Members

Member Photos provided by Photographers Gladiola and Jerry Ricci - (706) 577-4229

José Labiosa: Band Leader, Congas, Vocals

José began his love affair with music at a very young age. He has been playing the congas since the age of eight (8). Being born and growing up in the South Bronx in the mid 1950s and 60s, he lived around the corner of a Latin Night Club. As a young boy he would clean the tables, sweep the floors, and take out the garbage at the club. He was also able to see and experience the Latin Bands of the day that would play there. Such Bands as Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez, Joe Cuba, Joey Pastrana, Joe Curbelo, Charlie and Eddie Palmieri and many others. Experiencing the music of such masters, opened his interest to their music, which became a passion. His mother bought him his first conga drum at the age of eight and the rest is history. He studied drumming at Drummers Collective in New York City. José has played in Latin Bands in Puerto Rico, New York, Atlanta, GA. and now with his own Band in Columbus, GA.
 

Gloria Vélez: Co-owner, Lead Vocalist

Gloria was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Her father was a singer of one of Puerto Rico's most prestigious Bands, "La Orquesta De Cesar Concepción". In Addition of being a great singer, her father also played the bass and guitar. He taught her at the tender age of five (5) to harmonize to the tunes of the bolero. She attended "La Escuela Libre De Música" in Puerto Rico, there she learned to play the flute and violin. Her brother, Sammy Vélez, has his own Band, "Son De Madre", in Puerto Rico. Her focus has been always on singing, for that reason she joined the High School Choir, sang in church choirs and has recorded vocals for Deddie Romero, "La Salserita". When Gloria relocated to Columbus, GA., she became lead singer for a local Latin Band. She also was the Band Leader to a folkloric band dedicated to promote the Latin Culture in Columbus. She joined with José Labiosa to form and co-own "Orquesta Sabor Del Caribe" in October 2006.
 

Shirantha Beddage: Piano

Baritone saxophonist and pianist Shirantha Beddage is the Director of Jazz Studies at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. Originally from Ontario, Canada, Mr. Beddage holds a Master's degree in Jazz Performance from William Paterson University in New Jersey, where he studied under baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan. During his undergraduate studies at Toronto's Humber College, Shirantha studied with saxophonist Pat Labarbera. He received his Doctorate in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, under the tutelage of Ramon Ricker, Harold Danko, Bill Dobbins and others. Shirantha's debut album, "Roots and Branches", is available worldwide through Jazz Excursion Records (http://www.jazzexcursionrecords.com). The Rochester release of
the album was accompanied by a feature performance at the Rochester
International Jazz Festival 2006.

Carlos Rodriguez: Trumpet , Rehearsal Coordinator

Carlos was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He was musically influenced by the live performances of many great Latin performers that performed at his father's dance club, "The Monte Carlo Dancing Club", in San German, Puerto Rico in the 1970s and 80s. Some of those artists included: El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Tommy Olivencia, La Sonora Ponceña, Wilfrido Vargas, Johnny Ventura, El Conjunto Quisqueya, and many others. Carlos began playing the trumpet at age eleven (11) and played through his school years in Puerto Rico. In 1984, his family moved to Miami, Florida and he continued playing the trumpet through High School. In 1988, Carlos joined the US Army as a military bandsman and attended the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, VA. While in the military, he played in several military ensembles, (marching band, concert band, jazz band, brass quintet, jazz combo), as well as some civilian Latin Bands and Latin Ensembles. Since his End of Service from the U S Army in 1994, Carlos has remained active in his trumpet playing with several local orchestras, Church music ministry, Latin Bands and other ensembles.
 

Jason Lane: Bass

Jason began playing bass at 13 years old after seeing a band on Saturday Night Live that featured an upright bass player. A few years later he was playing for his high school Jazz ensemble and attending regional jazz clinics and concerts. After high school Jason attended Valdosta State University as a Jazz Bass Performance Major for two years. During that time Jason played with a myriad of musical groups both amateur and professional. Later Jason would join the United States Army Band as a Bass Player and attend the Army School of Music in Norfolk, VA. Jason has recently returned from Uijongbu South Korea and is currently stationed with the 283rd Infantry Center Band at Fort Benning, GA.



 

Brad Palmer:  Trombone

Bradley Palmer holds degrees from Millikin University (BM), the University of Iowa (MM), and Florida State University (DM). He is currently the principal trombonist with the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra and is a member of the Columbus Brass and Quatuor du Sud trombone quartet.

As a soloist Dr. Palmer can also be heard on the Summit label performing Richard Peaselee’s “Arrows of Time” with the Columbus State University Wind Ensemble. After 12 years as a drum and bugle corps performer arranger and instructor, Dr. Palmer now serves as a clinician and adjudicator with marching bands in several states. A member of the CSU faculty since 1999, Dr. Palmer teaches trombone, music technology, music education, and is the Coordinator of the Schwob School of Music Recording Studio.

Aldo Richards:  Percussion, Vocals

Aldo was born in Colon, Republic of Pánama. He recalls music being always present in his household. From an early age he played the drums for school bands, sang in the church choirs and eventually played the guitar for choirs as well. Though he grew up appreciating different genres of music, his preference grew towards "Salsa" and other Caribbean sounds, due perhaps to their popularity during his teenage years. He migrated to the United States at the age of 17 and eventually joined the military. He recalls buying his first bongos while stationed in Ft Lewis, Washington in the early eighties however, it will not be until the early nineties when he auditioned and became part of a salsa band playing the bongos, in San Antonio, Texas. Years later, he joined other groups in Anchorage, Alaska also as a bongo player. Most recently, in 2004, he played with a band here in Columbus, Georgia.   

 Jeff Oldham:  Trombone

Bio coming soon...

Amy Griffiths:  Saxophone, Rehearsal Coordinator

Saxophonist Amy Griffiths has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. In July 2006 she and clarinetist Lisa Oberlander presented the European premiere of Gregory Wanamaker’s Duo Sonata for alto saxophone and clarinet at the 14th World Saxophone Congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Griffiths and Oberlander also performed Wanamaker’s Duo at the International Clarinet Association conference in Atlanta in August 2006. 

As well as performing classical solo and chamber music, Griffiths frequently appears as a jazz soloist and annually hosts the regular meeting of the Columbus Jazz Society. She was featured as a soloist with the Maebashi Big Band in Japan in July 2006. For two years she was a member of Orquesta Panamericana, a salsa band in Phoenix, AZ. While in Phoenix she also was a founding member of the Dixie Devils, a group specializing in early New Orleans jazz. Since moving to Georgia she has played in several soul bands, including Saints and Sinners and Maxwell Lummus.

In addition to her performance schedule, Griffiths is on the faculty at Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music. She maintains a dynamic saxophone studio and teaches saxophone quartets and chamber music, small-group jazz, and woodwind methods.

Ismael (Yuyo) Vazquez:  Timbales

Ismael was born in Brooklyn, NY and at the age of 10 his parents moved to Puerto Rico. The cultural change was shocking at first but he found refuge in the beautiful Afro-Cuban rhythms embedded in the Island. He taught himself how to play guitar after listing to his first “Parranda”, and later became fascinated by the sounds of the Bongo, Conga and Timbal. Throughout the years he has added these percussion instruments to his tool bag and has played several local bands in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, South Carolina, and now in Columbus, GA.  

Ryan Chapman:  Trumpet

Mr. Chapman is currently the Director of Bands at Woodland High School in Woodland, AL and is finishing a Master's degree in Education at Auburn University. He is also Rehearsal Coordinator and Lead Trumpet for a big band that was started in the 1930's called the Auburn Knights Orchestra, Inc.

Before coming to Auburn, Ryan was a lead trumpet player for Carnival Cruise Lines playing in show bands on the "Fun Ships" from 2001 - 2006. During this time he played over 16 different "Las Vegas" style production shows, backed up numerous entertainers, and performed dance sets with 10 piece show bands.

Since 1996, Ryan has performed with numerous artists such as The Impressions, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Lenny White, Shirley Jones, Melinda Chatman, Terri Lynn Carrington, Terrell Stafford, Cindy Blackman, The Brubreck Brothers, Roger Lent, Roger Homefield and many others.

Ryan has also performed with the following groups: Auburn University Jazz Ensemble, Columbus State University Jazz Ensemble, Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Orchestra, and UTC Jazz Band I.

Steve Arroyo:  Vocals, Percussion

Steve has been involved with music since a very young age. He began singing as a youngster in Schools Glee Clubs and plays. As a teenager in the 60's, he sang in Doo-Wop Groups, even to the point of almost signing a recording contract with Bravura Records. However, the draft and the Vietnam War got in the way. Steve has sung with many other groups including Latin Bands. He has been singing back up vocals and playing percussion for us since February 2007.