The music of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and more!
Jo Adams
Jon Hinrichs & Donna Woods
Katherine F. Starace
John & Laurie Tavlin (Nebraska Diamond)
This program is supported, in part, by the Rhythm Club.
BIOGRAPHY
ANDY HALL
Andy Hall is a professional bassist performing on both the double bass and bass guitar. He is a native of Lincoln, Nebraska. Versatility is the key to his success playing with a wide variety of groups and in many different styles. Hall is a graduate of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. Over the past 46 years Andy has performed with a host of players. His past performance credits include appearances with Jay McShann, Chuck Berry, The Four Lads, The Four Freshman, Mose Allison, Ed Shaughnessy, Russell Malone, Doc Severinsen, Freddie Hubbard, Slide Hampton, Hubert Laws, Ritchie Cole, Bob Mintzer, The Count Basie Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, Marilyn Maye, Peter Nero, Don Menza, Pete Christlieb, and numerous others. Hall has performed concerts and taught seminars in Japan, Italy, Germany, and Denmark. He served 20 years as the jazz bass instructor at The University of Nebraska – Omaha. For the past 30 years, Andy has been a guest artist at the Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa, performing and instructing for the school. He was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2023.
DOUG MONTERA
Doug Montera hails from Colorado Springs, Colorado, and earned his Bachelor of Music degree in percussion performance from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. Upon graduating, Doug accepted an offer for a position in the United States Air Force as a musician. During his twenty-two years as an Air Force drummer/percussionist, Montera enjoyed performing across the United States, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, most notably at the Guinness Jazz Festival, the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, the Caspian Sea Jazz Festival, numerous European jazz ensemble tours, the Royal Albert Hall, and for U.S. troops serving around the globe. Montera performed on the Grammy award-winning album, Music for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion by P.D.Q. Bach (Peter Schickele) and also performed as a member of the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. After retiring from the military, Doug and his wife decided to stay in Nebraska and continue raising their two children. The Omaha music scene has kept him busy over the last decade, where he has found himself playing with local professional jazz artists, blues bands, top 40 cover bands, musical theater productions, and recording projects. Montera is currently the drum set instructor at the University of Nebraska – Omaha.
JEFF JENKINS
Omaha-based jazz pianist, composer, and educator Jeff Jenkins has recently worked as a professor of music in the Thompson Jazz Studies Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Grounded in a wide range of jazz styles, he has released seven original CDs in the last 15 years, while appearing as a featured player on dozens more. Throughout his career, Jenkins has appeared locally, nationally and internationally in festivals and clubs with his eponymous ensembles, or as a guest artist with jazz greats including Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Harris, Clark Terry, The New York Voices, Bobby Hutcherson, and John Abercrombie among others. A product of the acclaimed jazz program at the University of North Texas, Jenkins continued his piano studies in the New York City studios of Fred Hirsch, Richie Beirach, and Kenny Barron. Based in Manhattan in the 1980s, Jenkins performed in noted jazz venues throughout the city, and appeared as principal pianist for several Broadway musicals. A gifted bandleader and in-demand sideman across Colorado and the western region, Jenkins also mixes music professionally in his Mixdown Sound recording studio and produces music videos for his YouTube channel “allkeyspro”.
JOHN TAVLIN
John Tavlin is the founder of the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, the Johnny Manhattan Orchestra and the Metro Jazz Quintet. During his 56-year career as a jazz trumpeter, John has been a soloist at sites ranging from the Crystal Palace Bowl and 100 Club in London to the jazz clubs of New York City, New Orleans, Chicago, Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. He has performed with many jazz greats including Bill Watrous, Don Menza, Ed Shaughnessy, and Clark Terry. John was the recipient of the 1986 Lincoln Mayor’s Arts Award as a performing artist. A longtime proponent of jazz education, John is a guest lecturer on the topic of jazz improvisation at both the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and the University of Nebraska – Omaha. A lifelong resident of Lincoln, John received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska College of Business Administration and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law. He has been an active member of the Nebraska State Bar Association for 50 years and, together with his wife Laurie, owns Nebraska Diamond. They are proud Lieders and members of the Lied Jazz Circle.
PAUL HAAR
Acclaimed saxophonist Paul Haar has contributed his notable talent to numerous projects in both the jazz and classical genres and is recognized as being one of the most versatile saxophonists today. In the jazz idiom, he has performed with such artists as Gary Foster, Dave Brubeck, James Moody, The Manhattan Transfer, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Phil Woods. He has also backed such personalities as Lou Rawls, The Chiffons, Tony Bennett, Michael Buble, and Gladys Knight and the Temptations. A native of Fremont, Nebraska, Dr. Haar received the B.M. and M.M. from the University of Kansas and received a D.M.A. in Saxophone Performance with an Emphasis in Jazz Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Haar is a D’Addario Performing Artist. He currently serves as the Associate Professor of Saxophone at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
JAZZ CIRCLE
JO ADAMS
The Lied Center has hosted many distinguished jazz artists since I joined the community in 1993. Two of my favorite memories are evenings with Chris Botti and Wynton Marsalis. After a recent trip to the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Jazz Circle was an easy choice to fund. It brings great joy knowing audiences from across Nebraska will continue to enjoy world-class jazz artists at The Lied Center and make lifelong memories with their friends and family. Joline “Jo” Adams, Adams RBG Empowerment Fund
JON HINRICHS & DONNA WOODS
Jon Hinrichs and Donna W. Woods are longtime Lincoln community leaders and supporters. Jon is a retired physician, as well as a musician who especially enjoys playing jazz and old standards. He has been a long-standing supporter of the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra and Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra. Donna has a well-known passion for the visual arts and also enjoys performing arts programs. She was part of the Lied Center’s founding team of community leaders, playing a role in the interior design of the venue in the late 1980s.
KATHERINE STARACE
I am pleased to again be a sponsor in the Lied Center’s Jazz Circle. The Lied Center continues to bring great jazz musicians to Lincoln. In addition to the fabulous concerts, I appreciate the opportunity the Lied provides for local students to meet and learn from jazz masters.
I myself am not a musician, but have for many years enjoyed listening to music, especially jazz, which is such a part of American history.
I am glad to support the Lied Center because it is a jewel of Lincoln’s cultural scene with its diversity of programing. Not just jazz, but also dance, theater, and all kinds of music from around the world. Helping to support the Lied is one of my priorities.
JOHN & LAURIE TAVLIN
John and Laurie have been dedicated supporters of Jazz Music for almost 50 years. John founded the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra in 1975. He served as NJO President and was a member of the NJO trumpet section from 1975 to 1988. As a jazz trumpeter John has been a soloist at sites ranging from London’s Crystal Palace Bowl to the jazz clubs of New York City, Chicago, Kansas City, Des Moines, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. He has performed with many jazz greats including Clark Terry, Bill Watrous, Don Menza and Ed Shaughnessy. In 1986 John was the recipient of the Lincoln Mayor’s Arts Award as a performing jazz artist.
In 2016 John founded the Johnny Manhattan Orchestra, a 19 member ensemble he created to support the University of Nebraska Jazz Studies Program by employing jazz students to perform side by side with professional musicians in an active working band featuring classic Swing Era music.
In 2023 John founded the Metro Jazz Quintet, an ensemble celebrating the rich tradition of Jazz Music with a sold-out performance series in the Lied Commons.
Through their company, Nebraska Diamond, John and Laurie have sponsored many guest artists appearing with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra and at the University of Nebraska as well as sponsoring Jazz in June. In addition, they have created and funded a Graduate Fellowship in Jazz Trumpet and an Excellence in Jazz Performance Scholarship Fund through the University of Nebraska Foundation which has supported the jazz programs at both the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and the University of Nebraska - Omaha.
As Season Lieders, John and Laurie, together with their company Nebraska Diamond, support the entirety of Lied programming and as members of the Lied Jazz Circle they especially support the growth and appreciation of Jazz Music, a unique, creative and important American art form. They toast the Lied on another outstanding season of great performances!
CORPORATE SPONSOR STORY
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CHOOSE YOUR EVENT
Select a production performance date(s), and time(s) and organize your group of 10 people or more.
GET IN TOUCH
Reach out to Kelly Buresh (Group Sales Manager) at 402.472.4734, email kburesh3@unl. edu. Lock in your reservations now with a down payment and pay the remainder later, closer to your performance.
HAVE FUN House lights down, stage lights up: enjoy the show!
