Many
excellent musicians from Whatcom County and Southern British Columbia have been part of the Clearbrook Dixie Band in the 25 plus years it has been in existence. Currently the regular members are:
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Dale
Steele –Trumpet/Vocals/Band Leader. Dale is a retired high school
music educator and elementary school Principal. Back in the 1980’s Dale used to invite
musicians over to jam. Fueled by
Dale's homemade wine, the musicians surviving raucous sessions formed the “Clearbrook Connection” - now the Clearbrook Dixie Band. Under Dale’s
leadership the band has played all over Washington and Southern British Columbia and was host band for the Chilliwack
Festival starting in 1989. If you talk
to Dale nicely, he will probably sing one of those sweet old traditional jazz
songs for you.
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Barry Ulman – Clarinet. Barry is a
clarinetist in the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra and principal
clarinet with the Skagit Symphony. He also plays clarinet with the Orca Wailers Clarinet Quartet and
saxophone with the Saxquatch Saxophone Quartet plus fills in with
many other local jazz groups. When he
is not working the reeds, Barry can be found traveling to Latin America to check off another exotic bird sighting from his
life list.
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Lou Lippman – Piano. Lou vowed never to return to classical repertoire on which
he was trained, or anything else that demands
perfect adherence to a written score.
Lou has provided background piano music for many events and
receptions. In addition to solo work,
he currently plays with the Prawns, Travelin' Light, The Halleck Street Ramblers,
What The Chelm (klezmer music) and is one of the mentshn in Millie
And The Mentshn (world music). For years Lou had attempted to become so
busy with music that he would be forced to abandon his day job as a
university professor at WWU. He
succeeded!
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North “Stormy” Storms – Trombone/Vocals.
North is a retired educator including a 10 year stint as a music
teacher in Whatcom County. A professional musician for some
fifty years, Stormy has played many different styles of music and sat in with
bands in many parts of the world. His favorite music is Dixieland. He was a
member of the locally famous, but now retired, Bathtub Gin Party Band. He enjoys traveling and usually carries
his mouthpiece with him wherever he goes (no, not his attorney). If you encourage Stormy, he will likely sing one of
those nearly ribald old jazz tunes for you.
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Mark Lindenbaum – Tuba. Mark is a practicing Elder
Care Physician in Bellingham…which is a good thing given the maturity of the rest
of the Clearbrook
band members. When he isn’t practicing
medicine, he practices his tuba and can be found playing serious music as a
principal tubist with the Whatcom Symphony
Orchestra and Glacier Bay Brass
Quintet. He is a “regular” at the brass chamber music
workshop at Humbolt State University in California. Mark has been the “foundation” of Clearbrook for
some twenty years.
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Mark Schlichting – Guitar/Violin/Vocals. Mark was raised in a house next to a chicken
farm, so naturally his first words were “Bach, Bach, BACH." He recently retired from a 40-year career
as Orchestra Director at Bellingham High School.
Mark has played classical, jazz, and pop music with a number of local
groups and in addition to Clearbrook, he currently performs with and the The Halleck Street Ramblers. Mark still adjudicates music festivals at the
regional and state levels, and was recently the chairman of the 2012 All-State
Chamber Orchestra. In his spare time he
works in his wife’s CPA office and uses e-Bay to reduce his treasure trove.
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Ken Keleman – Drums. Ken first
picked up a set of drumsticks in 1954, to his parents chagrin, and has been
tapping away, off and on, ever since.
In addition to Clearbrook,
he currently plays much "Big Band" swing music with Skagit Swings and also Bellingham based Swing
Connection plus more formal music with the North Cascades Concert Band.
He recently retired from a 30 year teaching career at WWU. When not playing drums, Ken can be found
busying himself by flying, camping, traveling, and trying to fix everything
that gets broken around the house.
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Millie Johnson – Featured Vocalist. Millie was raised in a large musical family, where long
car trips were an opportunity for nine part harmonizing. After a 25 year hiatus from her original
training as an opera singer, Millie resurfaced in European folk music,
joining What The Chelm
and forming Millie and the Mentshn. An
“in demand” musician, she also sings traditional jazz with the Halleck Street Ramblers. Millie is a mathematics professor at Western Washington University. In
addition to music, she also loves family, animals, the outdoors, and
chocolate.
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