Gary Church is one of the few Jazz Cornet players around,. While others have turned to more brilliant sound of the trumpet, Gary has remained faithful to his King Master Model Cornet. Gary's influences include Billy Butterfield, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Hackett, and his musical hero.. Wild Bill Davison. Gary also plays guitar, banjo, piano, and trombone and has many recordings available. He has appeared at numerous Jazz Festivals and clubs throughout the United States and overseas with his own bands and as a featured guest artist with other groups.
While Gary's first love has always been jazz, his career has been a divirse one. His feeling for jazz and swing music made him a natural for the world of Western Swing Music in the tradition of Bob Wills. He has performed and recorded with such artists as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Roger Miller, and Mel Tillis. He spent the decade of the 80's as a member of Haggard's band "The Strangers", and the 90's as a member of Tillis's band "The Statesiders". Both groups are modern examples of big band Western Swing.Gary Church - cornet, piano, trombone and guitarGary started his musical career in Phoenix and after 25 years has returned. He has performed at countless jazz festivals and clubs. He was with the Silver dollar Jazz Band, Boondockers, Desert City Six, Fulton Street, and many others. Although jazz is his main love, Gary performed and recorded with such Country greats as Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Mel Tillis and Merle Haggard. In 2002 Gary was the 23rd musician elected to the Western Swing Hall of Fame.
His career has taken theses twists and turns.
1970-1974- Jeff Woodhouse Dixieland Band, Desert City Six, The Barehanded Wolf Chokers Oldtime Dixieland Band Inc.
1974-1976- Walt Disney World -Orlando Florida, Bill Allred's Reedy Creek Jazz Band, Sammy Gardner's Dixieland Band at Rosy O'Grady's in Pensacola Florida, Central Florida Hot Jazz All Stars with Jim Maihack, ( backing up Bobby Hackett in Orlando).
1975- Worked as a replacement trombonist in Jim Cullum's Happy Jazz Band in San Antonio, Tx.
1976- Crazy Ed's Place in Deer Valley with Igor, George Rock, Bruce Leeland and The Desert City Six and Igor’s Jazz Cowboys.
1977-1979 Went on the road with the Freddy Powers Show from Nevada, while with Freddy got to work with, Al Hirt, Peanuts Hucko, Milton Quackenbush, Wild Bill Davison, Tiny Moore, Jimmy Ivers, Roger MIller and Willie Nelson.
1980-Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida worked with the Pearly Band and The Banjo Kings, with Lee Floyd, Eddie Erickson, Randy Morris.
1981 - was in the house band at Willie Nelson's Jazz club in Austin Texas called DJANGOS with Ray Benson's Band "Asleep At The Wheel".
1982-1991- traveled with Merle Haggard's Strangers playing Western Swing and the Sac Jubilee each year with Jimmy Rivers, also subbed in the Fulton Street Jazz Band and Jan Sutherland and Custer’s Last Band.
1991-2000 worked with Mel Tillis and The Statesiders in Branson Mo. and with The Creole Jazz Band from Springfield Mo.
2001- Joined the Boondockers in Sacramento Ca, returned to Phoenix and worked with his own groups , The Desert City Six, The Joe Hopkins Quartet, The 52nd Street Jazz Band Band, Bob Wardlaw’s Swingtime and others.GARY WITH THE 52ND STREET JAZZ BAND
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