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Sal Giorlando, III
Drums
Sal Three started playing drums along with The Partridge Family records when he was in the fourth grade. He used oatmeal boxes and plastic food bins as his first drum set. He currently plays an olive ash, natural finish, five piece set from Drum Workshop.
Sal has played percussion for theater productions in the valley since 1979. Whether in the pit of the Herberger Theater Center playing "West Side Story" or on stage playing rock, there isn't a song written that Sal doesn't think sounds better when slowly played faster.
He is owner of the recording studio "San Miguel Studios" where he can be heard telling clients: "No, of course it won't sound anything like you. Do you want to sell these CD's or not?"
The loves of Sal's life are his beautiful wife, Mary and wonderful kids, Sal and Jennifer
Sal loves all styles of music. When not performing with Cosmic Shindig he can be found playing his warped Ovation guitar or sticky valved trumpet in his living room accompanied by Mary on piano.
Sal would like to thank Brian Watkins for all the hard work that he puts in for the band - couldn't do it without you man!
Oh, and Sal's favorite band is, of course, Cosmic Shindig!
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Joe Sperduti
Bass Guitar
Joe has been into music as long as he can remember. That is either a very long time or his memory is shot.
As well as a being a consummate bass player, Joe divides his time between his family, his bass collection and rebuilding vintage analogue synthesizers. (You know, the kind with a lot of knobs that make sounds like "zzzeeeooowww".)
Joe's musical influences range from Mott the Hoople to Montovani and everything in between.
Check out Joe's website and samples of his music.
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Brian Watkins
Lead Guitar, Vocals
Brian has been playing guitar since the age of sixteen when he started teaching himself on a Sears acoustic guitar that he painted red. Not long thereafter, he teamed up with Jesse Winters (Cosmic Shindig) to tour the talent show circuit in and around Conway Springs, Kansas.
Oblivious and undaunted they continued their musical partnership on and off during their time at KU, where they offered acoustic renditions of Dan Fogelberg and Neil Young songs to their friends and unsuspecting bar patrons.
In the 80's Brian found, in the computer and MIDI revolution, an unlimited source of expensive gadgetry which continues as a drain on his finances to this day.
Brian also plays piano and is working on a CD of his own jazz-rock compositions which, due to his involvement with Cosmic Shindig, is scheduled to be out in the summer of 2012.
Thankfully, both equipment and talent levels have risen significantly since the early days, but Brian's guitars are still red, and his passion for and enjoyment of music remain apparent in his vocals and guitar work in Cosmic Shindig.
Brian's favorite artists are Steely Dan, The Crusaders, The Beatles (neener, neener, Jesse) and Chicago, with some Jeff Lorber, Tower of Power, and Earth, Wind and Fire thrown in just for the funk of it.
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Cassi Busma
Percussion, Vocals
Cassi is a very versatile performer. In addition to a degree in Music Ed., she has claimed mastery of a number of instruments including the saxophone, flute, clarinet, piano, recorder and percussion, to name a few.
As well as being a Dickens Carolers alumni, Cassi participates in a Taiko (traditional Japanese percussion) ensemble and has traveled to Japan to perform. She was pleasantly surprised to find that they had a strong appreciation for Taiko there.
Cassi, enjoys all kinds of music including bands like Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Flogging Molly, and AC/DC.
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Jesse Winters
Keyboard, Guitar, Vocals
Jesse, aka "Shindoggie", plays rhythm guitar on a Mossman Flint Hills dreadnought that was hand-made in '74 in Winfield Kansas, and covers keys on a Yamaha S90 made last year in his favorite home-away-from-home, Tokyo, Japan.
After painstakingly learning Seals and Crofts duets with Brian Watkins (Cosmic Shindig) on mandolin, the duo was eventually forced to acknowledge that Seals and Crofts were no longer on the charts or even playing together.
More recently Jesse played guitar in Valley Youth Theatre productions of "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Charlotte's Web", and inflicted orchestral percussion on several other VYT productions, including "the Wiz" and "West Side Story".
During the Christmas season, Jesse sings acapella tenor with "Dickens Carolers", occasionally in the same quartet as Sal Giorlando III (Cosmic Shindig) or Sal Giorlando IV (Cosmic Shindig), but not with both at the same time.
Jesse's favorite bands are Steely Dan, The Crusaders, and The Beatles. His favorite solo artists include James Taylor, Paul Simon, Sting, Elton John, Billy Joel, and the inimitable Joe Jackson. For duos, Jesse likes Simon and Garfunkel, Seals and Crofts, the Smothers Brothers, and Lieber and Stoller. His favorite trios are Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. (There - if that doesn't include enough key words for the search engines, then I don't know what will!) |
