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Luana Stoutmeyer
Keyboards / Back-up Vocals / Band leader
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Luana Stoutmeyer wears many hats with Center Stage, including that of their keyboard player, leader, and booking agent. Customer service, friendliness and dependability makes Luana sought after for her band, as well as solo piano work.
Graduating from Western Michigan University and then moving to Dallas to obtain Master hours at the University of North Texas, gave Luana the opportunity to put together one of the most sought after bands in the area for wedding receptions and corporate parties.
A performer since the age of 14, Luana's experience is her best asset and one appreciated by her clients. Her band members are loyal and the ultimate professionals. Center Stage has opened for major acts including, Marilyn McCoo, Asleep at the Wheel, and Gary Morris. This high energy band plays private parties weekly at the major hotels, country clubs and private venues in the Dallas area.
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Kay McCaskill
Lead Female Vocal
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Lead Female Vocal Kay McCaskill has been the "center" of the Center Stage Band for seventeen years. Her stage presence is what makes the band so dynamic, and entertaining. Kay keeps the stage "alive," and has been told by many that she is the best singer in the Dallas, Fort Worth area.
Kay's motto is, "when performing, entertainment is a must" and that she does! Her biggest contribution to each event is her unique ability to flow effortlessly from one style to another. After studying at SMU, Kay performed with many different bands before finding a perfect fit with Center Stage.
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Tony Pennella
Guitar / Lead Male Vocal
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Studying music at the University of Miami and North Texas State University gave Tony Pennella the background for the versatility for which he is so well-known. Whether it is a smoky ballad, or rocking dance tune, Tony finds the appropriate interpretation to make the listener smile and nod in approval.
An 8-year member of the Center Stage Band, Tony has performed or recorded with many nationally-recognized entertainers and groups such as Delbert McClinton, B.J. Thomas, Tom T. Hall, Foxy and Jaco Pastorius.
You have heard Tony's guitar styles on many recorded and commercial jingles. His high-profile clients include former Texas Governor Ann Richards, U.S. Senator Bob Dole, and Presidential candidate H. Ross Perot to name a few.
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Paul Piper
Drums |
Drummer, composer, teacher and family man, Paul R. Piper has a musical background that began at age 7. Born in Los Angeles, Paul started playing with his Mother and Father in Jazz and Swing bands after the family moved to Dallas Texas in the 1960s.
By age 16, Paul was playing professionally and broadening his musical interests in drumming styles to include Rock, Funk, Country and Latin/Salsa his drumming career Paul has played and warmed up for some of the biggest names in the music industry – Tanya Tucker, Reba McEntire, Earl Klugh, Percy Sledge, The Mac Band, Jeffery Osborne, KC & the Sunshine Band, The Dixie Chicks, The Vocal Majority, John Davidson, Herman’s Hermits, BTO, the late legendary Lou Rawls and Nashville recording artist, Willie Mack. Paul has also had the honor of doing a 6 country AFE/USO tour for the troops in the middle east.
Paul plays with the Center Stage Band and performs in studio recording sessions. When not working, Paul enjoys being at home with wife Michele, daughter Caitlin-15 and 12-year-old son John Paul.
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Brian Warthen
Bassist
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Brian is one of the busiest bass players in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, performing and recording with a variety of artists. He is fluent in a broad range of musical styles from Jazz to Pop, Country, R&B and especially Latin music. In addition to his live performing schedule Brian does quite a bit of recording work and also writes and arranges music for several bands and solo artists.
Brian is a graduate of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts in Dallas and the University of Texas at Arlington and has played or recorded with a wide variety of bands and artists including Chuck Berry, Frank Sinatra Jr., the Dallas Jazz Orchestra, the Ink Spots, Johnny Mathis, Ben E. King, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Theater center, the Turtle Creek Chorale, the Dallas Summer Musicals, Sha Na Na and Rich Little.
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Bill Eden
Tenor, Alto & Soprano Sax, Flute
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A native of Denton, Texas Bill was educated at
UNT in the areas of sociology and music and was part
of the UNT lab band program. He has played
extensively with local, regional, national and international
bands and has toured both Europe and Asia numerous
times since 1993. Having played major jazz
festivals abroad, he still finds time to teach local
middle and high school students. A member of
Center Stage Band since 2003, Bill also manages
his own jazz trio and plays with groups such as the
Four Tops, Del Shannon, Buddy Miles and Lucky Peterson.
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Ken Edwards
Trumpet & flugelhorn |
Ken Edwards - Trumpet and flugelhorn player, has been an active freelance musician in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for over a decade.
Originally playing tuba and trombone, Ken made the switch to trumpet in college and earned his B.M. from the University of Texas Arlington and received a M.M in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas.
Ken was a featured soloist while on tour with legendary jazz trumpeter, Maynard Ferguson and played on Ferguson 's final studio album, The One and Only (MF Music). He can also be heard on his own CD entitled “Lost In This Place” on the Armored Records Label and on Dallas’ Original Jazz Orchestra CD entitled, “Messin With Texas”.
Ken has performed with many well-known artists such as Joe Lovano, Wayne Bergeron, Maria Schneider, Jimmy Heath, The Temptations and Gladys Knight. He has also recorded with Stockton Helbing (Armored Records), Brian Mulholland, the UNT One O'clock Lab Band, The DOJO lead by Galen Jeter, The Mark Tonelli Group and Jerrod Daniel.
He currently teaches trumpet, jazz improvisation and is a lecturer of jazz history at the University of Texas Arlington and performs with the Center Stage Band.
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Chris Seiter
Trombone
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Chris Seiter is from Lubbock, Texas, where he started playing trombone at the age of 12. Chris attended the University of North Texas and was a member of the famed One O'Clock Lab Band his entire four-year tenure. While a UNT student, he became an active freelance and studio trombonist in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, performing with such notable artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, Ray Charles, and others. Chris was a two-time recipient of jazz study grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and received the Frank Rosolino Memorial Jazz Award from the International Trombone Association.
As a resident of New York City, Chris appeared in the pit orchestra for the musical Cats and was a member of the Toshiko Akiyoshi New York Big Band (Ten Gallon Shuffle), the Bob Mintzer Big Band (Camouflage), the Woody Herman Orchestra, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. In addition, while in New York, Chris studied improvisation with Bob Brookmeyer, Jim McNeely, and David Liebman.
As a Dallas resident, Chris has recorded with The Collection Jazz Orchestra, the Dave Zoller Sextet, and Tony Hakim.
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Steve Story
Violin
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Steve has been playing the violin professionally for over 25 years. He has a Masters Degree from Wichita State University. He is at home performing in a symphony orchestra as well as a country/pop band. He shows off his improvising skills in the Steve Story Trio, a jazz group in the Dallas/Fort-Worth area. He has toured with such artists as: Ricky Van Shelton, Louise Mandrell, Steve Warner and Ray Price. His first love is playing jazz and improvising on the violin. He is a free-lance musician and is comfortable with all styles. He does studio work as well as performing live with the Center Stage Band, and teaches privately in the area.
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