Bios

 

Tony Bardo  –  Keyboards, Guitar and Vocals

It all started with making the choir as the only 4th grade soprano at St. Thomas Moore. This got me out of class 30 minutes early every day.  Smiled as Sister What’s Her Name glared at me as I walked out the door…. Piano lessons….self-taught guitar (can’t you tell?). Early influences….Middle School…..Dave Clark 5, Ventures, Beatles, Chad Mitchell Trio, Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul & Mary.  High School….Simon & Garfunkel. College….Chicago, Steely Dan, Doobies.  Formed a 5 piece band, The Spades, in middle school, joined a rock band, The Gestics, as a freshman in HS.  Both lasted only months. In HS, juggled  between soccer, basketball, music and drama, but locked into Greely, Vic & Louis, a folk trio with my 2 best friends. Played the Cellar Door in DC, and lots of clubs (remember Uncle Sam’s?) and coffee houses in the late 60s. Joined the Selective Service Sistum, an 8-piece horn band in 1971 at Virginia Tech as lead singer.  3 fun years playing all over SW Virginia, West Virginia, and even Easters Weekend in Charlottesville!  Musically dormant for some 20 years after college until I found these special crazy Fabulous friends for what was supposed to be a 3 minute tour, a 3 minute tour. Looking forward to every new day, every gig, every new (old) song and playing our wonderful mix of music.

Bob Divine  –  Vocals, Guitar, Percussion and Bass

Bob is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. As a kid, his first instruments were his father’s antique ukulele, bongos and a vintage piano accordian. Not many rock bands needed  this combination of musical instrument proficiency, so his parents paid for lessons on trumpet, drums and classical guitar. The guitar lessons expanded to folk, bluegrass, jazz, rock, electric guitar, mandolin and bass. Bob sang bass, baritone and harmonies in chorus, choirs, acapella madrigals in high school and chamber choirs in college. While in college, Bob learned some live sound reinforcement and PA skills and spent his time killing feedback instead of studying. He also expanded his percussion skills to include drums, congas, timbales and a Steel Pan from Trinidad & Tobago. After college and several years of musical dormancy, Bob joined Tony, Peter and Cliff in the Fabulous Dialtones on vocals, rhythm guitar, bass, percussion and as part-time sound man. Musical influences are: The Beatles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, ELP, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Simon & Garfunkel, Jazz Fusion, Chicago, BS&T, Frank Sinatra and Andrés Segovia. Bob especially loves it when the crowd chants for “More Cowbell“!

Cliff Greenblatt  –  Lead Guitar and Vocals

Cliff Greenblatt plays guitar and sings here and there.  One day in his youth, Cliff picked up his father’s guitar and a Harry Chapin song book, figured out what the little dots on the chord charts meant, started playing, nailed down two songs in that first afternoon, and has resisted learning new material ever since.  Cliff was inspired to stick with it by the release of Frampton Comes Alive, which explains his long, flowing golden locks and his usual shirtlessness.  He played in a few bands over the years, including with his pal Chip, getting paid in books for gigs at Borders.  Then, in a match.com moment, MCI’s Communications director, Judy, introduced Cliff to Peter and Tony and forced them to start a band, and they, in turn, coerced Bob to join.  The rest is history, and Cliff remains awestruck by his band mates’ talents and effortless** construction and execution of complex harmonies.  Since he is a lawyer by day, you’d think Cliff would handle the contracts for the band, so Cliff is testing the waters.  Cliff is also chairing the band’s Self-Deprecation Committee.

Bob McCoy –  Bass and Vocals

Bob brings with him many years of professional performance experience.  He is one of the premier bass players in the metro area and has a keen ear as a superb sound technician.  Bob also sings lead and provides backup vocals in the Fabulous Dialtones.  Bob provided sound for Ray Charles on several occasions and has played with numerous bands such as: “The Casuals” and toured with the “Nowhere Men” a nine-piece horn band that toured with Three Dog Night.  In the 1970’s Bob played with Phyllis Hyman, Pharoah Sanders, The BT Express, and Joe Cocker.

Bob performed and toured with more bands: “Jan Davis Group”, “In A Pinch” and “McCoy”.  If you search YouTube you may find Bob singing lead with his band “Classified”. Bob performed with “Main Event” at 4 Inaugural balls in the 1980’s.  Bob has also logged many hours in studio recording sessions and can be heard on the Dr. Pepper song recorded at Muscle Shoals in Alabama.      

(Note: We needed another band member named Bob.)  

Greg Hawley – Guitar and Vocals

Greg hails from New York where he grew up training with professional opera and musical theater singers. Under their tutelage, he quickly grew to love music and began singing, playing and composing music at an early age. Greg continued to study music at Wheaton College and later at the Longy School of Music of Bard College. While living in Boston, he toured the East Coast with his locally-based band and recorded with well known Boston-based performers along the way. He is currently the newest member of the Fabulous Dialtones and provides vocals, guitar and beer. Greg loves being a part of the Fabulous Dialtones band and sharing his 80s, 90s, and 2000s influences!    

Marc Zoellner  –  Drums and Vocals

Marc was born and raised in Cleveland, OH. From an early age he was always intrigued by the great jazz drummers. During high school Marc landed a part-time job as a session drummer at a Cleveland recording studio where he played on demo tracks for up and coming regional acts. Over the years Marc has had the great pleasure of sharing the stage with artists such as BJ Thomas, J. Geils, Travis Tritt, and Cool John Ferguson, as well as performing at various venues throughout the U.S., including the House of Blues in New Orleans, Orlando and Las Vegas, and various Hard Rock Café’s around the country.  Marc is the ultimate “in the pocket drummer” – not wanting the spotlight. You can hear the influential drummers in Marc’s style of playing – – Steve Gadd, John Bonham, Buddy Rich, Joe Morello, Ed Shaughnessy. Oh yeah – he can sing too.

Horns:

Bob Holladay  – Trombone

Bob started playing trombone in the 5th grade and loved it.  He was fortunate enough during his public school years to have had band directors that shared their passion for music and were an inspiration to him.  He eventually became a band director for 30 years.  While in high school, he was offered a job playing trombone 6 nights a week in a local theater and fell in love with the possibility of music as a career.  The people that he met and hung around with were fun and colorful characters.  For Bob, playing music sure beat delivering newspapers or flipping hamburgers.  In college, he played in orchestra, wind ensemble, brass quintets, jazz band, theater and wedding bands.  After college, he continued to freelance union and non-union jobs.

Bob’s trombone playing commitments declined once he began teaching school.  After leaving the school system, opportunities to play began cropping up between dancing with his wife and hanging out with my grandson with more on the way.  He also currently plays with Doc Scantlin and the Imperial Palms Orchestra, freelance with other swing bands and in a jazz sextet.  As a child from the 50′s, he loves the music of the 60’s (especially Chicago which has a great trombone player/arranger) and the 70′s.  Bob is very happy to have the opportunity to play this music with the Fabulous Dialtones.

 Wayne Estrada – Trumpet

Wayne Estrada originally hails from San Francisco, California but now calls the District of Columbia his new hometown.  He started off his musical career as a trumpet soloist in the U.S. Navy Show Band and has performed jazz, classical, liturgical and Broadway show music in 23 countries.  Although well versed in many styles, his favorite genre is “Lead Trumpet” playing in the mode of Maynard Ferguson and Doc Severinsen, sporting a powerful, high, clear sound that leads the Dialtones already strong horn section.  After many years as an ex-AT&T and IBMer, he’s now a full time musician in the D.C. Metro area playing in groups as diverse as the Washington Metropolitan Symphonic Orchestra, leading an 18-piece modern big band, and playing in churches and cathedrals. He’s a regular at jam sessions in the area, putting on a different hat in the Chet Baker tradition playing ‘cool jazz’ styles from the Great America song book.  Wayne highlights our Fabulous Dialtones with superb Trumpet solos.  

Rick “Hollywood” Thompson  – Tenor Sax 

Richard “Hollywood” Thompson; Tenor saxophone/clarinet. Originally from the Washington,D.C. area and studied music education at Marshall Univ., Huntington,W.V. 1974-1976. Graduated from U.S.Navy School of Music, Norfolk, Va. 1978 with honors. Musician for 12 years with U.S.Navy fleet Bands in U.S.A., the Carribean, Arctic Circle, Pacific Islands,and East Asia. Has worked with: Richie Cole, Percy Sledge, Wolfman Jack, Ernie K-Doe, and Irma Thomas. And, has opened shows for: Clarence Carter, Jeanie C. Riley, Mo Bandy, David Allen Coe, and Shirley Hom. Since 2001 has worked the Wash.,D.C. area with his own Jazz Quartet and The Fabulous Dialtones. Also with: Daryl Davis, Jr. Cline and the Recliners, Terrence Mc Cardle, B.G.and the Mojo Hands, Julia Nixon, Edelweiss German Band ………..and many more.

Mark Moccio – Alto Saxophone

Mark MoccioMark Moccio, Alto Saxophone, began playing professionally at the age of 17. He works with several different jazz, R & B and rock groups in the DC area.  During his college years he performed with Subway out of Morgantown, WV and opened for The Coasters, The Crystals, The Drifters , The Marvelettes and Archie Bell. He currently teaches woodwinds in the DC area. Mark has performed at some of DC’s finest venues including the White House, the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap and the National Press Club. He enjoys playing with The Fabulous Dialtones, and he loves the opportunity to work with fine musicians playing great Classic Rock music.

 

Strings:

Sam Baumel – Electric Fiddle

Sam Fiddle PicSam had his first violin lesson at age 4…not surprising since my father, a concert violinist, was my teacher. Exposed to classical at an early age, his contemporary music influences were Motown, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Who.  Sam got his first electric fiddle amp in high school. Other early influences were more alternative…Yes, Genesis, Mahavishnu Orchestra, King Crimson.  He continued to play in college and for a few years after, but work and family soon overtook music, so in the late 80’s he entered a 25 year musical hibernation. Sam awoke from that hibernation in mid-2015 with an unquenchable thirst to play and was invited to sit-in with The Fabulous Dialtones…first to play on a few tunes, and then a gig, and now…one Fabulous experience leads to another!

Alternate Musicians

Bob LoSchiavo  –  Lead Guitar and Vocals

Bob has played lead guitar and sang in various bands over the years. He played with Tony back in the 70s with the Selective Service Sistum, an 8-piece horn band, while both went to school at Virginia Tech.  His early influence then was the great, late Terry Kath of Chicago.  Currently, he is playing as an alternate lead guitarist for “The Fabulous Dialtones” in Virginia and regular lead guitarist for “Walkin The Boulevard” out of New Jersey.

 

Chuck Hatfield  –  Keyboards and Vocals

Chuck Hatfield has had a lifetime of music.   He played in bands before he could drive a car (Thanks be to Dad!)  A Business graduate of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, Chuck grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His dad also played piano and was a tenor in the church choir, where Chuck first started lessons with the organist.  He played in several bands before leaving for college.  While a student at Virginia Tech he played in a popular 8-piece band, Selective Service Sistum and later formed a couple of bands that stayed busy for another five years, after which Chuck gave up playing in a band and, with work and family, involved himself in the Episcopal church.

A couple of years ago he joined a blues band and after a reunion of SSS, formed a part-time band in Northern NJ: Walkin The Boulevard with Bob Loschiavo.  Chuck joins his college friend, Tony Bardo in The Fabulous Dialtones from time to time.   As said to Chuck many years ago: Love is life set to MUSIC!  Oh, Chuck is also a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary and is an Episcopal Priest in the Diocese of Newark, NJ

Brian Priebe  –  Trombone

Brian Priebe, is a gifted music director, singer and instrumentalist playing both Trombone and Swiss Alphorn. He is a former member the Utah Chamber Orchestra performing with Ballet West. As a freelance trombonist, Brian works with an unusual variety of ensembles, ranging from traditional dixieland bands, swing orchestras, and rock bands to symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and even Bavarian bands. He is the veteran of three national tours with the String of Pearls Orchestra “In The Mood, Live”. He currently tours with the Bay Street Brassworks. Brian has also appeared on trombone with Connie Francis, Doc Severinson, Franki Vali, Della Reece, Carole Channing, Louis Bellson, Clark Terry, and The Moody Blues. The sound of his horn can be heard on numerous movie and TV soundtracks and commercials. Brian was a founding member of the popular salsa band “Orquesta Pachanga”.

Brian made his operatic vocal debut as the Count in excerpts from the Marriage of Figaro at Lincoln Center in August 2007. As a choral professional 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. He currently works as a church music director in Washington, DC.

Geoff Peterson  –  Trumpet

Geoff has played trumpet since attending high school in Manassas, and played in numerous rock-n-roll horn bands in the DC area in the 70’s and 80’s.  In the late 70’s, he played on the Busch Gardens Williamsburg German Oktoberfest Hall band.  Geoff has attempted to buy every picture ever taken from this dark past, with beer drinking involved on a daily basis, where he was forced to dress like a garden troll.  Currently, Geoff plays with various DC area bands, playing both concert and contemporary music.  He is also the bandleader of Swing Machine Big Band, a DC based big band in the tradition of Glenn Miller and Count Basie.  He resides in Front Royal with his wife Laura, who also plays trumpet.  When not playing music, Geoff is an FAA Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor.

Honorary Fabulous Dialtones Alumni:

Peter Warren – vocals and guitar

Mark Bultman – trombone

Ron Early – drums

John Nishimoto – guitar and vocals

Bob Blundell – bass, guitar and vocals

Jong Lee – bass, lead guitar

Roger Aurillo – Sound Reinforcement, lead guitar, vocals

Dennis Langley – drums and vocals

Perry Warden – drums

Gil Wilshire – trumpet

David Britt – trumpet

Craig Dye – trumpet

David Spiegelthal – baritone saxophone aka “Mario Baritone”

Brian MacDonald – saxophone, vocals

Dave DiPaolo – Baritone Saxophone

Liz Adams – trombone

Stuart Huang – Sound Reinforcement

Philroy Wilson – Sound Reinforcement