I've been a performer and bandleader for two decades in the Southern Oregon area. My combos go from a duo on up to a dance band with 6+ members. Our areas of musical expertise are swing and jazz standards, classic rock and blues as well as folk rock and country. Weddings, special events and concerts are a specialty! Testimonials, references and a partial list of past engagements give a good idea what my bands and I have to offer.
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to talk about the kind of music you'd like to have at your event. I'll be happy to share with you what I know, talk with you about band rates and check availability.
The great artists of American Song are being rediscovered by a new generation and they're presented with wit & energy in an elegant, spirited style. Musical combos (3 to 6+ pieces) are versatile and provide music that is perfect for dancing or listening. Famous composers of the 1930's and '40's like Johnny Mercer, the Gershwins and Irving Berlin are brought to life, as well as the romantic ballads, cabaret and torch songs of the great singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Nat 'King' Cole. My band evokes sounds and images of the Big Bands from the glory days....Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, The Dorsey Brothers and more.
Classic rock, blues, reggae, folk and country are also in our extensive repertoire. On our song list are hundreds of favorites from the past 5 or 6 decades.
I play guitar, blues harmonica and a Hammond 44-key Melodian. I also teach Harmonica privately and in conjunction with Central Point Parks and Rec. Check out Page 20 of their Activity Guide for more information.
My combos (see links below) are tailored specifically to your event and budget. No matter what style of music you're looking for, from background music to full-on concert, my banddmates and I know how to entertain; dinner music, parties, dances, ceremonies or receptions, corporate events are a forte. References available upon request.
BOOK ONE OF THESE BANDS FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT!
Gayle Wilson Jazz Combo (Duo to 6+ Pieces)
Gayle Wilson Acoustic Light Rock Trio
The Gayle Wilson Dance Band
MY BANDS PERFORM AT PRIVATE PARTIES, CORPORATE EVENTS AND CONCERTS IN THE SOUTHERN OREGON AREA. HERE ARE JUST A FEW SATISFIED CLIENTS AND THEIR EVENTS. UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL ARE IN OREGON. MANY HAVE BOOKED OUR RETURN FOR 2010. SEE "GAYLE'S MUSIC CALENDAR" ON THE HOME PAGE FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE PERFORMANCES. REFERENCES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
Mountain Meadows, Ashland - Jazz Concert Series - Gayle Wilson Jazz Duo - Jan. 2010
Rogue Valley Blues Festival - Gayle Wilson Country Blues Trio - Jan. 2010
Rogue Valley Manor Dance Club, Medford, OR - Quarterly Dinner Dances - 1990 to present
Fountain Plaza Holiday Party, Medford - Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio - Dec. 2009
Karen Carpenter Musical Spotlight, Camelot Theatre - Nov. 12 - 22, 2009
Medford Food Co-op Fundraiser - Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio - Oct. 2009
Rogue Gallery of Art Fundraiser, Medford - Gayle Wilson Dance Band - Sept. 2009
Battle of the Bones BBQ & Brew Competition, Central Point, Gayle Wilson Dance Band Sept. 2009
Lifespan Respite Care Benefit, Medford - Gayle Wilson Jazz Quartet - Sept. 2009
Kiwanis District Convention, Medford - Gayle Wilson Dance Band - Aug. 2009
Hanley Farm, Medford - 4th of July Celebration - Gayle Wilson Dance Band - July 2009
Friday Night Summer Music Festival, Central Point - Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio - July 2009
Valentine's Day, Fountain Plaza, Medford - Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio - Feb. 2009
Bavarian Night, Mt. Ashland Ski Park - Gayle Wilson Dance Band - Jan. 2009
Mountain Meadows. Ashland - Jazz Concert Series - Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio - Jan. 2009
Fountain Plaza - Valentines Day Celebration - Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio - Feb. 2009
Avalon Bar and Grill, Talent - Bi-monthly, Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio
Wild Goose - Third Thursday of each month - Gayle Wilson Rock Trio - since 2001
Friday Night Summer Music Festival, Central Point - July 2007 & Aug. 2008
"Back to the Fifties" Concert - Grants Pass - Gayle Wilson Dance Band - June 2008
Medford Rogue Rotary Annual Fundraiser - Gayle Wilson Dance Band - Feb. 2008
David Gabriel Fundraising Benefit Concert - Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio - 2008
Medford Special Olympics Fundraiser - Gayle Wilson Dance Band, 2007 & 2008
Guest Vocalist - Center for Spiritual Living - Medford - 2007, 2008, 2009
Lifespan Respite Care Fundraiser, Medford - Gayle Wilson Jazz Quartet - Nov. 2008
Rogue Valley Law, Inc. Bosses' Banquet - Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio - 2008
Medford's Roxy Ann Winery, Summer Performances - Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio - 2007, 2008
Medford Radiology Group, Holiday Party - Gayle Wilson Dance Band - Dec. 2008
Rogue Valley Manor Veteran's Day Celebration, Medford - 1997 to 2008
Medford Market Cooperative, Organizational Fundraiser - Gayle Wilson Jazz Trio - Jan. 2007
Annual Medford Jazz Jubilee, Medford - 1997 to 2007
Troon Vineyards, Jacksonville - Wine Club summer party 2007
"Bite of the Rogue", Medford - Aug. 2007
Southern Oregon Drug Awareness, 25th Anniversary Celebration, Medford - Dec. 2006
Oregon Advanced Imaging, Holiday Party - Dec. 2006
- "Girl Singers of the Big Band Era" Musical Spotlight - Camelot Theatre Nov. 7 - 16, 2008
- "Doris Day" Musical Spotlight - Camelot Theatre - Nov. 8 - 17, 2007
- "Patti Page" Musical Spotlight - Camelot Theatre - Nov. 9 - 18, 2006
- "The Andrews Sisters" Musical Spotlight - Camelot Theatre - Nov. 10 - 19, 2005
- "Rosemary Clooney" Musical Spotlight - Camelot Theatre - Nov. 11 - 20, 2004
Rogue Valley Manor New Years Eve Celebration, Medford - 1999 to 2008
Annual Addictions Recovery Center Fundraiser, Medford - 2000 to 2008
Annual JC Penney Manager's Party, Medford - 2006
Adventure World, Shirahama, Japan - solo performer for 8 weeks, Aug./Sept. 2004
So. Oregon University, Groundbreaking, Fine Arts Center - Ashland
Annual Providence Hospital Festival of Trees Celebration – Medford
Credit Association of Oregon State Conference - Grants Pass
American Association of Public Works Fall Conference - Ashland
Concerts-in-the-Park Series, Medford
Concerts-in-the-Park Series, Grants Pass
Rogue Valley Country Club, Medford - many Friday and Saturday evenings for dining patrons
Moose Lodge, Medford - Weekly Dance to Big Band Music - 7 years
The Bella Union, Jacksonville
Opera Guild, Craterian Theater, Medford
Cycle Oregon, Butte Falls
The Harvest of Arts Festival - Medford
The Jackson County Fair & Exposition - Medford
Puss 'N Boots Charity Ball - Ashland
Dances for Evergreen Ballroom, Central Point
Dances for the United States Amateur Ballroom Assoc. (USABDA)
MUSICAL SPOTLIGHTS:
My musical spotlights of famous singers, in conjunction with Camelot Theatre, www.camelottheatre.org, now numbers six. Past productions include "Rosemary Clooney", "Patti Page", "Doris Day" and "Girl Singers of the Big Band Era" and "Karen Carpenter". In the hit show "The Andrews Sisters", I had the pleasure of performing with two other singers of unbelievable talent. These concerts, always backed by a first-rate, 5 to 7-piece jazz band, consistently sell out.
"The Lives and Music of the Andrews Sisters" - I sang the part of LaVerne Andrews, Livia Genise was stellar as Maxene Andrews and the incomparable Priscilla Quinby played the part of Patty Andrews. Intricate harmonies and lively personalities were their trademark as the world-renown trio of singing sisters helped a nation through the dark days of World War II. They will forever be known as "America's Wartime Sweethearts". 22 hits include "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Apple Blossom Time" and "Oh, Johnny, Oh!"
"The Life and Music of Rosemary Clooney" is the fascinating story of Clooney’s meteoric rise to fame and her fall from grace as a result of drugs and alcohol. Through pure grit and determination, Clooney made a fantastic comeback in a career that spanned 60 years. Features 23 Rosemary hits including "Come On-A My House", "Mambo Italiano", "Hey There" and "Tenderly".
"The Life and Music of Patti Page" depicts the reigning Queen of pop music during the 1950's. Miss Patti Page, 'The Singing Rage', remains an American icon with 15 gold records including “Tennessee Waltz”, “How Much is That Doggie in the Window?”, "Let Me Go, Lover" and "The Days of Wine and Roses". This musical tribute includes 23 Patti Page hits.
"The Life and Music of Doris Day" The quintessential, all-American girl-next-door, Doris Day overcame many setbacks in her life including being ripped off by her lawyer for over $22 million dollars. Despite being married and divorced 5 times, she made over 600 recordings and 39 films ranging from musicals to comedies to serious dramas. Features 22 songs including "Que Sera, Sera", "Pillow Talk" and "Secret Love".
"The Lives and Music of Girl Singers of the Big Band Era" From the mid-1930’s to the end of World War Two, the feisty and talented Girl Singers who graced the bandstands of the likes of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington and the Dorsey Brothers were in full flower. Sensuous songbirds like Marion Hutton, Helen Forrest, Kay Starr and Jo Stafford. Some were rebels like Billie Holiday who couldn’t keep a regular gig, Anita O’Day rejected the trademark gown in favor of pants and a tuxedo jacket & Dinah Washington carried a gun. Young and talented, they traveled in a man’s world and became famous in their own right. 20 popular songs include “It Don’t Mean A Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing”, “Green Eyes”, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” and “Just in Time”. Monster 7-piece band with arrangements by Dal Carver.
"The Life and Music of Karen Carpenter" We presented every Carpenters hit you can think of, as well as explored the personal side of her life that ended all too soon at the age of 32. As lead singer for one of the great musical sensations of the 1970’s, Karen Carpenter became known the world over for her expressive contralto voice and her personal interpretations of the songs she sang. Her tragic death of a heart attack held one positive aftereffect; massive media attention on a variety of secretive and deadly eating disorders. An enormously popular brother-and-sister team, The Carpenters sold millions of records. Among their hits; “We’ve Only Just Begun”, “Close To You”, “Top of the World”, “Rainy Days and Mondays”, “For All We Know”, “Superstar”, “Yesterday Once More” “Goodbye to Love”, “Hurting Each Other” “Sing” and “Only Yesterday”.
BOOKING INFORMATION:
To check availability for your event as well as rate information, e-mail
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. All dates are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Always included is a complete PA package. There is no travel charge for engagements anywhere in the Rogue Valley area.
