Dick Max was raised in San Jose, California where he started piano lessons at age 5. He began playing the String Bass in the 8th grade and has been at it ever since. He studied music and bass at San Jose State College for two and a half years before joining the Marine Corps. His music studies included lessons from Charles Siani, a bassist with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. He started doing dance band gigs in high school with the “Naturals”, a local high school band. Since then he has continued in the Dance Band and Jazz genre as well as Big Band and Light Opera Orchestras. In the Dallas Ft. Worth area he played for 18 years with Pinky Purinton’s Big Band as well as for Musicals put on by TWU, TCJC and Stage West. He has also played with the “Nobles of Note”, a Dallas Shrine Big Band and the Lockheed Big Band. While summering in Minnesota he plays in the Northern Light Opera Company’s pit orchestra (“Oliver”, “Oklahoma”, “Into the Woods”, “Music Man” and “Sound of Music”), The Upper Mississippians, a 15 piece swing band, a Lutheran Church’s Praise Band and various other small groups. The opportunity to play with “JUST JAZZ” allows Dick to continue his lifetime of playing great music.
Bob Putnam, a native of Boston Massachusetts, has been playing piano since the age of 6. No stranger to Jazz growing up in a very musical family. His grandfather lead a big band in the Boston area during the 20’s and 30’s, and his father lead a jazz band as well. Bob played keyboards for more than 20 years with Sounds Unlimited (Boston, MA) The Dixie All Stars (Providence, RI), The Smugtown Stompers (Rochester, New York), the Fort Worth Classic Jazz Orchestra (Fort Worth, TX) the Alamo City Jazz Band (San Antonio, TX) and the award winning Forth Worth Moslah Shrine Band. Bob has worked for more than 40 years at keeping the classic Jazz style of music alive.
Lynn, a native of Providence, Rhode Island, has been playing flute with the group Just Jazz since its inception. She has been playing for her personal enjoyment for most of her adult life. Her background is in Classical music, but was highly influenced by her Dad at a young age. Even though jazz was not her first love at that the time (Rock n’ Roll prevailed), she still appreciated the type of music her Dad played with his jazz band, the “Stardust Four”.
Lynn had stopped playing by the time she left college. In 1984 she met her future husband, Bob. When they started dating, Bob got her to start playing again. He mentored her to the Jazz genre and she has been honing her jazz improvising skills since. She has a great love for jazz and enjoys listening to the music of Stan Getz, Frank Sinatra and Diana Krall.
Ron Latimer has been playing trumpet and flugelhorn for more than 40 years. He began playing jazz in middle school and played in several big bands and jazz combos throughout high school in Temple, Texas, at Eastfield College and Stephen F. Austin State University. Ron studied trumpet under John Bauser, Bert Truax, and Dr. Max Morely. Over the past several years he has played locally with the NRHBC Instrumental Ensemble, NRHBC Jazz Combo, Rusty Hall Band, Strother Jazz Trio, Arlington Community Band, and Just Jazz.
Gary Strother began playing music at a young age becoming proficient at both piano and tenor sax. While attending college at the University of Texas at Arlington he played in the highly regarded jazz orchestra. Over the past several years he has played locally with the NRHBC Instrumental Ensemble, NRHBC Jazz Combo, Rusty Hall Band, Strother Jazz Trio, Arlington Community Band, and Just Jazz.
Michael Scoma, a financial advisor with Edward Jones Investments, grew up and lived in the Mid Cities area all his life. He Graduated from Trinity High in Euless, TX in 1984 and has a BBA from The University of North Texas. Michael developed his love for music at a very early age. He enjoyed listening to all the great big bands on his parent’s jukebox and watching his parent’s ball room dance. He loves all music but his most influential bands were Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw. Michael studied classical and Jazz guitar at Tarrant County Junior college and continued studying violin at UNT.
Chris was born in Detroit, Michigan and transplanted to Texas in 1983. He started playing the drums in 6th grade and took private lessons for three years. Once he began performing in school bands he started to accumulate a wide range of musical knowledge using different percussion instruments. He has performed in a number of musicals including “Flower Drum Song”, GodSpell” and “Forever Patsy Cline”.
In 2002 Chris and his wife, Judy, joined a Christian band called, “STATIONS” and have been performing at many church venues over the past 10 years. The leader of this band has composed over 100 tunes of songs with familiar words of Christian faith.
In 2011 he joined Just Jazz. Chris believes that music provides soothing break from the hectic work environment and offers a balance of emotion that keeps his heart pumping in a positive