Biography

Mark Rosengarden - percussion

Mark Rosengarden (bada bing) plays the drums for fun and profit (bada boom). He has played with a wide range of singers and groups, including: Bette Midler, Sammy Davis, Vince Guaraldi, Eugene Ormandy, Van Cliburn, Florence Henderson, Herbie Mann and Tempest Storm.

Marianne Addington - piano

From cruise ship (Royal Viking) to club (Enrico's), solo to big band, Marianne has done some of everything. Introduced to jazz at an early age by her dad and enriched by study with Bay area greats Mark Levine and John Handy.

Don Bennett - bass

Donald H. Bennett has been a San Francisco model builder and professional bass player for thirty-five years. A long-time friend of Martin Clevenger, he designed and built the Clevenger Bennett in 1995, primarily as a carry-on for traveling musicians. The instrument incorporates other innovations and design features as well, such as the addition of a sound board. (more)

Randy Johnson - banjo, guitar, glockenspiel, vocals, arranger

Randy Johnson started playing guitar about the time of the British invasion. Actually, it was a ukulele but after learning the entire Beatles songbook his parents thought he was deserving of a real guitar. His teen years were spent honing his craft in garage bands, and one day he and a group of high school friends decided to form a jug band loosely in the image of the Kweskin jug band. Randy was elected to play banjo, as they had plenty enough guitar players. (more)

Harvey Robb - baritone & tenor sax, clarinet

Harvey Robb moved to San Francisco from Detroit in 1969. He performed as a musician with theatre groups including the San Francisco Mime Troupe and for more than twenty years with the Pickle Family Circus. He has played with many local swing bands and can be heard on recordings by Lavay Smith, Cathy Walkup, Jennifer

diGioia, Darlene Langston, Jelly Roll, and others. He has been on the faculty of San

Francisco Community Music Center since 2000 and has coached several student jazz ensembles.

Dick Mathias - clarinet, alto sax, flute

Dick spends much of his professional time down in the orchestra pit with several Bay Area musical theatre companies. He has recorded and performs regularly with ensembles as diverse as the avant-garde classical Sounds New and the “jazz-age” Royal Society Jazz Orchestra. Dick is a member of the music faculty at The Branson School in Ross.

Tony Davids - trombone

Native San Franciscan, senior network engineer by day, bone player by night. Lead trombonist in the Rich Martini orchestra since 1978, and have been riding the rehearsal band circuit in the Bay Area since the mid 1980's. Passionate about big-band swing, the music of Woody Herman, and playing with the Jeff Sanford Cartoon Jazz Orchestra.

Hal Richards - tenor & baritone sax, clarinet, piccolo

Born in New York City, versatile woodwind specialist Hal Richards has been performing

and recording with many of the Bay Areas finest jazz, Latin and African musicians since

1976. Currently performing with the New Oakland Jazz Orchestra, led by Mike Vax, The Berkeley Saxophone Quartet, Kurt Ribak, and the Golden Gate Park Band, Hal Has appeared with Carol Channing, Terry Gibbs, Eric Marienthal, Bill Perkins, Bob Florence, (more)

Scott Petersen - tenor sax, clarinet

Despite a 30 year career in Detroit Mi and San Francisco, Scott is too stubborn to quit the music biz. He has worked with Dizzy Gillespie, J.C. Heard, Lonnie Smith, Jack McDuff, Shirley Scott, Joe Williams, and Buddy DeFranco among many. He currently tours with Mike Vax' Kenton Alumni Band, Howard Tate, and Steve Lucky and the Rumba Bums in addition to Cartooning.

John Hunt - trombone, vocals

John was born in Texas, went to college in New Orleans, dropped out and began playing trombone and washboard in Bourbon Street bars. After a military interruption he returned to Texas and played in soul bands. In 1982 John moved to San Francisco and joined the Medicine Ball Band playing on the street. He is still a member though most of the gigs have moved indoors. John also freelances around the bay area as well as enjoying the cartoon jazz adventure.

John Capobianco - trumpet, flugelhorn, arranger

While growing up, John Capobianco loved the board game Monopoly and had visions of becoming a banker. Then, in the 5th grade he discovered a different “C note.”

Now one of the top Trumpeters in the Bay Area, John has been a part of the San Francisco jazz scene for over thirty years, studying with the likes of John Coppola, Joe Alessi, and Dwight Hall in addition as luminaries such as Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Chet Baker, and Eddie Henderson. (more)

Eric Wayne - trumpet, flugelhorn

Eric Wayne began watching cartoons when he was old enough to reach the TV. Much to his mother's chagrin, he never stopped. But in the Cartoon Jazz Orchestra, he now has an excuse to continue this practice as an adult... of sorts. He grew up and received his musical education in Colorado before moving to San Francisco where he has performed in all manner of musical experiments, as well as a few legitimate groups.

Rick Walsh - trombone, arranger

Rolf Johnson - trumpet, flugelhorn

Rolf graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, which he attended after having won first place in Downbeat Magazine’s annual scholarship competition. He did a stint in the Air Force with the NORAD Band in Colorado Springs, serving as musical director for the NORAD Commanders Jazz Orchestra, as featured jazz trumpet and fluegelhorn soloist, and as staff arranger for both the jazz and concert bands. (more)

Jeff Sanford - Orchestra Director - clarinet, piccolo, flute, soprano & alto sax

Jeff Sanford, musician, band leader, music teacher, collector of music charts and instruments. He is considered by his peers to be an ace reader and a ‘tune monster’ who loves many styles including pop music, traditional Brazilian, Jewish, Italian, French and German, classical and jazz. (more)

Nicci Welch - cello

Nicci Welch has been freelancing in diverse arenas as a 'cellist in the Bay Area, NYC, and Los Angeles area(s) for 20+ years. Some of the artists she has performed with are: Mark O'Connor, the Turtle Island String Quartet, Roger Daltrey, Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, Mark Eisham, Chuck Berghofer, Charlie Bisharat, Stevie Nicks, Smokey Robinson, Sheryl Crow, Gwen Stefani, The O'Jays, The Temptations, Peter Erskine, Don Henley, Joanie Mitchell, Dave Brubeck, The Moody Blues, Yes, Barry Manilow, Josh Groban, Johnny Mathis, and Angelique Kidjo. (more)