Richard White is one of the most dynamic pianists and composers in the Charleston area. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, he studied classical piano from age 7-17 and was introduced to jazz by his father before high school. Richard has performed in Victoria, British Columbia, and recently completed a successful international jazz tour. He has opened for many famous artists such as Branford Marsalis, Will Downing, Brian McKnight, and Alex Bugnon. He has played locally with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra, the Charlton Singleton Quintet, and the Charleston Symphony that featured vocalist Ellis Hall. 

 

Jon Thornton began his first musical studies at the age of 10 in the Charlotte, North Carolina school band program. Jon’s proficiency as a trumpet player was discovered early. Before beginning high education, he had the opportunity to perform with jazz legends Marian McPartland, Donald Byrd, and Herb Ellis. Likewise, prior to leaving for the University of Miami, he was asked to join a big band tour of Romania, sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

In 1986, Jon had the opportunity to open a concert for legendary jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. In 1989, he was selected to become “Artist in Residence” in the North Carolina Visiting Artist Program. While tenured at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, Jon was selected to tour with jazz great Max Roach and T.S. Monk, Jr. for the Thelonius Monk Institute. While an “Artist in Residence” at Brunswick Community College, Jon performed with Milt Hinton, Jane Jarvis, Freddie Redd, David Pike, and Ron Free. He was also featured in “Gentleman Jim’s,” a television documentary about North Carolina jazz musicians for the BET network.

Over the years, Jon has had the honor of performing with some of the legends in the music industry including The Woody Herman Orchestra, The Buddy Rich Band, The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Natalie Cole’s Unforgettable Orchestra, Loonis McGlohon, Al Jarreau, Joe Williams, Clark Terry, Louis Bellson, the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra of San Francisco, the Les Elgart Orchestra, Emily Remler, the Four Tops, the Temptations, the O’Jays, the Shirelles, Jim Brock, Don Dixon, Marti Jones and with the hip-hop artist, Deltron 3030 Orchestra.

On a local level, Jon has had an impact on the Charlotte and regional Carolinas jazz scene, having co-founded the Charlotte Jazz Orchestra and Latin Jazz group, Fuego Lento. He has also performed with the Coalition Jazz Orchestra and the Unifour Jazz Ensemble. He has been featured in numerous orchestral concerts, including the Charlotte Symphony, Salisbury Symphony, and Union Symphony.

As a recording artist, Jon has spent hours in the studio as a staff musician for Sound Source Studios, having delivered more than 500 recordings for backing tracks and karaoke music. His trumpet playing can be found on over 50 CD recordings by jazz and popular music artists alike. Among these are 3 Grammy-nominated records and one Grammy Winner for R&B artist Anthony Hamilton. Jon’s trumpet can also be found in two PBS documentaries: “A Man Named Pearl” and “North Carolina’s World War II Experience.” Over the years, his playing can be heard on numerous local and national television and radio commercials.

Jon’s formal music education includes the University of Miami (FL) School of Music (on scholarship), Berklee College of Music, Winthrop University and private study with world-renowned jazz educator Jerry Coker at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Jon and his wife, Julie, currently reside in Charleston, SC, where he continues his career as band leader and sideman for various ensembles. He can be found in the Lowcountry in a variety of venues and with The Charleston Jazz Orchestra and the Charleston Latin Jazz Collective. He was a featured performer for the 2014 and 2015 Folly Beach Jazz Festival. He also performs in a classical setting with his wife in their Classical Brass Quintet, “Holy City Brass.”

Jon is a private instrumental instructor in trumpet and jazz improvisation.

 

 

 

 

 

Originating from Charleston, SC, Nolan Tecklenburg is a jazz pianist with a love for New Orleans. He began by studying piano at the age of 5 and continued his studies at Loyola University down in New Orleans. While in the Big Easy, he was able to craft his own sound by listening and playing with some of the best local musicians. He spearheaded a project called NuSpeak,  which would go on to play at Tipitina’s and other local venues. At the same time, he would gig with his trio throughout the city and end up playing at Jazz Fest as well. After graduating from college he focused on composing throughout the pandemic as a way to exhibit his art.

 

 

Music is a gift that has always been constant in Gavin’s life. The music of Ella Fitzgerald and in particular, Louis Armstrong, were the main reasons Gavin Smith picked up a horn and began his jazz journey. Growing up in the Lowcountry, Gavin’s music education brought him in contact with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra. Former CJO music director, Charlton Singleton, was Gavin’s 6th-grade band director, and current CJO member, Ken Foberg, became Gavin’s life-long teacher, mentor, and friend. During his time at SOA, he attended many CJO concerts and fell in love with the band with the hopes of sharing the bandstand with those musicians one day.

Since attending the Berklee College of Music, Gavin has returned to Charleston and continues to perform with various groups in town and abroad. Recording and performing with Hootie & The Blowfish on their song “Turn It Up” has been one of the highlights in his music career, especially because he was able to share the experience with two musicians he holds in high regard – Charlton Singleton and Mark Sterbank.

“Although I have performed with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra on many occasions up to this point, I consider it an honor and a privilege to be an official member of this amazing group of musicians. I look forward to continuing my development as a musician, and being a part of the musical lineage and history that has come out of our city of Charleston while aiming to have a positive influence and inspire the next generation of talented musicians.”

~ Gavin Smith

 

Kimberly Alford King graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A in Flute Performance. Kim was the first student in the state of South Carolina ever to perform with All-State Band, All-State Chorus and All-State Orchestra in the same year- a feat which she accomplished twice. She furthered her music career while at the College of Charleston playing in a variety of groups including the Piccolo Spoleto Festival Orchestra, Charleston Virtuosi and collaborating with Entropy Ensemble on The Radiohead Project. Kim joined the Mount Pleasant Symphony playing third flute and piccolo in 2015 and became the Personnel Manager in 2016. She enjoys playing weddings and special events throughout South Carolina and has also played with the Hilton Head Symphony, the North Charleston POPS!, and Charleston Stage. She has a small flute studio, directs seasonal flute choirs, and is a longtime volunteer at The Center for Birds of Prey. Kimberly is a frequent musical guest at St. Stephen’s Episcopal and has been playing flute, penny whistles, percussion and singing with Joyful Noise at St. Timothy Lutheran Church since 1999.

 

 

Andy Mason is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator.  As a performer, Andy’s fluency across genres comes from a career full of shifting roles.  Beginning as a drummer, Andy’s songwriting urge led to guitar and piano, with a particular affinity for American roots music and New Orleans styles.  An interest in experimentation complements his respect for the great music traditions, often leading to genre mashups in many of his original songs. 

His sound/video piece Feeder, Hummingbird Variations was included in a 2021 exhibition in Rome, Italy, and he collaborated on a multi-media theatre work (Medea Redux) which was presented by the National Theatre of Greece for the Greek Play Project 2021.

Andy has an MFA in Sonic Arts and an MM in Composition from Brooklyn College, where he studied composition with Arturo O’Farrill.  While there, he held composer residencies with Big Band, Jazz Ensemble, Conservatory Orchestra, and Guitar Ensemble, and won the HISAM award for imaginative cross-cultural exploration, and the Noah Creshevsky Award for Experimental Music. 

Andy is currently the elementary choir director at the Cooper School in Charleston. 

 

Kevin Patton is a composer, saxophonist, and entrepreneur located in Charleston, SC. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2014 with a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Performance. Since then he has released an album titled "Full Authority" and a new single titled "It All Works Out". In addition to composing and recording, he teaches at Allegro Charter School of Music. Kevin is led by his faith and performs regularly at his church, World Overcomers Ministries.