Rich Agee

Trumpet III

Richard’s early exposure to music was listening to the bass from
the jukebox in the bar beneath his grandma’s second floor apartment in Hayward, California. He spent several of his summers there. When it came time to join the school band at age 11 he and his parents tried to rent a bass. Sadly, they were told they had only enough money for a trumpet. So a trumpet it was.
 
As an adult, Richard played in several groups in the San Francisco, East Bay and the Sacramento-Sierra region of Northern California. Some of his musical highlights, for which he is thankful, are to have had the opportunity of performing with Stu Blumberg, Jon Faddis, Stan Mark, Mike Vax, and Louis Belson. Richard is no stranger to playing all kinds of music. After moving to Southern Oregon in 1993, he played in the Rogue Valley Wind Ensemble, the Ashland City Band, the Rogue Valley Symphony, and the Jefferson State Jazz Orchestra. He is currently playing lead trumpet with the RCC Jazz Band and in the trumpet section of the Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra.

Joe Fascilla

Trumpet III

Joe began playing trumpet in 4th grade in Oakland, Ca.  He moved to San Leandro, Ca. in 1958, continuing playing in both his junior high and high schools’ orchestra and jazz bands.  He later attended Chabot Jr. College and Cal State Hayward, playing in the concert and jazz bands. Following graduation in 1971, he joined the California Army National Guard, playing in the band.

Moving to Ashland in 1989, Joe has played in the Ashland City Band, Rogue Big Band, local salsa band Salsa Brava, High Society, and has performed several musicals in the SF Bay Area and the Rogue Valley, and now with SOJO.

Josh Dargavel

Trombone III

Originally from Berea, Kentucky, Josh began playing the trombone at age 11. Although he never heard his uncle John play, Josh was inspired to choose the slide instrument after seeing numerous photos of his uncle holding and playing the trombone that were displayed throughout his grandmother’s house.

After graduating high school, Josh went on to pursue a B.M. in Trombone Performance from the University of Kentucky then finished his M.M. in Jazz Studies from Michigan State University in 2015. Immediately following school Josh traveled the world as a show band musician for Norwegian and Regent Cruise Lines.

Since moving to Grants Pass, Oregon in 2016, Josh continues to play with various groups around the area. These groups include Danielle Kelly and the Soul Project, Kirby Shaw’s Jefferson State Choral Coalition, Timberline Express, Three Rivers Community Orchestra and more regularly, the Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra. Josh has been teaching music within the Three Rivers School District for seven years and is currently the music instructor at Hidden Valley High School in Grants Pass.

Terry Kirby

Trombone II

Terry started playing trombone at the age of 10, being inspired
by Raoul Maddox during a school assembly in Ashland, Oregon.
He wanted to enroll in beginning band. On the way to school,
Terry asked his dad if he could start playing trombone. His Dad
said, “I don’t know if we can afford one, but if can buy one for
you, you’ll need to stick to it”.

Throughout his school years, Terry always strived to play his
best. He achieved many honors and later received a scholarship
to the University of Nevada at Reno. The experience of playing
with the UNR Concert Jazz Band under Dr. Eugene Isaeff was
Terry’s strongest foundation in playing big band jazz. Many
of the musicians he played with had professional backgrounds
in the Reno/Tahoe house bands or had played with big names
such as Stan Kenton, Harry James, and Maynard Ferguson.

While working in construction and raising a family, Terry
limited his playing to occasional church offerings, summers
with the Ashland City Band, a few years with Don Tingle’s
Rack of Bones. Just recently, he joined the Southern Oregon
Jazz Orchestra. Being with Big band jazz has been his favorite
music. Playing with SOJO he plans to spend more time
improving his jazz chops. Thinking back to the conversation
asking his Dad’s permission to play, it looks like he has been “sticking to it.”

Jeremy Durst

Alto Sax I

Jeremy Durst began playing trombone in 6th Grade at
Jacksonville Elementary School. By high school, he was
active band student playing in Jazz band and Wind
Ensemble at South Medford High School. Jeremy played
in several bands outside of school including Gabriel and
the Technicians, and a start-up project entitled Humanzee.

He attended the University of Oregon for two years as a
Jazz Studies major but in need of a change, transferred to
Western Kentucky University to pursue a Music Education
degree. The Wind Ensemble, the “Big Red Marching Band,”
and the Jazz Ensemble were school musical groups he
performed with. In 2009 he completed his degree and was
hired that fall as the Director of Bands at Eagle Point High
School in Eagle Point, Oregon. This up-coming school year
will be Jeremy’s sixth year as Eagle Point High School’s band
director. He currently lives in Medford with his wife and two
Labrador retrievers. SOJO is fortunate to have Jeremy as
one of its outstanding musicians.

Brent Olstad

Piano

Brent Olstad began playing the piano in the 3^rd grade, largely on the insistence of his mother who was a music educator. He attended Biola University where he received a B.M. in Organ Performance. It was in college that he began hearing and exploring jazz, and it has been his favorite music ever since. It was also in college that he began arranging music and has since added 100s of arrangements to his catalog of mostly sacred music, although he has many jazz and “secular” arrangements as well. His music can be found at www.brentolstadmusic.com. He moved to the Rogue Valley 30 years ago to be the Worship Pastor of Ashland Bible Church where he served for 20 years.  He has found time to perform in a variety of venues, including the Craterian Theater, Camelot Theatre, the Cabaret Theatre, and the Britt Festival. He has played for Kirby Shaw’s Jefferson State Choral Coalition, the Rogue Valley Chorale and has been a session player for several recording projects. He has been a member of the Rogue Valley Gospel Group, Salsa Brava, and The High Society Orchestra. Although he isn’t on staff in a church, he still enjoys playing on the worship team at his church in Jacksonville. 
 
He worked for a number of years with Joni and Friends, a ministry serving people affected by disability. Although he is no longer with the organization, he and his wife, Rachel, continue to be a disability advocates training, mentoring, and encouraging organizations and individuals to honor, cherish, include, and respect those in our community who are affected by disability.

Dianne Strong-Summerhays

Vocalist

Dianne has been singing since she was a teenager growing
up in Southern Oregon. Her musical roots began with a
cappella Gospel with her sisters and in community theater.
As a teenager, she toured Europe with a youth orchestra.

Dianne later returned from the UK and finally settled in
Southern Oregon. She has become a popular local performer,
appearing at many local venues with SOJO, Blue Lightning
Dance Band, and sits in with many other local bands.

Dianne’s style is strong, smooth, and controlled like the best big band singers of the 40’s, but it’s the joy she expresses in song that makes her performances memorable. She says, “The biggest thrill I’ve had as a singer is to be backed by that big band sound”.