Every band should have a George Ranzette. We don't know exactly when George became our roadie. As a matter of fact, we don't know exactly where he lives or how to find him. But at the gigs, George is invaluable. He fixes anything on the spot (and I mean anything, he even repairs your car during the gig). It is worth repeating, every band should have a George Ranzette. It has been rumored that George Ranzette is "(allegedly) the Best There Ever Was"

John began playing with Jim and Phil in 1978. He is a fine saxophone player, specializing in staccato bursts of melodic energy. He turns the flute into a suprisingly versatile instrument, employing unusual techniques. John truly stands out as a harmonica player. His version of Whammer Jammer is legendary. He sings lead vocal on many tunes. John's greatest contribution to the Jim Small Band sound is his ability to hear and execute the inside parts of the Jim-John-Phil vocal trio. The three part vocal harmony (sometimes 4 or 5 part) is an integral component of JSB music. With Jim smoothly  singing the lower part and Phil above, John has an innate ability to find the often winding and twisting inner parts that give three part singing much of its beauty. John is also the de facto Master of Ceremonies at gigs, his inexhaustable enthusiasm reaching out to all within hearing.

Lenny has been a card-carrying member of the band since the early days at Dakota Rose. For over 35 years he has participated in every major event played by the JSB. His place on the stage is on the side by John and Mike, forming The Down Wind Horn Section. Lenny is a monster sax player, having studied and practiced and wood-shedded his entire life. He can play all wind instruments and is especially fluent in clarinet and bassoon. The most important aspect Lenny brings to the band it the huge smile that covers his face. This man can light up a cave at midnight. While it is no secret that the onstage presence of the Jim Small Band is casual and usually downright hilarious, Lenny has the ability to make a great situation even better as he roams the stage. It is also important to note that Lenny is responsible for guiding Mike Guido into gainful employment, thereby preventing him from descending into a life of club-dates.

Bobby fully employs the range of musical colors available to keyboard players in the digital age. It is, however, when playing the Hammond Organ (brought to the forefront of rock music by Long Island's own Young Rascals) that he shines. A veteran of the Long Island club scene and a bandmate of Rick Silecchio for many years Bobby fit right in with the JSB. In true band tradition, he comes to every gig, armed and ready with new jokes. Bobby is also the resident "figure out what chord this is" guy. His discriminating ear can easily tell the dominant 7th chords from the Obama 9ths.

Rusty joined Small Talk in 1980 when the Small Talk trio added bass and drums. He left the Jim Small Band in 1983. Rusty also wrote songs that were in the bands regular rotation. He is a funny man and hopefully he will find this entry when he googles himself and can check in and let us know what he is up to.

 

Phil joined the band in 1984 and lasted four years. He kept the rest of the band in stitches the entire time he was here. On a memorable 1988 band road trip to the Sunday River Ski resort in Maine, Phil was the sourge of the mountain. The ski patrol there tell stories about him to this day. He finally couldn't take the (mostly self-inflicted) abuse to his body and had to leave the band shortly after. Fortunately, we used to rehearse at his parent's house which enabled us to meet his grandmother and, more importantly, his little brother Vin, who succeeded him as JSB drummer.

For six years until she passed away suddenly in 1999, Sally Scudder was a card-carrying (and equipment-carrying) member of the Jim Small Band. Sally was a joy to be around. She approached everything she did with such exuberance. It is hard to accept that we will never look across the stage again and see her in her carefully ironed clothes, her hands on the keys, bobbing her head and tapping her feet in time to the music (bare feet as often as possible). This was one happy lady. Sally had been part of the Huntington music scene since the early 1970's, playing in various bands and as a solo artist. She had perfect pitch, which means that whatever musical note is played, she could sense its exact pitch name. Sally was a great addition to the band, bringing new material and a fun attitude. She will never be forgotton.

In 1980, Small Talk added bass and drums to the group. Within a few months Lee Finkelstein joined the band and was instrumental in the development of the sound that would become the Jim Small Band. The product of a family that has drumming and rhythm in its DNA, Lee has incredible independence and a highly developed sense of time. He has gone on to perform with dozens of top artists playing diverse styles of music - from klezmer to funk to traveling the world as a member of the Blues Brothers Band. Lee is also a founding member of the Long Island based Funk Filharmonik. As with all JSB members, Lee is a very funny guy with a keen sense of the absurd. loS fo noS (inside joke)

In 1978 Larry joined Phil and Jim to form Small Talk. He played bass guitar and guitar and was part of the songwriting process. He left the group about a year later and currently resides in Cleveland where he has recently rediscovered the songwriting bug and has built a recording studio in his house. A few years back Larry found our website and he sent a submission to the Jim Small Band Tell Your Story Here Page that can be found by clicking here.