Dave Rodgers (10)

"Leader DAVE ROGERS graduated from Arkansas Tech University where he studied life with the late Gene Witherspoon, composition/arranging and percussion with James T. Perry, and voice with Dr. Rolland Shaw. Moving to Little Rock, he taught in the public schools and (after hours) developed a performance career playing with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Opera Theatre, Repertory Theatre, Arts Center Children's Theatre, and numerous other ensembles. In 1980, he began playing with Sir Charles Thomas and began studying drumset with Ted Seibs. Dave's performance career escalated. He became a part time instructor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where he helped develop the Jazz Studies program and directed Salsa Picante, a latin jazz ensemble. His performance credits include booking, promoting and performing with internationally acclaimed recording artists Mose Allison, Eddie Harris, Dennis Rowland, the late Emily Remler, John Hendricks, Randy and Eliane Elias-Brecker, John Abercrombie, Mark Murphy, Nat Adderley, Larry Coryell, Jack DeJohnette, and Airto Moriera, as well as Arkansas' own Pharoah Sanders, Walter Norris, the late Jimmy Witherspoon, Al Hibbler, Tonk Edwards, Ken Walker and Roseanna Vitro. As a sideman, Dave has appeared with Barney Kessel, Mal Waldron, Gene Bertoncini, Micheal Moore, Pete Yellin, Branford Marsalis, James Leary, Steve Bach, Calvin Newborn, James Williams, Alvin Baptiste, the late Ella Fitzgerald, Robert Goulet, Sammy Davis, Jr., Mitzi Gaynor, Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme, Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller, Phyllis Diller, Steve Allen, Jo Anne Castle, the Ink Spots, Bill Haley's Comets, Fabian, the Sammy Kaye Orchestra, and 'Governor' Bill Clinton. Dave was also featured on the Arkansas Educational Television Network series "The Minor Key" with Art Porter. Dave also developed a career as a recording engineer and in 1988 became chief engineer/arranger/composer in residence at Trimble Productions. There his compositions won numerous awards and his recordings for film, television, and live theatre have been distributed worldwide. The recording studio environment expanded Dave's compositional skills to include many new styles ranging from african traditional to contemporary gospel to rap, country, rock, and symphonic scores. However, jazz has always been his favorite idiom, as his compositions "To Monk", "Sounds Backwards", "Too Much Miles (Nefer)", demonstrate. Dave was recently commissioned to write a new jazz composition by the Arts Cooperative Team of Hot Springs. The new tune "Hot Springs Rendezvous" received its world premiere November 5, 1998 at the Malco Theatre in the spa city as part of the week long "Arkansas Celebration of the Performing Arts." Dave is currently playing and living in Little Rock and is chief engineer/resident composer/arranger/percussionist/producer at Capitol Keyboard Recording. He is a board member of the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation and is the leader of the "house" band at the Foundation's MONDAY JAZZ PROJECT AT THE AFTERTHOUGHT."