For a Good Time call the "T6!"
Here's an update of our new dates:
May 2, 2008 We're playing from 7-8 P.M. at the South Building of the State College Area High School for their "Empty Cups" project.
May 3, 2008 at the Seven Springs resort.
June 28, Grange Fairgrounds for Trailer Groups 7 to 8:30.
July 9, Elderhostel in State College, Pa.
Come join us!
NOW AVAILABLE! "Live at HiWay Pizza" our newest CD!
Other gigs:
Back the Lions at the Bryce Jordan Center. Friday, August 31, 2007 at 4:30-6 P.M. (Look for us in the tent.)
"The Tarnished Six 40th Year Celebration Concert"
Sunday, November 4 at 1:00 P.M. at the State Theatre in State College.
The Tarnished Six
John R. Kovalchik, Tuba, Leader
Roger Munnell, Trombone
James Ressler, Trumpet
Jim Chapman, Sax
Mike Evock, Banjo
Phil Carles, Percussion
In the Fall of 1967, a local college hangout adjacent to Penn State University decided to feature "good time" Dixieland. In short order, The Tarnished Six Traditional Dixieland Band was organized, and remained as the house band every Friday night for ten years. Today, two of the original six musicians are still with the band; the other current members have been with the band since 1972, 1983, 1992 and 1999.
With such continuity of personnel, coupled with fine musicianship (there are eight degrees in music among the band members!), it is not surprising that The Tarnished Six plays an outstanding array of songs and musical styles. Musical inspiration for the band comes from a variety of sources but the main influence remains the hot jazz of the 1920's. The band plays tunes from the Louis Armstrong, "King" Oliver, "Jelly Roll" Morton, and Bix Beiderbecke books, of course, and also some "standard" Dixieland. The forte of the band, though, is taking good songs--some popular, some obscure--and playing them with enthusiasm and precision.
The T-6 is often asked the sources of some of the less well known tunes they play. The answer: old records and old sheet music. Like many traditional jazz bands, they have spent many hours listening to scratchy old 78's (and, thankfully, reissues) and pouring through dusty piles of old sheet music. The result is a exciting and very large repertoire of music associated with Armstrong, Oliver, Morton, Beiderbecke, Joplin, Goodman, Ellington, Henderson, Murphy, Watters, Carmichael, Holiday, Wilson, Bechet, Waller, Teagarden, Nichols, Ory, Fire House Five, DeParis brothers; the list could go on and on. A typical evening or concert with The Tarnished Six would include some of the above plus an occasional cakewalk or rag, pop tunes from the 20's, the blues, standards, "barnburners", and a flag-waver or two. With an active tune list of over 200 songs, they even take requests.
The T-6 is a very popular and busy band. It continues to be in great demand not only by connoisseurs of traditional jazz but by the general public as well. A typical month will find the band performing at a variety of functions: private parties, conventions, country clubs, anniversaries, local clubs, jazz societies and such one-nighters as weddings, supermarket openings, carnivals, pig roasts, arts festivals, concerts, parades and tea dances.
With the musicians' fraternity, playing many and varied jobs over the years is known as "paying your dues." All those gigs and the seemingly endless rehearsals have paid off for The Tarnished Six by way of long standing club dates, and numerous repeat engagements at jazz club concerts and jazz festivals. The band has made many tours to play jazz concerts for groups such as the Smithsonian Institution and Potomac River Jazz Club, Washington, D.C.; Jass Appreciation Society of Syracuse; Connecticut Jazz Club; Indianapolis Jazz Club; Charleston Jazz Club; Detroit Hot Jazz Society; the Early Jazz Club of Ohio and the Pennsylvania Jazz Society.
In the last few years, jazz festivals featuring classic jazz have become more popular and The Tarnished Six has played at festivals in Buffalo, NY, Helena, Montana, Catskill, New York, Charlotte, North Carolina, Harrisburg, PA., Columbus and Cleveland Ohio, and for many years at the National Ragtime and Traditional Jazz Festivals in St. Louis and Denver, Some of our most exciting times with the band were our two trips to the music festival in Edinburgh, Scotland and our performances in jazz clubs in London, England.
Just recently, Congress declared jazz a national treasure and we have been "found" by a new audience. The Nittany Valley and the Altoona Symphony Orchestras have featured us in concert and we performed a concert for the Student Foundation for the Performing Arts at the Pennsylvania State University.
It doesn't matter if you like the tight, intricate arrangements of the hot jazz bands of the 20's or the loose, easy New Orleans style, or the swinging 30's, or the blues. You can hear them all during an evening with The Tarnished Six. As important as the style, though, is the fun that goes along with it. You would be hard pressed to find another traditional jazz band that is as electric, eclectic, and entertaining.
The personnel:
John Kovalchik
Tuba/Leader Full time 1972. John is a complete bassist. He sings bass, plays the tuba, Sousaphone, string bass, third base and tells low down stories. In addition to playing the "oom" of the "oom-pah" parts, John's creative juices occasionally cause him to join the front line for a four part cacophony. He graduated from Penn State, got married, started teaching and first played with the Tarnished 6 in 1971, becoming their full time bassist in 1972. He is the third of the past presidents of the Penn State Blue Band in the group. His day job is as a band director at the Mount Nittany Middle School in the State College Area School District. In addition he has been an officer of Local 660 of the American Federation of Musicians since 1985 including holding the office of president for 17 years.
Roger Munnell
Trombone 1967. The first leader of the band. Roger passed the mantle to John Kovalchik in 1996, but he still controls the microphone. Roger played in Navy bands for four years, it only seemed longer. He was one of the three past presidents of the Penn State Blue Band in the group. He is a retired band director who taught at the high school in Bellefonte, Pa. and the junior high in State College. His Turk Murphy style of trombone playing and peerless washboard technique makes him a rarity on the east coast. Since 1982 he has also been a member of the reunion band the Rent Party Revelers.
Jim Ressler
Cornet 1967, An original (You can say that again!). King James is an ex-navy musician and retired instrumental music teacher. His skill in big band playing is recognized by the various show bands that travel through our region and borrow him. He also sets the pace for the front line of our band. He has written and arranged many of our tunes, the latest of which was "Emperor Norton's Hunch" for jazz band and symphony orchestra. He is also leader of the Heritage Brass Quintet and in his youth was one of the three past presidents of the Penn State Blue Band in the group.
Jim Chapman
Soprano and Alto Sax 1983. Jim makes the third front line player to graduate from the U.S. Navy School of Music and the one least likely to talk about it. Then again, he is the most quiet about everything until it's time to play. His highly developed harmonic sense allows him to perfectly fill the holes that the rest of the front line leaves for him while his weight training qualifies him to definitively refuse all of the fans requests for "Star Dust."
Phil Carles
Drums 1999. Phil graduated from Penn State with a B.S. in Music Education and has been a music educator for over 22 years. Lately, he has added teaching business to his credentials. He was a president of Phi Mu Alpha (Mens Honorary Music Fraternity) and a member of Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, the Percussive Arts Society and the International Association of Jazz Educators. He is currently the Secretary/Treasurer of the Pennsylvania unit of IAJE. He is a former director of the Keystone Society of Swing Big Band and also performs with the Richard Victor Quintet. Residing in Bellefonte, Phil is married and has five children. In his spare time he enjoys camping, hiking, rafting, motorcycle riding, hunting, home remodeling and hanging around with musicians.
Mike Evock
Banjo 2000 Mike is a late-bloomer, one of those guys who took some time off from school to work for a while. After about 17 odd years, (what else?) Mike earned two degrees from Penn State and was accepted into Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Kappa Phi. Sometimes known as "What's his name" Mike is a professional musician, he teaches piano and owns a private piano studio besides playing banjo for the Tarnished Six. Mike is learning to sing with us and we are hoping that he actually gets good enough for us to give him a microphone WITH A BANJO ON HIS KNEE! MikeÕs doing a great job as the newest member, but we do have a tough time communicating with Mike when he starts speaking "Banjo."
To book The Tarnished 6, contact John Kovalchik, 3818 McAlevy's Fort Rd. Petersburg, Pa. 16669. Tele: 814-667-2333. E-mail jkt6tuba@aol.com
To purchase any of our nine recordings, contact Roger Munnell at 814-355-9634. CD's are $15 and tapes are $5 while they last. E-mail rmt6bone@aol.com
