Biographies - Member

	Henry Hager, Cornet and vocals: "Old Henry" has been a District Attorney, State Senator, Philadelphia lawyer and insurance trade association president. He learned to play the cornet while in the Pennsylvania Senate "for political reasons." It must have worked. The other senators gave him his horn as a gift! Henry handles the vocals and announcing duties in addition to his cornet playing..		Dave Thornton, Tubas: Dave is a retired educator and professional writer who, several times each week, tries out his material on his most critical audience--us! We like his essays, but we love his oompahs! He is a wealth of musical knowledge while anchoring the rhythm section.
	Phil Blanchette, Trumpet Phil spent many years in NH, and still plays on occasion, with the Swift River Jazz Band there. He has been playing traditional jazz since Jr. high in big bands, combos, you name it, he has played it. He resides in Cape Coral. Forty plus years ago he played with Dave KillKelly on the Mt. Washington cruise ship.		Dick Jenkins, Tenor Banjo: Dick is a retired Junior High School science teacher who plays banjo here in the winter, and with the Dixie Diehards & Stone Street Strummers in Massachusetts in the Summer. Given that background, he is a natural to be our band director and disciplinarian. He says that Junior High School was easier.
	Howard Bacon, Trombone: Howard is a retired business executive who has been playing since early childhood. He is one of the lucky ones who discovered early enough in life that music should be a sideline for him. As he puts it, "If I had been just a little bit better musician, I'd have done it for a living and had a lot less money!" Today he seeks his reward by entertaining enthusiastic audiences.		Bill Kiesewetter - Piano & Webmaster Retired from too many years in the computer industry, resides in Marion, MA., but winters usually in Florida. Founding member of the Dixie Diehards in Foxboro, Ma. during the summer. He has played with several Florida bands including the Marco Island Strummers, the Gadabouts, Bonita Village Band and now the Dixielanders.
	Dave KillKelley, Clarinet: Dave is a lawyer, but don't hold that against him; he'd rather play music. He has played clarinet with big bands, and Dixieland bands on land and on the water (on the Mt. Washington cruise ship on Lake Winnepesaukee}. Dave previously played with the Bonita Village Band. His improvisational skills are truly appreciated. He joins us from New Hampshire each Fall.		Tom Cooley, Percussionist: Tom started playing drums in junior high in a rock band called “The Rockets.” He played in the Navy ROTC band in college. After military service and graduate school, he got a day job as an English professor at Ohio State, where he taught American literature for more than thirty years. Although he still writes textbooks, Tom retired from teaching in 2003 and now lives full time on Sanibel. On the island, he is member of the music committee of BIG ARTS and the drummer (and den mother) for Island Jazz.
	Ed Goodstone, 1st Cornet: Ed is a native New Yorker, fresh from the executive offices of Penn Mutual and Lincoln Life of New York. He has been playing trumpet and cornet since junior high, and we snagged him from a couple of community bands. It is rumored he can play classical music. We find that to be quite intimidating.		Sally Jane Heit, Vocalist Our "Girl Singer" or "The Lady who sings with the band" is Sally-Jane Heit who trained at the High School for the Performing Arts in New York and Yale Drama School. Her credits include movies, television, Broadway (on and off), regional theatre, touring companies and cabaret. The list is long and very impressive. This gig tests her improvisational skills because she never knows what the band might do next, which is very consistent because neither do we!