westbrook  musicians

KEYBOARD, BASS, GUITAR & VOCALS

Steve was introduced to music in the woodwind section of  school band in the 4th grade. At the age of 14, he taught himself to play guitar. Based on his knowledge of basic music and chord theory, he also began playing the piano and keyboards and spent much of his early college life playing and singing rock & roll and folk music for campus audiences. It was also during college that he formed his first rock & roll band. He has been playing with bands continuously since then. Steve is the Westbrook Musicians Club President and band leader and enjoys playing with the group, as it inspires him to continue to improve his skills and just have a good time. Steve also performs regularly with another band at the Bistro in Westbrook Village.

LEAD GUITAR, BASS & VOCALS

Bill started out as a Seattle area guitarist who has been studying guitar since September 1961. Since moving to Arizona in late 2016, he plays with the Westbrook Musicians and as a soloist. With the Westbrook Musicians, Bill plays lead guitar and does some vocals. As a soloist, he plays both the melody and chords together with a style similar to Chet Atkins. His repertoire is a blend of jazz and pop. This style enables him to play as a solo instrument as well as with a varity of other musicians. He plays an amplified electric classical guitar. As a soloist, Bill has recorded two CDs, one of which was played on Muzak and the other a Christmas CD that received extensive airplay on Seattle KWJZ, a smooth jazz station. Bill has appeared on KIRO TV's Northwest Afternoon, performed at a wedding in Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman's Malibu residence, has toured as a backup musician in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Latvia, and most of North America.

RHYTHM GUITAR & VOCALS

Singing since the 4th grade and playing in bands since the folk music revolution in the early 1960's, Bill has performed at the Cedar Point  Amusement Park, with the Marine Band at the U.S. Capital, at the White House, the New York World's Fair, with the Harlem Globetrotters, and at military bases and other venues  throughout Europe. He was a backup singer for Brenda Lee and the Lennon Sisters at the Ohio State Fair. He received a college vocal scholarship, ultimately becoming a top-40 disk jockey and television producer before moving into emergency management. Bill was a music director at the St. James Parish in Glendale, Arizona for over 25 years. He has performed extensively as a solo artist and with bands in the Phoenix area, including with his own band, Class Reunion, at the first ever AZ Cardinals Tailgate Party.

DRUMS

John was introduced to music at an early age, standing knee-high to his grandfather at the upright piano and listening to Grandpa play every song imaginable by ear. Soon little Johnny was pounding out songs on the ivories that he had heard on the radio, from Beethoven to the Beatles. Then, Herb Alpert came along and, of course, Johnny had to take up the trumpet in elementary school band. In high school, there was no drummer for the jazz choir, so John volunteered to learn and was playing concerts on drums the next month. Then came a music scholarship to college, becoming a music teacher, marrying a music teacher, and having a daughter who went on to become a renowned professional singer and trombone player. Along the way came plenty of experience playing both for fun and professionally on trumpet and drums, and fitting in many years as a public school principal. John now plays in several bands in and around the Phoenix area on both trumpet and drums.

DRUMS

Jeff is a Brooklyn, N.Y. native who began playing the drums in 1958. He performed for 4 summers at varioius hotels and resorts in the Catskill Mountains during the early 1960's before spending  time in the U.S. Army from 1965-1967. Jeff was a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service for 9 years in Brooklyn and 32 years in Phoenix. He takes credit for never going "postal" during those 41 years, and only came close on one occasion. He has two sons, both of whom he considers to be smarter than their father. Having played at a few weddings and Bar Mitzvahs along the way before  beconing involved in the Westbrook Village Players, he has been doing some acting for the last few years. Jeff got back into music recently as part of the Westbrook Village Music Club. He blew the dust off his drums and is glad to be back with a band.

VOCALS

Maryann, Sue, Linda, and Sharon are active members of the Westbrook Village Musicians Club and often appear at events with the band. They provided intermission entertainment for the 2017 Westbrook Village Follies, the Annual Clasic Car Show, and will be appearing with the band at the 2017 End of the Season Pool Party.  

-Maryann Carafello sang in her high school choir, the choir at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Glendale, where she was also a Cantor, and the choir at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Phoenix. She also had the privilege of singing for the Pope in Rome, along with the St. Paul's Choir, during a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica. She also sang at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Assisi, Italy and did a private concert with the church choir in the Sistine Chapel. Maryann has always loved to sing, a trait passed down to her by her mother.

-Sue Friess began playing piano at age 9, sang in the school choir, likes to sing karaoke and especially enjoys singing in the WBV Musicians Club.

-Linda Hofman is an Arizona native  with a love of music that began at a very early age and that continues today. She has played the piano and the clarinet and sung in her church choir. Linda enjoys singing with the WBV Musicians.

-Sharon Witthuhn sang with her school chorus and the Village Voices, where she was also the librarian for several years. She also enjoys singing karaoke. Additionally, she built her own dulcimer, has played the autoharp and has taken organ lessons. She loves music and singing with the WBV Musicians Club.