Benny Amón
Drums
Benny Amón is one of the most prominent early jazz and roots drummers on the planet. Benny lived full time in New Orleans from 2011-2021, where he performed regularly at Preservation Hall, Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, The Palm Court Jazz Cafe, and aboard the Steamboat Natchez. He has toured the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden performing at jazz festivals and clubs. Benny currently lives in San Francisco and continues to pursue opportunities to perform, teach, and record with world class musicians. Benny is a Teaching Artist with the Preservation Hall Foundation and the Jazz In Schools program at Jazz at Lincoln Center. In the Bay Area he regularly leads his own quartet playing New Orleans and classic jazz, as well as his trio that focuses on the music of the Ahmad Jamal trio. He is also the Musical Director for the South Bay Traditional Jazz Society.
Shelley Burns
Vocals
Shelley Burns started singing and dancing as a child with the Burns Sisters Quartet and continued as a featured vocalist in jazz and pop groups, radio and television commercials and recordings.
Shelley performs with a number of Sacramento musical groups, and with her band "Shelley Burns and Avalon Swing." She has an extensive knowledge of standard jazz repertoire, having over forty-five years of experience as a professional jazz vocalist, working with world-class musicians.
Shelley participated in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival '96, and was a featured guest artist at the '96 International Jazz and Blues Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her recordings have received airplay on jazz radio stations across the U.S. She has performed at numerous jazz festivals, on jazz cruises, and is a two-time nominee as best jazz musician for the Sacramento Music Award.
Shelley has been teaching voice for over thirty five years, and is a certified Speech Level Singing Instructor. Her lessons are filled with helpful breathing exercises, health tips for singers, and application of technique to song. Visit Shelley’s home page at Shelleyburns.net.
Katie Cavera
Banjo
Katie has made a name for herself on the West Coast and in Europe playing 20’s and 30’s jazz. She specializes in four-string banjo and guitar, and is a rhythm guitar specialist in the style of Freddie Green and Al Casey. She plays hot 20’s plectrum and tenor banjo, New Orleans style string bass, and sings in the 20’s pop style of Helen Kane and Ruth Etting.
Originally from Southern Indiana, Katie attended Indiana University and studied jazz performance and composition with Dr. David Baker, playing with his Jazz Ensemble in a special presentation of Duke Ellington Masterworks at the Smithsonian Institution. In 2003 she began teaching banjo and guitar at the San Diego Adult Traditional Jazz Camp, and in 2009 she became a part of the New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp faculty. Dubbed the Sunshine Girl for her always upbeat persona and performance.
Chris Dawson
Piano
Chris is a versatile and in demand Los Angeles based pianist, working within the traditional and modern jazz scene.
Dawson has performed with vocalists Tierney Sutton, Patti Austin, Nancy Wilson, and has also collaborated in duo piano performances with renowned pianist Dick Hyman.
Chris has recorded numerous projects for producer David Foster, and was sought by pianist and composer Larry Goldings to contribute Harlem stride piano stylings in the Netflix original series, “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker”.
Dawson has recorded for Warner Brothers, Verve, and Arbors Records on projects that feature singers Renee Olestead, Rebecca Kilgore, and legendary jazz bassist Charlie Haden.
While attending the USC Thornton School of Music, Chris studied privately with jazz greats Cedar Walton, Jimmy Rowles, Alan Broadbent, and arranging-composition with bassist John Clayton.
Chloe Feoranzo
Clarinet
Chloe Feoranzo is a clarinetist and saxophonist who has been performing professionally since the age of 15. She grew up playing in youth orchestras, musical pits, along with swing, traditional jazz bands and guest artist at festivals of the Southern California area. She completed a three year tour with Pokey LaFarge from 2013-2016 appearing with the group on various shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman, Prairie Home Companion, the Grand Ole Opry and The Voice. She has three featured videos through Postmodern Jukebox with a combined total of 7 million views and rising. She has been on various tours since 2017 with Postmodern Jukebox, Asleep At The Wheel and as a full-time clarinetist with Shake Em’ Up Jazz Band. She now resides in Los Angeles, CA performing with various groups around the city.
Devan Kortan
Guitar & Banjo
Devan Kortan is a guitarist, banjoist, and vocalist from Sacramento and has been involved with the Teagarden Jazz Camp since 2012. He got his start in the acclaimed jazz program at Rio Americano High School and studied with the likes of Steve Homan, Eddie Erickson, Mark Elf, and Howard Alden and was awarded for his banjo playing by Wynton Marsalis at the Essentially Ellington Competition. A naturally gifted performer, he's delighted audiences all over the world at festivals, on the radio, and on cruise ships. He's spent the last year on the east coast appearing with David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Eternity Band and at the historic Deer Head Inn.
Dawn Lambeth
Piano
Tim Metz
Drums
Tim Metz is a native of Sacramento, having left to attend William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ earning a BM in Jazz Studies in 2001. He returned to Sacramento in the Fall of 2001 where he quickly became one of the top call jazz drummers. In between a heavy teaching schedule—over 40 drum students per week—Metz continues to consistently perform with some of the world's greatest musicians, including alto sax masters Jeff Clayton and Jacam Manricks, pianists Joe Gilman, the legendary Donald Brown, Art Hirahara, and Jim Martinez, guitarist Larry Koonse, bassists Darek Oles and Todd Johnson, and The Santa Rosa Symphony Pops to name a few. He is also one of YouTube's most popular Jazz Drum Lesson Creators with over 2 million views on his channel.
Anita Thomas
Reeds
It’s difficult for Anita to remember a time that she wasn’t completely obsessed by music. She was born in the tiny town of Ceduna, Australia but grew up Sydney surrounded by all sorts of music and musical activities. By the age of 10 she was already studying guitar, flute and clarinet, singing in choirs and playing in groups. Anita attended a specialty high school attached to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Here she focused on classical clarinet and piano. After hearing a masterful jazz duo play live at a music store she knew what kind of music she was going to play! She taught herself alto saxophone, attended many music camps and formed a jazz quartet with her bass-playing sister. The group performed on television, radio and at concerts around Sydney.
In 1990, armed with an Associate Diploma of Jazz Studies from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (as an arranging major!) she taught clarinet and saxophone, played in bands, freelanced in pit orchestras for musicals and backed local and international acts.
Anita toured Australia with virtuoso multi-instrumentalist James Morrison and was featured clarinet soloist in John Morrison’s “Swing City” Big Band. She has also played in Europe and toured to Thailand as lead alto with the Mell-o-tones. Anita has recorded for many Australian artists in jazz, pop, rock and children’s music (the Wiggles - for those of you with young children) and for 6 years was the co-host of a weekly jazz radio program in Sydney. From 1994 – 2001 the Anita Thomas Quartet/Quintet played at festivals and concerts throughout Australia. Her band made two recordings. For many years Anita taught at both junior and adult Pan Pacific Music Camps (Australia), where she had once been a student and learned so much about jazz from local jazz musicians.
2005 was the first year for Anita to join the staff at the Mammoth Lakes Jazz Jubilee Jazz Camp and the Teagarden Trad Jazz Camp.
Greg Varlotta
Trombone
Greg Varlotta began studying trumpet under his fathers direction in Lockport, Illinois at the age of 5 and received his music degree in trumpet performance from Arizona State University in 1985. He has performed with numerous symphony orchestras, brass quintets, jazz ensembles, and is the recipient of the prestigious Arion Trumpet Award. In addition to his accomplishments on trumpet and trombone, this multi-talented performer also enjoys playing bass, guitar, banjo, piano, tuba, singing and tap dancing. Greg has a strong interest in music technology and enjoys working with computers, programming synthesizers, composing and arranging music.
In 2006, Greg completed a 21 year tour of duty as a staff musician with The Side Street Strutters at Disneyland in Anaheim California. He currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona and has toured with the Brian Setzer band, Nils Lofgren and continues to tour with the Side Street Strutters.