts. In either situation they maintain a high level of musicianship, combined with a relaxed atmosphere which appeals to all types of audiences and all age groups. The skillful selection of music, lively pacing and added surprises keep their audiences thrilled and entertained.

Attention brass players: the Santa Cruz Brass Series brass quintet arrangements are now available for purchase through the Amnesia Boutique.

The Musicians

  

Leonard Moore is an original member and principal trumpet player of the Santa Cruz Brass. Leonard got his lip into shape playing Star Spangled Banner solos with the Stanford Band back in the sixties. Len studied with Frank Woolley, Trumpeter of the Big Band era, while living in Hemet, California in his youth. In addition to being an awesome and devoted trumpet player, husband to Joan, and father of two musical sons, Leonard is also a determined skiing fanatic, and a dermatologist most weekdays at the Santa Cruz Medical Clinic.

 

Charles Old, Trumpet, received his musical training at The San Francisco Conservatory of Music and California State University at Hayward. After relocating to Santa Cruz in 1989, he has played with the Santa Cruz Brass Quintet, Cabrillo Stage, Western Stage,  Ensemble Monterey, Surf City Brass, and freelancing with various classical ensembles throughout the Monterey Bay Area. He lives with his family in Boulder Creek where he maintains an active teaching studio.

 

  
Ken Weisner started out on trumpet but has played French horn since Maestro Primo Yob suggested he give it a try in seventh grade orchestra.  As an East Bay youth, he happily studied with the late, great Earl Saxton (who taught that playing Horn was like singing), and later Robert Fries while enrolled at Oberlin College. Ken teaches writing and literature as his "day job" at De Anza College in Cupertino. He also writes and teaches workshops in poetry writing.  His full length collection of poems, the Sacred Geometry of Pedestrians, can be found at Amazon.com. It was published in 2002 by Hummingbird Press. Ken is married to Kit Birskovich, a pianist, teacher and singer. They have two teenage sons. For more information about Ken, including French horn resume, teaching, and more, click here.  

Tubist John Thomas is accomplished as a composer, brass instrumentalist and teacher, conductor, music director, and master repairer of brass instruments. John has moved his new business, Thomas Musical Instruments, out of the hills and into town at 2735 Soquel Avenue. John's shop specializes in wind repair and accessories. John continues to direct Musical Visions, the ongoing music program in the Santa Cruz Elementary Schools. He plays with the Antiquarian Funks in addition to subbing frequently with the Santa Cruz Symphony. He¼s also the guy with perfect pitch! John directs the Santa Cruz Municipal Band (which he encourages you to join this semester!) through the Parks and Recreation Department.

  
Scott Harris founded the Santa Cruz Brass Quintet in 1983. In addition to playing Trombone, he also plays Soprano Sax, Flute, Piccolo, and EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument). He is an accomplished arranger in both the Big Band and Brass Quintet milieu and several of his Brass Quintet arrangements have been published.
He has extensive recording credits including the 1989 Jupiter II CD "Pacific Skies."
Scott led his own big band for twenty years. He is now "retired" from the big band leading business and instead plays in several other bands including the Esquire Big Band, The Robin Anderson Big Band, and The Musician's Warehouse Big Band where he rehearses and performs frequently with legendary Jazz drummer Louie Bellson.
Scott's various musical activities have afforded him opportunities to travel to many foreign countries. In 1990, Bulgarian National Radio described Scott as "one of the most prominent names in American Jazz today." (this may actually have been true...that day...in Bulgaria...)
 

 

  

 

 

 

 

Contact Scott Harris for more information about the Santa Cruz Brass.

 

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