Dennis "Muddy" Juarez
is a true icon of the Bay Area rock scene. Not "just a bass player", Dennis has been involved in the music business for just about forever. Along with stints in The Tickets and Blue Flat, Dennis spent several years with the Chris Cobb Band and was also a member of the Fenders from Hell, Joe Allen & the Shapes - the list goes on! In addition to playing bass and handling most of the lead vocals for MCHS, Dennis managed some top venues in San Francisco for over 20 years with a hand in booking and production. He continues to work behind the scenes as a tour de force in making the annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival a success.
Roger Allen
a guitar player's guitar player who's at home playing blistering Hendrix leads as well as Doc Watson finger pickingAmericana style. Roger also plays a wicked slide with just about any apparatus available up to and including spent longneck beer bottles. Roger studied with Joe Satriani and is responsible for showcasing local music as the host for many "open mic nights" around the Bay Area. Roger is also a member of the Delta Dawgs.
Greg Brown
Saxman Greg earned his Masters in Music education degree from Cal State Hayward. Currently, he is the Co-Director and Educational Consultant with the Big Band and Director of the Skyline College Jazz Band. As a conductor he has worked with Jazz and Latin luminaries Bobby Shew, Sean Jones, Carl Allen, Vijay Iyer, Laurence Hobgood, Julian Lage, Mic Gillette, Allen Carter, Jeff Beal, Pete Christieb, Andy Martin, Edgardo Cambon, Francisco Torres, Mary Fettig, Tamir Hendelman, Javier Cabanillas and many others.Greg’s performing/recording credits include: Mel Torme, Steve Allen, Terry Gibbs, Diahann Carroll, Queen Ida, Souled Out, Off the Top, The Bunyups, the Bubba Big Band, the Bob Enos’ Sonic Sound Wave, the East Bay Saxophone Quartet, the South Berkeley Chamber Ensemble and the Diablo Symphony Orchestra. He is also an active a festival adjudicator, clinician, guest soloist and music education mentor.
Greg has received numerous awards as an educator including: The Gil Frietas Award, the Frank Sumares Jazz Educator of the Year Award, the United States Marine Corps Excellence in Education Award, and earned first place at the Next Generation Jazz Festival (sponsored by the Monterey Jazz festival) in 1989 and 2014-2018. In addition, his high school Jazz Bands performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1989 and 2014-2019. Greg received the Paul A. Shaghoian Jazz Educator Award: Honoring Excellence in Jazz Education and Performance, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mt. Diablo Unified School District.
Chris Ferreira
began playing guitar when the Beatles burst onto the scene in the early 60's. His musical collaboration with Dennis started in the 5th grade when they played “Louie Louie” and “Wipeout” in a school talent show. Primarily the band’s keyboardist, Chris can also be heard playing electric and acoustic mandolin on a few tunes. Additionally, he plays guitar, banjo, ukulele and flute and is the keyboard player for 19 Hand Horse - a country/Americana band. As a member of the 80's Bay Area pop phenom "The Tickets", Chris opened shows for the likes of Huey Lewis, Greg Kihn, Cold Blood, Tommy Tutone, The Producers and Pablo Cruise back in the day.
Mark Carrabello
is also an alumnus of The Tickets power pop band and got his first drum kit when he was eight years old. With Dennis, Mark formed the nucleus/rhythm section of Goldust in the mid-70s as well as Woodroe and Chameleon. Besides MCHS, Mark provided the beat for Heavy Petting Zoo and occassionally plays with Jackson and the Immortals, although his true passion is backstopping the Shark Alley Hobos - a versatile ensemble of several local musicians with a penchant for sea shanties, sing-alongs and bawdy Irish tunes.
Dave Bell (extra-special guest)
graduated from Berklee College of Music where he studied with jazz greats, including Gary Burton. Heavyweights Paul and Sheila Smith schooled Dave in Brazilian guitar when playing with their trio. He also studied with guitar wizard Tuck Andress, toured with Dan Hicks for ten years and works regularly with powerhouse singer/songwriter Johnny Smith. Busy Dave plays locally with various jazz and r’n’b groups and runs his own studio, Bellboy Recording (Richmond), where he has recorded many of the area's leading musicians. He also has a solo guitar Christmas CD with soulful arrangements of the seasonal carols. Although Dave's busy schedule keeps him from playing all of the band's shows, we're proud and lucky to have him join us whenever possible!