The N’Awlins Gumbo Kings, will perform as part of a Mardi Gras celebration in collaboration with the Sammons Center for the Arts. Trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, piano, trombone, bass, drums, and vocals blend to create lively authentic New Orleans style jazz courtesy of six talented musicians calling themselves The N’Awlins Gumbo Kings. Although the group is relatively new, individual members have performed with notable musicians like Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Ellis Marsalis. For an additional $15 charge, concertgoers can attend a pre-concert reception at 6:30 p.m. catered by A Fiore Catering, featuring delicious Cajun cuisine.

http://www.gumbokings.com/

About the performers….

Bobby Breaux (drums)
Originally from New Orleans, Bobby Breaux has been playing and teaching in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1983. After receiving his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Loyola University in 1977 he traveled throughout the USA, Canada, Mexico and Europe performing with Al Hirt, Ellis Marsalis, and The Woody Herman Orchestra. Bobby has worked for numerous entertainers such as: Bob Hope, Frank Gorshin, Brook Benton, Jim Hall, Eddie Daniels, Pete Christlieb, Bobby Shew, Eartha Kitt, George Kirby, Joe Williams and the Gatlin Brothers, to name a few. He has also performed on several commercial recording sessions for accounts such as: Popeye's Chicken, Great America Theme Parks and BBC's Radio One. He has also played drums and percussion for various stage shows and musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar, Hello Dolly and Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Currently, Bobby performs with the following bands:
The N’Awlins Gumbo Kings
The Gilda Medina Band and The Terry Parrish Quartet (at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas)
Trinity United Methodist Church of Arlington
The Project
Randy Lee and Bottom Line
Stuart Jones
Dennis Cavalier and Texas Zydeco
Bobby also appears occasionally in the D/FW area with: The Rod Booth Band, John Adams, The Vocal Majority, Dave Alexander and The Legends of Western Swing, Tony Hakim, and Ken Boome.

Brad Herring (trombone)
Born in the Gulf Coast town of El Campo, Texas in 1960, Brad began his musical education by having an older brother who would take him to hear such groups as Stan Kenton, Woody Herman,and Count Basie as well as the Houston Symphony. It was his exposure to these groups and recordings of major orchestras given to him by his brother that would fire his desire to become involved in music. While in high school, Brad was a four-year member of the Texas All-State Bands and won numerous outstanding soloist awards on trombone and euphonium at the state level of solo and ensemble contest. Upon entering college, Brad began private studies with Dr. Neil Humfeld at East Texas State University follwed by Charles Hurt, professor of trombone at Southwest Texas State University,and Dr. Donald Knaub, former professor of trombone at the Eastman School of Music. While living in the Austin area, Brad performed with the Austin Symphony as well as shows including the Ringling Bros. circus band, Ice Capades, Holiday on Ice and with personalities such as Mel Torme, Steve Lawrence, Johnny Mathis, The Bee Gees and the Four Freshmen. The Colony, TX is now home for Brad, his wife, and three children where he is active as a live and studio musician as well as a private low brass instructor and clinician in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex.

Steve Howard (trumpet)
Born in Dallas, Texas in 1951, Steve grew up in a home filled with music. Steve’s father played piano and guitar, introducing him to jazz standards and Dixieland music at an early age. The family took frequent trips to New Orleans where his father took him to Bourbon Street to hear the Dixieland greats perform live at Preservation Hall and at the clubs owned by Pete Fountain and Al Hirt. Steve began playing trumpet in the school band in fourth grade. By the time he was in high school, he had become skilled enough as a trumpet player to be chosen for the Texas all-state high school band. Believing he was destined for a career in music, Steve accepted a music scholarship to Henderson State College in Arkansas. After two years in Arkansas, he transferred to the famous jazz school at North Texas State University. Steve jumped at the opportunity to move to New Orleans a few years later to work with famous songwriter/record producer Allen Toussaint. As first call lead trumpet player at Allen’s studio, Steve performed on such hits as Patti LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” and Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights” LP. Paul McCartney met Steve on a trip Paul made to New Orleans to study the regional musical styles and to record. Steve was hired away from Touissant’s Sea Saint Studio by McCartney and asked to join the Wings Over America tour. He performed and recorded with McCartney from 1975 to 1980. For the next two decades Steve continued to record and perform with artists such as Dr. John, Albert Collins, Ray Charles, Junior Wells, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Edgar Winter, and German superstar Peter Maffay. Steve’s playing has always been influenced by New Orleans music. Those early days on Bourbon Street with his dad made an indelible imprint on his style and infused him with a lifetime love of New Orleans jazz. The N’Awlins Gumbo Kings represent a joyous return to his musical roots. Seasoned by years of experience, Steve is realizing a long held dream to assemble the finest musicians available to play what is to him the most exciting music in the world.

Brian Piper (piano)
Brian grew up in a musical family. His parents met in New York in the 50’s, performed and traveled with many of the biggest musical names of the day, and eventually settled in Hollywood, California, where Brian was born. In 1967 the family moved to Texas, where his father became writer and producer for two of the largest "jingle" companies worldwide. As a child, Brian became a professional musician at age 10, when he began singing commercials for Manor Bread and Dole bananas, as well as many others. Brian has followed in his father’s footsteps and has also blazed a trail of his own in the commercial music industry. He was Vice President and Director of Operations at The Axcess Group in Dallas for several years and now has his own company, Piper Nagy Media. From local jingles to national advertising campaigns, Brian has written, produced and/or performed music for Miller Brewing, Barbecues Galore, Ford, John Deere, Wyndham Hotels, American Airlines and countless others. Recently he produced the music for NBC Sports Arena Football League. He has become one of the most sought after studio musicians in the business. Brian is also in demand as a conductor, orchestrator, arranger and producer.
As a player he has made quite a name for himself, performing and recording with musicians and artists of all musical styles, from Texas legends Jerry Jeff Walker and Lloyd Maines to jazz greats Cab Calloway, Kenny Rankin and Clark Terry. He has conducted for Eartha Kitt, Rosemary Clooney and many others as the assistant musical director at Dallas’ famous Venetian Room in the Fairmont Hotel. He has also played for the Dallas Summer Musicals and traveled with New York touring companies of several shows, including Grease and Godspell. He has worked with actors James Earl Jones, Tim Curry, Kris Kristofferson and Patrick Bergen. He has recently performed with Sheila E, Will Kennedy, Mike Davis and Bill Reichenbach.
Brian can be heard locally performing with bassist John Adams and singer Rosana Eckert, and is finally underway with his first jazz trio recording project, featuring Lynn Seaton and Ed Soph, on the 90th Floor record label. Be sure to check him out with a new contemporary jazz band called Tactical Jazz, which is starting to make quite a splash! Brian’s first love in music has always been jazz, especially New Orleans jazz, so what could be better than playing with the Gumbo Kings? Like the rest of the Kings, there were several early influences in his life. The late Fred Crane, who worked with his father in the Dallas studio scene, and who played for years with Al Hirt, was one such powerful influence.
Brian lives in Lewisville, Texas (just across the bridge from the infamous de facto “home base” of the Gumbo Kings, Tierney’s

Mike Sizer (clarinet)
Michael Sizer's professional career has taken him to a number of musical venues around the country, including a stint on the riverboat Mississippi Queen and on to New Orleans. There, he spent six years touring with the Dukes of Dixieland and playing numerous engagements at such famous French Quarter hot spots as the Maison Bourbon, Court of Two Sisters and many others. A career change took Mr. Sizer to San Francisco, where his main call was studio recording. His work has appeared in many ads and industrial videos. Since his move to Dallas, TX in 1995, he has become the "first call" for many local agents and contractors. Also a talented arranger/composer, some of his arrangements are still used by the Dukes of Dixieland, and his work can often be heard on PBS and cable TV as background music.
In 1998, Mr. Sizer appeared as a guest soloist with the Texas Wind Symphony on two separate occasions. His swing arrangement, "A Glimpse of Goodman," was premiered in the spring, and a November 1998 concert in Ft. Worth's Bass Concert Hall saw the premiere of the work Mr. Sizer performed with the ASB on February 17, 2000, the jazz arrangement "French Quarter Suite."

Kerby Stewart (bass)
Bassist Kerby Stewart grew up in Ft. Worth, and has established himself as a first-call sideman both in the recording studio and in live performance. His big band credits include the North Texas State University One O' Clock Lab Band and the Stan Kenton and Woody Herman orchestras; he has also performed with a long list of jazz and pop music stars, including:
Mel Torme
Ray Price
Tony Bennett
Gary Burton
Mose Allison
Chet Atkins
Stan Getz
Jim Hall
Phil Woods
Louis Bellson
On the other side of the microphone, Kerby has established himself as a successful educator. He is an active teacher and clinician, not only on bass and improvisation, but also in the field of recording technology.