Connie Guy

Connie was born into a musical family, her grandfather, Joe H. Rust, played several instruments and served in the military as a band leader for the 149th Infantry Army Band at Fort Knox and in Bowling Green, Kentucky, from the 30’s - 40’s. Her father, William H. Rust, was a singer/guitarist all his life.  He played in the Dallas Jamboree House band.  Both her father and grandfather were watchmakers. Connie was raised by her mother, Darvial Bishop, who still lives in New Orleans. She is a gifted artist and singer, who sang on the radio when it was a regular live broadcast. As a small girl, Connie would regularly stand and sing to a juke box record for the patrons at the White Tray Diner in Bowling Green, through her grandfather’s encouragement, when he treated her to sundaes. He also arranged for her first live stage performance when she was all of 5 years old, at a Masonic Lodge event where she sang Theresa Brewer’s  “Let Me Go Lover”. Connie remembers her knees nearly shaking out from under her, when she began but she managed to sing for her proud grandfather and a very responsive crowd that day.

Connie’s family settled in New Orleans when she was 13. She joined the dance team at Riverdale High School where she loved performing for football games at East Jefferson High School.  She especially enjoyed the annual Mardi Gras Parades. After high school, Connie moved into an apartment with a friend who’s family was in the entertainment business in Managua, Nicaragua. Before she knew it, she was off on tour with singing engagements in resorts and night clubs at 21years old. She also did live broadcasts on the radio during her performances in Managua. 

Upon her return to the states, Connie married and had her son, Lee. She devoted herself to her family until a separation and divorce changed her life in 1987. While seeking a job, she auditioned and was chosen as the vocalist for Ted Jenkins’ “Souled Out Band”, by simply walking in, snapping her fingers, and singing Tina Turner’s  “What’s Love Got To Do With It” a cappella. So at age of 40, she was away from home again performing two, Department of Defense, military overseas tours. 

She has had the pleasure of working in many of the area’s top nightclubs and private affairs, and she’s been honored to sing with some of the region’s best musicians, many of whom remain her closest friends.  Connie has performed at several major festivals in the central Maryland area including:  Frederick’s In the Streets, the annual Summer Concert Series, the annual Festival of the Arts, the annual Snow Ball and Mardi Gras Ball, Brunswick Days, Myersville Trolley Days, Berkley Springs’ Apple Butter Festival, Central Pennsylvania’s Fall Foliage Festival, Southern Maryland’s Wine Festival, and many others. Connie represented Maryland, as a chosen contestant in the Savannah Music Festival’s vocal competition in 2007.  She was a featured soloist during Middletown Maryland’s One God One Voice tour of Italy where she performed for the Pope.  She continues to be the featured vocalist, for the Ray Birely Orchestra since 1991.

Connie and her husband, Ted, currently perform in their own band and also free lance with bands of different genres in nightclubs and for private affairs. They have continued to host a jazz brunch together along with drummer Celso Lopez and pianist Gene Sprenkle at Firestone’s Tavern and Bar in Frederick, MD on the second Sunday of each month since 2001.

For more about Connie, visit: www.connieguy.com

Daryl Davis

Daryl Davis earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Howard University, where he was a member of their famed Howard University Choir and renowned Jazz Vocal Ensemble.  In addition to being a vocalist, guitarist, composer and keyboard extraordinaire, Daryl is a professional actor and author. In 1985, 72 year old Pinetop Perkins, one of the founding fathers of Boogie Woogie and considered to be one of the greatest Blues and Boogie pianists, selected 27 year old Daryl to succeed him in the piano and vocal slot of the Muddy Waters Legendary Blues Band.  Johnnie Johnson, Chuck Berry’s great original pianist, has praised Daryl’s ability to master with authenticity, a style that was popular 30 years before he was even born. 

As a performer, Daryl has worked with countless greats such as Elvis Presley’s Jordanaires, The Coasters, and Chuck Berry with whom he performed on David Letterman’s tonight show.    He was the featured pianist on Cephas & Wiggins’ 1992 Grammy Award Winning Album, Flip, Flop, & Fly.  As a composer, in addition to his own hits Boogie Man, Broadminded, and many other originals, Daryl scored the music to the children’s story Abigail.  

Daryl is the real deal.  In addition to performing with his own band, he is now a  respected member of the Guy Jenkins Band

For more about Daryl, visit www.daryldavis.com

Don Oehser

Don has been a professional guitarist for over 30 years, mostly in the DC and Boston areas.  He has performed and/or recorded with bluesmen Catfish Hodge, J.B. Hutto, Phil Wiggins, Tom Principato; DC roots-rock icon Billy Hancock; members of Little Feat; boogie-woogie piano man Daryl Davis; and singer/songwriter Amy Silver among others. Don was a founding member of DC punk-a-billy crazies Evan Johns and the H-Bombs. Besides fronting his own bands and doing solo work, he plays with eclectic vocal group Singin’ The Bones, the jazz/swing band Night and Day, The Todd Coyle Band, The Lisa Lafferty Band, and now The Guy Jenkins Band.

For more about Don Oehser, visit:  www.donoehser.com

Wes Crawford

Wes demonstrated an interest in drums since the age of four and began his professional career after graduating with a B.S. in Psychology at Virginia Tech. Soon thereafter, he began performing drumset with the extraordinary Jazz / R&B singer Jane L. Powell, a musical association that lasted eleven years and continues as a managerial relationship. The group toured throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean performing at festivals, universities, resorts, nightclubs, and on cruise ships. They opened for acts such as Ray Charles, Melba Moore, Freddie Jackson, Lou Rawls, The Crusaders, Joan Jett, Ernie Watts, and Paula Poundstone, and occasionally performed alongside artists such as Tony Bennett, O.C. Smith, and Dorothy Moore, as well as being featured with various symphonies. The 1,300 colleges and universities comprising the National Association for Campus Activities voted the group Entertainer of the Year in 1990, their highest honor, and Jazz Artist of the Year for 1990-1992. During these years of touring, Wes also recorded two albums with Ms. Powell as well as several outside projects including his own "Rap-Along" album, a creativity and esteem building recording designed for teenagers. Wes also conducted electronic percussion seminars at VA Tech and at the Virginia Governor's School for the Gifted.In 1992, Wes settled with his family in the Washington, D.C. area as an independent artist on drumset and percussion where he has performed and/or recorded with talented groups including: Bay Jazz Project, Between Worlds  at the Gnaoua Music Fest 2011 in Morocco, Big Ray & the Kool Kats, Cantare, Catalyst Events, Eva Cassidy, Jeffrey Chappell, Classical and Jazz pianist, Cocktail Nuts (aka "C-Nuts" - jazz versions of rock classics, on WildChild/ Mapleshade Records), Fresh Air (horn-driven variety band), Aisha Kahlil (of Sweet Honey in the Rock), Seth Kibel, Anjelique Kidjo internationally known singer from Benin, Sean Lane, Bob Margolis, Jack's Mission, Justine Miller, Nightlife, Armand Ntep, "Oh Susannah!" Washington's favorite children's entertainer, Susan McNelis, Palpazione Percussion Group, Daryl Davis an Armadillo recording artist, Mary Ann Redmond Band, Mystic Warriors, Shahin and Sepehr (Higher Octave/Virgin world beat artists), Arshak Sirunyan, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman a mrudangam virtuoso (including a clinic at PASIC 2000 and a featured performance at Baltimore Drum Day 2000), Sound Connection (high energy show band), Squeeze Bayou (1998 winners of the "Best Non-Louisiana-Based Cajun Band Recording" awarded by the Cajun French Music Association), Sugar Jones, Al Williams, and Zydeco Crayz

His other noteworthy performances and recordings include those with the David Bach Consort (2nd place winner in the 1998 BET unsigned band video contest), Hennesy Jazz Search regional winner Jerry Gordon, African Continuum Theatre Company's "Hubert & Charlie", and performances with Milestone recording artist Ron Holloway. Additionally, Wes has also recorded for The History Channel and for PBS.

 Wes considers education to be an important link to the future of the percussive arts and teaches drumset privately and at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD. He also performs in school assemblies with Cindy Rosenberg's Mosaic, which provided the musical instruction and curriculum for the 2000 Maryland Artist/Teacher Institute. Wes is the director of the Drumset and Percussion Camp, a part of the annual Goucher Summer Arts Institute. His latest projects are his interactive "A Rhythmic Murder Mystery" DVD, which he also performs live, as well as the "Wes Crawford's Drumset Play-Along DVD". Wes is currently serving as President of the MD/DE chapter of the Percussive Arts Society and works as a musical consultant for Sustainable Environments for Health and Shelter (SEH+S).

Wes proudly endorses drums by Baltimore Drum, Dream Cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, and ProLogix Percussion. 

For more about Wes, visit www.wescrawford.com

Ted Jenkins

I am a baby boomer of the post WWII era. Like many children of the 50’ and 60’s, I was wowed by Elvis and the later British invasion, but was more heavily influenced by the music of the great Jimmy Rodgers, Percy Sledge, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, BB King, Ike and Tina Turner, and others of their ilk.  I picked up the guitar as a teenager when I purchased a used “New Holland” acoustic guitar from the loft of Shoemaker’s Music Store in Ft. Lauderdale Florida.  I was drafted in to the US Army and sent to Viet Nam in 1969. When I shipped out of Ft. Dix New Jersey, I carried my guitar wrapped in a canvas gig bag onto the plane, and the stewardess was kind enough to stow it in one of her lockers.  Even though I landed in the infantry, I was able to hang on to the instrument through my tour.  The guitar was often the only means of entertainment my buddies and I had, and through the course of my piece of the war, everyone in my circle who could play it, did play it.  It was during these times that I realized my affinity and love for the blues.  The old New Holland guitar was built like a tank. It has a neck like a tree branch and a flat top like a plywood floor.  It definitely took some wounds over the years, but I still play the same guitar at home for pleasure today.

After returning to the US, one of my Viet Nam buddies and I decided that we should start a rock and roll band based on the musical forms that we had cooked up during the long dark nights overseas.  We managed to do so and our band “Windjammer” became a popular blues/rock/jam band in the dance halls of North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill triangle area.  The band broke up in 1976 and I subsequently answered an ad in the Durham paper for a guitar player.  The ad had been placed by Larry Skurlock.  Larry was the bass player in Jr. Walker’s original Allstars and is the bass player on the original recording of “Shotgun”.  Larry knew everyone in the area and had a booking contract with Ted Hall’s “Hit Attractions” out of Raleigh which has since become East Coast Entertainment. Larry took me under his wing and we toured together until 1979, when I stopped traveling in order to devote myself to raising my two children Annmarie, and Ian.  

I formed the original "Souled Out Band" in 1987 through which I met my wife, Connie.  I took up the bass guitar that same year. When Desert Storm came about a few years later, I remembered the brief hours of pleasure I had witnessed in Viet Nam during the few USO shows I was able to attend, so I sent an audition tape to the Department of Defense offering to entertain the troops in Kuwait and Iraq.  The invasion of Kuwait was over with before most of the troops even shipped out, but the entertainment office at the DOD liked the audition tape and hired Sould Out to perform two overseas tours of military bases in Alaska, The Aleutian Islands, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Greenland during the next few years.  Souled Out was successfully booked by Washington Talent Agency for private affairs in the DC Metro area between tours, and also performed for regional festivals, and in dance halls and nightclubs.  Conflicting situations forced me to dissolve the band in 1994.

I have worked as a journeyman bassist in a string of Maryland based regional bands since the mid 90’s, and finally got to take up serious study of the bass and music theory under the tutelage of the great Victor Dvoskin in 2000.  I still perform as a journeyman bassist in regional blues, jazz, and rock bands, perform regularly with my wife Connie Guy, and recently founded the Guy Jenkins Band, my “dream band”, comprised of like minded, talented, competent musicians who share the same influences, playing the styles of music I have always loved.

Anita Thomas

Anita Thomas, a native of Sydney, Australia, has performed all over the world. As a freelance musician she began her career in Sydney working in clubs, pubs, and concert venues (the Sydney Opera House many times). She also played for musical theater and stage shows and toured Thailand and the South Pacific with various swing groups. Anita performed with local and international artists including James Morrison, John Morrison, Don Burrows, Monica Trapaga and Eugene J Wright. Her own jazz quintet was very popular on the Australian jazz festival scene. She has two self titles CDs and recorded for many other artists including the world renowned children;s music group, the Wiggles. 

Anita spent 5 years living in California where she was a regular with notable big bands - the Tim Davies Big Band, the Jack Ranelli Big Band, and the west coast Glenn Miller Orchestra. In L.A. she furthered her saxophone studies with alto sax great Jeff Clayton and played on occasion with the Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. She also began serious studies on the double bass with the legendary Eugene J Wright (Dave Brubeck Quartet). In smaller groups she played at jazz festivals along the west coast and in Los Angeles she recorded with many diverse artists in jazz, rock, blues, gospel, and also recorded for television and film. Anita's didgeridoo playing was recently featured on the Grammy nominated composition "Counting To Infinity" by Tim Davies.

Both in Australia and the US, Anita has been involved in music education. She currently gives private lessons and teaches jazz ensemble at Frederick Community College. She is also the clarinet/saxophone instructor at two summer jazz camps in California.

Living now in Maryland Anita plays saxophone with the Brooks Tegler Big Band and performs regularly with her own jazz quartet, and is a highly valued member of the Guy Jenkins Band.

For more about Anita, visit:  www.anitathomas.com



Steve Richwine

Steve Richwine comes from a musical family.  His dad, Don Richwine, played lead alto saxophone in the United States Army Band.  Steve attended Towson State University where he was the lead trumpet in the university's jazz band, under the direction of Hank Levy, noted arranger for the Stan Kenton Orchestra and Don Ellis Orchestra.  He worked for the Ed Williams Big Band for 20 years during which he performed two overseas tours in Germany.  Steve has performed at presidential inaugural balls in Washington DC and appeared at Blues Alley with the Bob Israel Big Band.  Steve played trumpet in Ted & Connie’s "Souled Out Band".  He is the featured soloist for the Ray Birely Big Band for which Connie is also the featured vocalist.  Steve has performed with the Helmut Licht Big Band and for Helmut's smaller dance bands for 15 years.  He is currently the co-leader of the Bill Dayton Big Band with his wife Sandra since 1998, and remains the ‘first call’ with the Guy Jenkins Band.

For more about Steve, visit: www.billdayton.com.



Tom Maestri

Born and bred just outside of New York City, trombonist Tom Maestri hails from a family rich in music dating back to the late 19th century. Throughout the early 1900s Tom’s great aunt, May McBride, played trombone with Cora Youngblood Corson’s, ”Girls from the Golden West” band. She was the first known professional musician in the family and passed the tradition down to subsequent generations including Tom’s grandmother, mother, and uncle, Charlie Henry, who played trombone and recorded with many of the big bands including Ralph Flanagan’s band and the Neal Hefti Orchestra where he was featured as a soloist. Tom began playing trombone at an early age when his uncle bought him his first horn and volunteered to become his first teacher. During this period Tom also got caught up in the British rock invasion of the 1960’s and added guitar to his list of interests. Throughout middle school and high school Tom played with a local NY rock band formed along with his brother and two friends (who remain close to this day), that became a regular house band at two NYC venues including the Hullaballoo Club, formed out of the popular TV show of the day that went by the same name. During this time Tom went on to study with arguably one of the best trombonists in the New York area, Charlie Small, then with the CBS Orchestra. Big changes occurred in 1971 with a move to Boston and enrollment at Berklee School of Music. At Berklee, Tom studied with the renowned trombonist Phil Wilson and played in numerous ensembles with the likes of saxophonist John LaPorta, trumpeter Herb Pomeroy, and bassist Major Holley. At this time, Tom was hired to play for JB and Water, an R&B soul band being formed specifically to open a new club to feature the band’s lead singer. Over the next 6 years, the band became legendary in the Boston north-shore area and was one of the most sought after acts, working an average of 300 nights per year.  Unfortunately, the advent of disco in the late 1970s dealt a major blow to the live music industry and Tom returned to New York and went on to earn a degree in engineering, working till this day in the energy and environmental business. Music continued to play a major role in his life however, as Tom continued to play in the New York City area including at such famous venues as Roseland Ballroom and with acts including the Manhattans (“Kiss and Say Goodbye”, “Shining Star”). Tom now lives with his lovely wife Betty in the Washington DC/Baltimore area where he plays regularly with a number of small jazz combos as well as with Howard Burns’ big band, where Tom has had the honor of sharing the stage with many great players including trumpeter Michael White, trumpeter Don Junker, and trombonist Delfeo Marsalis. Since 2008, Tom has served as Principal Trombonist with the Frederick Symphony Orchestra and has most recently joined the R&B group, the Guy Jenkins Band. Tom has also served as Music Director for his church since 1994 in which capacity he leads the worship services, writes songs for his own church as well as for others, and has hosted numerous gospel singers featured on gospel singer/song-writer Bill Gaither’s Homecoming video series. Married for 32 years, Tom and Betty raised a family of 4 exceptionally talented (of course) children who each have moved on to earn their own living in the arts, including music, the theater, and computer gaming. Tom’s smooth expressions are a pleasure to hear in the Guy Jenkins Band.

The Guy Jenkins Band performs for weddings, corporate parties, festivals, and other special events.

We are a Classic R&B Band serving the Baltimore, Maryland, Washington DC. and Northern Virginia areas.