Bombay Jim & The Swinging Sapphires

Jim Porcella, Leader & Vocalist

JIM PORCELLA leader and vocalist of Bombay Jim and the Swinging Sapphires.
Jim grew up in Medford, MA, and started playing drums at the age of fourteen. While attending The Berklee School of Music in Boston he began performing around the New England area. He began a jazz vocal career and has recorded seven critically acclaimed CDs performed in jazz and cabaret settings in the Northeast, London, San Francisco, The Virgin Islands and Vancouver. Jim was also the featured vocalist at Boston's Ritz Carlton and Boston's prestigious Bay Tower Room. He has been the featured vocalist with the Artie Shaw Orchestra, Jim presently performs with “the 3 Swingin Tenors” as well as the lead vocalist in PrimaVera!, a tribute show to the music of Louis Prima and Keely Smith.

Dave Limina, Piano/Keyboards

Performances with: (selected)
Paula Cole (Grammy winning recording artist), Robert Lee Castleman, Gary Nicholson (Grammy winning songwriters), Susan Tedeschi, (recording artist), Al Kooper (rock icon), Warren Hill (smooth jazz recording artist), Martha Reeves (motown recording artist), Brooke Benton (recording artist), Mighty Sam McClain, Duke Robillard, Duke Levine.
Recent appearances on commercially released recordings include:
Ronnie Earl, I Feel Like Going On, 2002 Stoney Plain. Now My Soul
2004 Stoney Plain.
Lori McKenna, Bittertown, 2004 Signature sounds.
Boston Music Awards recipient for Michelle Willson, Wake Up Call Rounder records 2001”Best Blues Album”
Associate Musical Director/Keyboardist for first nation touring company of Broadway musical RENT 1996-1997 Schubert theater, Boston, MA.
PUBLICATIONS
Hammond Organ Techniques, Berklee press/Hal Leonard
Instruction book and CD.
Instant Keyboard, Berklee press/Hal Leonard
Instruction book and CD
Upgrade Your Keyboard Playing, Rittor Music, Japan/Hal Leonard,
Instruction book/DVD/video.
Regular contributor to Keyboard Magazine. (Japan)

Arnie Krakowsky, Tenor Sax & Clarinet

Arnie has played with such greats as: Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Kenny Drew, Lionel Hampton, Lincoln Center, Jazz Orchestra, Red Rodney, Artie Shaw Orchestra and Herb Pomeroy. His recordings include: "Where The Tenor Meets The Bone", featuring George Mas (1996); "The Feeling's Mutual" (1986).

Gary Johnson, Drums

Gary attended Berklee College of Music from 1972 to 1974. Formal training consisted of extensive studies with Instructor Bill Flanagan, Fred Buda of the Boston Pops and Jazz Artist Alan Dawson. Gary has been working professionally for the past twentu-eight years. For four years he traveled extensively with the Artie Shaw Orchestra under the direction of Dick Johnson. During that time, he accompanied such artists as: Buddy DeFranco, Rosemarie Clooney, Frankie Laine, Helen Forest and Connie Haines. Other appearances with Scott Hamilton, Dave McKenna, Ken Peplowski, Dizzy Gillespie, Ruby Braff and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Gary is currently freelancing in the New England Area.

Jon Wheatley, Guitar

Jon studied at Berklee from 1974 to 1977. He has performed with: Benny Waters, Scott Hamilton, Dave McKenna, Alan Dawson, Donna Byrne/Marshall Wood, Gunther Schuller, "Sweets" Edison, and Bob Wilbur. His recordings include: Ruby Braff-Live at Regattabar: Dave Whitney, Creative Horn OP: Turk's Works (Mike Turk); Billy Novick-"Remembering You"; Billy Novick & Herb Pomeroy-'This Is Always"; Arnie Krakowsky & George Masso-''Where The Tenor Meets the Bone"; and Jim Porcella- 'Antonio & Jon". He has also contributed his talents to the theatre, working with Rita Moreno, Toni Tenille, Carol Channing, Chita Rivera and in West Side Story. He was part of the Boston Globe Jazz Festival in 1984, 1990 and 1993. He lent his teaching skills to U Mass Lowell from 1987 to 1998, and has been teaching at Berklee since 1998.

Mark Carlsen, Bass

Originally from Minneapolis, MM, Mark moved to Boston in 1977 to attend Berklee College of Music. In 1981 he joined the Tommy Dorsey Band led by Buddy Morrow. He toured with Dorsey until 1984, then returned to Boston to become one of Boston's most sought after bassists. He has backed singers such as Cab Callaway, Vie Damone and Jimmy Witherspoon. He can be heard, as of late, with Herb Pomeroy, Ray Santisi and Dick Johnson.

Richard L. Lowell, First Trumpet and Arranger for the Band

Richard L. Lowell is Associate Professor of Jazz Composition at Berklee College of Music and author of "Big Band Arranging and Score Analysis", (Berklee Publications) He has done compositions and arrangements for Buddy Rich, the Stan Kenton Alumni Band, and the Chicago Metro Jazz Orchestra, as well as compositions and arrangements for the following CD's; Dave Stahl Big Band- Anaconda, Live At Knights, Miranda, Standard Issue; Ken Hadley Big Band-Come Sunday, Just Friends: Dick Johnson-My Kind Of Broadway; Wayne Naus Big Band-Big Band Express. Richard L. Lowell has performed with: Sammy Davis, Tony Bennett, Jack Jones, Cab Galloway and Mel Torme.

Dave Lindsey, Trombone

David Lindsey, trombone, received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from New Mexico State University, and Bachelor and Master's degrees in music from Truman State University. He has toured with big bands led by Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson, and served as contractor/bandleader for many shows, including Ray Charles, Mel Torme, Eddie Fisher, the Temptations, Rita Moreno, Maureen McGovern, Johnny Mathis, and Marvin Hamlisch. Formerly an instructor at Berklee College of Music, he now teaches piano and brass privately. As a member of the Quintessential Brass, he can be heard on two recent recordings, "Miscellanea," and "A Quintessential Christmas."

Jeff Stout, Trumpet

Jeff, a featured soloist with the great Buddy Rich Band of the early 70's, is an Associate Professor of Brass and Jazz History at the Berklee College of Music and one of Boston's premier jazz trumpeters. His credits include recordings and performances with Maxine Sullivan, Gary Burton, Alan Dawson, Mel Torme, Natalie Cole and Rosemary Clooney, to name a few. He is known internationally and performs at many jazz festivals including the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy and the Heineken Jazz Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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