Steve Johnson, Trombone. Steve has played his trombone at the highest levels of all major styles: from Be Bop to Soft Pop, Classical to Salsa. He has done it all. Credits include: Ray Charles Orchestra (Lead & Jazz); Don Ellis Big Band ( Lead & Jazz); Grover Mitchell (Lead & Jazz);Tommy Vig- Very Vig Band ( Lead & Jazz); Buddy Collette; Benny Carter; Willie Bobo; David Benoit; Little Anthony; The Temptations; Captain and Tennille; Jan and Dean; Johnny Polanco; Alfredo de la Fe; Johnny Blas; Hector Rivera; Azteca; Johnny Martinez; Johnny Nelson; Sinfonia Orchestra (Roger Wagner Master Chorale); Valley Symphony; Los Angeles Solo Repertory Orchestra; Opera A La Carte. TV/Media work includes: ABC Movie of the Week, Comedy Central, The Golden Eagle Awards; New York, New York and the Swiss Radio Big Band. Steve has done an extended engagement with the Jazz Legacy Duo at the Hilton Universal City Jazz Brunch, and is a regular performer with Johnny Polanco y su Conjunto Amistad.
Steve has extensive experience as an educator, having taught Jazz History at Glendale Community College, directed the Jazz Ensemble at Blair High School in Pasadena California, and taught secondary level Mathematics and been a Guidance Counselor for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Steve holds a MS in School Counseling from University of La Verne and a BS in Music from UCLA.
The Jazz Legacy Quintet has given 20 public performances in 2011, and we look forward to a successful 2012. Leading a collaboration of great musicians such as those represented by Jazz Legacy is a dream come true and an exciting opportunity to make great music with the very best Jazz artists.
Carl Randall,Tenor Saxophone. Born in Hollywood, California, Carl started playing in the 7th grade at Mt. Vernon Jr. High School under Chris Pontrelli, playing both Alto and Tenor Sax. He attended Los Angeles and Hamilton High Schools, graduating from Los Angeles High School February 1967. Carl was active in both of the school’s music programs, playing in both the concert marching band and the big band. He then enrolled in Los Angeles City College where he studied Harmony, Music Theory, Ear Training, Music Notation, and played in the Studio Lab Band under the direction of Bob McDonald, who was the pioneer of the College Jazz Curricula, having started the Jazz Program at L.A C.C. in 1949. In December 1968, Carl joined the Navy, attending the U.S. Navy School of Music from March to December 1969, and was then stationed in Long Beach, California as a Navy Musician.
In 1971, while still in the Navy he began working with The Gerald Wilson Orchestra. He also worked with Donald Byrd, Willie Bobo, and Ugima (later known as Karma) and in 1972 played the Palo Alto Jazz Festival with Freddie Hubbard. In 1972, after being discharged from the Navy, he started playing with Blue Mitchell, Bobby Bryant, Frank Rosolino, Luis Gasca, and Johnny (Hammond) Smith, as well as his continued association with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.
In May of 1974 he joined Freddie Hubbard for a three year association that ended in May of 1977. During that time, besides touring extensively with Freddie, he also recorded two albums with the great Freddie Hubbard, Liquid Love and Gleem (released in Japan only).
After leaving Freddie he toured briefly with Bill Withers before settling in Los Angeles where he re-joined Gerald Wilson (whom he continues to work and record with to this day).
Carl has worked extensively with many Los Angeles-based musicians such as: Oscar Brashear, Noland Shaheed, Dr. Bobby Rodriguez, Wayne Vaughn, Art Hillery, Billy Mitchell, Harold Land Jr., Larry Nash, Richard Reid, Henry Franklin, Louie Spears, Tony Dumas, Ralph Penland, Phil Ranlin, Sherman Ferguson, Leslie Drayton, Jeff and Don Littleton and Hideaki Tokunaga. He has also over the years worked in the big bands of: The Frank Capp Juggernaut, The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Buddy Collette Big Band, John Stephens Big Band, The. Jack Rannelli Big Band. Carl also worked with The AI Williams Jazz Society and The Jazz Caravan, led by AI Aarons.
He has worked with great vocalists such as: Cheryl Barnes, Cheryl Conley, Barbara Morrison, Gladys Knight, Ernie Andrews, Sonny Craver, Maurice Green and Joe Dobbins and also several engagements with Little Jimmy Scott.
He also spent four to five years working for and with Paul Lines, and the Pasadena Jazz Institute, helping Paul organize concerts and performing in many Pasadena Jazz Institute presentations.
Serge Kasimoff,Piano. Serge began to make music by improvising on pianos in his parent's piano store in Pasadena, California. There was always music in the house, his mother coming from Germany with a great love for opera and his father (born to Russian immigrants in Los Angeles) was a piano technician and played the clarinet. Serge began classical piano studies at age 8. In 6th grade he picked up the trumpet and started exploring popular music and jazz. In high school already he started directing a variety of his own bands.
By the time Serge entered Pasadena City College he began concentrating on the piano. In 1985 Serge graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in composition from California State University, Northridge. While pursuing formal studies in classical music and composition, he also performed as solo pianist and with various ensembles, from backing up Jimmy Witherspoon to touring with Buddy Rich.
For the last 28 years Serge has devoted himself to Latin Jazz and Salsa/Cuban music. He has performed and participated in festivals and educational activities in Cuba. Back in LA, Serge has worked with many of the leaders in the salsa scene. He has also toured with Mongo Santamaria and directed orchestras for Celia Cruz. Serge has worked with: Terry Gibbs, Tito Puente, Azuquita, Francisco Aguabella, Rolando Laseria, Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca, and many more.
Serge is a sought after teacher of Latin styles of piano and ensemble playing. He teaches privately and participates in presentations of Latin and Jazz music in schools in the Los Angeles area. He has also organized seminars in Cuban music by Chucho Valdes and members of Irakere. He is presently working on a study book for applications of Latin rhythms.
Along with his many interests outside of music he enjoys dancing, collects books and maps, and is fluent in German and speaks French and Spanish.
Chris Haller, Bass. Chris Haller has performed with a wide array of artists, from Jazz legends James Newton, Billy Eckstine and Dianne Reeves to Pop greats The Coasters, Little Anthony and Sonny Bono. Most recently he was on tour with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. In addition to String Bass, he also performs and records on 7-String Electric Bass, Woodwinds and Mandolin. Chris has taught Music Theory and Instrumental Performance for the South East Symphony Association and is a graduate of the CAP program at the Dick Grove School.
Mel Lee, Drums. Mr. Lee has been a professional musician, specifically a percussionist/drummer
since 1962. He is a member of the American Federation of Musician’s Local # 47 of Los Angeles. For six years, he studied privately with Raynor Caroll, Principal Percussionist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mr. Lee has contributed his talents to every type of music, i.e. classical, jazz, rock ‘n roll, rhythm and blues, country western, reggae, rap, Latin, and pop. Venues include television, motion pictures, radio, nightclubs, Broadway shows, and concert halls. Mr. Lee has also toured throughout the world with artists such as the Fifth Dimension, Lou Rawls, Dionne Warwick, Gerald Wilson Orchestra, and organist, Jimmy Smith, just to name a few. Mel Lee has performed various Broadway shows, including Forty-Second Street, Les Miserables, Music Man, The King and I, Bye Bye Birdie, and the Sound of Music, among many others. Mel Lee’s work on television shows include the Ed Sullivan Show, The Nancy Wilson Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Tonight Show, and Playboy After Dark, starring Dionne Warwick, in addition to other shows.
Mel’s classical experience includes regular service with the Los Angeles Opera and the Beach Cities Symphony. He is featured in the motion pictures, Corina Corina, Necessary Roughness, Without a Pass, and Bobby, in which he performs on the sound track, as well as appearing on the screen.
For many years, Mel has performed in school districts throughout Southern California under the auspices of the Inter-group Cultural Awareness Program (ICAP) for LAUSD, the Performing Tree, and the Henry Mancini Institute, all in L.A. and Orange Counties. Currently, Mr. Lee services are in high demand throughout Southern California and Las Vegas as both a classical musician and a commercial artist. He has private students in the Conejo Valley. In addition, he is Percussion Instructor for the Saturday Conservatory of Music, located in Pasadena.
Frank Strazzeri, Featured Composer. Born in Rochester, New York, Frank Strazzeri started his musical studies playing tenor saxophone and clarinet at the age of twelve. He began piano lessons in the seventh grade and later enrolled in the Eastman School of Music preparatory department, where he continued studying piano through high school.
When Frank arrived in Los Angeles in 1960, he began working with many jazz notables such as Kenny Dorham, Bud Shank, Chet Baker, Art Pepper, Frank Rosolino, Joe Pass, Conti Candoli, Kai Winding, Joe Henderson, and Stan Getz, to name a few.
Frank became the house pianist for World Pacific Jazz label, and during the next five years, recorded numerous albums with such great artists as Red Mitchell, Harold Land, Terry Gibbs, Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, Carmell Jones, Bobby Hutcherson, and the big bands of Oliver Nelson, Gerald Wilson, and countless others.
In 1969, Frank served as musical coordinator for the nationally televised Johnny Cash Show, and shortly thereafter joined the great Les Brown band for three years performing with many stars including Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra in concerts and TV specials throughout the world.
After leaving Les Brown, Frank joined Elvis Presley for two tours. The concert at Madison Square Garden, and the now famous Hawaii Special were recorded live and are still available on the RCA Victor label.
Frank has written two piano books currently available. One is titled Jazz Piano Solos on Try Publishing, and the other titled Strazzatonic on Warner Brothers.