UTD's own jazz pianist, faculty member Kelly Durbin, brings
together local jazz artists for a performance sure to delight jazz connoisseurs and casual listeners alike.

About the performers….

Kelly Durbin (piano)
Kelly Durbin is a faculty member at The University of Texas at Dallas, where he directs the Jazz Ensemble and teaches classes in music theory, MIDI, jazz history, and jazz keyboard. He holds a Master of Music degree from The University of North Texas College of Music. Durbin has enjoyed long tenures with the James Gilyard Ensemble and the Wayne Delano Quartet.  He was a long time member of the Marchel Ivery Quintet.  Durbin has performed at numerous jazz concerts, festivals and workshops and given a lecture on jazz at the Dallas Museum of Art. His professional credits include work with The Woody Herman Orchestra (directed by Frank Tiberi), David "Fathead" Newman, James Clay, Cornell Dupree, Chuck Rainey, Billy Hart, Louis Hayes, Ed Soph, Lynn Seaton, Hank Crawford, Sebastian Whittaker, and Roseanne Vitro. Durbin was the music consultant and pianist for the Hollywood film "Daddy's dying, Who's got the will?" and can be heard on recordings by James Gilyard, Chuck Willis, Wayne DeLano, and Freddie Jones.

Bobby Breaux (drums)
 Originally from New Orleans, Bobby Breaux has been playing and teaching in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1983. After receiving his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Loyola University in 1977, he traveled throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico and Europe performing with Al Hirt, Ellis Marsalis, and The Woody Herman Orchestra.

Breaux has worked for numerous entertainers such as: Bob Hope, Frank Gorshin, Brook Benton, Jim Hall, Eddie Daniels, Pete Christlieb, Bobby Shew, Eartha Kitt, George Kirby, Joe Williams and the Gatlin Brothers, to name a few. He has also performed on several commercial recording sessions for accounts such as: Popeye's Chicken, Great America Theme Parks and BBC's Radio One. He has also played drums and percussion for various stage shows and musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar, Hello Dolly and Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  Currently, Breaux performs with the following bands: the N’Awlins Gumbo Kings, the Gilda Medina Band and Terry Parrish Quartet (at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas), The Project, Randy Lee and Bottom Line, and Dennis Cavalier and Texas Zydeco.

Gilyard's early music career included three years during the Viet Nam era in the 97th United States Army Field Artillery Band. He also served as staff bassist for Benson Sound Studios in Oklahoma City during the early 70's. Gilyard, who is sought out for his solid and sensitive accompaniment, is a favorite rhythm section member in the bands of many Dallas area jazz notables. Gilyard has been featured in articles by the Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Observer and Buddy Magazine.

Gilyard's knowledge and experience have been instrumental in the development of many Dallas-Fort Worth area artists. In addition to all of his other ventures, he is the artistic director for the Sammons Jazz series at the Sammons Center for the Arts in Dallas.

Simone Jackson-Rodgers (vocals)
Faith, family and music are the most important things to Simone Jackson-Rodgers. The singer says that her devotion to family and to helping young people led her decision to attend Texas Woman’s University where she received Bachelor of Science & Master of Education degrees in Early Childhood Education. Simone enjoys dual career, singing in various venues by night and teaching her third grade class during the day.  In addition to her dual careers, the singer is married to Dwayne Rodgers, a minister.

 During her time at the now famous “Dallas Arts Magnet High School”, Simone was selected by Downbeat Magazine as “Most Outstanding Jazz Vocalist in North America”. The vocalist was selected by a panel of nationally known jazz artists/educators who reviewed hundreds of audition tapes submitted from around the country. The singer has also worked with all of the top jazz players in North Texas, including: Claude Johnson, Marchel Ivery, James Gilyard, Andrew Griffith, Arlington Jones, Roger Boykin and many others. Simone was also featured at the 1992 Arts Jazz Festival at the Meyerson Symphony Hall in Dallas, as well as the 2001 “Ultimate Jazz Review” held at the Dallas Convention Center and sponsored by TBAAL. The singer was also featured in concert at The University of Texas at Dallas with the James Gilyard Ensemble in 2003.

Karl Lampman (saxophone)
Karl Lampmanholds a Master of Music degree from The University of North Texas. During his time at UNT, Lampman was a member of the "One O'Clock Lab Band" and has performed with numerous artists including Ronnie Ball, The Supremes, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, Billy Daniels and Buddy Greco. Lampman also toured with the Barnum & Bailey-Ringling Brother's Circus as well as the Ice Capades Band.

Lyles West (bass)
As leader and principal composer of his improvisational ensemble Quartet Out, bassist Lyles West fuses the folksiness of his Appalachian upbringing with the sophistication of New York City, where he performed regularly with Jazz greats Junior Cook and Clifford Jordan, as well as with Blues giant Charles Brown. He was a member of the Chapel Hill, North Carolina improvisational ensemble Sphota (which to this day is legendary in the area) from 1978-82. He has recorded with Texas Tenor Marchel Ivery and with Café Noir.

Rodney Booth (trumpet)
Rodney Booth has been an active professional musician for over 29 years. A native of El Paso, Texas, he began his professional career at age sixteen as a trumpet player in his father's bands. He received his degree in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas and was a student of Don "Jake" Jacoby. Rodney was also a member of the renowned North Texas State 1 o'clock Lab Band.

Rodney has traveled across North and South America and Europe with Woody Herman's Thundering Herd Big Band. He has performed with many major recording artists such as Lou Rawls, Nancy Wilson, Wayne Newton, Michael Feinstein, Dionne Warwick, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Hamlisch, Ray Charles, Mel Torme at Carnegie hall, and Natalie Cole, to name a few. He has also recorded professionally with the popular artist Al Green and country star Janie Fricke. Rodney's CD, "Look Over There" featured his own jazz quartet and received a very favorable review by music critic Thor Christensen in the Dallas Morning News.

Rodney is very active in studio and commercial recordings. He trumpet can be heard on national commercials for the Fina Corporation, Texaco, McDonald's Corporation, Domino's, Miller Brewing Company and Chevrolet. In addition, he performed on the commercial recordings for the Texas Rangers, the Boston Red Sox, CNN News, CNNSI, the US Postal Service, Exxon, the Zales Corporation, Gordon's Jewelers, Merle Norman Company and Cartier's Jewelers.