Stardust Big Band Musicians
Marge Rosen
Music Director
Marge Rosen is a conductor, trumpet player and drummer. On the North Olympic Peninsula, she directs the jazz ensemble at Peninsula College, conducts the Port Townsend Summer Band, plays trumpet with Stardust Big Band, and plays trumpet and percussion with the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra.
Marge plays lead trumpet for Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra and is the Executive Director of this nonprofit arts organization where she established an international jazz composition contest for women composers and an all-girls jazz workshop. She has conducted many community bands, orchestras and jazz ensembles in the Seattle area.
Marge is a former band director teaching K-12 music in public schools in Washington, New York and Maryland.
As a veteran of the United States Navy Band, she has performed for the President of the United States, numerous foreign dignitaries, and at the 1994 World Cup.
Marge has performed across the country from Carnegie Hall to Benaroya Hall and from Adak, Alaska to Lima, Peru. She earned a masters degree in music education from Ithaca College in New York.
Tess Teel
Vocalist
Pete Harris
Drums
Pete is an in-demand drummer across the region and plays with many top jazz combos.
Steve Kirk
Guitar
Steve Kirk is a composer and guitarist based in Sequim, WA. A large portion of his work involves composing for multi-media, and he has written for a variety of ensembles and styles, with video games, a television cartoon series, and live scored performances of silent movies to his credit.
He is also an active performer in the Sequim and Peninsula jazz scene, is an arranger and producer, and runs Steve Kirk Studios, based in Sequim, WA.
Vern Fosket
Bass
Vern plays bass and trombone. He is a retired and beloved band director at Sequim High School. When not playing music, you can find him making lattes as a local barista. This must be how he keeps the tempo snappy.
John Wetherill
Piano
Originally from Northern Alberta, John spent 25 years playing in jazz, latin, rock and country bands in the San Francisco Bay Area before making his way to Port Angeles where he’s happily immersing himself in the Olympic Peninsula music scene.
Craig Buhler
Alto Saxophone
A fixture of the Olympic Peninsula music scene for two decades, Craig Buhler is widely respected for his work with big bands, jazz combos, rock groups, church music ensembles, and as a recording artist. He teaches woodwinds, ear training, and improvisation and has published two jazz technique books .
Craig is Music Director for The Carmel Big Band Workshop, a worship leader at Carlsborg Family Church, and a member of Peninsula Men’s Gospel Singers. He is former director of The Stardust Big Band, The Camp Heebie Jeebies Big Bands, The Dungeness Christian Music Workshop, and a Northwest Big Band Workshop band.
Craig has been featured with singers Sarah Shea, Elinore O’Connell, and Greta Matassa, with Peninsula Friends of Music Performance, The Friends of Brubeck, and with his own jazz combo. In addition to tributes to Dave Brubeck (at Maier Hall and other venues), he produced and starred in tributes to Pete Fountain and Stan Getz at Sequim’s Olympic Theatre Arts.
Craig is a charter member of the Laguna Beach band “Honk”, which toured with The Beach Boys, Loggins & Messinah, and others. HONK released several highly acclaimed albums, including the popular soundtrack for “Five Summer Stories,” and continues to sell out San Juan Capistrano’s Coach House annually. Craig has recorded with numerous other artists, and has produced 9 of his own CDs.
John Adams
Alto Saxophone
John Adams is a multi-instrumentalist. In addition to alto sax, he plays clarinets from Eb soprano to bass clarinet, often bringing several instruments to rehearsals and performances. John also plays with Peninsula College Jazz Band and Port Townsend Summer Band.
Richard "Doc" Thornson
Tenor Saxophone
Doc is an expert in the classic big band style. His solos are always inspiring and authentic. If you love big band music, don’t miss a chance to hear Doc play.
Andy Geiger
Tenor Saxophone
Andy also performs with his own jazz combo Time Out.
Al Thompson
Baritone Saxophone
Al is a retired public school band director and plays jazz saxophones and doubles on clarinet, and sings with several ensembles in the Port Townsend area. Al has been a guest artist with the Port Townsend Summer Band.
Phil Lepper
Trumpet
Phil has a patent pending method to playing lead trumpet called The Philly Method. In his spare time, he keeps us all stocked with bread and donuts.
Ed Donohue
Trumpet
Ed Donohue is an amazing solo trumpet player. He is in high demand performing thoroughout the area with many, many top jazz artists. If you hear a live band this weekend with a trumpet player, it’s probably Ed. He’s a retired band director fom Port Angeles.
Doug Brundage
Trumpet
Doug plays trumpet with several ensembles in the area including the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra and the Sequim City Band.
On a sunny day in Sequim, look up! You’ll probably see Doug gliding around taking in the sights.
Jeff Dingle
Trombone
Jeff plays trombone with several ensembles on the North Olympic Peninsula including Peninsula College Jazz Band and Sequim City Band. When not playing music, Jeff is a musical instrumet repair technician.
Wayne Paulson
Trombone
Wayne plays trombone with several groups in the region including the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra and Poulsbo Concert Band.
Cliff Brown
Trombone
Cliff also plays trombone with Sequim City Band. He may also be a sailor. Or a pirate.
Hannah Reed
Bass Trombone
Hannah Reed is a musician and teacher from Port Angeles. With a bachelor’s degree in music education from Central Washington University, Hannah is currently teaching K-12 music at the Crescent School District and performs with the Stardust Big Band and Port Angeles Symphony on bass trombone, as well as the Sequim Community Band on tuba.