Bill Fleck (trombone, percussion, background vocals)
Born and raised in Ellenville, NY, Bill was given the trombone in 4th grade because he had long arms. After struggling with the instrument through grade school, he discovered the music of Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears, and suddenly felt the trombone could be cool after all. His teachers were local legends Bruce Belanger and Peter Stellato, and he counts as his influences James Pankow, Dave Bargeron, and J.J. Johnson (among others).
Now an English teacher (and one-time karate instructor), Bill enjoys reading, writing and arranging music, exercise, good friends, and good times. He is married (to Lori) with two sons, and also plays in the Swing Shift Orchestra.
Bill's Equipment: Depending upon his mood, Bill plays a few different horns, including a vintage early-1970's King 3B Silver Sonic, a 1960 Conn 48H, a newer King 2B, and/or a 1993 Yamaha YSL-691. For bass trombone work, Bill uses a 1966 Conn 72H. He uses a Schilke 50 mouthpiece on the tenors, and a Schilke 58/88 on the bass bone.
At the behest of the SJP sound guy (Greg), Bill uses a Samson Wireless Horn Mic for big shows.