Rhythm Section

Jack Bilby - Guitar

Jack was born in Washington, DC. His earliest musical memory is of regularly singing “Happy Trails to You” with his mother at the end of every Roy Rogers TV show in the 1950s. (She was Dale to his Roy.) Jack’s singing became more serious during high school when he sang with the James Madison Madrigal Singers from Vienna, Virginia. This superb group performed to glowing reviews in such places as the Kennedy Center, the National Cathedral, the Phillips Collection, the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and Carnegie Recital Hall. He even got to meet President Johnson and Lady Bird after performing for a White House luncheon.

Jack’s first guitar? A Roy Rogers model from Sears Roebuck, of course! Jack’s first performing experiences with guitar (now a Gibson Les Paul Junior) began during junior high school playing in a rock band. Enjoying some local success, he continued to perform throughout high school. At age 14, he studied jazz guitar with a local jazz professional. Because he couldn’t really apply what he was learning at the time, Jack says he could never have guessed how valuable the information would be some forty years later.

Since 2004 he has played with the Civil Air Patrol Big Band and since 2005 with the Olney Big Band. Jack says, “It’s been really satisfying to perform again with a great group of musicians before audiences that love the music.”

Tom Harwick - Bass

Tom grew up in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the Pennsylvania Dutch country. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering, from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA.

Tom founded the Olney Big Band in 2002, recruiting friends he met playing with the Olney Community Band. After a slow start with the big band, Tom succeeded in recruiting Rip Rice as leader, resulting in the level of success the band has achieved in recent years.

Tom started on piano in second grade, euphonium in fifth, and tuba in eighth. In high school, he performed with the Marine Band of Allentown, a local community band, and played under the direction of Albertus Meyers, who had played on the Sousa band. Tom marched for parts of two seasons with the Baltimore Colts Marching Band, during a stretch where they never won a home game. For years, Tom performed at the Maryland Renaissance Festival on bass recorder. Later, Tom studied tuba with David Fedderly of the Baltimore Symphony and Ed Goldstein of the Peabody.

Tom started playing jazz tuba with a Dixieland combo called the Starvation Army Band, and took up electric bass as the group began to add swing numbers to its repertoire. Tom is a former member, and charter member, of the Columbia Jazz Band, with whom he toured the Netherlands in 1996. Tom continues to play euphonium with the Olney Community Band, and tuba and bass with the Starvation Army Band.

Brian Damron

Brian Damron, a native of Topeka, Kansas, is in his sixth year as Instrumental Music Director at James Hubert Blake High School. A graduate of the Armed Forces School of Music, Case Western Reserve University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music, he brings a wealth of knowledge in music performance to Blake. Brian has served as a professional musician, public relations director, and associate conductor with the US Marine Corps Bands for seven years. In addition, Mr. Damron has performed major saxophone concerti with the Cleveland Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony. A lover of jazz, he has also performed with the 29th Street Jazz Quartet, the North Coast Sax Quartet and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. He has also served as the associate conductor for many professional ensembles, instructor for the International Association for Jazz Educators, and as a clinician and adjudicator for many national and regional music festivals. Mr. Damron attributes his success in music to the wonderful education he received while growing up. Keeping with that tradition at Blake High School, Brian Damron has implemented many new programs that have brought great credit to the students and school. Understanding the need and motivation involved with quality public performances, Mr. Damron has increased the performance schedule of the award winning Eubie Blake Jazz Ensemble to over fifty performances a year; to include the East Coast Jazz Festival, the Cherry Blossom Festival, numerous community performances and a sold out benefit concert with Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band. Thanks to his energy and drive, the Roaring Bengals Marching Band has tripled in size and now performs fantastic field shows during the football season, numerous community parades, and has won the coveted “Best Band” Award at the 2004 Washington DC St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The band has now been invited and will perform at the 71st Annual Nokia Sugar Bowl in New Orleans in January of 2005. Mr. Brian Damron would like to credit the success of the music program at Blake High School, to the focus, desire, and dedication of his over 250 students.