bios
Dr. Justin M. Gruby (sax), a
Chicago native, started playing alto sax during the second grade, at
the age of seven. Eighteen years later, he now plays soprano,
alto, tenor, and bari saxophones, clarinet, and Latin percussion.
Justin owes his love for jazz, and music in general, to his first
private instructor Scott Williams, his high school band director Daniel
Brame, and his
parents Elizabeth and Marvin Gruby. Justin
attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison,
where he studied
advanced jazz improvisation with Joan Wildman and performed in the
black music ensembles with the great Richard Davis, while earning a
B.S. in biology. Justin moved back to the
Chicago area
to study
at National University of Health Sciences, earning his B.S. in human
biology and his doctorate of chiropractic. He now is in private
practice by day and a gigging musician by night. Justin has
played and recorded with Buddy Wiggle, The Retrorockets, WendySue, the
Black Dog Band, Reason for Leaving, Cat Magnet, and
Hubbard’s
Cupboard. He has performed hundreds of times throughout the
mid-west; highlights of his musical career include playing for the
Chicago Bulls at the United Center, the Chicago White Sox at US
Cellular Field, and at Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI, and directing the
Glenbard East High School jazz combo.
David Armstrong Schwartz
(guitar) born December 26th, 1982 in Barrington IL, began playing
guitar at the age of 11 and was initially inspired by the early 90's
grunge sound of bands such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Sound Garden.
During his high school years, David played in various rock bands as
well as the Barrington High School Rhythm Machine. David's musical
direction made an abrupt change after hearing the rock-influenced jazz
of John Mclaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Allan Holdsworth. This change in
musical direction inspired David to study music full time and in 2001
he entered the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver where
he studied Jazz and Commercial music as well as composition. After
leaving school in 2005, David moved back to Barrington where he
currently teaches guitar and music theory. David's performance credits
include Javon Jackson, Eric Gunnison, Alan Joseph, Beto Hale, Kenny
Walker, and Jimmy Legs, who opened for David Crosby. David's
compositions have been featured in faculty concerts and in 2005, he was
a semi-finalist for the jazz category in the International Song Writing
Competition.
Jeff Rendlen (bass) was born and
raised in Hannibal, Missouri. With fond memories of summer
fireworks
and boating on the mighty Mississippi, he was a year book photographer
in high school and then took up the bass. He played in the high
school jazz band receiving two ‘Outstanding Soloist’
awards while
performing with several bands around the area. He left Hannibal
to attend Drake University where he studied music and liberal
arts. While playing in the Drake Big Band Jazz ensemble he landed
his first full time gig in a local jazz club. He left after three
semesters at Drake to join a rock band in Los Angeles. After this
group fell apart he went back to college in Kansas City to finish a
degree in Liberal Arts (studying video and audio production, and
electronic music composition) at the Conservatory of Music (UMKC),
continuing to play professionally. While completing his degree, Jeff
received a grant to perform live music through flame speakers (possibly
a world first). He has performed in many groups including The Charlie
Parker Big Band, Ringling Brother Circus, Barney Kessel, Ugene Frezzen,
Buddy Grecko, Claude ‘Fiddler’ Williams, George Salisbury, Steve
Million, Peter Robinson, Chris Mayer, and many others. He was a
founding member of multiple all-original music groups, one of which
produced an album that received radio airplay and favorable
reviews in Spin magazine (BCR). (Jeff had composer and music
producer credits on this album.) Thereafter, Jeff returned to college
and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering at UMC, after which he
worked as a Design Engineer for Allied Signal Aerospace for nearly five
years. He moved to Chicago to become a Senior Design Engineer for
a pro audio company, IRP Pro Sound Products, and designed some of the
gear he has since been using in his music career. He is presently the
Manager of Electronic Engineering at NanoInk, Inc. He holds two patents
(one in nanotechnology), and is a contributing author to two technical
journal publications.
