David Aus

[Keyboards]

Born on the East coast, pianist David Aus is new to Fresno, after a decade in San Francisco playing with jazz, R&B and performance art ensembles including JDOGS, The Next Trio, the Harper All-Stars, and the Chris Cosbey Group. He has performed at numerous venues and festivals in the Bay area, including: Blakes’s, Jupiter, Last Day Saloon, Hotel Utah, Noe Valley Ministry, San Anselmo Art & Wine Festival, Sausalito’s Jazz-by-the-Bay series, and the SF Fringe Festival. He has also made appearances in Austin, Dallas, Kansas City, Newport Beach, and Santa Barbara. Since moving to Fresno, he has become a fixture on the local jazz scene, playing weekly at Slates, Campagnia, and numerous other venues. In July 2003 he was an artist in residence in CSU’s Summer Arts program, working with Grammy-winning vocalist Carmen Bradford. When not performing, David is a DJ on KFSR (90.7 FM), the Valley’s home for jazz. An avid cook and a film buff, he is also quite fond of dogs.

Adan Infante

[Acoustic Bass/Trombone]

A freelance musician living in Fresno, Adan has played with: Temptations, The Four Topps, Frankie Valle, Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval, Poncho Sanchez, Bobby Shew, as well as hip hop bands Ludacris and The Roots. Adan is pleased to be playing with Lisa’s Big Night Out, "Lisa gives me a chance to be a part of a great team of musicians. It's a wonderful musical experience every time."

Gary Newmark

[Drums]

Gary Newmark has played drums in clubs, concerts, shows and recorded throughout the United States and England. He is active on the local jazz scene and often backs traveling artists.

NYE FREDERICK MORTON

[Bass]

Born in 1943 in Berkeley, California, Nye was exposed to classical music at an early age and played piano and cello as a boy, but by high school had lost interest in all of it. Mainly for lack of a better idea, he eventually settled on a music major at the University of California, took a B.A. in 1965, and moved to Los Angeles, where he found employment in music recording. Exposure to other types of music and an entirely different sort of "serious" musician eventually inspired him to get back into playing, this time with the double bass.

After 20 years engineering in various Hollywood studios doing records, film and television scores, and post-production mixing, Nye moved to the Central Valley and spent 10 years engineering at Maximus Media in Fresno. In 1997 he left full-time studio work but is still involved in engineering, doing live sound mixing and both studio and location recording. However, these days he plays a lot of mostly jazz and is hardly ever cranky.

Pete Scaffidi

[Bass]

Pete Scaffidi is one of the most accomplished and versatile bassists in the region. An inspired improviser as well as section player, Peter is equally at home in a small group as in a big band setting. Peter is also a favorite among vocalists for his sensitive accompaniments.

Among Peter’s performance credits are: several appearances at the Bakersfield Jazz Festival, the Jazz at Bass Lake series, the Cambria Jazz Festival, the Beethoven Festival (Kern County), the “Fire and Frost” tour with Barry McGuire and Terry Talbot. He has performed with clarinet legend Buddy DeFranco, saxophonist Harold Land, bluesmaster Floyd Dixon, band leader Les Elgart, movie actor Mickey Rooney, bassist and composer/arranger John Clayton as well as his mother, legendary jazz guitarist Mary Osborne.

Peter began his studies with Mary Osborne. He received his BFA in Music at California State University, Fresno, where he studied with Fred Dempster and Nancy Cousins-Skei. He also studied with master bass teacher Peter Mercurio and with jazz legend John Clayton.

Rich Severson

[Guitar]

Rich Severson is a professional musician, performing and teaching for over 25 years. His education includes years of college and private instruction. He feels education is a continuing process, there's always more to learn. He has three books published by Dale Zdenek/ Belwin Mills/Columbia, taught at GIT/Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA for three years, won awards in songwriting, served as president of the Ventura County Producers and Songwriters Guild, and toured three years with "Dick Clarks Good Old Time Rock and Roll Show" Rich has performed with Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and many other great rock and rollers. Currently Rich is the musical director at a large church in Fresno, California and plays in several other situations including orchestras and big bands. Rich is a well-rounded player comfortable with jazz, blues, rock, fusion, country and solo fingerstyle, playing in a number of settings; as a solo guitarist, in a jazz trio, with a smooth jazz quintet and also with an 11 piece little big band. In addition he writes, arranges and produces and works in his studio writing and recording new lessons for Guitar College. He is endorsed by Hofner Guitars, Boomerang Phrase Sampler & Sibelius Software. Look for him around the country at guitar shows in the Guitar College and Hofner Guitar booths and doing workshops, Christian music conferences and clinics.