The Starvation Army Band

The Starvation Army Band was founded in 1989 as an offshoot of the Columbia Concert Band specializing in Dixieland jazz. Since then, the Band has broadened its repertoire to include Klezmer and Swing as well as Dixieland. The Band has performed at numerous venues throughout the Baltimore-Washington area, including regular appearances at the Columbia Lakefront concerts, Columbia Festival of the Arts, Vantage House, the Longfellow July 4 parade, and the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington as well as performing for numerous special events.. The Band typically uses 6 musicians: trumpet, trombone, saxophone/clarinet, tuba, drums, and piano; two members also do vocals. For booking, contact Jerome Fleg at 301-435-0420 (day), 410-531-6163 (evening and weekend) or by e-mail at flegj@mail.nih.gov

 

Bill Yakaitis, our clarinet and tenor saxophone player, has been with the SAB since 2012. Bill received Bachelor’s and Master’s music degrees in 1968 and 1975 in Music Education from Towson University, where he studied with Frank Rosso and Dr.Theldon Myers. He has been playing in jazz groups in the Baltimore-Washington area since 1963, including the Mello Men, The Y’s, and Shades of Blue Big Band.  He is also the lead alto saxophonists and front man for the Crabtowne Big Band.  His favorite jazz instrumentalists include Eddie Daniels, Dave Koz, and Sidney Bechet ,  Favorite Dixieland/Swing tunes include High Society, Tiger Rag, Caravan, and Sing, Sing, Sing.  During daytime hours, Bill is an instrumental music teacher in the Anne Arundel County schools.

 

Brian Priebe, our trombonist and vocalist, joined the SAB in 2010. He had wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps as a trombone player but was assigned to the baritone horn in elementary school, which became his primary instrument until college. After receiving music degrees from the University of Utah, Brian has pursued a career as a freelance trombonist, He has performed with an unusual variety of ensembles including symphony orchestras, rock and ska bands, chamber ensembles, traditional jazz bands and even Bavarian Oom-Pah bands. A favorite memory is performing on stage with the Moody Blues while secretly recording the concert on his cell phone. As an avocation, Brian learned to play the Swiss Alphorn. In 2007 and  2010, he placed 2nd in the International Alphorn Festival in Nendaz, Switzerland from among 160 participants. He currently works as a church music director in Silver Spring, Maryland. As a vocalist, Brian made his operatic vocal debut as the Count in excerpts from the Marriage of Figaro at Lincoln Center in August 2007.  In addition, he directed the Vocal Jazz Ensemble at Westminster College of Salt Lake City and performed with the Salt Lake Vocal Ensemble and the Canterbury Singers.

 

Tom Harwick, our tuba and bass player, has been laying down the bass line for the Starvation Army Band since its founding in 1989.  Tom uses Brunhilda, a Boehm and Meinl BBb 4/4 tuba, for traditional jazz pieces, and fires up his Fender Precision electric bass for swing tunes.  He has studied with David Fedderly of the Baltimore Symphony and Dr. Ed Goldstein of the Peabody Conservatory.  Tom has been a regular with a variety of local jazz and concert groups, including the Olney Big Band, which he founded, the Columbia Jazz Band, the Rockville Band, and the Olney Concert Band.  He has also performed with the Bayside Big Band, the Hopkins Symphony, the Maryland Defense Force Band, the Montgomery Village Jazz Band and the Rockville Dixie Rascals.  His musical adventures have taken him to performances in Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland, as well as a community outreach concert with the Baltimore Symphony. In between musical performances, Tom works as a management consultant.

 

Greg Mack, our drummer, joined the SAB in 2009. Born in Baltimore, MD, his first musical experiences began at 15 years old in a pop variety band playing local venues like weddings, bull roasts and banquets. Initially self-taught, Greg began his jazz studies in earnest in his early twenties, attending master classes with such luminaries as Louie Bellson, Joe Morello, and Jack DeJohnette.  A long and varied career in music has allowed him to play all styles of music (Jazz, Latin, Rock, Pop, Swing, Funk, Soul, Ethnic and World Music) for a wide variety of musical venues.  On the local scene, he plays with several big swing bands, jazz groups of all sizes, variety bands, and show work and he has led his own groups.  Greg has also performed clinics on world percussion and drumming techniques.  When not performing with the SAB, Greg plays and records with several local big bands, including Sentimental Journey, Chez Kellum, and Jerry Peterson's Riverside Big Band and works as an account manager at Emergent BioSolutions .

 

Jerry Fleg, the SAB’s trumpeter and leader, joined the band in 1997. Throughout high school, Jerry studied classical trumpet with Herbert Tiemeyer of the Cincinnati Symphony.  His foray into jazz started in high school with traditional Dixieland, and extending into jazz combo and big band playing over the years.  In additional to his SAB duties, Jerry has played the jazz chair for extended periods with the Annapolis Junction, Bayside, and Crabtowne big bands.  Some of his role models include Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, and Freddie Hubbard.  Jerry still enjoys playing classical music, either in brass ensembles or traditional concert bands.  He has performed on several occasions with the Baltimore Symphony in their community outreach concerts.  Jerry utilizes his rhythmic instincts during his daytime job as a cardiologist with the National Institutes of Health. 

 

Larry Haavik, our pianist, joined the SAB in 2005.  He studied music at Towson State University with Hank Levy, a widely recognized jazz composer.  He also studied keyboard improvisation with Greg Hatza, who is an accomplished keyboardist well known in the area.  Larry has played in numerous venues around the Baltimore/Washington region, including solo piano performances at the Prime Rib, Belvedere Hotel, Snyder’s Willow Grove and other notable area restaurants.  He has appeared with several local big bands, including the Olney Big Band, Annapolis Junction Big Band and Bayside Big Band.  Aside from the Starvation Army Band, Larry performs with his own jazz quartet "Time for a Change”.  During the day he is a computer network engineer with Transamerica.