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The Reese Project -- Bios

THE PLAYERS:

Tom Reese, flute & composition. A captivating performer, Tom’s strength’s are in his warm sound & driving melodic lines. Called "multi-lingual," his versatility knows no bounds. From composition to folk music, to jazz & blues, classical, even rock’n’roll, this eclectic musician combines elements from all musical genres to create his unique sound. Tom is an innovator, whether in composition, education, or performance. Tom has won awards for composition & education, including three recent NEA awards for his work as Music Director for the YouTheatre program at the Fulton Opera House in Lancaster, PA. Tom's compositions are known for their beautiful melodies, innovative instrumentation & modern harmonies. His CD, "Blue Etude," was in the top 20 of the 2002 Grammies, and his classical compositions are featured on "Conversations," which won an award for Best Instrumental Album in the 2002 Just Plain Folks Awards, the largest independent music awards. He was involved with the Arts Infusion program piloted at Price Elementary, which helped to raise the school from #17 in the county to #1. Tom has taught composition for "Summerstage for Youth" at the Fulton Opera House, & York’s "Day at the Strand," among many other residencies, workshops, and performances. His bands have opened for Bela Fleck, Gaelic Storm, Grey Eye Glances & more, & he has performed with Valery Ponomarev & Nick Brignola. He also performs with MuZette, Susquehanna, & Wyndfall.

Bobby Brewer, guitar, recently moved from Nashville to south-central Pennsylvania to join The Reese Project full-time.  In Nashville, he was active on the local scene with his own bands and freelance work. While living in Los Angeles, Boston, & Oklahoma, Bob taught at the college level, performed with pops orchestras, gave guitar clinics, and led his own bands, as well as going on the road with numerous bands. He worked at Fullhouse Recorders in Whitehouse, TN, where he produced and wrote full-time. He has released several CD's, one simply called "Bobby Brewer," several releases with The Skeltones, & recent cyber-space recordings with the Funkdawgs, which recently won an award. He is on numerous recordings with other jazz artists. He has also played on numerous country demo recordings. Bobby has played guitar with Stanley Clarke, Petula Clark, Norm Crosby, Larry Gatlin, Les Brown, Phil Harris, Jerry Lewis, Jerry Reed, Chita Rivera, Doug Forman (formerly of the band "The Fools"), Bobby Rydell, Jeanne C. Riley, Rufus Thomas & Earl Day and "Majic. He has performed for the Oklahoma City Symphony "Pops," the Longy School of Music's jazz band, & the Marcel Dance Company.

Laurie Haines Reese, cello. Trained in both classical music & jazz, Laurie loves the variety in playing all types of music on the cello. She earned a master of music performance degree from USC in Los Angeles & a bachelor's from the University of Miami in Florida. She worked with Ira Sullivan & Strings Attached while in Miami. She was featured at the New Directions in Cello Festival, and participated in the Spoleto Festival & Congress of Strings. A member of numerous symphony orchestras, she was a concerto soloist with the Maui Symphony. She free-lanced in Los Angeles, Miami, Seattle, Hawaii, New York and Europe, working with Henry Mancini, Melissa Manchester, BJ Thomas, Gloria Estefan, & Chuck Mangione. Laurie started recording at age 16, and is on many recordings, including Jon Anderson (of Yes)’s Christmas album. She teaches at the Lancaster Conservatory of Music, at Beam’s Music (Ephrata, PA) & at her private studio in Mount Joy, formerly teaching at the college level. In addition to The Reese Project, she performs with MuZette, Susquehanna & Wyndfall. 

Aaron Walker, drums. A busy & versatile drummer, Aaron is currently involved with several projects in addition to performing with The Reese Project. He works with Plan B (rock), Aaron Walker Trio (jazz), Ralph P Group (jazz), Mystery Jazz Trio (jazz) & was co-leader of OCD Circus, an original music collaboration. He has recorded and/or toured with Defender (classic & original rock), Plywood Jungle (alternative rock), Burning Bus (world beat/eclectic originals), Tom Larsen Band (blues rock & funk), Robert Gordon (rockabilly/country), Simply D (rock and pop), Doogie Hill Project (jazz), DC & Company (R&B, rock, blues), Charlie Gracie (50's icon & rockabilly legend), and Animation (progressive rock). He has opened for national & international acts including Sting, Dave Matthews Band, Live, Natalie Merchant, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Dave Mason, Johnny Lang, Mark Farner, Poi Dog Pondering, Kix, Brave Combo, Huffamoose, & the Healing Sixes. Aaron is also a drum instructor & clinician.

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Additional Members of The Reese Project: 

Christopher Bakriges, Ph.D., pianist and composer. A Detroit native, Bakriges has lead his own groups since the early 80s.His first ensemble in Detroit included the noted rhythm section of Tani Tabbal and Jaribu Shahid. He has performed internationally since 1990, including tours in India, Pakistan, Turkey, England, France, Canada, and the Czech Republic. In the early 90’s he was invited to become music director of "Jazzfest" on Northeast Public Radio after its station director heard his ensemble, Critical Theory, in concert with Bobby McFerrin and David Darling. Broadcast monthly from the WAMC-FM Studios in Albany, New York, "Jazzfest" became the only live jazz radio program being aired at that time in the United States. Besides performing his compositions, Bakriges was able to accompany many acclaimed artists such as Kenny Burrell, Bernard Purdie, Lee Shaw, and Pat Metheny’s original rhythm section of Danny Gottleib and Mark Egan. Bakriges has been music director and pianist at the Mo' Jazz Cafe, Vermont's only jazz club, since the late 90's. Besides his regular engagements with the trio, Bakriges has performed and recorded with the likes of saxophonist Salim Washington, Italian trumpeter Cicci Santucci and bassist Mauro Battisti, Swedish 9-string guitarist Jonny Johansson, Hungarian jazz diva Agnes Zsigmondi, and India's Jazz Manglam, featuring master percussionist Sivamani.

Kirk Reese, piano. Kirk teaches jazz improvisation at Messiah College.  He attended Elizabethtown College and studied piano, music theory and composition privately with Ron Thomas in Philadelphia where he also studied jazz theory with Steve Giordano and Cedar Walton. He is a clinician for many venues, including improvisation workshops at Penn State University and Susquehanna High School. Kirk has given concerts with alto saxophonist Phil Woods, trumpeter Marvin Stamm, Russian trumpeter Valerie Ponomarev, Tim Warfield (former Cosby Show saxophonist), Ralph Moore, Billy Higgins, and recording artist Michele Benson. His bands opened for Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, BB King, Joe Morello (Dave Brubeck), Bob Mintzer (Yellow Jackets), and others. He maintains a private teaching schedule at Elizabethtown College & in York, PA. 

Jake Thro, keyboards.  Jake has been playing the piano for fourteen years, studying classical and jazz. He is/was in a variety of jazz and rock bands - including Paperface, Shadowcaster, and John Terlazzo and Voices in the Hall - playing keyboards, guitar, bass and cello. Jake has been the pianist for the Fulton Opera House Youtheatre Program for 6 years, as well as co-musical director with Tom Reese for the past two years. In his spare time he writes and records his own music, combining experimental rock with jazz, classical, and electronic music. He also works as a recording engineer, with experience recording rock and jazz bands, classical soloists and ensembles, and demo/audition recordings. He is currently completing his music degree at Shenandoah University, majoring in recording technology and studying cello and jazz piano.

Tom Mumma,   In his final year of study at Millersville University, Tom is a candidate for a degree in Music Education with a concentration in saxophone performance. He’s traveled to numerous countries for both instrumental and vocal performances including France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, and Canada. Tom is the recipient of the Louis Vyner Performance Award. This award is given to a music major who maintains a 3.0 grade point average and successfully completes an audition. Other responsibilities at the University include Student Director of the Jazz Bands and President of the Millersville Marching Unit. Aside from his work at the University, Tom also holds two positions at the Fulton Opera House: Music Director of the Youtheatre Program (6 years) and Program Director/Co-Founder of the Fulton Opera House Summer Jazz Lab. Tom would like to thank his family and friends for their understanding and support. The newest addition to The Reese Project, we are excited to have him!  

Chris Loser, drums. Chris is a talented young drummer. He studied with Jeff Stabley in York, PA. He has played professionally for eight years and has taught in the York, PA area for seven years. He has recorded two CD's with his trio, Trifecta, which features Steve Fieldhouse on tenor sax & Colin Kenniff on bass.  He has also performed with Tim Warfield, Curt Sipe, Steve Meashey, Jay Umble, and the Young Sounds Big Band, among others. Among his skills are teaching marching band & private lessons.  His influences include Elvin Jones, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Michael Brecker, Branford Marsalis, and Miles Davis.

Dave Lewis, organ.  Dave Lewis is a versatile musician, fluent in all styles of music, especially jazz and blues, on piano and organ. He trained at Rowan and Temple universities where he earned his Master’s degree. He has lead numerous bands and conducted musical theatre throughout New Jersey. His recording credits include “Blue Trio” and “Mighty River” with the Killer Blues Band, and “Flirting with the Blues” with Chaz DePaolo. His major influences are organists Gene Ludwig, Jimmy Smith, and Jimmy McGriff, and pianist Chick Corea. Dave Lewis is very excited to join the Reese Project.