The Jelly Roll Jazz Band are a lively and dynamic traditional jazz sextet, based in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. Since the early 1990's, they've performed every Sunday evening at Casey's Tavern in Canoga Park, and have a diverse repertoire, ranging from New Orleans standards like Bourbon Street Parade, Basin Street Blues, Tin Roof Blues, and Fats Waller's famous Ain't Misbehavin' and Honeysuckle Rose, to Great American Songbook best-loved standards by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and the Gershwin brothers, to Latin hits like Besame Mucho and Girl From Ipanema, to movie theme favorites like The Shadow of Your Smile....
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The Jelly Roll Jazz Band are a lively and dynamic traditional jazz sextet, based in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. Since the early 1990's, they've performed every Sunday evening at Casey's Tavern in Canoga Park, and have a diverse repertoire, ranging from New Orleans standards like Bourbon Street Parade, Basin Street Blues, Tin Roof Blues, and Fats Waller's famous Ain't Misbehavin' and Honeysuckle Rose, to Great American Songbook best-loved standards by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and the Gershwin brothers, to Latin hits like Besame Mucho and Girl From Ipanema, to movie theme favorites like The Shadow of Your Smile.
While bands and musicians familiar with early jazz are fast disappearing, the Jelly Roll Jazz Band is preserving the knowledge and tradition of New Orleans and Dixieland jazz by performing the great tunes of that era in the original style. The band displays its versatility by being able to switch to swing and modern jazz without the use of any written arrangements, relying exclusively on the encyclopedic musical knowledge of its members.
TED CARMELY, saxophone, clarinet, flute, and bandleader, grew up in Italy and learned piano at age 5, discovering the clarinet and jazz as a teen. He toured with Dixieland bands before moving the U.S. and starting college. While a UCLA engineering and math student, Ted played with several jazz groups, taught students of all ages at the Adler Music Academy in Los Angeles, and gave a course in jazz improvisation at a local college. He performs with his Joy of Sax chamber group and local jazz bands, and has played at Casey’s Tavern for 27 years.
CURT SLETTEN, trumpet, joined the band in 2022. Playing professionally for decades in numerous genres including classical, jazz, pop, and R&B, he counts such musical giants as Les Brown, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Harry James, Glenn Miller, and Smokey Robinson among his long list of credits. Curt is also a still photographer, and a director and an actor with many film credits. Curt has played in the Ulysses Jasz Band at the James Joyce Pub in Santa Barbara for the last 12 years, and performs all over in other bands of various sizes.
LES BENEDICT, trombone, was lead trombonist with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra from 1996 till Gerald’s death in 2015, performing in the Vienna Opera House and Monterey, Playboy, and other jazz festivals and on related recordings. He played lead and recorded with Buddy Collette and Clare Fischer. Les played on Elvis Presley’s Aloha From Hawai’i, the world’s first satellite-live TV broadcast, also a quintuple-platinum RCA album and the most-watched TV special. He toured with Frank Sinatra, and played in the 50th Grammy Awards Orchestra.
NINA BECK, piano, began playing at age 5, and is a seasoned pianist, vocalist, published songwriter, and performer around Los Angeles who possesses absolute pitch. She has performed for over 35 years for private parties, corporate events, and in nightclubs. Nina plays nearly 900 songs without music in any key. She studied with renowned jazz pianists John Lewis, Modern Jazz Quartet leader, at her alma mater, CCNY, and with Paul Smith, and counts legendary vocalist Ernie Andrews among her many credits.
MIKE FLICK, upright bass, is an accomplished, sensitive performer with many impressive credits. He performs and tours in many countries with noted big swing and dance bands including tribute bands. It would be hard to name an American Songbook swing, jazz, or Latin tune that Mike can’t play in every key without music.
MICHAEL ROSEN, drums and harmonica, has performed professionally for over 50 years on drums, harmonica, guitar, electric bass, percussion, and keyboard as well as lead or background vocals in concerts, clubs, and films, and on radio, TV, jingles, and recordings. His work in European and other countries has included performing and/or recording with such renowned artists as Rosemary Clooney, Stephanie Mills, Phil Upchurch, and Dr. John, among many others.
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