nightcaps jazz band 972-821-7257

  The Dallas Nightcaps musicians are all Texas natives and Jazz is the soundtrack of their lives. With over 60 years of collective skill and experience on stage from around the world, these talented  musicians bring their own unique and savvy flair to the greatest Jazz compositions ever written. 

"INTRODUCING....... THE NIGHTCAPS JAZZ BAND"

RHONDA MEDINA - VOCALS

 Rhonda Medina is a singer and variety stage actress and who recently moved back home to Dallas from Hollywood, CA. where she has been performing on the Musical stage in Los Angeles since 1996.
As a vocalist, Rhonda sings a variety of Jazz styles from Nora Jones to Dinah Washington. Upon returning home to the Flower Mound, TX. she accepted  lead singer position with the Dallas “Upswing" Jazz band a 20 piece Swing band.  Rhonda specializes in power vocals which is why she is perfectly comfortable singing with a 20 piece orchestra. Her voice has been compared to Judy Garland and Kate Smith. But, she would say "Shirley Basse has nothing on me."
Rhonda is uniquely known as a woman who can vocally impersonate any female vocal style. She has also been working as a professional celebrity impersonator for over 20 years.  Rhonda has performed in numerous Comedy Festivals in both Los Angeles and New York. Her musical celebrity impersonator shows have been included with national headliners  Dan Ackeroyd, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, Lily Tomlin, Amy Schumer, Jerry Seinfeld, Carol Channing, Kevin James,  Paula Poundstone, Joan Rivers and Jay Leno. 

MARK GOWAN - PIANIST

  Born in McAllen Texas, he started playing piano early on and received a small scholarship to University of North Texas where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music. Mark has played keyboards in over ten countries and in thirty plus states with Up With People. Starting with a three-month contract in Denmark playing for a theater group he played piano in Denmark for the next five years, specializing in Ragtime and New Orleans Jazz solo piano. Moving back to the United States, he toured the country playing blues and fusion jazz throughout the Northeast and the Midwest from New York City’s Bitter End. He  toured with Randy McCallister, Robin Banks, and the fusion band, Crispin.

DAVID FIKE - BASS

  David  has performed extensively throughout Texas for many years. He has participated in a variety of jazz festivals including multiple performances at the Montreux International Jazz Festival (Switzerland), the TexasJazz Festival (Corpus Christi) and Jazz S’Alive Festival (San Antonio). David has performed with nationally-acclaimed artists and entertainers including Tommy Tune, Bobby Shew, Dave Samuels, Butch Miles, Richie Cole, and Dave Tull, to name a few. He has also played acoustic and electric bass in 20 music theater shows, a host of recording sessions and live TV/radio shows. David taught bass at Amarillo College for 6 years. He has a PhD from Touro University. David has performed with nationally-acclaimed artists and entertainers including:

• Tommy Tune:      Broadway singer, dancer, actor, choreographer, 8-time Tony award winner
• Bobby Shew:      trumpet, Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman
• Dave Samuels:      SpyroGyra, Caribbean Jazz Project
• Joe Posada:      Grammy winner
• Jackie King:      guitar, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles
• Blues Boy Willie:      blues recording artist
• Bill Watrous:      trombone, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson
• Steve Houghton:      jazz drummer, Woody Herman
• Mike Vax:      jazz trumpet, Kenton band
• Anthony Bazzani:      keyboards, George Strait, Ray Price
• Chuck Glave:      drums, Frank Zappa 
• Otwell Twins:      Lawrence Welk (300 shows)
• Chris Calloway:      vocalist, Lionel Hampton and Cab Calloway big bands
• Henry Brun:      Latin percussionist, Grammy winner
• Jimmie Young:      fiddle, Bob Will’s Texas Playboys
• Butch Miles:      drums, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra
• Allen Vizzutti:      jazz trumpet, Woody Herman, Tonight Show bands
• Jamie Davis:      lead singer, Count Basie Orchestra
• Richie Cole:      sax, Buddy Rich, Manhattan Transfer
• Dave Tull:      drums, Chuck Mangione, Barbara Streisand, Michael Buble

MIKE PIERCE - SAX (SOPRANO/BARI/TENOR/ALTO)

 Mike began playing sax at the age of 12. By the time he left high school he had performed with several blues and popular bands. After attending the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, he was accepted by the Fifth Army Band near Chicago Illinois. Mike attended the Naval School of Music and spent his service time touring the mid west performing for dances,concerts and parades. He spent several years in the midwest performing a  variety of music before relocating to the Dallas area.  Most recently he has appeared locally with The Brookhaven Lab Band and Brookhaven Jazz Ensemble, Upswing Jazz Band, New Kings Of Swing, Epic Big Band and other Jazz and Blues groups.  

RUSTY AVERITT -DRUMS

Rusty started playing drums at the early age of 11.  He attendedEast Texas State University on a Music Scholarship.  

 After college, he joined the Army and played with the Fifth Army Bandfor 7 years.  Over the years Rusty has played with 

a diverse group of musicians including  Steve Allen of the Tonight Show, the UNT One O'Clock Lab Band,

 Sherman Andrus of The Imperials,  David Phelps of the Gaithers, San Antonio LittleTheater, Dallas Christian Jazz Band, 

Jack Melick Orchestra, MelFitch Orchestra, Chuck Arlington OrchestraDallas Jazz Orchestra and numerous musical 

productions atPlymouth Park Baptist Church in Irving. Rusty stays very busyteaching private percussion lessons in the Irving IndependentSchool District as well as at Murphy's Music in Irving.  He is amember of Oak View Baptist Church, where he plays in the orchestra and works with the student ministry.

NATE CASSIDY - TROMBONE / VOCALS

Nate Cassidy is a vocalist and trombonist who performs with a variety of musical groups in the Dallas area.  A graduate of the University of NorthTexas School of Music -- he was a member of both the lab band and the jazz singers programs.  

For the past decade, Nate has sung with the Frisco Jazz Band and theUpswing Jazz Band (where he met and began singing with Rhonda).  Nate currently performs as a trombonist with the Swingtime Jazz Band every Monday night and sings regularly with the Jay ‘G’ Smokin' Hot Jazz Band.  He also leads his own horn-rock band N8 & The Rules, as well as the Just

Friends Dixieland Jazz Band. Nate and Rhonda have sung together many times over the years and are

looking forward to this newest musical collaboration: The Nightcaps Jazz Band