MSW EVENTS Uplifting Entertainment | Serving the Community

Jazz for the Soul is excited to bring THE LOCAL SPIRITS to you for the first time.

This Phoenix-based instrumental quartet channels Jazz, Rock, Bluegrass, Country, Blues, Middle Eastern, Gypsy Jazz, and World Music flavors altogether into a style of their own. Guitar and mandolin twin harmonies are woven into drum-and-bass grooves, creating a genre-defying style that makes this quartet uniquely creative.

You’ll want to hear this group!
At Jazz for the Soul, improvisation, creativity, and skill are a thing! You won’t be disappointed.

Bill Dutcher: (Guitar) Bill has been an independent recording artist and full-time performer for over 35 years. In that time, he has established himself as a nationally recognized solo-acoustic performer, along with being an in-demand studio musician and music instructor. He is the producer of the Extreme Acoustic series at the Musical Instrument Museum, twelve years running, and he has represented L.R. Baggs Electronics and Lakewood Guitars from Germany at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) trade shows over the years. Bill’s talents include six and 12-string acoustic guitar, Hawaiian Guitar and the rare Harp Guitar.

Geoff Jouas: (Drums/Percussion) Two days fresh out of high school, Geoff Jouas hit the road as a full-time performer with his band Easton Ashe. Over the span of 6 years he recorded three albums and toured extensively throughout the Midwest and East coast. Geoff carried an endorsement through The Maryland Drum Company to which he still plays that kit to this day. Over his 20 years of playing, he has been the drummer for Jay Allan and The Uncommon Good as well as performing with Rose Colored Eyes, Nameless Prophets, Capital Down and American Dali. He brings a style of drumming to the ensemble that blends a passion for music along with a deep commitment to the performance and the song.
Mark Miracle: (Mandolin) Award-winning mandolinist Mark Miracle has been playing Bluegrass/Americana music for over 40 years. Traveling the globe, his stylings and expertise has made him a sought after bandmate guest artist and teacher. Mark’s ability extends far beyond the roots of traditional Bluegrass as he explores all styles of music that have breached the boundaries of traditional composition and have created new sub-genres such as New Grass. Mark brings a harmonic magic to the bands’ songs with his uncanny ability to spontaneously harmonize melody lines with the acoustic guitar. These intertwined melodies bring a new and unique voice to each song that leaves an indelible mark in the listener’s mind.

Tracy Mortimer: (Bass Guitar) This Denver, Colorado native has called Arizona home for the past 38 years. Tracy began playing professionally at age 13 and is a graduate of the Musicians Institute Bass Program in Los Angeles, CA. He’s toured with an extensive list of world-wide performers and most notably held down bass duties with the band Sugarloaf in 1990. He was the touring bassist with Alligator Records recording artist Long John Hunter in 2004 and has played with The Drifters, The Platters, The Contours and Melba Moore. Tracy’s talents also include being a member of the Boston tribute band, Don’t Look Back and the Doobie Brothers tribute band, Listen to the Music. He was the founding member of The Groove Merchants and Chester White and the Soul Pigs.

Jazz for the Soul, an outreach of Music Serving the Word Ministries, is pleased to contribute 100% of donations from this concert to a local organization TBA.

Jazz for the Soul is pleased to present Mike Vax!

To say that Mike Vax is the consummate trumpet player is an understatement. He’s played lead and solo trumpet with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, the Clark Terry Big Bad Band, and the U.S. Navy Show Band.

Mike’s performing and recording credits include stellar artists Art Pepper, Gene Krupa, Freddy Hubbard, Don Ellis, Louie Bellson, Joe Williams, Anita O’Day, June Christy, The Four Freshmen, The Glenn Miller, Harry James, and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestras, the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, and the Dukes of Dixieland in New Orleans.

He's appeared as a guest lead trumpet and soloist with symphony pops orchestras across the United States and in Europe, as well as with the All-American Collegiate Orchestra at Disney World.

He has performed on more than 80 albums, including 25 under his own name.

Mike cares about his community and lends his time and talent to events that educate and promote jazz and big band music. He participates in workshops and concerts in high schools, colleges, and universities. As the founder of Friends of Big Band Jazz, he provides scholarships to jazz camps, funds jazz programs in schools, and supports programs that help musicians in need. Mike also directs the Prescott Jazz Summit, an annual jazz festival in Prescott, Arizona.

Currently he is leading The Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra, The Mike Vax Big Band, TRPTS (Trumpets), The Mike Vax-Ron Romm Collaboration, The Great American Jazz Band, and the Mike Vax Quartet, Quintet and Sextet.

Jazz for the Soul, an outreach of Music Serving the Word Ministries, is pleased to contribute 100% of donations from this concert to a local organization TBA.

Jazz for the Soul is pleased to present Mike Vax!

To say that Mike Vax is the consummate trumpet player is an understatement.
He’s played lead and solo trumpet with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, the Clark Terry Big Bad Band, and the U.S. Navy Show Band.

Mike’s performing and recording credits include stellar artists Art Pepper, Gene Krupa, Freddy Hubbard, Don Ellis, Louie Bellson, Joe Williams, Anita O’Day, June Christy, The Four Freshmen, The Glenn Miller, Harry James, and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestras, the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band, and the Dukes of Dixieland in New Orleans.

He's appeared as a guest lead trumpet and soloist with symphony pops orchestras across the United States and in Europe, as well as with the All-American Collegiate Orchestra at Disney World.

He has performed on more than 80 albums, including 25 under his own name.

Mike cares about his community and lends his time and talent to events that educate and promote jazz and big band music. He participates in workshops and concerts in high schools, colleges, and universities. As the founder of Friends of Big Band Jazz, he provides scholarships to jazz camps, funds jazz programs in schools, and supports programs that help musicians in need. Mike also directs the Prescott Jazz Summit, an annual jazz festival in Prescott, Arizona.

Currently he is leading The Stan Kenton Legacy Orchestra, The Mike Vax Big Band, TRPTS (Trumpets), The Mike Vax-Ron Romm Collaboration, The Great American Jazz Band, and the Mike Vax Quartet, Quintet and Sextet.

Jazz for the Soul, an outreach of Music Serving the Word Ministries, is pleased to contribute 100% of donations from this concert to a local organization TBA.