Dave Kobberdahl, Trumpet

Dave received his B.M.E. from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri in 1988 and his Master's degree at the Vandercook College of Music in Chicago. He is currently teaches in the Jazz Studies Program at Valley High School in West Des Moines. In addition to playing trumpet with the Latin Group Ashanti, Dave has been a member of the Des Moines Big Band for the past 20 years and is in demand as a clinician, adjudicator and guest artist.

Jim Oatts, Trumpet

Jim has toured/and or recorded with Stan Kenton, “Chase”, Machito, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, Woody Herman Orchestra, Clark Terry’s Big Bad Band, Mike Vax Big Band, Jim Widner Big Band, Wilson Pickett, and others. He has also been a free-lance musician in New York City, Denver, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Phoenix. Since returning to Iowa twenty years ago, Jim has been very active in the music and jazz education scene in the Midwest. He is seventh grade band director for the Southeast Polk Schools.

The Des Moines Big Band has been under the leadership of Jim since 1988. The band has recorded four CDs, featured on three specials for Iowa Public Television, performed at the IAJE National Conference, and has had a regular Monday night gig. Many international jazz artists have performed with the DSM BB during the past twenty years. The band is celebrating fifty years of existence in 2009. You can check-out the many events for 2009 by going to their website, www.desmoinesbigband.com
In 2008 Jim was inducted into the Des Moines Jazz Hall of Fame and the Iowa Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

The Oatts family has been a corner stone of Iowa Jazz since Jim’s father; Jack Oatts started the first high school jazz band in Earlham in 1955. Jim and his wife, Lori have triplet sons that are carrying on the family tradition in the Des Moines area.

John Benoit, Trombone

Dr. John Benoit is a Professor of Music at Simpson College, where he teaches music theory (harmony, counterpoint, form & analysis, orchestration) and trombone.  He holds a Bachelor of Music in trombone performance from Louisiana State University (1985) and a Masters degree (1987) and Ph.D. (1994) in music theory from the University of Texas at Austin.  Dr. Benoit has long enjoyed performing jazz.  He is the leader / arranger / trombonist of two jazz bands – the Ballyhoo  Foxtrot Orchestra (www.ballyhoofoxtrot.com) which performs “Hot Jazz of the 1920s” and the Soya Vista Jazz Orchestra (www.soyavista.com) which performs “Cool Jazz of the 1950s.”  In addition, he plays trombone in the Party Gras Classic Jazz Band (Dixieland) and the Brix Big Band and is a frequent sub in the Des Moines Big Band.  Dr. Benoit spent his most recent sabbatical (2008) studying the early jazz tradition of the 1910s & 1920s.  During this period, he researched, arranged, and produced a CD titled “I’m Gonna Jazz My Way” that features nineteen songs performed by the Ballyhoo Foxtrot Orchestra that trace the lives of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

Seth Hedquist,Guitar

Seth Hedquist was born and raised in Des Moines. He began playing guitar at the age of 13, studying under Michael Curry and later David Crabbs. After high school Seth attended The School for Music Vocations at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa. There he studied jazz and classical theory and played with numerous jazz combos. After graduating from SWCC in 2005 Seth began regularly teaching and performing. He continued studying jazz guitar under the direction of John Albaugh.

As a freelance musician Seth has performed with a lot of local and outside talent. He and best friend Joel Gettys played in Revenant Soul, a blues/jam band they formed while at Hoover High School. At SWCC Seth played lead guitar for Matthew Wright, a singer/songwriter from the Iowa City area. In 2005 Seth began his own instrumental fusion group called, The Void. They released an album in 2006. Seth has also played with local musicians such as Paul Micich and World Port, Ari Micich, Jason Danielson, Ben Mars, James Biehn, John Kizilarmut, Steve Charlson, Rob Messer, and many others. Seth has performed at classical guitar master classes for The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and Robert Belinic. Currently, Seth plays guitar in The 3x5, an experimental jazz group led by alto saxophonist, Mike Giles, Southbound, an Allman Brothers Band tribute band featuring James Biehn, jazz vocalists, Roxi Copland and Max Wellman, and two church bands. Seth also performs with his trio every other Saturday night at The Continental, a restaurant in the East Village.

Recently Seth graduated from Iowa State with a B.A. in history.

Jason Danielson, Piano

Jason Danielson is currently working as a freelance pianist, high school history teacher, and teaching artist in the jazz department at Drake University. He has studied with Dr. Robert Washut at the University of Northern Iowa, Pete Malinverni at William Paterson University, and Susie Miget and James Poulsen as a teenager in Des Moines. Jason has performed with soul music legend Aretha Franklin, Broadway star Mark McVey, and jazz musicians such as Maria Schneider, Dick Oatts, Paul McKee, Frank Perowsky, Alison Wedding, and the Jimmy Dorsey Big Band; he also opened for B.B. King and traveled to Memphis with 2003 Iowa Blues Challenge winners Magic Mike and the Blue Side, as well as opening for pianist Jason Lindner and vocal giants The Manhattan Transfer as pianist for Roxi Copland. Jason has been a member of the orchestra pit with the Des Moines Playhouse and Theatre Cedar Rapids, as well as playing for the national tours of "The Producers," "Spamalot," and "Wicked" at the Des Moines Civic Center. Jason has also played piano and conducted the pit orchestra for Jingle Bell Bash at the Scottish Rite Consistory and "The Wiz" at Hoover High School. Locally, he performs with such artists as the Des Moines Big Band, Scott Davis, Tony Valdez, Susie Miget, Jim Oatts, Roxi Copland, and others, and has been a clinician and/or judge for the Coe College Jazz Festival, the Hoover Jazz Festival, the NEIBA Jazz Festival, and the Indian Hills Jazz Festival.

John Kizilarmut, Drums

Mr. John Kizilarmut holds a BSEd in Instrumental Music Education from Northwest Missouri State University and a MM in Percussion Performance-Jazz Emphasis from the University of Texas at Austin. He has recorded with a wide range of artists, from jazz pianist Anthony Belfiglio to the Grammy Award winning DJ Starscream. John has also worked professionally with several jazz luminaries, including Branford Marsalis, Ron Westray and Slide Hampton.

In May 2006, John presented a clinic entitled "Jazz Vibraphone for the College Percussionist" and performed with drummer Greg Bissonette at the East Central University Day of Percussion. He has also been active in DCI, both as an instructor and arranger for several Drum Corps. John currently has a teaching studio at Joyful Noise in West Des Moines, IA and is serving as an adjunct percussion instructor at Northwest Missouri State University.

Dave Altemeier, Bass

An Iowa native, Dave got his start playing with the Jack Oatts Quartet while in high school. He then moved on to UNI where he played in UNI Jazz Band One for four years, and was Principle Bassist in The UNI Symphony Orchestra. After finishing a music degree with a jazz minor he moved to Des Moines and has since worked with a wide variety of Jazz, Blues and R 'n B groups. He currently teaches at Ye Olde Guitar Shop and Drake University.

Eric Krieger, Bass

Eric Krieger is a bassist born in Des Moines, Iowa. His musical education began on the violin at the age of nine. By age eleven he had switched to the double bass and bass guitar, devoting equal time and study to both instruments. His studies continued under the tutelage of Susie Miget through high school. After high school he continued his musical studies at the University of Northern Iowa. While attending, he was principal bassist with the Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra for five consecutive years, bassist on two albums with the UNI Jazz Band I, member of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra and held the principal bass position with the Wartburg Community Symphony, all while keeping a steady schedule of freelance performances with various jazz musicians from around the state. During his tenure with the UNI Jazz Band I he performed with various guest artists including; Clark Terry, Ben Monder, and Kenny Werner.