Vaughn Wiester's 
"Famous Jazz Orchestra"

"Members"

Trombone Section

 

Ryan Hamilton - lead (borrowed from CJO website) - Ryan is a versatile trombonist and educator, making music since the age of nine years old. His training began in fourth grade in Liverpool, New York and continued through high school in Columbus under the inspiring tutelage of Kie Watkins. While undergoing his collegiate studies, he joined the Glenn Miller Orchestra, playing trombone and singing in the vocal group, The Moonlight Serenaders. Upon finishing a two-year tour of the world he completed his degree at Capital University where he currently teaches in the jazz studies program.

Ryan is a member of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the Cathedral Brass Ensemble, Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra, Yumbambe, New Basics Brass Band, New Orleans Funk Orchestra as well as his own trio/quartet. In addition he performs with the HooDoo Soul Band and pit orchestras of Broadway Columbus; has shared the stage with such performers as Frankie Valli, Bill Dobbins, Spoon, the Temptations, Jiggs Whigham, and the O’Jays; and world tours with the Guy Lombardo Orchestra. You can hear him as a soloist on a recent recording by Still Motion, in addition to recordings by the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Wet Darlings, New Basics Brass Band, Jesse Henry, and the Famous Jazz Orchestra.
As an educator, Ryan leads a big band, daily master classes and improvisation classes, and performs in the faculty jazz combo as a faculty member for Music for All’s Summer Symposium. He also maintains a large private lesson studio teaching trombone, euphonium, and tuba to students of all ages. His duties at Capital University have included directing jazz combos, teaching the jazz improvisation and jazz audiation classes, and teaching jazz trombone lessons. Previous teaching positions include at Kenyon College and Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

Sean Maloney (tuba) - Sean Maloney is a freelance brass player and clinician in the Midwest region of the country. He holds a Bachelors of Music Education from The Ohio State University where he studied tuba performance with Jim Akins and jazz trombone with Jim Masters. After earning his degree, Sean won a position playing contrabass bugle with "The Commandant's Own" The United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps where he spent four years on active duty, traveling the world and performing in such places as Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic. Sean currently plays every Monday night with Vaughn Wiester's Famous Jazz Orchestra on the tuba/5th trombone book. He is also the principal tuba with the Winds of Ohio concert band.
Matt Ellis - Matt is music - trombone music.  He is a performer, director, teacher, contractor and an Educational Representative for Music and Arts, a retail store on High Street in Columbus.  He is a graduate of Capital University in Jazz Performance.  He was lead trombonist with Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians for six years. Performed with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Benny Goodman Orchestra, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey Bands, Joe Williams, Cab Calloway Orchestra and the Stars of the Lawrence Welk Show.  He is Artistic and Musical Director of the New Remnants Dance Orchestra, an 18 piece big band. Responsible for programming and  
performing in live radio broadcasts for WCEZ, Columbus. Founder of "Standard Time," a 5 piece "Coffeehouse Jazz" band specializing in jazz standards - and, interim director of the Capital University Big Band for a semester. 
John Hall - John is the son of renowned Ohio music educator Percy Hall from Mansfield.  He graduated from Wittenberg University with a Physics degree, but was active in music, studying with Richard Chenoweth, Dick Shearer, and Ian Polster.  He has worked in Las Vegas and performed with many leading entertainers, including Lou Rawls, Dionne Warwick, Sammy Davis, Frank Sinatra Jr, Wayne Newton, Loloa Falana, and Si Zentner.  He is also an infrequent composer/arranger, and one of his compositions is featured on the Carl Saunders Be Bog Big Band CD, and included in the Famous Jazz Orchestra library.  John cites 
Carl Fontana as one of his leading musical influences, and he had the opportunity to play with Carl on several occasions during his Las Vegas days.  John is thankful to have a successful career in the technology sector as a software engineer, manager, technical lead, and consultant.
Jeff Banyots (bass trombone) - Jeff has been a substitute player for the FJO for years.   He now steps in full time as Kie Watkins moved to Asia.  An OSU grad Jeff "gigged" around Columbus for a few years, did some cruise ships, played in the Tommy Dorsey Band, and finally ended u in Chicago for 13 years playing "legit" orchestral music.  He is currently back in Hilliard - and, are we glad he is.  Thanks, Jeff - great lip - BIG bass bone notes!