Tom Gullion Quintet | Dave Cooper, Tim Whalen, Mark Urness, Dane Richeson

BLUESTEM JAZZ | Tom Gullion Quintet reunites with all the original members for a celebration! Playing music from their discs “Carswell” and “Time It Is,” they’ll bring a unique blend of creativity and energy. Gullion (saxes and flutes), David Cooper (trumpet), Tim Whalen (piano), Mark Urness (bass) and Dane Richeson (drums) will look at the repertoire with fresh takes. Please join us for this special reunion event.

Tom Gullion is a vibrant and innovative jazz saxophonist and flautist, whose adventurous improvisations have earned him a global reputation as a creative jazz musician. His mastery of the saxophone and flute, combined with his passion for experimenting with musical genres and styles, have made him a sought-after performer and collaborator. Tom has recorded and performed with some of the world’s most renowned jazz musicians. His live performances, both solo and with his band, have left audiences in awe, as he takes them on a journey of musical exploration. Tom’s love of music has led him to develop several music apps for mobile devices, allowing musicians to use some of his electronic effects and practice techniques. He also enjoys teaching and passing on his knowledge and passion to the next generation of jazz musicians. Tom Gullion is an inspiring and influential musician, who continues to push the boundaries of jazz music and challenge the status quo. His adventurous sound is sure to captivate audiences for years to come.

Tim Whalen is highly versatile songwriter, keyboard player, producer, composer, and arranger living in Washington, DC. His passion and dedication to his art shines in everything he touches, and he’s been blessed with opportunities to write and play music with some incredible people. He’s played all over the United States, Japan and Europe in many different musical situations, and has written music for everything from jazz duos to orchestras, as well as his own original songs. 

“I have worked with Tim for over a decade and know him to be a dedicated and inspired musician, one who has developed and maintained a great facility in - and love for - the jazz piano tradition.” 
          - Ben Sidran 

Dave Cooper performing affiliations also include the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Isthmus Brass, The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.  Ensemble affiliations have included the Wisconsin Brass Quintet, the Milwaukee, Fox Valley, Canton and La Crosse Symphony Orchestras, The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, The Dallas Brass, Walt Disney World, and the Aspen Jazz Ensemble. As an educator, Dr. Cooper is an associate professor of trumpet and jazz studies at the University of Wisconsin – Platteville.  He has performed in Beijing, Foshan, Macau, New York, Munich, Vienna, Stockholm, International Trumpet Guild Conference, New York Brass Conference, and is a very active soloist/clinician with regional schools, jazz festivals and community ensembles.  He is the host and author of the educational blog www.AllThingsTrumpet.com.

Mark Urness is currently an Assistant Professor at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. His diverse performance experience encompasses orchestral, chamber, jazz, salsa, and solo playing. Recent performances include appearances with Jazz greats Art Lande, Terell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon, Howard Levy, Russ Johnson, and Joe Locke. He is heard frequently on Wisconsin Public Radio as a chamber musician and soloist.

Dane Richeson, professor of music in the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, has crafted a performance and teaching career that has allowed him to explore music around the world and share performance space with a widely diverse array of talented artists.

Dane Richeson, director of percussion studies since 1984, he leads the Lawrence University Percussion Ensemble (LUPÉ), which has released two well-received albums and has been honored by the Wisconsin Music Educators Association and the Percussive Arts Society. He was given Lawrence’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2015. As a performer, Richeson has been featured as a solo marimbist, contemporary chamber music percussionist, world percussion specialist, and jazz drummer and has performed with such notable artists as Bobby McFerrin, Gordon Stout, Nancy Zeltsman, and Gunther Schuller. His research has allowed him to live, study, and teach in three distinctly different cultures: Ghana, studying the music and dance of the Ewe people; Matanzas, Cuba, where he worked with celebrated Afro-Cuban drummers; and Salvador and Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he studied the drumming traditions of the State of Bahia.

Host or Publisher Al Rasho