Who's Who

TONY CAMPISE "If ever there was proof that Texas makes 'em bigger than life, Tony Campise is it." His talent surpasses the usual saxophone player. He is virtually a master of any woodwind instrument, including the tenor and alto saxophone, piccolo, flute, and bass flute. His consummate artistry has been widely recognized by such diverse talents as Willie Nelson, Joe Henderson, Eric Johnson, Phil Woods, Billy Gibbons, and Lyle Lovett.

Campise's first professional breakthrough occurred in the mid-70's, when he was invited to play lead alto in the Stan Kenton band. After years of constant touring, Campise returned to Texas and backed a number of world class artists. A who's who list of disparate names includes Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Lyle Lovett, Arnett Cobb, Sarah Vaughan, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, Joe Henderson, and Lee Konitz. Clint Eastwood, upon recommendation from Lennie Niehaus (who wrote sound tracks for "Bird" and "Unforgiven"), became a Campise fan while in Austin filming "A Perfect World." Campise continues to lead his own band and a big band on a regular basis, plays jazz fests, does saxophone clinics currently representing Boosey & Hawkes Keilwerth saxophones and selectively records as a sideman.

STEVE WIEST Arabesque Recording artist Steve Wiest is in great demand as a featured soloist, composer/arranger and clinician. He has performed extensively in the U.S., South America, Australia, Japan, and Europe. Wiest's new solo CD "Excalibur: The Steve Wiest Big Band" was released in August of 2006 by Arabesque Jazz to wide critical acclaim.

From 1981 to1986, Steve was the featured trombonist and one of the arrangers for Maynard Ferguson's Band. While with Maynard, he recorded two CDs: "Storm" and "Live From San Francisco," and one two volume video: "The Playboy Jazz Festival." During this time, Steve and the M.F. band also performed with a number of guest artists, including Freddie Hubbard, Slide Hampton, Wynton Marsalis, David Clayton Thomas, Lew Soloff, Billy Eckstein, and Mel Torme.

Following his years with Ferguson, Steve completed a Masters Degree in Jazz Studies at the University of North Texas. While at UNT, he was the lead trombonist and one of the featured arrangers for the UNT 1:00 Lab Band. His composing, arranging, and trombone playing can be heard on the following UNTCDs: "Lab '86," "Lab '87," "Lab '88," " With Respect To Stan," "Live From Australia," "The Best of The 1:00," and "Fifty Years of Jazz at North Texas." Steve also contributed a chart to "Lab 89." In 1997 in celebration of the 50th year of the UNT Jazz Studies Program, Steve was a featured soloist with an all-star band of UNT alumni that included Tom Malone, Ed Soph, Marvin Stamm, Lou Marini, and Jack Peterson.

After a two-year stint as Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at The University of Texas at Arlington [1988- 1990] Steve became Director of Jazz Studies and Trombone at The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. During his tenure at UW-Whitewater, Steve was also a regular member of the Doc Severinsen Big Band and recorded "Swingin' The Blues" with Doc on Azika Records in 2000. Steve has a number of arrangements and texts published with various companies including Kendor, Doug Beach, Hal Leonard, Ron Keezer's Really Good Music and The University of Northern Colorado Jazz Press.

Steve Wiest is an Associate Professor in the Jazz Studies Division of the College of Music at the University of North Texas. He teaches jazz composition, jazz arranging, and jazz trombone. Along with these duties, Steve also directs the new UNT jazz trombone band: "The U-Tubes," an ensemble that consists of 5-8 trombones, and full rhythm section. The group performs original material composed and arranged by UNT students and faculty as well as music from the classic jazz trombone repertoire.

GORDON GOODWIN As winner of the 2006 Grammy Award for his Instrumental Arrangement of Incredits from the Pixar film The Incredibles, as well as three-time Emmy Award winner and five-time Grammy nominee, you would think that Goodwin had fulfilled his dreams and achieved all of his goals. Not by a long shot. He has yet another channel for success as leader of L.A.’s most exciting 18-piece big band jazz ensemble, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. The Big Phat Band has quickly become one of the most hard swinging large jazz ensembles, comprised of L.A.’s finest musicians, which celebrates and personifies the best of the big band tradition with a very contemporary and original sound. Gordon’s witty and insightful arrangements propel the listener on a journey through a myriad of styles: latin, blues, swing, classical, hardhitting jazz, and even an homage to Looney Tunes!

Throughout his career, Gordon Goodwin has built a larger-than-life reputation for his composing, arranging, and musical instrumentation skills. Ray Charles, Christina Aguilera, Johnny Mathis, Toni Braxton, John Williams, Natalie Cole, David Foster, Sarah Vaughn, Mel Torme, Brian McKnight and Quincy Jones are just a few of the artists he has written for, recorded and performed with. Goodwin has conducted world renowned symphony orchestras in Atlanta, Dallas, Utah, Seattle, Toronto and London.

Working within the television and film industry, his cinematic scoring and orchestration craft can be heard on such films as Glory Road, National Treasure, The Incredibles, Remember The Titans, Armageddon, Bad Boys II, The Majestic, Con Air, Gone in 60 Seconds, Enemy of the State, Star Trek Nemesis, the classic cult film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, and the upcoming Bah Hum Duck! A Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck riff on the classic, A Christmas Carol with Gordon and the Big Phat Band’s unmistakable sound. Gordon will be premiering a brand new big band composition commissioned by Temple College with the Temple Jazz Orchestra at their concert on March 29th.