The Jazz Sippy cups evolved from Andy and the Rest, an eight piece classic rock horn band. Jim joined in the fall of 2016 after answering a Craig’s List ad. At that time the next oldest guy in the band was 23. Six months later the bass player left and was replaced with Derik, practically an old man at 33. A year later the band’s keyboard player left. Mike, our bandleader, noticed that there was a new keyboard player in church. Like himself, Andrew was a recent George Mason graduate. Mike asked if he was interested. Andrew came to a practice and fit right in.
By spring 2019 the band was struggling. We needed a new trombone player. Complicated personal schedules meant that we never had everyone at practice. Frankly, we were not good enough to get good gigs and we were not going to get better unless we were playing gigs regularly. Not too many places will book an 8 piece band. We had five good singers and could do great harmony singing. The rhythm section was tight and intuitive. But the horn section never quite stayed together. The best soloist was the worst chart reader.
We toyed with becoming a five piece R&B unit. That would mean no charts and some free wheeling jamming. To move in that direction, we scheduled a band reorganization meeting. That schedule thing. Only Jim, Derik and Andrew could make the meeting. Andrew started the discussion “I’d rather play jazz. Jim, you’d rather play jazz. Derik, what about you?” Derik already was playing in a well established R&B band, so jazz sounded great. We became The Jazz Sippy Cups. We played some trio gigs and we did that well. But we sound better with drums. And here we got lucky. Paul turned up in the same Jazz Workshop session with Jim. Paul came to a practice and we had a blast. Paul joined the band in July and here we are.
I was born in Wisconsin, but have lived most my life in Virginia. I started taking piano lessons at the age of 10 and at around 15 thought that I would prefer studying music to studying a more concrete profession like law or accounting. I majored in music at George Mason University, particularly enjoying the music history classes. I now accompany church services on the organ and help lead a church choir. This real world experience convinced me that a more concrete profession will both pay better than music and give me more peace of mind. Since 2017 I have been steadily studying accounting, and would like to work in that profession long-term.
I like many types of music but am especially fond of jazz. Playing with the Cups lets me to explore the many different ways to cover that genre in a small combo setting, as well as to experiment with original music composed by me and the others in the group.
One day during 5th grade, a classmate announced it was time for us to go to the school band practice. This was news -- he had signed me up without telling me. I walked into a room full of kids holding shiny instruments. Spotting my empty hands, the teacher exclaimed "Here's our Glockenspiel player!" So began several years in school orchestras playing the 'bells' and other melodic percussion instruments, as well as the occasional snare or bass drum. Later, I joined a community drum corps where I played snare drum while marching in parades behind comely majorettes.
The summer prior to entering high school, I bought a broken down drum set and, after reassembling it, taught myself by playing along to Top 40 songs and Buddy Rich big band records. Eventually that led to playing the drum set in the concert, jazz, and theater bands. I also led the marching band.
After high school, and a few gigs with a local symphony and a community theater, my playing lapsed in the face of a complex work life. However, a second wind hit three years ago and, after joining and then leaving an R&B band, I turned my focus to intense drum education and supporting a singer/song writer. More recently, I moved to the DC area (again) and joined a jazz workshop where I met Jim. That led to jamming with the Jazz Sippy Cups. When Jim produced pizzas for a rehearsal, I knew this was the band for me!
In fifth grade my elementary school started an after school band program. After mom signed me up, someone from the Board of Education examined each kid’s mouth and announced what instruments they would play. Apparently I have a clarinet mouth. I wanted to play trumpet. Too bad. By high school my vision was pretty wonky so instead of reading music, I either played what the other clarinets played or, increasing, whatever I thought sounded good. The band director once explained that left me alone because he had much worse problems in the band.
I played in a rock band one summer in college. Personnel changed all summer but we did play two shows. In August, the wife of the band leader took me aside and said “go back to college – what you’ve seen all summer, that is all there is. Every month for ten years there has been someone new in the band. Get your degree and you’ll have something.”
Starting in college. I hung out with folks who rowed replica Viking ships. This led to singing sea shanties – a strong voice and steady beat makes rowing easier for everyone. Rowing a couple times each summer was my musical outlet for almost 30 years.
I didn’t seriously return to playing until about 2000, when back trouble got me out of coaching soccer. I started going to blues jams and sang whenever I could. About five years ago a pal invited me to a gypsy jazz jam and I discovered that I loved playing and singing swing tunes. This led me to jazz and eventually to the Cups.
I was born in Alexandria, Virginia. I have spent most of my life in the D.C. metro area. At my day job, I write computer software programs. I started on the upright bass in middle school orchestra class, at the urging of my mother.
When I was 15, I got my first electric bass guitar, and I was smitten with the power and control provided by the instrument. I took every opportunity to perform in high school, including jazz band, choral backup band, and the pit orchestra for the musicals. I formed my first rock band shortly after switching to electric bass.
My first experience with playing jazz in high school was unsatisfying, because it involved fully written parts rather than permitting improvisation, so I was eager to try "real jazz", and jumped at the chance to join the jam sessions that Jim set up when I first started playing with him. The Cups was a natural development, as I became more comfortable with jazz, and I love playing with these guys.