ABOUT COMMODORE BRASS -
TAMPA BAY'S BEST BRASS QUINTET |
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Starting with a small musical
library in 1999, members of Commodore Brass began playing brass
chamber music weekly in a member's home, a tradition that
continues to the present. During these rehearsal sessions, the
group prepares for performances which include church services,
private parties, retired home concerts, business opening and
promotional events and special concerts within the local
community.
Our
full length public concerts feature customized musical themes
such as "Commodore Brass Goes to the Movies" and the "Commodore
Brass History of Jazz". |
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Bob Leischner, trumpet, started in
fourth grade taking cornet lessons. He continued through junior
and senior high school, and his private lessons went on for many
years after leaving school.
He
played in the Oyster Bay
Community Band and the Kisnet Temple Shrine band on Long Island.
He
also played with the
Clearwater Concert Band, Dunedin Concert Band, Ten O'clock Big
Band and of course the commodore brass quintet. |
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Jim Fozard, bass trombone,
received his musical training at the University of
California at Santa Barbara, the Music Academy of the West
and as a student of Louis Maggio and James Hall.
He plays in the Clearwater
Concert Band and the Dunedin Concert Band for which he also
serves as Assistant Conductor.
His daytime job is a faculty
member of the School of Aging Studies at the University of
South Florida in Tampa.
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Gilbert Marcy, tuba, has had various
musical training which started on the violin at age 9 (1958). A
year later he decided the clarinet was more interesting and
studied on that instrument for 3 years. Then his interest
shifted back to the violin and studied for 5 years with Mary
Scipione. After graduating from high school, he joined the
Wellesley Symphony Orchestra (Wellesley, Massachusetts) and it
was there at one of their concerts they had as guest soloists
the entire trombone section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
That triggered a strong interest in the trombone and, shortly
after moving to Florida in 1979, studied with Otto Blankle for 5
years. Learning to play tuba was not difficult as the same
principles apply as the trombone.
In addition to Commodore Brass, he
also plays tuba in the Clearwater Community Band and viola in
the Tampa Bay Symphony. His day job is assembler with Metal
Industries, Inc. in Clearwater.
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Robert
(Bob) Rickel began playing the cornet in the 5th grade. At Kent State
University, he majored in music and studied trumpet with Harry Herforth. Later, Robert played trumpet with the Ninth U.S. Air Force Band. Over the years,
he has played in orchestras for community theatres and in many other various
ensembles. Also an
accomplished vocalist, Robert has performed major choral works as a member of
the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus or Master Chorale of Tampa Bay under the
following conductors: Robert Shaw, Sir David Willcocks, John Nelson, and Jahja
Ling. With the ASO chorus, Robert participated in three Telarc recordings: Mahler Symphony Eight, Music of Barber, Bartok and Vaughan
Williams (Three Grammy winner), and the Dvorak Stabat Mater, Robert
Shaw’s final recording. Robert
has been employed as choir/music director at several churches.
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Doug Ritchie, French horn, began
playing trumpet in1960. He went on to take lessons and played in
the junior and senior high school band. He graduated from the
Navy School of Music in 1966.
He continued to play with the navy
show and "Ocean Airs" and went on to study music at the
University of Akron.
After this, Doug played with many
groups on the East Coast and West before joining Commodore
Brass.
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Chamber Music
for Churches, Hospital, Assisted Living,
Weddings, Funerals - Clearwater, St. Pete, Tampa Bay, Florida |
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