John Bringetto, trumpet, flugelhorn.
With a B.A. and M.A. in music, John has been a professional musician most of his life. He played the jazz chair in the Stan Kenton Neophonic, and has backed such singers as John Davidson, Bill Medley, Frankie Avalon, and B B King. He was Band Director at Newport High School from 2009-2015. John is the bandleader of the Lincoln Pops Big Band.
Matt White, saxophones.
Matt White left a twenty year career teaching and performing music in the Denver, Colorado area to open Beachcrest Brewing Company on the Oregon Coast. He received his degree from DU’s Lamont School of Music in Jazz Studies in 2001 and is versed in most any style from classical to jazz, latin to reggae, rock to funk and everything in between. Despite being the brewmaster of a craft brewery, Matt still gets a chance to play jazz on the Central Oregon Coast with the Central Coast Jazz Alliance, the Lincoln Pops Big Band and various other ensembles in the area as well as host regular jazz and jazz jam sessions at his venue.
Bill Hartsell, guitar.
Although not a professional musician, Bill Hartsell has played and studied jazz guitar since picking up the instrument in 3rd grade. Since moving to Oregon in 1999, he has played regularly with local jazz combos and been involved with the Oregon Coast Jazz Party. He has had the honor of taking the stage with Mike Horsfall, Tom Wakeling, Todd Strait, Dave Captein, Karla Harris, Holly Hofmann, and is just completing a recording featuring Mike, Todd, Dave, as well as Randy Porter, Nicki Parrott, and Chuck Redd. Bill has served as the musical director and primary composer/arranger for Perpetua and is currently the musical director/composer for the Central Coast Jazz Alliance as well as playing with the Lincoln Pops Big Band and the Pacific Standard Time jazz ensemble.
Greg Berton, bass.
Gregory Berton is a bassist and native Oregonian. A skilled musician in all styles, he spent his working years with the Symphonisches Orchester Berlin, the Oregon Symphony and 34 years with the San Diego Symphony, where he was active in recording and touring with artists such as Linda Ronstadt and Andrea Bocelli.
In 2015 Greg and his wife Rosanne retired to their vacation home in Lincoln City where Greg continues his jazz work and raises pork and beef on a small farm. Greg has also served on the board of the Siletz Bay Music Festival and the Lincoln City Cultural Center where he spent two years as Board Chairman and spearheaded the capital campaign for the creation of the Lincoln City Cultural Plaza.
Sandy Schaefer, drums.
Dr. G. W. Sandy Schaefer was the Director of Music Business and Percussion Studies at Chadron State College and formerly on the faculties of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, California State University, and Arizona State University. He has a doctorate in Solo Performance from Arizona State University, a Masters in Percussion Performance from the University of Colorado, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Indiana State University (then home of the Percussive Arts Society). Additional, he performed 300 concerts a year with the NORAD Band USAF.
Dr. Schaefer has performed as a classical percussionist and a jazz musician on both drum set and vibes. He was Principal Percussionist of the Fresno Philharmonic, the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, the Green Lake Festival Orchestra, and a member of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra. As a jazz musician he has performed in all styles, Dixieland, swing, bop, cool, and hard bop. As a show percussionist/drummer Dr. Schaefer has performed with Henry Mancini, Milton Berle, the Temptations, Suzanne Somers, Ben Vereen, the Drifters, the Coasters, Cleo Laine, the Lennon Sisters, Melissa Manchester, Roger Williams, Charro, and Bobby Vinton.
Dr. Schaefer has recorded for Summit Records, Canyon Records, and has a compilation of percussion ensembles, where he recorded all the parts using the overdubbing process, released by the Wisconsin School Music Association. He recently contributed jazz vibe transcriptions for Milt Jackson: Transcribed Solos of the Master published by Mallet works music. His drum set method book was published by Iron Man Percussion Publications and received a positive review in Percussive Notes, the journal of the Percussive Arts Society. In 2008, the Dorset Group released the 3rd edition of his history of rock and roll, Here To Stay: Rock and Roll Through the 1970s. He has also published many transcriptions for the marimba ensemble with Permus Publications and Really Great Music Publications.
Dr Schaefer has served as President of the Wisconsin Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society and the Nebraska Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators.