BOB BYRD - 1st Alto Saxophone, Director

Bob Byrd, a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 1970, where he majored in music education. Although he subsequently pursued a career in health care administration, having earned the Master of Health Administration degree from Duke University, Mr. Byrd has led an active musical life. He studied saxophone privately with Craig Whittaker of UNCG and flute with Linda Cykert of Elon University, each for nearly two years. He is co-founder, music director, and lead saxophonist of the Alamance Jazz Band. He has performed as a single-engagement sideman throughout North Carolina with such bands as the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, the Atlantic Jazz Orchestra, Reflections, and several other regionally known big bands, jazz combos and orchestras. With the US Airways Jazz Orchestra, he has performed in Germany, Holland, Bermuda, and throughout the United States. He is a frequent soloist for area weddings, services, and receptions, and he can be seen in the pit orchestra of many local productions of musical theater.

Active civically, Mr. Byrd is a past president of the Alamance County Arts Council, the Alamance County Chapter of the North Carolina Symphony Society, the Alamance County Community Services Agency (ACCSA), and past board and campaign chairman of the United Way of Alamance County. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Alamance County Arts Council, Burlington-Alamance Sister Cities, Alamance ElderCare, and ACCSA. Mr. Byrd is senior vice president of Alamance Regional Medical Center, where he has served on the management staff since 1978. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Secretary/Treasurer of the Triad Healthcare Executive Forum, and a member of the Carolinas Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development. He and his wife, Barbara Bennett Byrd, live in Burlington.

JANET ESKRIDGE - 2nd Alto Saxophone

BILLY AMMONS - 1st Tenor Saxophone

JEFF HOLLAND - 2nd Tenor Saxophone

ROD FOX - Baritone Saxophone, President

DON UTLEY - 1st Trombone

DAVID RICH - 2nd Trombone, Co-Director of Marketing

SONIA "SAM" BLAKENEY - 3rd Trombone, Secretary

CHARLES MORGAN - Bass Trombone

EARL THOMPSON - 1st Trumpet

Born in the little riverside town of Bridgeport, PA, twenty miles west of Philly, I started to play the trumpet at age seven. I had broken my leg and my Aunt Mary gave me an old trumpet she had played in college and told my Mom: “Anne, maybe this boy would like to play the trumpet.” According to my Mom, I grabbed the trumpet, turned the radio on, and started making the most gosh-awful sounds she had ever heard, trying to play along with the radio. The next year I started group lessons in school and soloed at age eleven in district band.

At age twelve I took lessons from a Professor Zeigler of the Philadelphia Orchestra. After three lessons he called my father and told him: “Mr. Thompson, you are wasting your money, this boy will never be a trumpet player. He won’t practice.” I was glad. I wanted to be a big league shortstop, not a trumpet player. I got many a whuppin’ from Big Earl because I wouldn’t practice. I still don’t like to practice, but I love to play. God has truly given me a gift. I dread to think what my life would be like without music.

At age fourteen, some guys at my church, Grace Chapel, formed a brass ensemble. Our leader, Chuck Pugh, who was much older and had played in the Radio City Symphony and St. Louis Symphony, had connections in New York City. For three years we performed mostly sacred music in such venues as: Town Hall, Carnegie Hall (a Billy Graham film premier), Boston Garden, Madison Square Garden (with George Beverly Shea), and excursions on the Hudson, Delaware and Potomac Rivers.

I moved to Burlington in 1959 and married Linda Steele of the Town of Elon in 1963. When our kids came along, I gave up playing until 1982, when Dr. Jack White, band director at Elon College, to whom I will ever be grateful, chided me into start playing again. Dr. Tom Erdmann at Elon, also, was an inspiration, and did the best he could with this untrained, play-by-ear, musician. In 1990, during the perestroika period, the Emanons Jazz Ensemble of Elon College invited me to tour the Soviet Union with them. In Ukraine I met cousins I never knew I had (my Mom's parents came from Ukraine).

Since retiring from the real estate business, playing trumpet has become my primary interest, besides my family. I have been with Alamance Jazz Band since its inception, where I was forced by virtue of that situation to learn how to read music (before that I would memorize or just “wing it”). I also played with the combo Reflections for ten years, a group called The Jesters in the early sixties and still do jazz and combo work at the country club and other places.

I have been fortunate enough to have played in over fifty churches in and around North Carolina, also playing weddings and special events. I was part of the North Carolina Baptist Singers’ Orchestra, First Baptist Band and The Celebration Singers. I sang with Fred Waring one summer and was President of the Alamance Chorale in the 80s.

Bob Byrd (AJB director), Joel Marshall(Music Minister at First Baptist Church) and Ray Brooks (First call trumpet player in Knoxville and Dollywood) have been very influential in my growth as a trumpet player. I am, truly, a blessed man. To God goes all the glory. [ET resides in Mebane. Home phone: 919-563-0200, Cell: 336-516-HORN (4676), email: earltrumpet@earthlink.net.]

TOM MANNING - 2nd Trumpet, Treasurer

Tom Manning was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, where he was active in music at an early age. He began playing piano in the second grade and started taking trumpet lessons in the fourth grade. Actively involved in the public school system, he participated in many all-county functions and was drum major of his high school band. He also participated in various church music programs, where he served as an instrumentalist, choir member, and bell choir participant. Tom graduated from the Ohio State University where he was a member of the OSU Marching Band, considered to be the best marching band in the country. He returns to Columbus, Ohio, annually, to participate in the marching band reunion, an event that typically draws over six hundred band alums. He received an MBA degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. In addition to being a charter member of the Alamance Jazz Band, Tom continues to remain active in musical circles, playing the trumpet for church services, area schools, and as a member of the Lumpsters, a local charity band. He is the director of the First Presbyterian Church adult bell choir in Burlington.

As an active member of the Alamance County community, Tom serves as Chairman of the Alamance-Burlington School Board, where he has been a member since 1998. He is past chairman and president of the Alamance County United Way, the Alamance County Area Chamber of Commerce, and currently serves on the Love School of Business Advisory Board at Elon University. He is also president of Junior Achievement of Central North Carolina and is a board member of the North Carolina School Boards Association. Tom is a member of the Alamance Rotary Club.

Tom is senior vice president and area supervisor for the Fidelity Bank. He and his wife, Deanna, live in Burlington.

JOEL MARSHALL - 3rd Trumpet, Vice-President

JOEL MARSHALL has served as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church, since December, 1986.  Previously Joel served churches in Virginia and Tennessee.  Before being called into full-time ministry, he worked with Airborne Air Freight and at Kings Dominion Theme Park in Richmond, Virginia.  

Joel is originally from Knoxville, Tennessee.  He is married to Becky Bass Marshall , and interior decorator, and they have three children – Grant, a graduate of N.C. State University in Aerospace Engineering, Benjamin, a junior at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Anna, a freshman in Elementary Education at Appalachian State Univeristy.  In his spare time Joel enjoys golf, spending time with family, traveling, and of course, playing with the Alamance Jazz Band.

Joel graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Shenandoah College & Conservatory of Music, Winchester, Virginia, in 1977.  He also earned a Master of Church Music degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, where he graduated in 1986.

Joel is active in the North Carolina Baptist Singers & Orchestra and has been a member of the Alamance Jazz Band since 1988. His calling in ministry is to serve the local church through music and worship, and to provide ways for people to find community through choral music, handbells, and instrumental music.

You may email Joel Marshall at: joelmarshall@firstbaptistburlington.com

EDDIE ROGERS - 4th Trumpet

MARILYN FOX - Piano, Band Librarian

SAM WEINSTEIN - Bass

SHAWN KIRKHAM - Drums, Website Administrator, Past-President

Shawn Kirkham was born in Schenectady NY in 1967. While living in NY State, Shawn attended the Schenectady Community College for Music Performance (studying with Conrad Kuchay) and the Crane School Of Music at Potsdam College for Music Education (studying with James Stoltie), both as a Saxophone Major. During these times, Shawn also played several other instruments including Drums.

Since his Saxophone career started in 1979, he has performed with several concert bands, big bands, jazz groups (combos, quartets, quintets, and septets), and other miscellaneous bands throughout upstate NY and Central NC. Shawn was also seen playing drums with many big bands and rock bands in the Schenectady NY and Syracuse NY Regions during the 1980's and 1990's.

He has had the opportunity to perform with many different Jazz musicians including Louie Bellson, Chris Vadala, Rob McConnel, Jamey Aebersold, Duffy Jackson and more.

Shawn recently became the newest drummer for the Alamance Jazz Band after playing the 1st Tenor Sax book for three seasons. He not only remains active playing with the Alamance Jazz Band, but he also enjoys playing at St. Mark's Church in Burlington, NC on the weekend services with the Worship and Arts Band on Bass Guitar,Saxophone and Drums. You can also find Shawn playing in musicals in the Burlington, NC area with the Gallery Players as well as an occasional gig with the Company Shops Concert Band.

Shawn has developed this web site for the band and continues to maintain it. Please email him at skirkham[at]triad.rr.com for questions/comments regarding the website.

Shawn and his wife, Beverly, reside in Graham, NC with their many pets, that they call their kids!

LEONARD MATHERLY - Guitar

Leonard was first inspired at early age to play guitar after hearing gyspy guitarist Django Reinhardt with the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. This group also featured violinist Stephane Grappelli. The big influence and real love of the jazz guitar style came during teen age years listening to the great sounds of guitarist Tal Farlow with the Red Norvo Trio. The musical highlight came after meeting Tal and becoming close freinds with occassional visits that lasted until his death in 1998.

Leonard has always enjoyed the big band sound, but musical past has been mostly with small combo's including over thirty years with Jim Crisp Trio as both guitar and bass player. Over the years there have been occassions to meet and play with artist such as vocalist Teresa Brewer, Vaughn Monroe, Johnny Ray, trumpeter Clark Terry; saxophonist Eddie Harris, Stan Getz, Jerry Coker and trombonist Bill Waltrous.

In addition to private lessons at home, Leonard has taught guitar at Emmons Guitars and the first guitar instructor at Elon University.

SUE RICH - Vocalist, Co-Director of Marketing

RANDY TATE - Band Audio Technician