Gary Dalton (Tenor Sax)
Gary started playing sax in the fifth grade and 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, 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 (Tenor Sax, Clarinet, Alto Sax)
After playing clarinet in high school and college with the UGA Redcoat Band, Wayne put his horn away. Then, in 2001, 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 - bass clarinet, alto sax, soprano sax and tenor sax. He now performs at churches all over the Atlanta 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.
Brian Cunningham (Trumpet, Flugelhorn)
Brian is our primary jazz soloist in the trumpet section. He is also adept on the keyboards. He has a music degree from Belmont University, and also holds a Masters of Divinity from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis. Brian has served and played throughout the southeastern United States for over 30 years. He also regularly travels overseas on music mission trips. Brian currently serves at Briarcliff Baptist Church in Atlanta.
Scott Paretti (Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Bari Sax, Clarinet, Flute)
Scott was born and raised in New Orleans, and moved his family to the Atlanta area after Hurricane Katrina. He started on the clarinet in elementary school, picked up the flute in middle school, and started on alto sax in high school. As he started gigging, and then playing through college, Scott started playing all the saxes. In New Orleans, he played with oldies bands, swing bands, R & B horn bands, and dixieland bands. With MJC, Scott has filled in where needed - on alto, tenor and bari. Since moving to the Atlanta area, he has served in the music ministries at North Metro Baptist Church in Lawrenceville. Scott cites Benny Goodman, Bobby Militello, Earl Bonie, and Gary Dalton as major influences.
Mike Ackerman (Trumpet, Flugelhorn)
Mike started playing trumpet the summer between 5th and 6th grades, 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.
Kevin Bundy (Trumpet, Flugelhorn)
Kevin started sitting in with MJC early in 2017. He studied music at the University of Memphis. He regularly plays with other groups in the Atlanta area.
Previously living in Nashville, he and his wife Karen now live in the Atlanta area.
Mike Schmidt (Trombone)
Mike attended the University of Vermont. He currently resides in Sugar Hill with his wife Kimberly and their 2 children Evan and Caroline. He currently plays trombone and bass trombone in the orchestra at North Metro Baptist Church. Some of Mike's major musical inspirations have been trombonists Carl Fontana and Guy Meador.
Jack Randall (Trombone)
Jack went to Albany High School and The University of Georgia. After graduating from UGA with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Music Education, Jack taught band for 12 years and special education for 18 years. He played with several swing bands before joining the Metro Jazz Club. Jack served as the Director of the Gwinnett Community Band from 2010 until 2014 when he stepped down from this position to serve as the Assistant Director of the group. He has always been active with music groups in church, and he and his wife are now playing with the Lilburn Christian Church orchestra.
Todd Brubaker (Bass Trombone)
Todd is originally from California and lives in Snellville. He is self-employed as a Security Project Manager and has an MBA from Columbia Southern University. He plays regularly with several big bands, orchestras and church groups, and also with the Atlanta Trombone Ensemble and the Atlanta Bone Collective. He is married to Holly from our sax section.
Nada Long (Piano)
Nada spent several years as the Director of Worship and Music at Ebenezer UMC in Conyers, and now leads the music ministry at McKendree UMC in Lawrenceville. She 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.
Amanda Richards
Amanda has an amazing voice and is always a crowd favorite. She does a beautiful job with the old standards like "Cry Me a River" and "Skylark," but also can dazzle you with her versions of Diane Schuur's "Deedle's Blues," Tina Turner's "Proud Mary," or Joe Cocker's "You Can Leave Your Hat On."
Maxine Cummins (Vocals)
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. In addition to having performed with Metro Jazz Club, she does a solo show for senior groups in the metro area.
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 his retirement, 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 also played with combos, concert bands, and his church orchestra. He is thinking about going back to work so he can take a day off once in a while.
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 working on our web site text and content. Gary's 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 (Trumpet)
Mark played trumpet in another band with Gary Dalton and several other founding members. When that band "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 Wells - Trombone
Bruce Vrieland - Bass Trombone