Great Jazz for Every Occasion

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The Usual Suspects have been "doing time" as part of the Colorado jazz music scene since 1998. They combine the unique and beautiful sound of Bill O'Beirne's mellophone with Pete Lewis' masterful playing on the Tenor and Alto Sax. Add Jerry Weiss' stylish piano playing, Tim Carmichael's rock solid bass playing and Dave Rohlf's driving groove on drums and you have a recipe for great jazz.

The band plays at a wide variety of functions throughout Colorado in an equally wide variety of settings. They are great at weddings, corporate parties, outdoor festivals, and in restaurants and clubs. For a more intimate setting, the band can reduce to a trio with mellophone, piano and bass. If you would like, you can also add the sax and drums, but the favorite is all five of them. You'll here great jazz standards, great jump swing tunes and a few originals thrown in for good measure.

The idea grew out of the Joel Kaye Neophonic Big Band which uses a section of French Horns doubling on mellophones as part of the ensemble. A rarely used instrument, the mellophone was introduced to the jazz idiom  in the 1950's by Stan Kenton. While a member of Joel Kaye's band, Bill decided to build a small combo that used the unique tone of the mellophone as the core sound of the ensemble. The group began in 1998 when Bill called Tim and asked him if he's like to form a band with a mellophone player. Tim asked the logical question. "What's a mellophone?" Bill explained the instrument as a trumpet on steroids and Tim decided he had to do this. When Pete Lewis joined the Neophonic Jazz Orchestra, Bill asked him if he's like to play some tunes with the band. The sound of the tenor sax and the mellophone together was perfect and the band came together. Though there have been personnel changes over the years, Pete and Tim have always been there and the chemistry and communication is obvious.

Give Bill a call or drop him an email and have the Usual Suspects entertain your at your next event!

The Band at Keystone Ranch - Keystone, Colorado