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Big Roy Big Roy has been performing its infectious grooves since 1994. Appearing at The Green Mill, The Beat Kitchen, Martyrs' and The Jazz Buffet, they are a familiar part of the Chicago jazz scene. Big Roy is also warmly received by public audiences at popular outdoor venues like Taste of Chicago, Summerfest (Milwaukee, WI), On The Waterfront (Rockford, IL) and Chicago's Navy Pier. Prominent Chicagoland broadcasters are also tuned in to Big Roy. On WXRT, their unique sound has won over listeners of both Richard Milne's Local Anesthetic and Barry Winograd's Jazz Transfusion. And Roy Leonard has featured the band on WGN. Evan Rea started playing the piano at the tender age of three, taught by his mother. As a youth he also played the trumpet. As a Junior at Northern Illinois University he won the concerto competition. With the NIU Jazz Ensemble he won the best composition award at the Notre Dame jazz festival and had the pleasure of performing with artists like Louis Bellson, Allen Vizzutti, Randy Brecker and Dennis DeBlasio. A Chicago-based freelance musician, Evan has performed with the St. Louis Symphony, The Lyric Opera, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, Steve Allen, and Phoebe Snow. He has also performed for shows such as Titanic, Annie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Ghosts of Versailles, Beauty and the Beast, and The American Girl Revue. Also, Evan appeared in the film My Best Friend's Wedding and the TV show Early Edition. Specializing in percussion and world music, Joe Sonnefeldt has spent most of his time performing, recording, and teaching music around Chicago and the Midwest. He has played on several CDs including Natural Thing from Poi Dog Pondering. Joe has performed live with "Poi" at Alpine Valley, Soldier Field, and Grant Park for WXRT's 4th of July show during Taste of Chicago. Joe co-produced and played on the 1998 debut CD of the Pan Go steel band. They performed at Chicago's Jazz Showcase in January of 1999. Joe also performs with several other bands including Suenos, a latin jazz group (featured on the TV show Wild Chicago) and Hurricane Gumbo (zydeco). His work can also be heard on radio/ TV commercials for United Airlines, Bally Total Fitness, Hoover, Boku, Carrier, Corona, the Illinois Bureau of Tourism and many others. Kraig McCreary's career has run the gamut from performing at Holiday Inns to sharing the stage with a myriad of stars like Linda Clifford, Bruce Hornsby, Peabo Bryson, Clifton Webb, Rush Hour, Danny Bonaduce, Skunk Baxter, Dennis DeYoung, Tiny Tim, Dolly Parton, Willie Dixon, Luther Vandross, Kevin Cronin, Jerry Goodman, Johnny B, Kenny G., Michael Bolton, Fee Waybill, Richard Marks, and a host of incredibly talented and not so famous folks. In addition, Kraig's business, Lucky Penny Productions, is always busy writing, arranging and recording music for broadcast, film and demos. "Thanks to God for my life and gifts and family," says Kraig. "I consider it one of my greatest blessings to play guitar with Big Roy. I am also blessed with my wife Christy, daughter Austin and son Jack." Jim Gailloreto is an associate professor of music at Roosevelt University. An accomplished saxophonist and composer, his abilities span various styles including jazz, blues, fusion and funk. In addition to performing his own music, he records commercial music and albums for national and local artists. In 1996, he was honored as a finalist in Jazziz magazine's Woodwinds On Fire talent search. Jim has performed as a soloist with the Chicago String Ensemble, Symphony of the Shores, The Arts Center Jazz Ensemble and The Chicago Jazz Ensemble. He has also worked with well-known names like The Woody Herman Orchestra, The Mills Brothers, The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Roy Hargrove, The Four Tops, The Temptations, John Faddis, Johnny Mathis, Manhattan Transfer, Mose Allison, Gladys Knight, Mel Torme, Kurt Elling, Diane Shurr, Dennis DeYoung and Michael Bolton Jim Widlowski is a drummer comfortable with many styles, including rock, reggae, jazz, pops orchestra, country, blues and big band. He's worked in pit orchestras for musical theatre, concerts, clubs, recording projects, ad jingles and countless jobbing dates. Jim's career highlights include a five month run of Rent at Chicago's Schubert Theatre, performing at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, recording Manresa (Pangea) with Fareed Haque, recording with Kurt Elling on his Grammy nominated The Messenger (Blue Note), performing with Dianne Schurr and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra and appearing in the movie The Color of Money -- as the lounge drummer, of course. Jim has also shared the stage with names like Chuck Berry, Perry Como, The Woody Herman Orchestra, Dihann Carroll, Donny Osmond (as Joseph), Don Rickles, Garth Brooks, The Drifters, Laurel Masse', Peabo Bryson, Ray Charles, Linda Eder, Sandy Duncan, Nigel Kennedy and many others. Bob Lizik is the top call session bass player in Chicago. In addition to thousands of commercials, he has recorded and performed with a distinguished list of names including Barbara Streisand, Joe Sample, Brian Wilson, Lisa Stansfield, Colby and Caruso, Dennis DeYoung, and Styx. Currently, Bob is touring with Brian Wilson. Bob is an endorser of Lakland basses, GHS strings, SWR amps and Washburn acoustic bass guitars. You can hear Bob on the latest Styx album, Dennis DeYoung's solo album and greatest hits album, Brian Wilson's solo live album and remixes for S Club 7, Gloria Gaynor, Dina Carrol, Kylie Minogue and Aqua.
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