Front of House Talent

Front of House Musicians


photo by Jai Girard	David Sherman, Bandleader - David has been singing professionally for 15 years. He has performed in rock bands, swing bands and with the internationally acclaimed mambo-rock band Cabaret Diosa. While in Cabaret Diosa, he opened for such legendary artists as James Brown, Carlos Santana, Harry Belefonte, Maceo Parker, and Pancho Sanchez. He has played in 42 of the 50 United States, in Cuba, and in Dubai, U.A.E. David has appeared in various theatrical productions, and can currently be seen in Cast On A Hot Tin Roof at the Royal George Theater and at Improv Olympic on one of their performance teams. David is excited to be leading Front of House and enjoys living in Chicago with his wife and his cat in beautiful Edgewater.
photo by Jai Girard	Karla Clark, Vocalist - Karla has a soulful, crystalline voice, and is equally comfortable singing styles as diverse as jazz, Motown, R&B, gospel and pop. She attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Vocal Performance, and continued on to receive her Master’s in both Vocal Performance and Music Education. Being recognized for her exceptional abilities as a vocalist, Karla was appointed to serve as the Assistant Director for the internationally renowned University of Illinois Black Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Ollie Watts Davis, and performed as a featured vocalist with gospel music legend Albertina Walker. Karla also has amazing ability as an operatic soprano, and has received standing ovations from President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore. She can easily traverse the styles of Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughan, Etta James and Alicia Keys, to name a few. Karla loves using her voice as an instrument to inspire, uplift and entertain with passion and artistry.
photo by Jai Girard	LeTroy Jackson , Vocalist - LeTroy Jackson, Front of House’s newest singing sensation, is guaranteed to electrify your guests with his soulful vocals and magnetic presence. A bold and versatile performer, LeTroy has been singing for most of his life, starting in church at the age of nine. After sharpening his skills in the music program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, LeTroy returned to Chicago and immediately began to heat up the local club scene with his unique R&B tenor vocals. Equally at home in Contemporary music, R&B, Motown, Gospel and Jazz, LeTroy now brings his powerhouse vocals to Front of House to create a thrilling combination sure to make your event the talk of the town.

photo by Jai Girard	Dan Nicholson, saxophone & music director - Dan Nicholson is an exciting and experienced woodwind player and musical director from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Before making his home in Chicago, Dan attended the University of North Florida where he studied under the legendary Bunky Green, who called Dan "a force to reckon with." Dan has balanced his time playing with numerous local groups including the Chicago Jazz Ensemble with working as a music educator at Near North Montessori and honing his composition skills at DePaul University. With a wide range of stage experience in a variety of musical styles, Dan is excited to be performing with the electrifying musicians of Front of House.
photo by Jai Girard	Curt Bley, bass - Curt moved from Normal, IL to Chicago in 1979 and has since appeared and/or recorded with a wide variety of national stars including the 5th Dimension, Herb Ellis, Florence Henderson, Hal Russell's NRG Ensemble, Suzanne Sommers, Dweezil Zappa, Big Guitars From Memphis, the Drifters, George Benson, the Coasters, John Gary, and Jeff Lorber. Local credits include time spent with Kevin Matthews, John Campbell, Howard Levy, Frank D'Rone, Patricia Barber, Dave Urich, Mark Colby, Paul Wertico, Frank Mantooth, Johnny Frigo, Som Brasil, and Janice Borla. He is also a talented decorative painter whose work will be featured in a fall 2005 issue of "Old House Journal".
photo by Jai Girard	Brian Danzy, piano & keyboards - Brian has been performing music for over 25 years, starting out in the Gospel field at the age of 12. In 1985, he toured with the world-renowned Staples Singers. He has since developed a stellar career, performing and touring with such artists as Lou Rawls, Patti Labelle, Anita Baker and Art porter, to name just a few. His piano and keyboard talents were recently featured on the 2005 All-Star Smooth Jazz Tour, performing with Brian Culberson, Rick Braun, Nick Collione and other nationally-known jazz artists. Brian is also a wonderful vocalist, a well-kept secret in the jazz world. We are thrilled to have Brian as the newest member of Front of House.
photo by Jai Girard	Benjamin Cord, trumpet - Benjamin Cord is a very active musician and composer in several different musical genres. He holds degrees in Classical and Jazz Performance from the world-renowned Indiana University School of Music. At home in a jazz club, a recording studio, or onstage with a dance orchestra, Benjamin has performed, studied and recorded with some of the most acclaimed musicians in the country. He has been nationally recognized for both his classical and jazz playing, and additionally performs in pop, hip-hop, latin, experimental and theatrical settings. As a composer, he has written music for small jazz groups and big bands, and has recently branched out into composing for film. He is also busy as a music teacher, teaching private lessons independently and for several schools in the Chicago Area. Benjamin is also a faculty member at Chicago’s Sherwood Conservatory of Music.
photo by Jai Girard	Bret Zwier, drums - Bret’s ability to play a diverse range of styles has enabled him the pleasure of performing in a very eclectic mix of musical situations. He toured two years with pop star Tiffany and can be heard on two of her CD’s, “Dreams Never Die” and “All The Best.” As a member of Grammy nominated funk band Liquid Soul, he opened for Sting including playing New York’s Central Park, the legendary Fillmore West and numerous TV appearances. He has backed an array of international artists from “soul man” Sam Moore, Little Anthony & The Imperials, The Crystals, Donald O’Connor, to jazz greats Clark Terry, James Moody, Jon Faddis, and Phil Wilson. No stranger to the theatre, Bret has performed hundreds of shows including recent Chicago Broadway hits The Full Monty, A Chorus Line, and swinging the big band in Ron Hawking’s “His Way”, NBC Tower, Chicago.
photo by Jai Girard	Don Stiernberg, guitar – As one of Chicago’s most respected musicians, Don is a master of the guitar and mandolin, as well as the tenor banjo and fiddle. He has appeared on about 30 recordings, including "About Time", his debut CD which garnered exposure on NPR's Fresh Air. He has recorded with such stylistically diverse artists as Greg Cahill, Steve Rashid and Alice Peacock, as well as Don's mentor, jazz mandolin master Jethro Burns. Don has shared the stage with such luminaries as Chet Atkins, Steve Goodman, and The Newgrass Revival. Don also logged time with popular bands in the Midwest such as The Morgan Brothers, Jump in the Saddle, The Freeway Rangers, and Special Consensus. Don also enjoys teaching and writing, and currently serves as the jazz columnist for Mandolin Magazine.