The Coastline Swing Band...

Hank Burr, a graduate of Boston University and Hartt College of Music, is a saxophonist and noted educator who taught high school music and band in New Jersey for many years before retiring to Rhode Island. His groups performed and competed successfully throughout the Northeast, winning top honors at festivals and competitions in such places as Boston, New York, Atlantic City and Williamsburg, Va. Burr was also a past conductor of the New Jersey All-State Jazz Ensemble and has regularly been invited to conduct clinics at various schools. He and his wife moved to Charlestown, R.I. because of the beauty and ruralness of the area.

Rob Hayden grew up in Wallingford, Ct.  He holds a bachelor's degree in music from Ithaca College and a master's degree in music from the Catholic University of America.  He was a member of the United States Air Force Concert Band in Washington, D.C. and has played with the Georgetown, Annapolis, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras.  He spent six years traveling in the U.S. and Canada with his five piece show band.  In 1980 he embarked on his current profession and attended the University of Connecticut, majoring in chemistry.  He subsequently attended the University of Connecticut Medical Center in Farmington receiving the DMD, and completed his orthodontic residency at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.  He was a founding member of the Coastline Swing Band.

Brad Lavigne is the 2nd tenor sax, one of the soloists of the sax section. He has great musical connections and plays in a number of other bands, on a full-time or part-time basis including String of Pearls, Bob Hughes's The Big Band, and Sounds of Swing. Brad attends jazz camp every summer to hone his solo improvising skills. When he isn't playing the sax, Brad is a gastroenterologist practicing in Westerly, RI.

Barry Lieberman graduated from Ithaca College ('67) and went on to the University of Miami for graduate work with Frederick Fennell.  He taught music and inspired students for thirty-two-years in the Bedford Public Schools in Bedford, New York.  As the High School band Director, Barry led his Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Band in performing at numerous major festivals and events.  His Jazz Band had the distinct privilege of performing with Paul Shaffer, the musical director for the David Letterman Show.  

Since retiring to Rhode Island with his wife Jill in 2000, Barry continues to contribute generously to the world of music by conducting the fifty-plus piece Wakefield Civic Band, appearing regularly on Sunday nights at the True Brew Cafe in Wakefield, Rhode Island, and performing throughout the area with the Annaquatucket Sax Quartet.  In his spare time, Barry and Jill can be seen on the golf course, occasionally celebrating the much sought after "hole in one."

Dave's great-grandfather was an itinerant musician from Germany, who got off the boat in 1881 and joined the band of the US Second Regiment of Artillery. The family’s been musically inclined ever since and today it includes four conservatory-trained musicians. Then there’s Dave.  He’s been playing since he was eight, but didn't pay attention to his trumpet teacher, so he's mostly self-taught. 

Dave only plays music that makes him smile and prefers jazz that's older than he is.  Dave plays in the Wakefield Civic Band, is the leader and cornet player of High Society (the Dixieland unit of the Westerly Band) and frequently appears at Jazz and Jam with Joe Parillo on Sunday evenings at True Brew Café in Wakefield.

Steve grew up in Fairfield County, CT, playing in several local Big Bands while attending the University of Bridgeport.  After a brief Cruise Ship stint for Royal Caribbean, he finished his music education degree at the University of North Texas so he wouldn't have to drive a school bus for the rest of his life.  Steve holds a MM degree from the University of Rhode Island, and currently teaches elementary school music in Groton, CT.

Jim Dygert, baritone sax, is a graduate of the Hartt School with a bachelor of music education. Graduate study was at Connecticut College where he received an MAT. He has studied clarinet with William Goldstein and saxophone with Joe Allard and Don Sinta.

Jim served in the U. S. Navy with several unit bands.  He later joined the U.S. Coast Guard Band as principal saxophone and retired as assistant director.  During this time he also played clarinet with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony.

In addition to the Coastline Swing Band, he is also a member of the Dick Campo Big Band and Vic Elci Orchestra. During the summer he also performs with the Norwich Concert Band and the Silver Cornet Band. Jim has also performed with the Pat Dorn and Bob Hughes bands.

He has backed such performers as Hal Linden, The Temptations, Marian McPartland, Bill Watrous, Roger Williams, James Galway, Judy Collins, Itzhak Perlman and Renee Fleming.  Jim has also performed on National Public Radio and on the television shows Good Morning America and the Mike Douglas Show.

Jim is a part-time adjunct faculty member of the music department at Connecticut College where he teaches saxophone.  He also teaches clarinet and saxophone at the Thames Valley Music School which is located at the college.

Steve started playing trumpet in the 4th grade. His first trumpet teacher was his high school band director,  Bill Roosa.  Steve moved to Connecticut in 1977 and studied trumpet with Coast Guard musician Jose Cordero.  Since then, Steve has pushed his playing range well into the upper stratosphere.

Steve plays in various community bands and sometimes "subs" in other local big bands.  Steve's day job is designer at Electric Boat. 

Steve Nilson, the CSB 3rd trombone, grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC, and played in a number of musical groups there.  After that, he joined the witness protection program and dropped out of sight until he surfaced in Connecticut some years later and joined CSB. Steve also plays in String of Pearls.

Paul Matthias began playing trombone in the Owen J. Roberts School District under the watchful training of Frederic J. Davies, a seasoned Musician, Trombone Instructor and Band Director.  Paul strengthened his lip and his wit in High School by playing during the summers in the Circus Kirk Band and during the winters with various Jazz, Theater  and Community Bands in the area.  The high point in his musical training to date was when he was selected for a series of Training Seminars at Towson University with Bill Watrous.

Today, in addition to playing lead trombone with the CSB, Paul plays lead trombone with The Coastline Trombone Quartet, a group he founded that performs for a wide range of celebrations and events.  Paul also plays lead trombone with the Wakefield Civic Band.

When he is not playing music, Paul continues to collect many one-of-a-kind experiences around the world and under the sea using equipment he invented to explore shipwrecks including the Lusitania, Britannic and Titanic. 

Dave Taggart grew up in Great Barrington, Massachusetts where he studied both violin and trumpet. He joined the Pittsfield Musicians Union at age 13 and performed in many night clubs, resorts, and the Berkshire Symphony at Williams College during his high school years.

Dave earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Lowell State College and a Master's in Guidance and Psychological Services from Springfield College. Following nine years of public school teaching in Ware, Massachusetts, he joined the U Mass - Amherst Admissions Office for 13 years before moving to the University of RI a Dean of Admissions where he served for 20 years.

Dave resumed his music career after retirement from URI in 2006. His 55 years of professional playing throughout the Northeast include engagements with Herb Pomeroy, Alan Dawson, Dick Madison, Lenny Hochman, Lou Colombo, Lee Childs, the Paradise City Jazz Band, and currently with the Original Dissonance Jazz Band ( ODJB ) of Cape Cod.

Joe grew up in western Maryland where, back in 1969 after hearing a teacher perform Lassus Trombone, he was hooked on the instrument.  He has enjoyed playing in Big Bands at Western Maryland College, the University of Rhode Island, and the Catholic University of America; the highlights being performances in Washington, DC at Blues Alley, the Kennedy Center, and various jazz festivals as lead trombonist with the Catholic University Jazz Band. 

In addition to CSB, Joe is a member of the Westminster (Maryland) Municipal Band, the Wakefield (Rhode Island) Civic Band, and he performs with the ‘60s rock & roll band, King Huey and His Court in southern Rhode Island and Connecticut.  These last few years Joe has had the pleasure of working in association with the three-time Unity Award recipient, Tom Kendzia at Christ the King Church in Kingston, RI, where he organizes young musicians to take part in the Church’s Music Ministry program.

A chemist by training, Joe holds a B.S. degree in Environmental Science from the Catholic University of America (Washington, DC) and an M.S. degree in Organic Geochemistry from the University of Rhode Island.

Bob Weirath plays bass. Besides his jazz chops, he is classically trained and plays with serious symphonic and jazz groups.

Bill "Fox" Mills plays guitar with CSB and other venues throughout Southern New England.  Fox can be seen/heard in solo performance Wednesday nights at the Water St. Cafe, Stonington, CT., and is featured with The Mystic Horns, 9 pc. Rhythm & Blues band Friday nights at the Mystic Hilton, Mystic, CT.  His mellow solos with CSB are always a crowd favorite.  When he's not playing guitar, he is a master craftsman building boats at Stonington Boatworks. 

Gregg studied percussion with Walter Tokarcyzk, Craig McNutt, and Ronald Stabile, and can be seen performing around the New England area as a freelance percussionist.  Gregg is a member of the Coastline Swing Band, The AFM (American Federation of Musicians) local 529 Newport, and has performed with the Dawn Chung Jazz Trio, The Ocean State Chamber Orchestra, the Southern Massachusetts Festival Orchestra and Chorus, and the Swanhurst Chorus Orchestra.  Gregg is the full time Jr/Sr High School instrumental music director in the Exeter-West Greenwich regional school district.