ighty Little Big Band

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Jim took up the trumpet in junior high school, studying under Calvin Price, former assistant principal trumpet in the Philadelphia Orchestra. After high school, Jim didn't play at all for 15 years, until he got back to playing in local community bands. In 2001, he formed '22 Park Avenue', an 18-piece big band in Swarthmore, and then leveraged what he learned there to form The Mighty Little Big Band in 2005. He enjoys the flexibility of the group, and the wide variety of musical styles the band covers.

Gordon Roth studied trumpet with David Blackinton and earned his degree in Music Education at University of Delaware. He enjoys all musical genres through large ensemble, big band, brass quintet, and solo trumpet work. He has performed with numerous ensembles including Clarion Brass, Mighty Little Big Band, and Newark Symphony Orchestra. Other activities include singing bass and tenor in two vocal groups, outfielder for MSBL Brandywine Red Sox, nature walks, and Sales Rep for a wholesaler of hobby merchandise.

A recent graduate of The University of Minnesota with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, he spent four years playing in the Minnesota Marching Band as well as Jazz Bands, Concert Bands, Pep Bands, and various community bands. He moved to the Philly area for an engineering job at The Boeing Company and spends his free time rehearsing with the MLBB, building a remote control airplane, mountain biking, and pursuing a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University.

Larry Leso had been playing the Alto Saxophone since he started taking lessons in 7th Grade. He was inspired to take up the sax so that he could follow in his father’s footsteps as a Philadelphia Mummer. When he entered West Deptford High School, he expanded his musical horizons and joined the Marching and Concert Bands. He was one of the founding members of the high school Jazz Band and was awarded the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award at graduation. While preferential to Jazz and Big Band music, Larry plays just about anything. He has been playing with the Polish American String Band since 1992 and with a South Jersey Ska Band, Drive Thru Pharmacy, since June of 2005. Although timid with his Saxophone playing, Larry did find himself sitting in with a band at a jazz club on Bourbon Street during the 2005 New Orleans Jazz Fest; the highlight of his musical career to date. Larry loves to travel and has driven through the 49 continental states and cross country twice. He has a Civil Engineering Degree from Drexel University and a Land Surveying Degree from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and while not playing music and traveling, he works for an engineering firm in Philadelphia. Larry resides in Drexel Hill and his other hobby is renovating his fixer-upper house into a home.

Chris Scott's music studies began with classical piano and clarinet, followed by jazz saxophone. He grew up in Ardmore, PA and played in several Pennsylvania regional bands and orchestras before attending Drexel University on a partial music scholarship. Chris learned to play electric bass guitar at Drexel, mostly so that he could be the loudest musician in the pep band at basketball games. Chris continued playing clarinet in symphonic band and sax in jazz bands, also tried guitar in a rock band. Today Chris has a career is in finance and management, and he spends his free time sorting through the mess of musical equipment he's piled up over the years.

Since completing his Masters of Music in Percussion Performance at Miami in 1983, Bill Marconi has pursued a wide range of performing and teaching experiences. Immediately after graduating, Bill moved to Los Angeles where he continued his jazz studies with Gregg Bissonnette and Jeff Hamilton, performing with the L.A. Jazz Workshop Big Band and other local jazz ensembles and big bands. In 1986, Bill seized the opportunity to join an international musical revue in Switzerland, where he spent one year playing with musicians from all over the globe. Upon returning to the U.S., Bill resettled near his home base, Philadelphia, and began a private teaching practice which he continues today. Over the years, Bill has played with the Haddonfield Symphony, The Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey, Jonathans Big Band and The Jimmy Bruno Trio. For nine years he was part of a jazz group, Trio Nova who released their CD, Parallel Lines in 2002.He presently plays with the the world-fusion band The Bamboo Jazz Quartet. In addition to playing and teaching, Bill regularly conducts an interactive percussion workshop called Rhythms of the World, which he performs in schools, libraries, parks and other venues. In addition to music, Bill has become an avid bicyclist and student of Ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arranging. He has exhibited the past 4 years at the prestigious Philadelphia Flower Show. Bill lives in Berwyn, PA with his wife Carolyn and their two teens, Elizabeth (17) and Bill (15). He hopes to persuade at least one of his kids to attend Miami University!