Steve Samuelson
Keyboard

Drums

Caleb Lester
Bass

Dan McMasters
Guitar

Trumpet

Jon Trimble
Trumpet

Bruce Chidester
Trumpet

Dave Rice
Trombone

Leon Bradley
Trombone

Bob Holden
Trombone

Lou Tearbach
Bari Sax

Becky Wells
Alto Sax

James Goldapp
Alto / Clarinet

Tina Claussen
Tenor / Clarinet

Jenna Rose
Vocals / Tenor

Jenna Rose
Vocals / 2nd Tenor

Jenna was born in Des Moines, Iowa and has called New York and Indiana home. She began studying music when she was 7 years old. She has performed with Dave Rice, Dana Embree, Kelly Worley and the 3 Amigos.

She is currently in her 6th year as a performer at Silver Dollar City, and has performed in For the Glory, Extreme Stunts, and Spongebob Square Pants Party, and can be seen as a Saloon Girl in the summer and in Dicken's Christmas Carol in the winter.

She has performed in Magic Flute, with the Springfield Regional Opera, and will be performing this January as the Green Fairy in Sleeping Beauty.

Leon Bradley
Trombone

Hailing from Battle Creek Michigan, and arriving in Branson, Missouri via Cedar Springs, Michigan and Minot, North Dakota, Leon has been playing trombone since he was ten, five years after he started studying piano.

He has played with the Stan Kenton and Woody Hermon Big Bands, and the Shrine Swingers from Springfield, Missouri and has performed with the Michigan State University Jazz Bands, Marching Band, and Concert Band. He has also performed for many years with the Springfield Symphony.

He teaches Brass instruments to Jr. & Sr. High students in Branson, Springfield, and Lebanon. He started the Jazz Band at Minor State University, and for twenty five years, tought Music Education at the College of the Ozarks. In addition, he served for six years as an adjunct in brass instructions at Southwest Baptist University.

Bruce Chidester
Trumpet

In music from age 9, Bruce is has a Master of Music from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Music from Augustana Callege. Bruce began teaching music at the University of Northern Iowa in 1972, and is now Emeritus Professor of Music. He has written several pieces of music for trumpet ensembles and has written multiple music reviews for the International Trumpet Guild Journal.

Bruce has performed with Bobby Vinton, Les Brown, the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, and the Branson All Star Big Band. He was lead trumpet for numerous local shows including Ice Capades, Holiday on Ice, Ringling Brothers Circus, Bob Hope, and Roy Rogers / Dale Evans.

To top it all off, he is a serious fisherman, catching an average of 1500 fish a year!

Steve Samuelson
Band Leader / Keyboard

Although he made his living as a college professor teaching computer science, Steve Samuelson has had a love of music since before he took his first music lesson at age five. When he was only twelve years old, he was chosen to direct the school band for a concert the band director couldn't attend.

In his teens, he studied Jazz Theory and Arranging with Dave Wheeler, one of Columbus's best arrangers. While working on a degree in Psychology at OSU, he continued performing in several musical groups including his own Combo and the OSU Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Workshop band.

He has worked with many professional groups in the Columbus, Ohio area, and for fifteen years, he was the director of the DeVry University Stage Band. In addition to the Steve Samuelson Big Band, he was a member of the "Illegal Parkers" strolling Dixieland band, and the Sonia Modes Trio.

Dave Rice
Trombone

As a professional musician, Dave Rice worked as a trombonist, contrabass trombonist, tubaist, band leader conductor, and other jobs for various musical groups. At one time he performed over 1000 engagements per year over a seven year stretch. He has been the head of music and entertainment for the Boulder County Fair in Colorado. He is a past president of the Longmont Old Town Jazz Festival.

Venues for his performances have included: Up with People, show band conductor for "Sing-Out L.A.," Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, the 72nd Army Band, Bush Gardens, and several symphonies. He has worked under several famous conductors including Carmon Dragon, Leonard Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Author Fieldler, and many others.

In addition to his duties as our bass trombonist, Dave serves as the personnel director of the Steve Samuelson Big Band.

Bob Holden
Trombone

Born in Joplin, MO, Bob began studying music at the age of nine. He has a Bachelors of Music Education degree from University of Denver and a Masters of Music degree from Pittsburg State University.

He has performed with the Rat Pack tribute show in Branson as well as the Magnificent Seven Show, Pat Boon, Lawrence Welk, Guy Lombardo, Billy May, Stevie Wonder and Charlie Pride.

He has also played with various symphony orchestras, brass ensembles and has fronted three professional jazz groups in Springfield, MO.

He has served as conductor of the Springfield Youth Symphony and he taught band and orchestra for thirty-seven years before he retired.

James Goldapp
Lead Alto / Clarinet

Born in Alice, Texas, James began studying music at the age of 10. He has both a bachelors and masters degree in music education.

He has performed with Anita Bryant, Jennifer Wilson, and Shoji Tabuchi. He has also been a musician with the Lawrence Welk Show, College of the Ozarks Community Band, Missouri State University Community Band, Fiesta Texas Six Flags, and the San Antonio Municipal Band.

He currently serves as director of the College of the Ozarks Concert Band. He currently has several recordings, which can be found at www.cdbaby.com

Tina Claussen
Lead Tenor / Clarinet

Tina was born in LaCrosse, WI and has lived in Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas before coming to her current home in Springfield, MO.

She has several degrees in music: a BS in music education, MM in saxophone performance and DMA in saxophone performance.

She currently serves as director of Jazz Studies at Drury University in Springfield, MO.