The Spiders of Swing will feature
Pete Bartels (trumpet/vocals)
Fred Garcia (saxophone/clarinet, vocals)
Gus Friedlander (guitar)
Mitch Straeffer (upright bass)
Brian O'Hern (piano)
Band Member Bios
Pete Bartels (trumpet/vocals)
Pete is a multi-instrumentalist with long experience in Chicago-area big bands, dixieland bands, and jazz and Latin combos. He is a member of Alan Gresik's Swing Shift Orchestra and is the first chair trumpet player with the Prohibition Orchestra of Chicago. Pete is also a band director in the Chicago Public School system.
Fred Garcia (saxophone/clarinet, vocals)
Fred plays all the reed instruments, and does arranging and record transcriptions in addition to section playing. He is one of the most in-demand reed players for Chicago area ballroom dance bands, including the Steve Anthony Band and the RonSmolen Orchestra. Fred has also played in the latter-day orchestras once led by Guy Lombardo and Jan Garber.
Gus Friedlander (guitar):
Gus has been playing music since he was 13, and has long been interested in exploring the heritage of popular music from the "Golden Age". He is the founder and leader of Chicago's preeminent reconstructionist big band, the 1920s-style Prohibition Orchestra. Gus has also played for several years with the Alan Gresik Swing Shift Orchestra and other local jazz groups.
Mitch Straeffer (upright bass):
Mitch is a highly-sought accompanist within the Chicago jazz community. He earned an M.A. in Jazz Performance from DePaul University. Mitch's broad stylistic diversity and interest has led him to a wide variety of styles, ranging from big band jazz to roots music to small ensembles. His solid, rhythmic basslines form a stable backbone for the sound of many popular dance ensembles, while his flexibility and sense of humor as a musician keep any performance upbeat and lively.
Brian O'Hern (piano):
Biran is arguably the one of the most innovative and creative talents to grace the Chicago music scene. His unique contribution to the jazz community is his intuitive ear for creating compositions for a big band format, a skill that is unusual in this day and age. A graduate of the Berklee School of Music, Brian excels at playing both lead role and backup to a variety of singing styles, and his whimsical nature shines through in his playing. Brian can also be seen playing with his big band, Brian O'Hern and the Model Citizens.
