Bill McGinty - Piano:

By the time Bill was a senior in high school, he was playing Dave Brubeck originals like "Time Out" and "Blue Rhondo a la Turk", as well as his own compositions, with his first band, a jazz quartet. At the age of 20, he made a transition from playing piano to Hammond organ, and also from jazz to R&B and rock and roll. More recently, following his last two year stint gigging weekly as one of the founding members of the locally popular blues/rock band, "61 Beale Street", he has returned to the music that he loves best, and founded "Shaken, not Stirred".

Self taught, Bill drew influence and inspiration from a diverse group of musicians, including Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Ramsey Lewis,  Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff. He also prefers an equally diverse approach to jazz. "Catching a feeling, an emotion, and then throwing in a few surprises" is what Bill likes best to do.

James DiGirolamo - Bass:

James has preformed professionally for 31 years, with extensive experience in upright and electric bass. He studied at DePaul University's School of Jazz Music and privately with Larry Gray, who plays bass with Ramsey Lewis. As a "jobbing musician", he has done radio jingles, studio session work, a great deal of pit work and many orchestral performances, including Chicago's Orchestra Hall. His long-term band experiences include swing with the Riff Rockets the Rhythm Rockets the Rockafellers blues with the Convulsions, Phil Baron, Barrelhouse Chuck and Pinetop Perkins pop-rock with Burnt Toast and JP and the Cats as well as countless jazz groups including the Tom Sorich Trio and The Tom Costanzo Trio. James has also played country, zydeco and rock-a-billy with bands such as the Big Guitars from Memphis, The Delta Rhythm Kings, Guy Lawerence and Chydeco Zydeco, Peaches and will Crosby. He has been nominated for a Handy Award with Nick Moss and the Flip Tops, a touring blues band that plays regularly at Buddy Guy's Legends and The House of Blues. He currently has professional endorsement deals with Lakland, Gallien-Krueger, Bag End, GuitarCable.com and Rotosound.

James is also founder and musical director of GaragebandU, a school of rock and roll, held at the Hinsdale Conservatory of Music. There he provides his students with a critical learning experience that individual study cannot deliver: hands-on group performance. For more information about GaragebandU, visit his website: http://www.garagebandu.com/about.html 

Jeff Hedberg - Vocals, Flugelhorn, Trumpet:

Jeff's musical training includes a Master of Music in Jazz Pedagogy from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Elmhurst College. During his time at both institutions Jeff had the opportunity to perform with both the EC Jazz Band and the NU Jazz Ensemble, both well-known big bands. During which he played both lead trumpet and jazz chair. Through his schooling, as well as his own pursuits, Jeff has studied with Doug Beach, Mark Colby, Jackie Allen, Brenda Lualdi, Bob Rummage, Mark Streder, Libby York, Jeff Deustch, Phoebe Fuller, Rob Parton, Don Owens, Joel Spencer,Mike Kocour and Judy Roberts.

Jeff’s playing and singing styles are most notably rooted in the styles of Chet Baker and Mel Torme. As Scott Gotschall, of jazzwriter.com, writes in the liner notes of Jeff’s debut recording, "Certainly one can hear Mel Torme, Ella, and of course Chet Baker in his performance. But to only describe this artist as an ‘updated’ or ‘modern’ version of someone else would be to deprive him of the identity that comes from blending various styles into one cohesive voice."

Jeff's CD, "The Summer Knows" is available online at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hedberg .

Heather Moran - Vocals:

Born and raised in Illinois, Heather Moran has been performing for most of her life. She studied voice as a child at New Trier High School and Northwestern University in Illinois. As an adult, she studied music at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pennsylvania, and the University of Colorado. She eventually returned to Chicago to earn a BA in Musical Theater from Columbia College.

Over the past several years, Heather has divided her time between her two loves: acting and singing.

As an actor, Heather has worked with numerous theater companies in Chicago, but most extensively with the Factory Theater, a storefront community theater company in their eleventh season with over fifty-seven productions under their belts. Heather is also a Second City alumna skilled in improvisational theater.

As a singer, Heather has performed in many settings: nightclubs, weddings, private and corporate functions, and most notably, on Navy Pier's two premiere dinner cruise ships, Mystic Blue and The Odyssey. Some Chicago area venues she has appeared at include: Katerina’s, Grant Park, Andy’s Jazz, Park West, The Acorn Theater in Michigan’s Three Oaks, Café Luciano, Webster’s Wine Bar, Magnum's Steakhouse, Davenport’s, Gold Star Sardine Bar, Martyr's, Bistrot Margot, Katerina’s, Tivoli Ristorante, and Joy Blue.

Heather is also currently singing in the critically acclaimed musical trio, 3 Girls 3,  performing a nostalgic '40s show, a Burt Bacharach review, and a Christmas show. Heather is an active member of Chicago Cabaret Professionals and currently serves on the board as Co-Press Governor.

Shawn Maxwell - Alto Saxophone:

Shawn Maxwell of Aurora, Illinois is an accomplished woodwinds multi-instrumentalist (saxophones, clarinet and flute) professional jazz performer. He is also a teacher, composer, and arranger.

Shawn attended Milikin University in Decatur, Illinois and received a Bachelors Degree in Commercial Music in 1999. Since 1999 Shawn has been in high demand as a performer and clinician. He began his career as an entertainer on a Caribbean cruise line. Since that time he has toured in Sweden, London, Portugal, and Greece. Additionally, he has played with numerous jazz combos at venues throughout greater Chicagoland. Known for his high-level and high-energy playing Shawn Maxwell has a loyal fan base and regularly draws an appreciative crowd at his engaging performances.

In late 2004 Shawn put together his own band, The Shawn Maxwell Quartet, to record what would be his debut CD, "Originals." "Originals," features the compositions, arranging and production skills of Shawn. In the Fall of 2006 The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Committee placed Shawn Maxwell on the Official Ballot for the 2007 Grammy Awards in the following categories: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

Shawn has also recently signed with the prestigious and legendary Conn-Selmer Company to join their Performance and Educational Artist Roster. In addition to his busy performance schedule Shawn maintains a private lesson studio of 50 students in Oswego, IL and continues to work as a clinician with young performers throughout the Chicago area.

 Jeff Matz - Guitar:

    From Bill: "Below is Jeff’s bio from his own website. He humbly lists no accolades or musical accomplishments so I’m compelled to add a comment. I think he’s one of the very best up and coming young jazz guitarists in the Chicago area. He writes as well, and I’m pleased to add some of his originals to our repertoire. I’m honored to have him aboard."

“I picked up the guitar at age 12 because I had joined a band. Yes, I realize that’s a little backwards, but it did force me to get playing fast. My influences at the time were all the rock acts of the early 90’s, grunge, heavy metal, the stuff it seems starts so many a guitar player on their path.

I am lucky to have a father who is an avid music lover, and who quickly showed me the links between the music I was listening to and some of the great music acts of his era. It helped me move backwards through music, eventually finding the Grateful Dead, and getting VERY interested in improvisation.

It took a while before my ears could appreciate jazz, though—one of my first experiences was a friend who got his hands on a copy of Miles Davis’ “Dark Magus.” It was just too much for me. A few weeks later, he showed up with “Kind of Blue,” and, never being one to admit I was wrong, I had to pretend not to enjoy it.

After he left my house that day I ran to the library to grab their copy. The rest, I guess, as they say, is history—it was the start of a new love—me and jazz.

Not that I got to play a lot of it, or that I even thought I could play it. I worked in a rock band all throughout college, and we dipped into a lot of improv, but more of static grooves and two chord jams—not really “changes.” A string of near-free improv gigs with a local percussionist made me re-examine my chops, and finally hearing Grant Green in 1999 made me think “Hey, I can do this!”

Then I tried to transcribe some GG! Back to the drawing board…but the table was set.

I became enamored with chord melody and solo playing, mostly because I liked the fact that the guitar could hold a whole tune on it’s own, and also because I didn’t have anyone around to jam with jazz-wise. I spent hours locating new chord voicings on the fretboard, arranging dozens of tunes and getting a little bit better at the process with each one.

I’m currently listening to my old guitar faves, Jim Hall, Jimmy Raney, Grant Green and others, and I’ve been really getting into some more current players like Lage Lund, Mike Moreno, and Jonathan Kriesberg.

Most of my influences are non-guitarists though, too many to list, but on constant rotation are the likes of Paul Desmond, Chet Baker, Coleman Hawkins, Booker Ervin, Danny Grissett, Tom Harrell, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Paul Motian, Art Blakey…I could go on and on………………..”

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