Meet The Brass Pack
Bill Ash • Jon Leonard • Matt Krempasky • Scott Reeves • Darrell Hendricks • Walter Barrett • Larry Maltz • Todd Beaney • Takashi Otsuka • Wayne Dunton • Nadav • About The Brass Pack
Bill Ash
Leader • Trumpet • Flugelhorn • Piccolo trumpet • Slide trumpet • Trombone • Valve trombone • French horn • Bass flugelhorn • Vocals
Photo by Karen Fucito
Bill Ash first picked up a trumpet in fourth grade, and has hardly put it down since—except to play another instrument or write some music. In high school he began playing professionally, and at 16 was leading his own 15-piece big band. While studying architecture at Princeton, Bill continued freelancing, again led his own big band, and began composing, arranging, and doubling on trombone and French horn. After graduation, he worked as an architect, then in computers, all the while maintaining a busy musical schedule. He has performed throughout the New York metro area and beyond with groups of every size and description, including the Temptations, the Happenings, Marlene VerPlanck, and Bobby Rydell. Currently Bill performs and tours with 18-time Grammy winner Jimmy Sturr.
In 2003, Bill was selected as one of New Jersey’s top jazz musicians by the Newark Star Ledger for its “Great Day in Jersey” feature.
Particularly in demand as a big-band brass player, his ability to handle any part in the brass section—from lead trumpet down to bass trombone—has made him a fixture in New York metro area big bands over the years.
Bill has recorded with Jimmy Sturr, the Jazz Composer’s Workshop Orchestra (which recorded his composition Stealing Fire), Kennsington Brass (which recorded several of Bill’s arrangements), Michael Treni, Linda Torchia, the Acme Brass Co., the James L. Dean Big Band, Dick Wells with the Big Band Swing Machine, the Bensen-Scott Big Band, the Infernos, Doug Ferony, Bibi Farber, and the Planet Jazz Big Band, among others. His arrangements and compositions are regularly performed by a number of bands.
Bill has performed at numerous New York area venues including Lincoln Center, NJPAC, Giants Stadium, Izod Arena, the Iridium, Fat Tuesday’s, Trumpets, and Crossroads. He has also performed in Las Vegas, up and down the East Coast, and on various cruise ships.
In addition to his extensive work as a sideman, Bill’s career has often seen him leading bands. He began leading big bands as a student: Sentimental Journey in high school, then the Princeton Swing Band, which he led in college and continued to run after graduation. In more recent years Bill has led slightly smaller groups: Touch of Brass and, currently, The Brass Pack.
Besides performing on brass instruments ranging from piccolo trumpet to tuba, Bill teaches privately. Currently he is the trumpet instructor at Green Meadow Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge, New York. Previously, he was the brass instructor at The Ridgewood Conservatory in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where he still fills in from time to time. Before that, he was on the faculty at the Wharton Music Center in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, for five years, and also taught at the Link School in Newark, New Jersey.
He has written about music for Gannett Newspapers, for whom he interviewed such trumpet greats as Doc Severinsen, Maynard Ferguson, Wynton Marsalis and Arturo Sandoval.
Additionally, Bill is a computer consultant and a graphic designer whose portfolio includes books, websites (including this one!), and logos. He lives in northern New Jersey with his wife Lorraine, a journalist, author, and editor whose books include Life Touches Life: A Mother’s Story of Stillbirth and Healing and Self and Soul: On Creating a Meaningful Life. Together, Lorraine and Bill run Cape House Publishing.
Jon Leonard
Trumpet • Flugelhorn • Trombone • Valve trombone
Photo by Karen Fucito
Originally from Fairbanks, Alaska, Jon Leonard has degrees in Jazz (BM) and Trumpet (MM) from the University of North Texas, with his improvisation and compositions recorded by the prestigious One O’Clock Lab Band. He also pursued doctoral studies at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.
Later, he was Instructor of Jazz and Brass at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado.
A member of West Point’s USMA Band until 2015, during his tenure Staff Sergeant Leonard performed with both the Jazz Knights and the Hellcats. Upon retirement he obtained an MA in Arts Administration from CUNY Baruch. Now, as a freelance musician in the Hudson Valley and tri-state area, Jon leads several jazz projects of his own, primarily as a composer and arranger.
Matt Krempasky
Trumpet • Flugelhorn • Slide trumpet • Trombone
Photo by Bill Ash
Matt Krempasky recently retired from a 40-year career as a band director at high schools in Succasunna, Maplewood, and Somerville, New Jersey. He also served as an adjunct professor at the County College of Morris and at Seton Hall University. He was named as the New Jersey Music Educators Association’s “Master Music Teacher” in 1998, and has been included in Who’s Who Among American High School teachers on numerous occasions. He has also been a member of Mensa since 1992.
Matt has been elected to membership in three halls of fame—the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps, the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Pennsylvania Drum Corps. He continues to write and arrange music, primarily for the Marching Arts, for various groups from the high school to the collegiate level. He is currently arranging the brass book for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps to be performed at the 2024 DCI Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Over the years, Matt has taught and performed with various groups around the world, from brass workshops in the Netherlands to concerts in Italy, Austria, Germany, and Taiwan. He is currently performing with Reeds, Rhythm, and All That Brass; the Highland Park Orchestra; Whitehouse Wind Symphony; Bloomingdale Big Band; and Swingtime; and frequently subs with the Silver Starlite Orchestra. He has recorded with the Acme Brass Company, Hyperactive, and the Jordan Thomas Orchestra.
Matt has two children—daughter Julia and son James.
Scott Reeves
Trombone • Alto flugelhorn • Alto valve trombone
Photo by Karen Fucito
Scott Reeves is a trombonist, alto flugelhornist, composer, and educator. He has performed at numerous New York City venues including Birdland, the Village Vanguard, Smoke, the Iridium, Small’s, Dizzy’s, Sweet Rhythm, the 55 Bar, Cornelia St. Café, and the Knitting Factory. Among the groups to utilize his talents are the Dave Liebman Big Band, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Bill Mobley’s Smoke Big Band, the Oliver Lake Big Band, the Chico O’Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Manhattan Bones, and his own quintet and big band. He has also performed at leading jazz clubs in Rome, Lisbon, Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, and Kyoto.
Scott performs on four CDs by the Dave Liebman Big Band and has also recorded with the Anthony Braxton Orchestra and the Bill Mobley Big Band. His compositions and arrangements have been recorded by Dave Liebman, Bill Mobley’s big band, and the Osaka Global Jazz Orchestra. Scott also has four small group CDs under his own leadership: “Congressional Roll Call” with pianists Kenny Werner and James Williams; “Shape Shifter” with tenor saxophonist Rich Perry; “Tribute” featuring his band Manhattan Bones; and his recently released quintet recording, “The Alchemist.” The 17-piece Scott Reeves Jazz Orchestra has released two CDs on Origin Records featuring artists such as saxophonist Steve Wilson and vocalist Carolyn Leonhart: “Portraits and Places” (2016) and “Without A Trace” (2018).
Scott’s textbook on jazz improvisation, Creative Jazz Improvisation, is widely used in leading college jazz curriculums. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by the BMI Jazz Composers Orchestra, the Smoke Big Band, the Dave Liebman Big Band, the Kyoto Jazz Orchestra (Japan), the Westchester Jazz Orchestra, Cecil’s Big Band, Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome, Manhattan School of Music and other collegiate and professional ensembles.
In addition to his performing and writing activities, Scott is Professor Emeritus at the City College of New York (CUNY). Previously he also taught at the Juilliard School of Music, the University of Southern Maine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Memphis State University, and Western Washington University. He has presented workshops and clinics throughout the United States, Italy, and Japan.
Visit Scott on the web at www.CreativeJazz.com.
Darrell Hendricks
Trombone • Bass trombone • Euphonium • Tuba • Trumpet
Photo by Karen Fucito
Darrell Hendricks is Director of Bands at Mount Olive High School, where his responsibilities include the wind ensemble, marching band, and jazz ensemble. Under his leadership, the jazz ensemble has grown from one annual concert to regular performances at festivals including the Berklee High School Jazz Festival, the Essentially Ellington Regional Festivals at the Newark Academy and Temple University, and the Rowan Jazz Festival, as well as performances at the NJAJE (New Jersey Association of Jazz Educators) state preliminary and final rounds. In 2014, they performed at the world famous Apollo Theater in New York City.
Darrell also has taught at the Mt. Tabor Summer Music Camp as a jazz instructor, and as an adjunct professor of brass pedagogy at Montclair State University. He has conducted the NJAJE Region I and Region III high school jazz ensembles, and served as the president of Region I for NJAJE from 2018 to 2021. He is currently NJAJE’s president-elect.
In addition to teaching, Darrell has performed as a low brass specialist for over twenty years. In that time, he has performed in a wide range of genres with artists including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Peter Cetera, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keyes, John Mayer, Josh Groban, The Four Tops, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Frank Kuamba Lacy, Video Games Live, the Secret Society Orchestra, Darlene Love, Ritchie Van Zandt, and Alan Chez & the Brothers of Funk. He also has performed in the pit for several Broadway productions including Curtains, The Lion King, Cry Baby, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Les Miserables; and with the touring companies for The Music Man, Miss Saigon, and Swing Forever.
Darrell also frequently appears as a guest artist and clinician at schools throughout the tri-state area.
Walter Barrett
Trombone • Bass trombone • Euphonium • Tuba • Bass trumpet
Walter Barrett performs as a free-lance musician throughout the New York area on alto, tenor, and bass trombones; bass trumpet, euphonium, and tuba. He has performed with the Westchester Symphony, Yonkers Philharmonic, Philharmonic Symphony of Westchester, and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, to name a few. Walter has been featured as soloist with many local groups, including the Lehman College Community Band, White Plains Pops Band, Manhattan School of Music Trombone Ensemble, Yonkers Philharmonic, and the Westchester Band.
Recently, Walter performed the US Premiere of Rapsodia Borealis, a concerto for trombone and wind ensemble by Danish composer, Søren Hyldgaard. He has performed with artists such as Robert Goulet, Frankie Valli, Julius LaRosa, and Enzo Stuarti, and has been heard on jingles for Sports Illustrated and US News & World Report. Walter has done numerous recordings on euphonium with the US Merchant Marine Academy Band, and can be heard playing trombone on the Gary Portnoy CD, Destiny. Walt recorded tracks on trombone, euphonium, and tuba for the JD Coy CDs Dusk to Dawn and Testament.
He is a founding member of the Bottom Line Tuba Quartet and Grace Avenue Brass Ensemble. Every autumn, the lederhosen and alphorn come out for many fun Oktoberfest gigs with the Alpine Squeeze band. Walter has also played with the Altered 9 jazz nonet, Bensen-Scott Big Band, Analog Jazz Orchestra, and the Library Big Band. After playing in the Iona College Pep Band for many years as a sideman, Walter took over the leadership of the band as of the 2012-13 basketball season. The Gaels were 10 for 11 at home that year. Coincidence? We think not.
Walter has had articles on “Trombone Legato” and “Vibrato” published in the Online Trombone Journal. In the summer of 2005, he was asked to be a Moderator of the (now-defunct) Trombone Forum. Walt is currently an admin on the forScore Users Group page on Facebook.
Walter is a Yamaha Performing Artist / Clinician, and is a teaching artist for Celia Cruz Bronx HS of Music, where he coaches the brass players.
Larry Maltz
Guitars
Photo by Karen Fucito
Larry Maltz is a versatile guitarist and educator residing in North Jersey. He has been performing in the New York metro area for over 40 years. A 1980 graduate of William Paterson’s highly regarded Jazz Performance program, Larry studied with the great New Jersey jazz guitarists Bob DeVos and Harry Leahey.
Larry is well versed in the genres of pop, jazz, classical, blues and bluegrass/country. He specializes in solo acoustic arrangements of a large selection of popular music ranging from the 1920s to present day.
“My life in music almost matches the chronology of American music,” he says. “I started playing folk, blues, and bluegrass. Soon after, I played in electric blues and rock and roll bands. I graduated to touring R&B bands and then came full circle back to acoustic music.”
He adds, “My philosophy about playing guitar is that every song I play should be heartfelt and relatable to the listener.”
Among the many groups he has worked, toured, or recorded with are Diane Moser’s Composer’s Big Band (jazz), Jerry Vivino (Conan O’Brien Show), Flip Peters, Sister & Brother (R&B), and Roy Crosse (steel pan jazz).
Larry’s CD Acoustic with fellow guitarist Flip Peters is available on Amazon.
Todd Beaney
Piano • Keyboards
Photo by Karen Fucito
Todd Beaney is a pianist/composer/arranger/church musician and Music Director for musical theater. He has released five CDs, published numerous arrangements and compositions for piano, and written music for many performing groups in a variety of genres.
He has performed or recorded with artists such as The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Gary Burton, Chip Jackson, The Four Freshmen, The Uptown Brass, Jeff Beal, Jerry Vale, Teresa Brewer, and Phil Driscoll.
As a music educator at the secondary level for thirty-two years in Rye, NY, Todd directed vocal and instrumental jazz groups, designed and implemented five Music Technology courses, and presented related sessions at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Winter Conference. He adjudicates regularly for the Association and has frequently accompanied for area All-State choral groups in Westchester County.
He is an active musical theater MD with well over 100 shows to his credit and served as Music Director at Wilton Baptist Church (Wilton, CT) for over 33 years.
Todd holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music and McNeese State University.
Visit Todd on the web at toddbeaney.com.
Takashi Otsuka
Upright bass • Bass guitar
Photo by Karen Fucito
Bassist Takashi Otsuka’s performance credits include the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Seiji Ozawa, the Boys Choir of Harlem, Ben E. King, Swing Express under the direction of Bill Conway, the Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra under the direction of Mike Treni, the Latin Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Victor Rendon, Don Sebesky, Bob Mintzer, Charles McPherson, Marion Meadows, Lew Solof, Ted Curson, Claudio Roditi, Jon Faddis, Steve Turre, Slide Hampton, Norman Simmons, Andy Bey, Larry Coryell, Vic Juris, John Hart, Bob Devos, Ron Affif, Pete Levin, Jack Walrath, Billy Hart, Eliot Zigmund, and many more.
Takashi studied bass with Louis Kozma, Lincoln Goines, Jay Anderson, and David Finck. He studied composition and arranging with Herb Pomeroy, Bob Freedman, and Ken Pullig; and improvisation theory with Gary Burton at Berklee College of Music.
He has been teaching privately for over 20 years, and was a bass instructor for four years at Professional Music studios, Inc.
Wayne Dunton
Drums • Percussion
Photo by Karen Fucito
New York based drummer Wayne Dunton has enjoyed a diverse musical career for over 35 years.
Wayne has played in numerous Broadway orchestra pits including Cats, Lion King, Music Man, Annie Get Your Gun, Hairspray, Billy Elliot, Dance Of The Vampires, and Sweet Smell Of Success. He toured with the 2010 national tour of Dennis D. Young’s 101 Dalmatians and the 2011 national Broadway tour of Hair.
In the jazz genre Wayne has recorded and performed with alto sax great Richie Cole’s Alto Madness Orchestra, appearing at such prestigious festivals as the Cape May Jazz Festival and the Kristianstad Jazz Festival in Sweden. He is also the first-call drummer for numerous big bands throughout the New York metro area.
In 2014, Wayne performed at a celebration of South African Music at Carnegie Hall, featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo with special guest Dave Matthews and Paul Simon’s Graceland bassist Bakithi Kumalo.
Rounding out Wayne’s love of playing many different styles, he is an active member of the New York City-based Ska band Mephiskapheles, recently returned from a 27-day tour of Europe; and a New Jersey-based polka fusion band, Bavarski, that keeps busy playing many Oktoberfests throughout the United States.
Nadav
Drums • Percussion
Born in Israel in 1974, Nadav started playing drums at the age of 16. Soon he became involved with the local Israeli music scene, playing and recording with different rock and jazz artists. Throughout those years Nadav absorbed elements and flavors of the local Mediterranean music traditions.
In 1999, after receiving several honorary scholarships, Nadav was able to move to the US and obtain his BFA degree in Music Performance from the Conservatory of Music at SUNY Purchase College.
Soon after his arrival in New York, Nadav became highly involved with the local music scene. His versatility enabled him to perform and record with artists from many different genres. Among the numerous artists Nadav has worked with are Jon Faddis, Stella Mars, Arthur Lipner, Adam Rogers, Gene Perla, Ted Rosenthal, James Camack, Francois Moutin, Cameron Brown, Heather Cornell & Manhattan Tap, The Doug Ferony Show Band, the Bensen-Scott Big Band, Dekel Bor Trio, MacTalla Mo’r, The Burr Johnson Band, Neil Alexander & NAIL, Herb Deutsch, Brian Dolzani, Debbie Friedman, and Shirona.
Nadav has also collaborated with several modern dance companies including David Parsons Dance, Limon, and Nelly van Bommel’s NoaDance.
Nadav’s discography includes Stories & Tales, Emuna, and Home with the Dekel Bor Trio; Pipin’ Hot, Jacob’s Ladder, and No Man’s Land with MacTalla Mo’r; Expressions 2 with Lance Koonah / Innerworkings; Tugging At The Infinite with Neil Alexander & NAIL; and Judaic Love Songs with Shirona.
About The Brass Pack
The Brass Pack traces its roots to the late ’70s in Princeton, New Jersey. Bill Ash, then an undergrad studying Architecture, was leading the 16-piece Princeton Swing Band. (He had previously led another big band, Sentimental Journey, during his high school years.) The band performed regularly at dances and parties at Princeton, as well as at other colleges, country clubs, restaurants, and functions in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.
Occasionally, the Swing Band would have to turn down a job because the potential client lacked either the space or the budget—or both—to accommodate a full big band. This led Bill to offer a scaled-down version of the band, comprising himself, another trumpet, a trombone, a saxophone, and the rhythm section. He started assembling a library for the four-horn band, initially using edited versions of music from the full band’s book; soon he was writing additional arrangements specifically for the smaller group, and eventually also purchased suitable small-band arrangements from top-flight arrangers.
As he explored the musical possibilities the smaller group offered, Bill realized it deserved to be more than just an economically priced subset of the Swing Band. He decided to include newer musical styles in addition to the big-band swing tunes that had been the Swing Band’s bread and butter, and opted to go with a brass-only horn section comprising two trumpets and two trombones. Thus was born, around 1980, Touch of Brass.
Doubling in the horn section was a fortunate happenstance. Bill had already been doubling on trombone for several years, but trumpet-trombone doublers were (and still are) somewhat rare. The other trumpet player originally in the band was the late Pat Wristen, also culled from the ranks the Swing Band. As it happened, Pat doubled on flugabone, an instrument akin to a valve trombone and capable of playing trombone parts. Having trumpets, flugelhorns, and trombones—including the option to have all four horns playing trombone parts—gave the band a broad and distinctive sonic palette to draw upon. Doubling became a key element of the band and has remained so ever since.
Thanks to the flexibility of Touch of Brass’s instrumentation, the versatility of its musicians, the variety in its library, and its smaller size (compared to big bands like the Princeton Swing Band), the band’s popularity grew, and soon they could be heard at college parties, corporate events, country clubs, weddings, and similar events throughout the New York metropolitan area.
Before long, Touch of Brass was performing more often than the Swing Band. With the increasing demands placed on Bill’s time by his day job in computers and his daily commute into New York City, by the late 1980s Bill had disbanded the Swing Band and concentrated his band leading efforts on Touch of Brass.
After a decade or so the decision was made to rename the band, and Touch of Brass became The Brass Pack. Under the new moniker, the band continued the winning formula that had served it so well through the years: bringing in some of the finest musicians in the New York metro area, expanding its library in new directions while still respecting the standards and classics at its core, and entertaining audiences with a variety of excellent music skillfully and artfully performed.