Howard Miyata - Trombone, Vocals
Howard began playing jazz with the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra and the Monterey Bay Classic Jazz Band. As a junior high school band teacher during the day, Howard has an opportunity to spread his love and enthusiasm for music to his students.

Howard has a BA in music from San Jose State University. Also an accomplished tuba player, he can be heard performing with many of the top West coast bands.

Howard joined the High Sierra in 1989 when Vic Kimzey retired. Turk Murphy and Jim Snyder have been major influences to Howard’s playing style. The slight gruff sound and the tasty plunger solos can be heard throughout the High Sierra recordings. Howard’s vocals are always fun and light-hearted and his fans love his on-stage enthusiasm.

Stan Huddleston - Banjo, Guitar
It’s obvious to even the casual observer that Stan draws immense personal satisfaction from his music. Regardless of the mood of the song being played, his work on the plectrum banjo reflects his inner feelings of joy and love of music. As would be expected, he controls his instrument completely and can make it shout, croon, or whisper at will. Stan also plays excellent guitar and trombone.

Stan and his brother Bruce have been playing music together since their childhood. Stan’s first instrument was a violin which he traded for a banjo when he and Bruce first heard the “Firehouse Five.” The brothers put themselves through college playing in Shakey’s Pizza Parlors. Later they played three years at the White Horse Inn, Three Rivers, Stan on Banjo and Bruce on piano and organ.

Pieter Meijers - Reeds, Trombone, Leader
Pieter, born in the Netherlands, began musical training at age six. He played in a concert band with his father as the conductor. While a student in Amsterdam he became a regular at the Dutch trad jazz scene, but he quit playing Dixie to complete his studies. He continued concert band activities and became a conductor in 1967. In 1968, with his doctorate in nuclear chemistry and physics complete, he came to New York to pursue research. Soon he started playing jazz again. Pieter was the leader of the Isotope Stompers on Long Island. He also performed in musicals as a musician and later as musical director. In 1981 Pieter came to LA and within one year he joined the Nightblooming Jazzmen. He was their reed man for 13 years. For a few years he worked free lance in several bands as a guest and in 1998 Pieter was asked to become a permanent member of the High Sierra Jazz Band. Pieter’s artistry in music is lyrical, often hard-driving but always with technical brilliance. His improvisations are innovative and daring, and his humor brings enjoyment on stage and off. Pieter is Senior Conservation Scientist at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

www.pietermeijers.com

Earl McKee - Sousaphone, Trombone, Vocals
Earl is a livestock rancher. He raises cattle and quarter horses on the family mountain range and home site in Three Rivers. His signature cowboy hat is not just a fad but a standard part of daily wear. He comes from several generations of very talented musicians.

He is outstanding on several stringed instruments such as bass, guitar and violin, as well as the big bore brass horns. Earl is a stickler for the correct “bottom line” notes, and as a result plays all the right changes, contributing significantly to that “High Sierra” sound. Earl’s singing voice, which has such a wide range that it could be described as either baritone or tenor, is certainly unequalled in any jazz band.

Bryan Shaw - Trumpet
Only a few insiders noticed, a refreshingly individual trumpet player in California named Bryan Shaw unobtrusively played his way into the front rank of distingished contemporary mainstream jazz musicians. For Bryan, jazz was a happy payoff after years of instructions and formal band experience. It began when he acquired his father''s old Conn cornet.   It was given with the idea that blowing classical horn - Father didn''t care for jazz - might help Bryan get through his bouts with asthma.

The cornet did improve Bryan''s health, and ironically it turned out to be the same model Conn Victor used by Bix Beiderbecke on many of his recordings. Although Bryan had (and has) high respect for "legitimate" music, he was inexorably drawn to Bix, Louis Armstrong, Harry James and Bunny Berigan, then to Roy Eldridge and Red Allen.  It was the classic developmental journey of a swing-bound trumpet player.  If you doubt that, just ask Lyttelton, Braff, Goodwin or Sandke. Although Bryan was intrigued by Charlie Parker playing Groovin'' High which he heard in high school, he has elected to work in the modern mainstream realm of Roy, Red and Ruby. It is time for Bryan Shaw, now a devoted husband and father in his mid-forties, to step out and be recognized for his considerable talent.  His preference for staying home with his family, avoiding the traveling life, many result in it taking longer for him to become known around the world, but the talent is in place and the process is under way. - Richard B. Hadlock.