About
The Atchison Jazz & Blues Society (AJS) began in 2024 in response to the Atchison city community's interest for live Jazz & Blues by a local resident Max.
The birth of AJS comes as a welcome sign for bringing added cultural relevance integration in the post covid era of reconstruction. Max adds "like a leader of the KC Jazz alive advocacy non profit mentioned to me... in order to stay active musically, eventually one may tend to find oneself getting involved in the organizational details. So having a prior background in engineering/sales, a previous enterprise success for the last decade in transportation, my hope is if this AJS & Atchison Community keep seeming to entrust giving thier heart to me to fuel the vision, it comes natural to me to recipricate by giving a piece of my heart into all AJS can do."
Fall 2024 AJS participating musicians
Mark Henderson
Mark had originally began his music career as a young protege of Claude Gordon in California. In his Early 20's Mark landed a contract for a jazz band on a cruise ship. However, he changed career choices and began a career in chemistry. Though currently married with six children, Mark enjoys being able to get out and do the standards.
Sebastian Luzondo
Sebastian picked up the bass in 2018. Though musically versatile on other instruments, bass has been his main instrument. In addition to being musically active in a variety of genres, and solo bass composition, Sebastian is an in-depth bass player in the Jazz and Blues genres. He currently resides in Atchison and is a full-time teacher at Maur Hill Academy.
Moon City Septet
Arrangements of standards and originals...some Art Blakey Jazz Messengers ..and many more!
Jean Rioux
Jean blends his musical improvisation and philosophy togeher... that's his reputation around AJS as he teaches philosophy full time at the local College but as a developing penchant for improvisation. Currently Jean & his wife reside about 10 minutes from Atchison, where kids & grandkids are the new normal.
Nick tenBroek
Nick got into playing the guitar two years ago. Though still currently a full-time student at the local College, you wouldn't be able to tell it by listening. AJS is grateful to have the enthusiasm of a young talent eager to re approach the standards we all love. He currently resides in Atchison with his family.
Larry Durr
Larry contributes to AJS in more ways than one. Not only on blues harmonica, but also on guitar, vocal, and accordian. Originally, from the southwest United States Larry had migrated his way to Atchison Kansas in 2022 where he found us and we found him. Thank you Larry, looking forward to one more time!
Lucia Baez Lazondo
Lucia is a passionate vocal interpreter of many fine Latin jazz standards. AJS is grateful to have found her. She is the mother of one of our other contributors , Sebastian Luzondo. AJS looks forward to arranging for her voice. Though a practicing attorney and teacher by day, you wouldn't know it once she sings. She currently is a resident of Atchison Kansas and lives with her husband Ricardo and son.
Max
Max, had first learned his beginnings of blues and jazz from an Uncle, John Heter, and a local legend player in Tulsa named Tommy Crook....
Peggy Chilson
Peggy Chilson
Peggy Chilson is a versatile vocalist in the Kansas City area. Peggy enjoys performing a variety of genres from early chamber music to more contemporary forms such as jazz, having worked with directors Terri Teal, Matthew Shepherd, John Stafford and Kerry Marsh. Current ensemble work includes Geoffrey Wilcken’s SongFlower Chorale and the a cappella vocal jazz group NightShade. As a solo performer, Peggy can be heard in her own jazz combo, sitting in with Moon City Big Band, or as a regular soloist at Unity Temple on the Plaza. Peggy is a licensed clinical social worker and parent of a talented and very busy trombone player. Whenever possible, Peggy enjoys travel, nature, food, friends and hosting musical rehearsals at her home for any number of the groups she or her son is involved in.
https://m.soundcloud.com/pkchilson
...
Geoff Wilcken
Geoff Wilcken
Geoffrey
Wilcken is a prolific composer, conductor, organist, and pianist. He
has written for ensembles of all sizes and kinds, including solo,
oratorio, concert band, jazz, and liturgical forces. Recent commissions
include The Love Amazing (2019) for the dedication of the new organ at Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, Blue Springs, MO, One Out Of Many (2015) for the 40th anniversary festival concert of the Lawrence Civic Choir, and Music of the Spheres
(2014) for the combined bands and choirs of Johnson County Community
College, Overland Park KS. Since 2019 he has provided a growing
collection of arrangements and original composition for the vocal jazz
ensembles at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Dominic Ishmael
Dominic Ishmael
Having multiple awards in high school and college for Saxophone performance- that led Dominic to multiple jazz combos and gigged for a decade. A current Atchison local, AJS is glad we get to unearth a little more hidden treasure with him around...
Jamie Blosser
Jamie Blosser
Jamie joins us on brush snare this year... the beautiful irony The Atchison Jazz & Blues Society has been converting him from his heavy metal start to Jazz...while by day he is a local professor at the local Catholic College helping converting others too!
