The Jazz Perpetrators

 

 

The Jazz Perpetrators consist of five talented local musicians who have been playing music forever…music so good, it’s a crime!

 

 

 

 

Jim Hession: Piano, Arranger, Master of Ceremonies

Jim Hession is guy who puts the “jazz” in the Jazz Perpetrators and keeps the Perpetrators perpetrating – essentially he’s the center around which the band revolves. In addition to playing the critical role of pianist, he also arranges the band’s music and helps with the million and one behind-the-scenes things that keep a band on track and on stage. Musicially, the interplay between his piano stylings and Bob Cuellar’s Hammond organ playing is one of the hallmarks of the Perps’ sound.

Born and raised in Europe, Jim began playing guitar and drums at age 12. By 19, the influences of Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Motown and jazz drew him to the piano. After graduating from the University of Maryland, Jim put together and led his own group, the very successful Central Avenue Band, for two decades. The group played private functions at prestigious venues all over the Baltimore-Washington area, including the Baltimore Museum of Fine Arts, the U.S. State Department, and the New Years Eve Millennium Party at the posh Willard Hotel.

Jim has toured extensively over the course of his career, performing throughout the U.S, and Europe. He’s played with such diverse acts as Dennis Yost and the Classic 4, Herb Kenny of the original Ink Spots, and Ernie Andrews. Jim has also shared the stage with The Mommas and the Pappas, The Chambers Brothers, The Byrds and Ray Gaskins. Jim wrote and produced “Trouble in the Moonlight,” his own album of original material, and is currently working on his next album, a mix of jazz and Latin influences. In addition to the Perps, Jim is also the pianist and arranger for The Sunset Band, a large R&B horn band.

Stanley Hall: Arrhythmia, America in Miniature

Stanley hits stuff. As the “metrically flexible” (i.e., “I speed things up; I slow things down”) part of the band’s arrhythmia section, he remains the only guy in the band who could – and still might– be replaced by a miniature six-dollar electronic device made by political prisoners/slave labor in China and available at Walmarts everywhere.

Faced with an obvious inability to be as dependable, consistent and compact as a drum machine, he has toned down his Terry Bozzio aspirations, left the second bass drum and gong at home, and now flails around on a drum set of miniscule proportions. His motto: “If I can do without it, I will do without it.”

Stu Bailey: Saxophone, Saxophone & More Saxophones

Stu Bailey began playing the recorder in third grade, but within a year, he was convinced that saxophone was the horn for him. His father said, “Son, why not learn guitar, so you can play music anywhere you’d like?” Apparently Stu’s dad was unaware of the invention of the neck strap, a snazzy device created by Pierre Le Strappe (a bon ami of Adolphe Sax), which allows saxophonists to actually move around and play music anywhere they’d like.

Rejecting his dad’s advice (standard procedure for sons both then and now), Stu stuck with the saxophone through junior high and high school and also learned to double on clarinet and bassoon along the way. As an indigenous Marylander, Stu joined the Baltimore Colts Marching Band while still in high school in the early 80’s, which ruined the NFL for him for the next 30 years (this is a personal matter which Stu is still working through with the assistance of Dr. Hornblat, psychologist to the stars).

After deciding that a career as a music educator was not in the cards, Stu found himself as a “charter” member of the Bayside Big Band, covering the second tenor, bass guitar and lead tenor positions (not all at the same time) over the course of 11 years.

In the mid-90’s, Stu became a member of Midnight Hour, a Top-40/originals band that worked the Baltimore/Annapolis corridor for a number of years. During this same time, he kicked off a short-lived jazz group, The Downtime Quintet, which played straight ahead jazz classics.

Mixed in through the ‘90’s and ‘00’s, Stu had the privilege of working with a variety of local groups, including My Hero Zero, Bobby and the Believers, The Fabulous Dial Tones, The Connections Band, Central Avenue, The Jokers, and The Four Corners Saxophone Quartet. He has also supported numerous local musical productions and other similar events.

As primarily a soprano, tenor and baritone saxophone performer (he does get out the alto on occasion), Stu has been influenced by an eclectic group of great saxophonists, including Grover Washington Jr., Gerry Mulligan, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, John Coltrane and Eddie “Lock Jaw” Davis (and a little Kenny G. – but that, in and of itself, is a crime). Stu is currently working on how to incorporate jazz recorder and bassoon with the Jazz Perpetrators’ repertoire.

Bill Evans & Jeff Bailey: Bass

Bill Evans may be the planet’s busiest musician. He’s here, he’s there, he’s everywhere somebody needs a bass player who can hold down the bottom and raise a few spirits (literally and figuratively) with his rock-solid playing and a seeming endless stream of jokes and stories. When Bill’s on the gig, everybody – on the bandstand and in the audience – always has a good time. Although his dance card is always full, he makes time whenever possible to play with the Perps because, as he says, “I can’t wait to perpetrate.”

Bill’s backup is Jeff Bailey, son of Perp saxaphonist Stu Bailey. Jeff comes by his musicianship the old-fashioned way – he inherited it. Although he plays both upright bass and bass guitar, Jeff prefers the upright when he’s perpetrating, feeling that it puts him – and the audience – in the proper mood. Plus he’s young enough to schlep that damn thing around without hurting his back.

Sterling Dorn: Vocals and Charm

Sterling was born in Washington, D.C., and is a long-time resident of Prince George’s County. Married to the love of his life, Marie, they have two lovely daughters, and four grandchildren.  Sterling is retired from the United States Air Force and Civil Service.  He discovered at age five that he loved to sing – when he sang his first solo at church and announced, “I really loved doing that.”  Sterling is the Winner of the State of Maryland 2011 Senior Idol Competition. In 2011, he represented Prince George’s County at the Maryland Senior Idol competition, mesmerizing the audience and judges to take home the crown.  Sterling is also the 2013 recipient of the Governor’s Leadership in Aging Award for his work in the vocal arts.