Looking remarkably like King Charles, Craig Ball is a living legend. He is the bandleader of the White Heat Swing Orchestra, who has backed up the likes of Ice Cube and Cab Calloway. Craig brings the humor and absolute swinging licks to the band. His clarinet playing is nothing short of on fire!

Hailing from the vibrant arts community of the New Hampshire seacoast, Josh has been involved in creative disciplines for nearly twenty years. Growing up, he was immersed in singing, visual art, theatre, and at age 9, the trombone. Encouraged by his endlessly supportive family, Josh quickly began seeking out any reason to have his instrument out of the case. Through summer camps, after school ensembles, and bands with his friends, Josh was drawn to music of all kinds, rather than a fascination with a particular genre. This would eventually lead to advanced private and collegiate study of the instrument.

Driven to achieve technical expertise of the instrument, Josh’s studies at the University of New Hampshire were grounded in classical study. As a member of the university’s wind symphony, symphony orchestra, jazz bands, jazz combos, and brass quintet, Josh applied the technique honed in lessons to a variety of musical settings. Josh was able to travel domestically and abroad for performances during this time, giving concerts and masterclasses to audiences of all ages. The more he played, the more he found a home in improvised music, propelling him to specialize his studies in graduate school.

At the Eastman School in Rochester, New York, Josh was fortunate to be surrounded by some of the best young musicians in the country. Driven by the friendly competition and inspiring skills of his peers, he became involved in composition, arranging, and performance of a variety of styles. Not wanting to give up his classical studies, he was fortunate to be a member of the Eastman Trombone Choir, and a faculty coached brass quintet. Additionally, Josh was able to gain experience as an instructor, leading the Jazz Performance Workshop for Non-Jazz Majors. This experience drew Josh to explore future teaching and professional performance roles.

Currently, Josh lives in Boston, Massachusetts, where he is continuing to take on a variety of creative pursuits. As a performer, he is the trombonist of the award winning Soggy Po Boys, subs regularly with regional orchestras, and records and performs a wide variety of new music. Josh also maintains a variety of teaching duties through the Portsmouth Music and Arts Center, Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio, and as a clinician across the region. Josh also maintains an active schedule of photography commitments, specializing in headshot and live music photography.

Dave MacMillan has been on the New England music scene for several decades. Also a bandleader of the Dixie Cookbook, Dave have been cooking up a lifetime of traditional jazz music. He brings that special banjo spunk that drives the band! When Dave is not playing banjo, he is usually going on 70 mile bike rides.

Every trad jazz band needs a washboard player, and Rob Rudin is the finest in the Boston area. Specializing in wash cycles, rubber chickens, washboard ties, and even drum kit, Rob is the percussionist extraordinaire. After spending a several month residency in New Orleans, Rob has mastered the traditional jazz NOLA sound! He also plays with the Busted Jug Band out of Boston, MA.

Bringing that St. Louis blues style to the band, Jon Weiss is a stand out guy. One of the founding members of the band, Jon has been playing with Annie and the Fur Trappers for 7 years. Always down to parade through the crowd, Jon is a blast to play with. He also plays bass with Sweetie and the Toothaches, and tuba with the Arcadia Dance Orchestra. When Jon is not playing the tuba, he is growing plants in his home garden.

Gray is without a doubt the virtuoso of the band. When you want a touch of gypsy jazz, you will want to request Gray Gafarov. Gray is the leader of the Hot Club of Boston, specializing in violin and rhythm guitar. He is the newest father of the band, with a little one running (or crawling!) around at home.

One of our founding member, Joe Sparks brings the style and blues to the band! He is always the best dressed and knows how to have a good time on the trombone!

Music has been a passion for Ken since childhood. He picked up guitar at the age of 12 after experimenting with many instruments. Influenced by music played at home including classical, big band, rock, r & b and soul, his musical tastes stayed eclectic. Ken started playing gigs in high school and he gigged all through college in a wedding band, which helped pay his tuition. With a major in TV Production and a minor in music Ken became an Emmy award-winning cameraman/cinematographer. But he never put the guitar down. After years of assignments abroad Ken settled in Boston and was able to dedicate more time to gigging again. He played in clubs all around the area in a funk/soul band for 15 years, while also playing in a big band and small jazz combos. Ken continues to play in a 17 piece big band and also with many local jazz combos.