The Side Street Strutters are coming back to Great Bend to celebrate their Silver Anniversary season with our concert members. They continue to capture the excitement and spontaneity of America's greatest musical heritage--JAZZ! This vivacious six-piece band has raised many a roof throughout the U. S., Canada, Mexico and Europe, featuring the legendary sounds of Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. A few dynamic arrangements of popular Big Band tunes adds a little swingin' spice to their down-home New Orleans repertoire. With colorful costumes, tap dancing, novelty numbers and rare instrument features, it's no wonder that the Side Street Strutters are still going strong after 25 wonderful years.

Side Street features Rob Verdi on saxophone, and Vince Verdi on clarinet, two talented brothers that concert goers will remember well.

Multitalented Greg Varlotta plays trumpet and trombone, sings, tap dances, plays banjo, piano, guitar and tuba. Paul Johnson, whose career includes tours with many professionals including Four Freshmen, Ink Spots, Pied Pipers, Letter Men, Sammy Davis, Jr, Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman and more. John Noreyko, tuba, also performs with symphony orchestras, brass quintets and has received many awards as Outstanding Soloist. Roger Bissell; trombonist and arranger, after earning a B.S. and M.A. from Iowa State and the University of Iowa performed in Nashville at Opryland; in Anaheim at Disneyland and arranged music for albums for Bobby Goldsboro, Tom Jones, Crystal Gayle and numerous other artists. Mark Massey, jazz pianist-composer, and improviser has many degrees in music performance and composition and has performed throughout the U. S., Europe, Russia, the Far East and with Herbie Hancock, Oscar Peterson and others. He is a talented composer and improviser. Curtis Brengle received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Seattle, WA and has performed with The Pointer Sisters, Sheena Easton, Ray Charles, Englebert Humperdinck and has been involved in television industry productions.

The next Golden Belt Community Concert performance will be Pianafiddle, Tuesday, March 10, 2009