“Black Magic Woman”

Jeffrey Joe Swan

Slide Guitar & Vocals

Jeffrey is a blues guitarist extraordinaire, has been playing and singing the Blues for 50 years. Jeffrey Joe has recorded with such blues legends as Hubert Sumlin of “Howlin’ Wolf  Band,” Sunnyland Slim and Carey Bell. His credits include the Chicago Blues Fest, The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, The St. Paul/Minneapolis Island Festival, The Minneapolis Downtown Music Festival and many Festivals throughout the Midwest. Jeffrey Joe has opened for Albert Collins, Canned Heat and Harvey Mandel to name a few. Hubert Sumlin publicly said that, “Jeffrey Joe Swan is the best slide guitarist I know.”

Bruce Crisman

Drums

Bruce was born in 1959 in Grand Junction, Colorado.  At age six he received a toy drum-set for Christmas. At age 8 he started drum lessons and played his first gig at age 12, filling in for his brother at an Elks Club. Bruce studied drums privately and through High School playing in the Concert, Marching and Jazz bands.  After High School Bruce played in Rock and Top 40 bands around Colorado and in 1985 formed his own Jazz band the Crisman Quintet. For 15 years the Crisman Quintet performed Be Bop, Swing and Contemporary Jazz in many of Colorado’s best jazz clubs and festivals. In 1993, Bruce attended the Drummer’s Collective in Manhattan completing their certificate program, where he studied with such top name professionals as: Bobby Sanabria, Deduca DeFonseca, Kim Planefield, Clayton Cameron and Ricky Sebastian. From these masters Bruce gained a firm understanding of Brazilian, New Orleans and Afro-Cuban, rhythms which he continues to incorporate into his playing style. Bruce currently works with the Slyders, Jack Hadley Band, the Creole Funky Band, the Boddy Ray Ban, and Eohippus Groups. In the past Bruce has worked with Gumbo Le Funque,  Network, Steve Crenshaw, the Good Vibes Quartet, the Buckner Funk and Jazz Band, the Bill Morse Trio, the Summit Jazz Consort,  Uversa, the Cat Orlando Band, Mundo De Soul, Carly and the Reactions, Windowpane,  Sav Au Faire, Parallel, and Actual Poof.  Also during his career Bruce has shared the stage with: Harry “Sweets” Edison, Joe Bonner, Maynard Ferguson, Don Byron. Tonk Edwards, Freddie Rodriguez Sr. and Jr. and Rudresh Mahanthipa. Bruce provides a solid rhythmic foundation that is energetic, intricate and exciting.

Scott Hackler

Keyboards & Vocals

Scott “Shack” Hackler was born in Bloomington, Indiana. He began singing at an early age and played various musical instruments before settling into a lifelong affair with the piano. He began composing music in his teens. Since earning his first college degree in 1985, he has worked as a musician, composer, arranger, music director, and instructor. He has composed music in a wide variety of styles, with pieces ranging from solo piano and chamber music to gospel choir numbers and, most recently, blues songs. He has toured the United States extensively as a solo artist, bandleader, and accompanist. He has also worked as a studio musician, doing session work (piano, keyboards, bass guitar, and background vocals) on albums for numerous artists. In 2010, Scott graduated with High Distinction from Concordia University Saint Paul with a BA in Music Composition. Scott moved to the Denver area in 2012, and immediately began to get involved in the local music scene. He performs with a number of local bands and also as a solo artist.

Will Morrison

Bass

Will was raised in Boulder, Colorado and graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston (1979). Will has been a player of any kind of music possible and has played in many bands. Will plays guitar, bass, violin, tenor banjo, mandolin, mandola, ukulele, lap and pedal steel guitars, tapping guitar and blues harp. Will also builds instruments including mandolins, electric guitars and more. Will enjoys playing musicals with the Longmont Theatre and enjoys playing with Slyders.

Dave Weinand

Bass 

Dave Weinand earned his Bachelor’s of Music Education from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 2011. His passion for music, and especially the bass, has served him well over the years playing with numerous musical groups in the Denver metropolitan area.  He currently teaches elementary school orchestra and technology, as well as his private studio of bass, guitar, and strings students. Dave has enjoyed playing many styles of music, in various ensemble configurations, all over Colorado and the surrounding states.