The Saxophone Players

Brian Damron - Alto

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.

Dr. John Gottdiener - Lead Tenor, Clarinet

John studied clarinet in his native Brooklyn with Pat Nizza and Loren Kitt of the National Symphony Orchestra and was one of the youngest musicians ever to become a member of the New York Symphony Orchestra. Having failed in his ambition to be lead dancer with Chippendales he has performed in the Washington area with the Washington Chamber Players Orchestra, the National Philharmonic, and Mount Vernon Orchestra. When not involved with his musical activities, he serves as a professor of medicine and director of the echocardiography laboratory at the University of Maryland.

Murray Green - Lead Alto

Murray hails from New Orleans LA, the last in a family of ten, where all children were introduced to music. He was influenced by his older brothers, a tenor sax player, a bass guitar player and two trumpet players. “My oldest brother’s tone on the trumpet was one of the best I’ve ever heard”.

Murray joined the Olney Big Band in late 2003 playing tenor II saxophone. At the time, he said he was “just getting back into playing music after a long hiatus”. He had started playing music again with his son, who at the time was coming along as a 7th grade saxophone player. After a year or so, his son discovered football and began to focus his attention elsewhere. But the flame had been reignited in Murray, a one time marching band captain and jazz combo leader. He found the Olney Big Band through his membership in the Olney Community Band.

After a few months, the lead alto sax player left the Band, putting the troupe in a quandary. Murray stepped up and said, “I’ve just bought an alto sax. May I try out for the lead alto job?” He did, they listened, and the rest is history.

It took a while for Murray to become comfortable with his alto sax, and a little longer for him to become comfortable with the ins and outs of leading the sax section. But his love for music and his desire to work hard have proven to be assets, to the enjoyment of the Band and their audiences.

His favorite genre of music is Hard Bop and his favorite sax player is Cannoball Adderly. He is an IT professional with an affinity for logic and a love for the sciences. But his joy is easily seen when the band is swinging. “I never thought I would do this again. I’m enjoying every minute.”

Dave Schumer - Baritone, Tenor, Alto Saxes; Clarinet

Dave anchors the Olney Big Band sax section on Baritone sax. Born and raised in New Jersey in the 40s, he grew up outside of New York City in Clifton, New Jersey. He was introduced to the music program in sixth grade and began lessons on alto saxophone. When he entered high school he studied clarinet and played tenor and baritone saxes in the high school’s marching and concert bands. During those years he held down first chair in the concert band and lead alto and tenor in the high school’s big band. One of his biggest thrills was to play on the same stage in Passaic New Jersey at the Central Theater where Glenn Miller had performed his last commercial concert before being commissioned in the Army.

After graduation he attended Florida State University’s School of Music, but decided music was not his future and pursued a degree in accounting, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Subsequently, Dave initially worked for the U.S. Army Audit Agency and upon being drafted served with the Army Audit Agencie's Korea Area Office for 15 months during the Vietnam era. He later worked for the Inspector General’s Offices at the Department of Defense, Peace Corps, Veteran’s Administration and the Department of Energy. During those years he traveled the world performing management and financial audits in Asia, the Pacific, South America, and Africa and spent a total of eight years with the Army Audit Agency in Seoul, Korea.

After retirement from the Energy Department, Dave started playing again with several community bands in the greater Washington area. He is one of the founding fathers of the Olney Big Band and has served as the Band’s Business Manager and Secretary/Treasurer since 2006.

Sue Vazakas - Tenor

Born in Philadelphia, Pennslyvania, Sue grew up in central New Jersey. After several years of piano lessons, she began studying the saxophone at age 10. She played saxophone and percussion for many years with the historic Blawenburg Band, which is the oldest band in New Jersey. She holds a doctorate in bioethics from Boston University and manages the Science and Engineering Library at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. She tells this story about her musical career: While in 5th grade, the band leader came around and asked what we wanted to play. I asked for drums, but he said that they already had lots of kids who wanted to play drums. How about saxophone? Sure, I said, not having a clue what that was.

It finally arrived, my brand new Selmer Bundy alto sax! Do you remember the scene in “The Music Man” where the Wells Fargo Wagon delivers the band instruments to River City, and little Ronny Howard babbles joyfully about “what a beautiful shiny gold thing!”? That was me!

Several decades and musical groups later, Sue plays with OBB and the Olney Community Band. Just three years ago she switched to tenor sax, and has huge fun playing it.

Sue believes she will be playing her tenor to a venerable age, and become the role model for high school kids and others who will realize that you can pick your instrument back up at any age – there’s always a place to play.