A New Orleans and Chicago Style Jazz Band
The Hadacol Bouncers formed in the summer of 2013 for a Portland, Maine Swing Dance festival and have never looked back. They have continued their close association with the dance crowd and are always looking to play for dancers.
The group is a joint effort by co-band leaders Tom Whitehead (piano) and Peter Dunphy (banjo). Tom has a multi-style background in blues, New Orleans R&B and bebop piano. Peter has been playing New Orleans and Chicago-style jazz since he was fourteen. For the Hadacol Bouncers, Tom and Peter handpicked some of their favorite musicians from the Portland and Portsmouth jazz scene. Like any band of this size, there are several players who rotate in and out, but the following are the established core.
Peter Dunphy - Tenor Banjo, Tenor Guitar & Vocals
Peter has played banjo and guitar since the age of fourteen. He studied classical guitar at the University of Southern Maine. A natural entertainer, vocalist and banjo virtuoso, Peter was impressed at a young age by the music of Louis Armstrong in his Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. He also has a special love of the music of Fats Waller, James P. Johnson and Duke Ellington and enjoys finding and performing rare and sometimes humorous tunes by these and other artists. He is also a highly skilled finish carpenter and furniture maker.
Peter has played banjo and guitar since the age of fourteen. He studied classical guitar at the University of Southern Maine. A natural entertainer, vocalist and banjo virtuoso, Peter was impressed at a young age by the music of Louis Armstrong in his Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. He also has a special love of the music of Fats Waller, James P. Johnson and Duke Ellington and enjoys finding and performing rare and sometimes humorous tunes by these and other artists. He is also a highly skilled finish carpenter and furniture maker.
Barry Daniels - Clarinet
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
David Ellis - Drums
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Tom Wilbur - Tuba
Tom Wilbur has been playing the tuba for many years with a variety of groups around Maine. He began playing the sousaphone when he was nine years old. "I was going to play the flute", Tom recalls, but Robert Lucia, his first band director, had another idea. A product of New York State's public music education system and the youngest of three musical brothers with classically-trained parents, Tom has played ensemble-style bass lines for half a century. The rich diversity of styles, the very talented musicians he has performed with, and the unique opportunities to make music have shaped Tom's ensemble sense for what the bass line can be in a variety of performance settings. Tom was a founding member of Fanfare Jazz Band with Joe Mageau on trumpet, The State Street Traditional Jazz Band with John Page, and Maine Street Paraders with Craig Johnson. He also plays seasonally in Tuba Christmas, Chandler's Military Band, The Oktoberfest German Band, and Olde Thyme Jazz. He is also a retired high school science teacher, a carpenter and sailor.
Tom Wilbur has been playing the tuba for many years with a variety of groups around Maine. He began playing the sousaphone when he was nine years old. "I was going to play the flute", Tom recalls, but Robert Lucia, his first band director, had another idea. A product of New York State's public music education system and the youngest of three musical brothers with classically-trained parents, Tom has played ensemble-style bass lines for half a century. The rich diversity of styles, the very talented musicians he has performed with, and the unique opportunities to make music have shaped Tom's ensemble sense for what the bass line can be in a variety of performance settings. Tom was a founding member of Fanfare Jazz Band with Joe Mageau on trumpet, The State Street Traditional Jazz Band with John Page, and Maine Street Paraders with Craig Johnson. He also plays seasonally in Tuba Christmas, Chandler's Military Band, The Oktoberfest German Band, and Olde Thyme Jazz. He is also a retired high school science teacher, a carpenter and sailor.
Mike Berkowitz – Bass
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Graham Ganter – Fiddle
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Nat Balch - Clarinet
Nat hails from Durham, NH. He works as a mechanical design engineer in Portsmouth. Nat started playing improvisational jazz as a teenager in his hometown of Rockport, Massachusetts, and later played regularly with the Memorial Bridge All-Stars while a student at UNH. He has studied the styles of numerous jazz performers, including Sidney Bechet, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Desmond and Clark Terry. For Nat, playing jazz is as exciting as downhill skiing, is as meditative as yoga and is an amazing adventure into imaginative play and storytelling. Nat is also a folk musician (5-string banjo), and a classical musician. When he’s not playing music, Nat enjoys designing and building fine furniture, and sailing with friends on his 23-foot sloop.
Nat hails from Durham, NH. He works as a mechanical design engineer in Portsmouth. Nat started playing improvisational jazz as a teenager in his hometown of Rockport, Massachusetts, and later played regularly with the Memorial Bridge All-Stars while a student at UNH. He has studied the styles of numerous jazz performers, including Sidney Bechet, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Paul Desmond and Clark Terry. For Nat, playing jazz is as exciting as downhill skiing, is as meditative as yoga and is an amazing adventure into imaginative play and storytelling. Nat is also a folk musician (5-string banjo), and a classical musician. When he’s not playing music, Nat enjoys designing and building fine furniture, and sailing with friends on his 23-foot sloop.
Kris Day - Bass
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Tom Whitehead – Piano, Vocals & Guitar
A multi-faceted musician, Tom has been playing jazz and blues piano and guitar since the mid 80’s. Tom is also an active music educator and historian, and has a Masters in music education, with an emphasis in Jazz education. A lover of the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Tom was co-founder of the Fogcutters Big Band of Portland. Tom is also a huge fan and practitioner of the style of New Orleans piano put forth by players such as Professor Longhair, Dr. John, James Booker and Henry Butler, and he loves to merge this style with that of the earlier stride and music of the 1920’s.
A multi-faceted musician, Tom has been playing jazz and blues piano and guitar since the mid 80’s. Tom is also an active music educator and historian, and has a Masters in music education, with an emphasis in Jazz education. A lover of the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Tom was co-founder of the Fogcutters Big Band of Portland. Tom is also a huge fan and practitioner of the style of New Orleans piano put forth by players such as Professor Longhair, Dr. John, James Booker and Henry Butler, and he loves to merge this style with that of the earlier stride and music of the 1920’s.
