Wisconsin
John Orth: Vocalist extradinaire!, Guitar Jim Brown, Keys, Guitar, vox John Remy, Drums, vox Mark Greuenfelder: Bass, Vox All experienced, committed 'beatlephiles', with extensive knowledge of late 50's-mid 60's rock and RnB. Authentic, vintage equipment. Not a 'tribute act', but a celebration! No corny accents, just precise reproduction of classic music.
Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble is an instrumental group based out of Madison, Wisconsin. They are primarily influenced by the legendary Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. The ensemble also pulls influences from jazz, swing, traditional Latin, Parisian waltzes, and other vintage-jazz sources. Expect a range of tunes from the "Hot Swing" repertoire, originals and standards done in uniquely arranged styles. The idea for Caravan G.S.E. started in early 2002 when Chris Ruppenthal, the group's leader and an aspiring jazz guitarist, first heard recordings of Dutch Gypsy jazz guitarist Jimmy Rosenberg who played in the Reinhardt style. Chris soon turned away from the American bebop style of jazz guitar to follow in the long shadow of Django and was inspired to seek out fellow Gypsy swing enthusiasts. Caravan G.S.E. sprang out of that inspiration as a trio of two guitars, and violin. The trio played a barrage of open mikes and busked at local farmers markets to get their repertoire together. After adding a bassist and clarinetist they began playing coffee houses, clubs, and parties. Soon they were recording, and performing consistently throughout the Midwest. The group released it first official full length CD "Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble" on Hot String Swing records in 2007. The recording features an expanded band lineup and includes original music, arrangements of Django Reinhardt classics, jazz standards, and Latin tunes. Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble's recordings have been prominently featured as a bed soundtrack on ABC 27's "Cooking The Casbah." Their music has also been used in advertisements for RP Pasta and for chocolatier Gail Ambrosius. Caravan G.S.E. has had substantial experience with live performance in a broad range of settings including concert halls, festivals, nightclubs, and corporate events. They have had a wide variety of live radio experience including numerous appearances on Wisconsin Public Radio's "Higher Ground with Jonathan Overby." Highlights of Caravan G.S.E.'s festival and concert experience include performances at Madison's Overture Center, at The Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival, The Isthmus Jazz Festival, and two years in a row at The Midwest Gypsy Swing Festival. Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble has become an experienced, seasoned group with a unique sound and a diverse repertoire. They now perform in lineups that range from a two-guitar duo to a six-piece ensemble including clarinet, violin, and drums. Although the music of Django Reinhardt it still at the core of the band they have learned to take Gypsy swing music in a broad range of directions.
Straight Up (a cover band) has an impressive list of stage experiences. Tanya (lead vocals) works as a commercial vocalist and has sung with several greats including Ray Charles and Kenny Rogers. She has worked in both a studio and live setting for much of her life. The other band members also have extensive musical backgrounds. Their setlist is a carefully chosen mix of crossover country, pop, rock, and classics from the 50-80's. They are truly "variety" and fit well in any setting from a corporate party to an outdoor festival to the Saturday night bar scene. Their skills combined with the band's enthusiasm are guaranteed to get the crowd on their feet!
Ryan Sette is a guitarist who hails from Green Bay, WI, and can usually be found playing the music of jazz, although he has been moved by classical, blues, rock, funk, and acoustic/ fingerstyle music. All of these influences can be heard distinctly through his solo playing, which is mostly a mix of classical style fingerpicking through jazz standards. Currently, he teaches private lessons at the Guitar Cellar, and is involved in a variety of musical efforts. He has been working on music for a possible solo, is a member of a new, original rock group called Quarterlife Crisis, and has recently joined up with Mark Mertens to play jazz guitar duos. Ryan is available for private parties, weddings, special events, etc. for a reasonable fee. Hiring an accomplished solo artist can give you a lot of bang for your buck. Ryan plays a huge variety of music on solo guitar, and can easily tailor his set list to fit any situation. Over the past eleven years, Ryan has led a fairly eclectic musical life. He's played with local jazz master John Salerno, sat in with the cover band Charisma, spent a year behind-the-scenes with the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, led his own jazz combo, opened for the Beaver Dam Community Orchestra, sang Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Oshkosh Symphony, and has filled in on banjo playing Dixieland and Polka with the Packer Band. He has even performed in a big band with jazz greats Chuck Loeb and Bobby Militello. During high school, Ryan received the high ratings for a classical guitar performance at a solo competition, and personally organized and directed his school's jazz ensemble. Since then, he has graduated at the top of his class with a degree in Jazz from the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay.
