• Jack Rowland

    Self-taught from the age of 9, Jack Rowland has had a colorful and blessed life with the trumpet. After quickly realizing his God-given talent, Jack's parents eventually administered private instruction. However, it shouldn't have come as much surprise as being from a multi-generation musical family (father a pianist; mother played accordion; grandfather a drummer and piper; other family singers, musicians and song leaders...), a segue into music was a natural transition. In fact, in the early 1960s, the Dallas band known as the Early Birds would come to the Rowland house to rehearse and use not only the space of their home but Jack's father's grand piano. They would then host parties around "rehearsal time" for their ballroom dancing circles of friends. It was from this that Jack's passion for the trumpet was realized as the leader of the band, widely known as T-bone (a.k.a. Tal Naylor...who had formerly played trumpet with Harry James). It was T-bone from whom Jack's parents sought formal instruction. 

    Jack eventually had the fortune of being able to establish his jazz roots under the direction of Curt Bradshaw at Arts Magnet-Dallas. This led to not only initial pursuits as a music major at SMU, but embracing the power and jazz influence of the Mustang Band.

    In addition to having had the fortune of world travel (Hungary, Poland, Russia, Italy, Switzerland, Israel) via orchestras and other musical venues, he has had the honor of performing with artists such as Bob Hope, Burl Ives, Minnie Pearl, Jim Nabors, and Christian Contemporary trumpet player Phil Driscoll via the First Baptist Dallas Orchestra. Other acts he's performed have been with The Gary Moore Singers, MasterPeace, One Achord, Nobles of Note, Soul Tsunami, Bullet Proof Brass, Maxx Band, Bravura, Wilshire Wind Symphony, the Pit Pops and Danny & the Dinosaurs. Jack is also a 19-year veteran and active member of Hella Shrine Drum & Bugle Corps and continues to perform with the SMU Alumni Band.

    Notable musical influence may be attributed to his first teacher, Tal Naylor, Veo Gray, Curt Bradshaw, Phil Driscoll, Rick Braun, Bill Chase, JD Church and Will Webber. Jack also has a perpetual hunger for funk and gospel and when not playing dad, loves being around anything with a high-performance engine!

     

     

     Darrell Rash

    Under Construction

     

     Courtney  Winslett - Saxophone

     

    From time to time, Courtney, our former saxophone player will sub in for us. She brings her talent and energy to our band.

    When she was in the sixth grade, she began studying saxophone, for which her most recent instructor was Tim Ishii, Professor of Music at Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth.  Courtney auditioned for and was accepted to the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas.  It was there that she was a member of the wind ensemble, MIDI ensemble, saxophone quintet, as well as the jazz combo, playing piano and saxophone.  She was an All-State band member twice, including lead alto in the Texas All-State Jazz Band. 

    Courtney has traveled to Alaska performing with the Carry Richard’s Jazz Orchestra playing lead alto, flute, and clarinet aboard the Radisson Seven Seas Cruise Ship, the Mariner.  Following her graduation at age eighteen, she was employed by First United Methodist Church of Arlington where she was the Contemporary Worship Leader for two years.  During the summer of 2002, Courtney was selected from a nationwide audition tour to play at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure with Disney’s All-American College Band in Anaheim, California playing with jazz greats such as Horace Silver, Bob Florence, and Jeff Kashiwa.  She recently played with the Princess Orchestra on the Golden Princess Cruise Ship during the 2005 holiday season in the Caribbean Islands. 

    In 2004, She graduated from Texas Wesleyan University in Forth Worth with her Bachelor of Arts degree as a Music Performance Major and in 2007 graduated from University of North Texas with her Masters of Music degree in Jazz Studies.  She teaches private piano and saxophone lessons, is currently employed as the pianist at the Greenhouse Spa, and is the Associate Director of Music at The Oaks Baptist Church. 

    Fun Facts:  Her favorite color is pink, her nickname is Saxophone Barbie, she has a little white tea-cup poodle named Treble Clef, and her girl is her sista, Layci, who is a red-headed rockin’ drummer.

     

     

     

     
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