Metro Jazz “Club Members”

Vocalists

Maxine Cummins

Born into a family that loved music, Maxine started singing at the age of three. With opportunities to sing solos, duets, trios, ensembles and choirs, Maxine has sung music of various genres, including the classic pop standards of the Big Band era. Maxine has worked with dance orchestras and combos and has appeared on radio, television and stage and has released three CDs. Currently, along with singing with the Metro Jazz Club she does a solo show for senior groups in the metro area. Click HERE Visit Maxine?s Website.

Jason Joines

From an early age, Jason loved music. From performing as a featured singer in his elementary school’s annual Irish program to being a lead singer for Faith ‘n Pain, a late 80’s rock band, he found that he felt most alive on stage. While growing up, his parents introduced him to the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, and Nat King Cole. He quickly found a love for the Great American Songbook and came to the conclusion that he was born about 40 years too late. Over the next two decades, Jason watched as this genre came back to the attention of music fans with growing popularity of artists such as Harry Connick Jr. and Michael Buble. In 2007, Jason decided it was time to find a way to fulfill his dream of performing his favorite songs with a big band. After singing with a few local swing bands, Jason found his home with the Metro Jazz Club in 2010. In addition, Jason currently sings with the choir at Transfiguration Catholic Church in Marietta.

Saxophone Section

Gary Dalton (Tenor Sax, Band Manager)

Gary started playing sax in the fifth grade, but could not seem to make first chair. Then he got eyeglasses and realized there were actually dots on the little lines. Things have progressed steadily from that point ,and he enjoyed many music opportunities in junior and senior high school marching, concert, and stage bands. He also played with a Pop/funk band in high school that toured the local dance clubs. After college, the horn was stuck in the closet for about 20 years while career and family took priority. After being called to play again with his church orchestra (First Baptist Snellville), Gary has joined several community concert and Jazz bands. Gary simply loves to play and is thankful that God has blessed him with opportunities to “make a joyful noise”.

Wayne Davis (Alto Sax, Clarinet)

After playing clarinet in high school and college (UGA Redcoat Band), Wayne put his horn away until 2001, when, figuring he could still play bad clarinet better than he could sing bad tenor, he left the choir and joined the orchestra at Snellville First Baptist Church. When all the cobwebs were blown out of his clarinet, Wayne started adding other instruments to his tool kit and has since played clarinet, bass clarinet, alto and soprano sax at churches in Snellville and the surrounding area, in several community concert bands and jazz bands, and in the pit bands for a number of local productions of Broadway shows, including “Hello Dolly”, “Damn Yankees”, and “Kiss Me Kate”. He currently plays regularly with the Snellville First Baptist orchestra, jazz band and praise band, Peachtree Symphonic Winds concert band, and with Metro Jazz Club.

Jenene Craig (Alto Sax)

Jenene grew up in a family of musicians. Her mother was the Bari Sax player for South Dakota State and played piano as well. Her dad played trumpet. Jenene started at a young age with piano and clarinet, but quickly discovered her love for other instruments. During high school she played alto sax in the jazz band with her sister, Charlene, who played tenor sax. Following in her mothers footsteps, she became the first girl to make the Georgia All-State Jazz band on alto sax. In the marching band, she played sousaphone, saxophone, clarinet, or whatever else was needed. She played BBb Contrabass Clarinet in the school concert band, and toured Europe with the 1977 American Collegiate Wind Band. After high school, Jenene went on a full music scholarship to college, where she enjoyed furthering her instrumental experience, managing a symphony orchestra and playing the oboe. Her proudest musical moment during her college days would be trading licks with Chuck Mangione on stage! Jenene currently plays oboe in the Orchestra and alto sax in the jazz band at First Baptist Snellville.

Ed Cummins (Tenor Sax)

Ed played in his high school marching/concert band, helped start a dance band, and played with a pro dance band before moving on to a Rock-A-Billy band in the late 1950′s. Ed also plays guitar and helped form the “Georgia Fingerstyle Guitar Association” (www.gfga.org). He put the saxophone down for 50+ years until hisretirement, before coming back out in the early 2000′s to join a trio touring the RV resorts and retirement villages in Florida during the Snowbird Season. Besides the Metro Jazz Club, Ed currently plays with a four piece combo, a concert band and his church orchestra. He is thinking about going back to work so he can take a day off once in a while.

Honey Greene (Baritone Sax)

Honey is my real name. I grew up with a father who was and still is a part-time church organist. We had an organ and a piano that I spent many years playing. At my first opportunity to play an instrument in grade school, I choose the Alto Saxophone. The next year I moved to the Baritone Saxophone, which I played in high school and college Symphonic Bands. I graduated from the University of Alabama (Roll Tide), where I was the Trombone Section leader of the Million Dollar Band, and I was also a member of the Basketball Pep Band. Under the Director of Kathryn Scott, I got the opportunity to travel the country on many road trips, and worked with the band for many years after graduating.

Trumpet Section

Fonnie Harlan (Trumpet)

Fonnie Harlan was born in New Orleans, LA., and moved to Chamblee Ga. in 1969 at age 10. Fonnie has been playing trumpet since age 12, including 5 years at Chamblee High School and 3 years at DeKalb College and Technical School. He started playing in church at Dunwoody Baptist Church in the late 70′s, and has been playing trumpet and electric bass for First Baptist Snellville since 1988. Maynard Ferguson was the main influence to his playing.

Joe Galasso (Trumpet)

Fortunate to have been born into a very musical family,Joe has been a featured soloist in a Junior Symphony, student director of a college jazz ensemble, leader of three “gig” bands in Pittsburgh, and currently performs in the Metro Jazz Club, Shades of Gray Rock Band and the Gwinnett Community Band, for which he has performed for 17 years and serves on the board of directors. Joe’s heroes are Doc Severinsen, Al Hirt, Chuck Mangione, Miles Davis, Maynard Ferguson, Bill Chase, Herb Alpert, Dizzy Gillespie, Lew Soloff, Lee Loughnane, and most recently, Rick Braun and Chris Botti. Joe can also be heard exulting the Lord at St. Laurence.

John Groeninger (Trumpet, Flugelhorn)

John has played the trumpet since an early age, following in his Grandfather’s and Dad’s footprints. He played in the Purdue University Marching, Symphonic and Jazz Bands, and was fortunate to tour Japan and Venezuela with the Purdue Bands. After a hiatus to raise 4 children, John has played with various community bands in the Atlanta area. He currently plays with Peachtree Symphonic Winds, Metro Jazz Club and the McKendree Church Orchestra.

Mike Ackerman (Trumpet)

Mike started playing trumpet the summer between 5th and 6th grade,s and it was love at first sight. His first influence was trumpeter Herb Alpert. That changed dramatically one day when he was at his trumpet teacher’s house and heard a Maynard Ferguson recording. Mike couldn’t believe that anyone could play a horn like that. Since then, his playing influences have expanded to include Doc Severinsen, Al Hirt, Rafael Mendez, George Graham and Wayne Bergeron. Mike took 20-plus years off from playing, only to re-discover his love for the instrument in recent years. Mike also plays with the Peachtree Symphonic Winds and in his church orchestra.

Trombone Section

Andrew Rosenthal

Don Presley (Trombone, Band Treasurer)

Don Presley, currently playing lead tenor trombone, is also lead trombone for the Orchestra and Jazz group at First Baptist Snellville, GA. His background in formal/informal music education stretches back to 1980 and covers a number of different instruments, which he plays at a mediocre level. Fortunately, his trombone skills are a bit more polished. He currently operates an engineering/contracting firm out of Lithonia, GA but remains hopeful that the trombone will once again become a mainstream lead instrument in modern popular music, resulting for the first time in respect and demand for garage trombonists everywhere — and as long as I’m dreaming, I’d like a pony.

Andrew Rosenthal (Trombone)

Andrew started playing Euphonium at the age of eleven. Two years later, he realized to continue playing music in real life he would have to move to a more useful instrument. The trombone was then his calling. With his poor dexterity and distaste for the norm of classical music, this was a perfect fit. Now more than a decade later, Andrew continues to play in a select few ensembles. He currently works for a small intellectual property and business development pharmaceutical company. His dream is to own the Philadelphia Eagles, the best sports team on the planet.

Bruce Vrieland (Bass Trombone)

Bruce started playing the tuba at the age of 12, but quit at 15 (1957) for all the wrong reasons. Somtime in his 40′s , he got the urge to start again, and after two years of orthodontic work to align his chops, started playing the tuba again in 1999 — 42-plus years after quitting. Brucehas now learned to play Trombone and plays in eight groups, including a church orchestra, Dixieland band, swing bands and concert bands, with a 50/50 split between instruments.

Kerry Smith (Trombone)

Kerry grew up in Albany, Georgia the son of a Marine Officer. He attended Albany Junior College studying trombone under Dale Grabill and moved on to Columbus, Georgia studying at Columbus College under Paul Vander Gheynst. He performed in the college concert and jazz bands as well as the orchestra. Continuing studies in Atlanta at Georgia State University led to a career in the music retail industry specializing in school music service. Kerry currently is an independent contractor providing musical services as MrTrombone2. He teaches and performs in a variety of styles around the Atlanta area and provides fine string instrument rental services on behalf of William Harris Lee of Chicago.

Rhythm Section

Terry Creedon (Drums)

A graduate of the Naval School of Music and U.S. Navy Band member, Terry performed professionally with Vegas show bands, Jazz and Pop groups, theater groups and circus acts. His credits include Margaret Whiting, Della Reese, George Gobel, Nipsey Russel, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Maureen McGovern and Ike Cole. Today, terry plays drums for First Baptist Church in Snellville and sits in regular with some local Blues bands

Nada Long (Piano)

Nada spent years as the Director of Worship & Music at Ebenezer UMC in Conyers, Georgia, and has a Bachelor of Music Education degree in voice and piano from Oklahoma City University, in addition to an associates degree in Audio-Visual Technology from Rose State College. Nada taught Junior High choirs for 7 years, and has been the choir director in many different churches since 1977. Nada directed a community chorus, “Atlanta Sings!”, from 1988 thru 1996. During that time period she also sang with a wedding band. She has also done some composing and arranging, including some commercial work, and has taught private voice lessons since 1978. Nada is married to Zip Long, and is the proud mother of Natalie Smith, who is a professional flutist, and mother-in-law to Brian Smith, a classical guitarist.

Michael Rhine (Guitar)

Michael has been a musician since the mid-60s, working through many diverse styles in over 30 different bands. Due to the improvisational nature of his musical endeavors, Michael is comfortable in blues, rock and jazz idioms. After studying classical and jazz guitar at the University level, he pursued private teaching while working in the Midwest as a professional musician. Considering himself an “aural artist” (not just a musician), Michael brings an eclectic blend of rhythms and techniques to any musical situation. His influences are many and diverse, including Jimmy Smith, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, John McLaughlin, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Eric Clapton and The Allman Brothers.

Dave Goodson (Bass)

Dave’s grandfather, an Alabama old-time/barn dance musician in the ’30s & ’40s, got Dave started on guitar and banjo when he was just a lad. Dave picked up the bass and tuba in the mid-’70s as a high school sophomore, and continued playing bass in the high school jazz and musical pit bands, as well as a local rock band “Exodus.”  He then went on to play bass in the Jazz Band at the University of Alabama, as well as playing drums with the “Million Dollar Band.” He continued to play bass in a melodic jazz group “Jazzmatics” in the late ’80s, while living in Washington D.C. and, since moving to Atlanta in 1990, with several Blues, R’n’B, and Pop bands; including his current band, “Leonard Blush,” a power rockin’ blues trio.

Former Founding members of Metro Jazz Club

Gary Smith (Bass and webmaster)

Gary Smith was a founding member and great supporter, helping with web sites and logos etc… Gary and his wife Jackie spent many hours woring on our web site text and content. Garys health made it tough to keep playing regularly in recent years so he stepped aside to focus on life. But even after leaving the band full time, Gary continues to help us out. Gary will ALWAYS BE A CLUB MEMBER

Mark Pavlovich(former trumpet and founding member)

Mark played trumpet with Gary Dalton and several other founding members. When the band they were playing with went sour, Metro Jazz Club was formed! Mark has moved out of the area but he too will ALWAYS BE A CLUB MEMBER

In Memory of Former members who have passed away

Kirby Smith – Trombone

Kirby Smith