MEET THE BAND

Bio coming soon

Michael is a Columbus Ohio native who has worked in the automobile industry for 28 years. Currently employed at Jim Keim Ford as the Internet Sales Manager. Started singing early in life at church and in school choirs. Rick Brunetto recognized his talent for singing big band while he was performing in the Pepsi Gimme the Mike competition in 2005. Rick asked Michael if I had ever considered performing with a big band and I jumped at the opportunity… and the rest is just sweet Big Band Sound!

Ben grew up singing in church choirs and has been performing regularly in various venues since 2016. His love and passion for music began in church and spans genres from Contemporary Christian to Classical, Jazz, and Broadway. His favorite artists and influences include Michael Bublé, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael W. Smith, and Amy Grant.  Ben has released several recordings of originals and covers that are available on Spotify, Apple Music and locally.

MaryLee Melendez is an anchor for Spectrum News 1.
The Maryland native turned buckeye moved to Ohio in 2018 to launch the station and currently anchors ‘Your Evening’ beginning at 4 p.m. every weekday. She is also the host of ‘Beyond the Sport’ on Spectrum News + and ‘Gametime Ohio’.

Over the past six years, MaryLee helped launch Spectrum News 1’s midday and 4 p.m. newscasts, has covered every state and national election, the COVID-19 pandemic, capitol riot, the Dayton mass shooting, Memorial Day tornadoes, a Super Bowl, national championship and the OHSAA football and basketball state championships where she earned an Emmy Nomination for her sideline reporting.

Previously, she worked as a news and sports anchor at multiple ABC affiliates in Alabama, covering a U.S. Senate special election, governor’s race, and two national championships.

She grew up playing sports and performing in musicals, and in 4th grade won her county oration contest where her grandfather proclaimed she would be “the first woman President of the United States”. While she didn’t go into politics, she pursued her love for storytelling and performing, studying music and theatre at Catholic University and Florida State University.

Prior to her journalism career, she worked at some of the top regional theaters in the nation and acted in many commercials, TV shows and movies.

You may now catch her performing the national anthem at sporting events throughout Ohio or singing on the weekends at her church in Columbus. She is very active in the community, volunteering with Special Olympics, Miracle League, Ronald McDonald House, Pelotonia, and the Distinguished Young Women of Ohio Program. She has a passion for storytelling and connecting with the community, as well as cheering on Ohio’s sports teams . . . especially the Buckeyes!

Born and raised north of Chicago in Mundelein, Illinois, Billy Wolfe began playing piano at the age of 5 and saxophone at the age of 10. Billy earned a bachelor of music degree from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, where he began his professional career playing with bands such as Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra, the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, and the Brian Michael Smith-John Vermeulen Octet. In 2009, Billy decided to pursue a master of music degree from DePaul University. It was during this period that he first began exploring the creative possibilities of contemporary large ensemble music, an interest inspired by his studies with Tom Matta and experiences performing with several Chicago area new music groups.
Billy is also an educator in his own right, regularly maintaining a teaching studio the provides detailed instruction of saxophone, clarinet, flute and oboe. His pupils regularly earn area, district, and state recognition and have participated in the acclaimed Northern Virginia Youth Winds, Northern Virginia Wind Academy, Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as the Columbus Youth Jazz Ensemble and Bethesda Youth Jazz Orchestra. Moreover, several of his students having gone on to pursue professional careers by studying at fine institutions such as: Capital University, The Eastman School, Florida State University, George Mason University, Old Dominion University, The Ohio State University, SUNY-Purchase, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Billy has worked as a clinician with several middle and high school ensembles as well as serving as a guest lecturer of jazz history and improvisation at institutions such as Utah State University and the University of Missouri. From 2019 to 2022 he had the pleasure of directing both the Fairfax High School (VA) Jazz Ensemble and associated Jazz Combo. Currently, Billy is a big band and combo instructor for Capital University’s Conservatory of Music and leads weekly saxophone sectionals for the Pickerington High School North.

I’ve been playing saxophone for roughly ten years and professionally for about six years. Currently, I am also a student at Capital University studying Jazz Studies and Saxophone Performance. As I stated before, I started my career by being involved in my schools Jazz program and also being involved in the Youth Jazz Program created by the Jazz Arts Group of Columbus. In high school, I had many great experiences that helped me get connections and foster my musical growth. I was fortunate to be a part of the Columbus Youth Jazz Studio and Orchestra, the Columbus Youth Symphonic Band, and the Columbus Youth Jazz Lab. Throughout the years, I’ve been given the pleasure of performing with many groups such as the Rick Brunetto Big Band, Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra, New Basics Brass Band and many others. I’ve also been able to perform throughout Central Ohio and abroad. As far as what I do, I get to perform music that I love for audiences and I get to make music with other people.

Jake is a jazz saxophonist/composer/educator from Columbus, Ohio.  He recently returned to Columbus after a stint in NYC. His biggest musical influences are John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Chris Potter, and many others. Jake appears at jazz soloist and many venues throughout central Ohio.

Bob is a graduate of the Ohio State University with a Ph.D. in Music Education. He is retired from the Columbus City Schools. He is an alumni of the U.S. Navy music program and has played locally with the Bruno Masdea Orchestra, the Chuck Selby Orchestra, Sanhedrin Move and the Big Blues Band. He has also played with the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and the Lancaster Festival Orchestra. In his free time he enjoys cooking and travel.

Jason is a originally from New Albany, Ohio and attended both The Ohio State University where he was member of the marching band and later Capital University where he graduated with a degree in Music Education.  He is an instructor at GnG Music Instruction.  Jason covers many of the trumpet solos in the band as well as frequently sharing lead trumpet responsibilities.  He is in demand as a freelance player and can be seen in many bands from an Elvis Revue to the pop band The Bug Hounds.

Stephen Fannin has been playing with the Rick Brunetto Big Band for the past year and a half. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Ohio Welseyan University where he played lead trumpet in the jazz ensemble under Dr. Larry Griffin. Stephen also has a Masters degree in Music Performance from the University of Minnesota where he studied with Dr. David Baldwin and Dean Sorenson. He is currently an Assistant Marching Band Director and Head Jazz Ensemble director in the Marysville City School District. He has performed with several orchestras and jazz groups throughout Columbus including “Faster & Louder”, and enjoys spending time at home with his wife, Krista, and son, Bardey.

Bob left traveling on the road in 1974, settling down in Columbus. He continued playing the trumpet, performing with many local bands. During this time, he also played with Les Elgart, Buddy Morrow, and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. In 1975, proving that music and math truly go hand-in-hand, Bob went to work for the Franklin County Auditor’s office for the next 18 years. For 48 years he was a member of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra

Steve has over 35 years experience playing trombone. He studied trombone, jazz, and music composition/arranging at The Ohio State University. While at OSU he played in the OSU Jazz Ensemble, Ohio State Marching Band, and various small groups.  His trombone instructors included Gary Carney, Joseph Duchi, Vaughn Wiester, Dr. Joel Shonkwiler and Nelson Foucht. Additionally he studied arranging with Dave Wheeler.  Steve is also currently playing around Central Ohio with the Eddie Pollina Band, The Bug Hounds, Seven of Arrows, Sons of Gladys, Fox Valley Harvest, and others. 

Jim Dowdy is graduate of Capital University and The Ohio State University. He was a band director at Canal Winchester from 1976 to 1985 and then at Worthington Schools where he retired in 2006. He joined the faculty of Capital University in 2008 where he teaches Music Education and directs the Junior Winds. He has served as president of OMEA and been recognized as one of our leading music educators.

David’s original music compositions have been performed by symphony orchestras, concert bands, jazz bands, choirs and solo artists in southern California and the Midwest. He holds a bachelors degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Incidentally he and Rick were classmates there. Before moving west, David operated Schubach Music Center, marking his family’s fourth generation in the retail music business. In Hollywood, he was twice elected vice president of the Los Angeles Musicians Union, working closely with the Recording Artists Coalition (Don Henley, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Carole King) to lobby for artists’ rights. A live-performance contract that David initiated helped free-lance musicians attain health insurance and pension benefits. Close to home, he was commissioned to compose a trumpet concerto for the Southeastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra, and a new score for the Charlie Chaplin silent film, “The Immigrant,” which premiered at Ohio University-Zanesville. As a playwright, David’s drama “Back Words” was given its Ohio premiere in Zanesville. He also leads The Schubach Big Band, a 17-piece jazz ensemble, that performs at dances and concerts around the Midwest.

Primarily a bassist, Paul graduated from Otterbein University in Spring 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music – Jazz Studies Concentration. He has performed with numerous local musicians across many different styles and has recorded two albums comprised entirely of original material.

Prior to college, Paul began taking private lessons at Music Royale when he was 8 years old with instructors Greg Sharp and Mike Shoaf, and also participated in Rock School for many years. You can see Paul performing live in a variety of acts, including his jazz trio, The Paul Baker Trio.

Zsolt has been playing guitar for over 25 years. After his graduation he worked as a concert and studio musician and got involved in the computer game industry as a music composer. In 2000 he moved to Columbus, Ohio to build his carrier in information technology. A couple of years later he re-joined the music scene as a jazz guitarist. Besides Rick Brunetto’s illustrious big band, he plays with Matt Ellis in Standard Time, appears in the John Vermeulen Octet and Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra. Whenever the chance arises, he plays in pit orchestras around the area.