Bio: 

Somewhere far away from the musical Meccas, a hot group of seasoned musicians have come together, proving that you can get older and better. That somewhere is Columbia, Missouri, where some of the areas pre-eminent players have honed their talents into The Dynamics, a Rockin’ Blues ‘n Horn band.

Yes, you may have seen the names or faces before in Missouri and surrounding states. And on any given night, you will see some of the The Dynamics with other Mid-Missouri-based bands. But when they come together as The Dynamics, the polished sound of the regions finest 4-piece horn section, coupled with spellbinding guitar work and multi-stylized piano, all behind powerhouse vocals, . . . well, . . .you just gotta hear it. And you can . . . at local venues . . and on their first CD “Man Insane”. And we hope, at your event, venue, or special occasion.

Members of The Dynamics have opened concerts and played in the backup band for such notables as the Temptations, Mel Torme, Chubby Checker, Clark Terry, Koko Taylor, The Coasters, Delbert McClinton, and many many more.

Group Members:

Pete Szkolka: Also often heard as the keyboardist with Chump Change, in The Dynamics, Pete stretches out on piano and on guitar, sometimes a la power trio sound with horns, and sometimes a la Bourbon Street boogie. Close your eyes and you’d swear more than one person is playing. Pete has also done stints with Del Alma and is an original member of The Kansas City Streetband. Pete is also a producer, arranger, and recording engineer at his private studio which serves the areas musicians, radio stations, and video producers. His wife Jeanne owns Columbia Dance Academy, and they have one beautiful son, and star, Matthew.

Allen Beeson: Allen is a Yamaha performing artists, and one of the best trumpet/flugelhorn players anywhere, . . . and we mean anywhere. Maintaining a heavy schedule between running his family business, Simmons Moving and Storage, raising his boys Zack and Walter, and traveling a demanding performing schedule all over the country, many area residents know Allen and have seen him perform locally with the Tom Andes Trio, the Norm Ruebling band, and as bandleader for many local charity fundraisers and special events. If you haven’t heard Allen play live, you’ve missed a real treat. Stop depriving yourself.

Jim Carter: Playing bass and singing, Jim made his way to this area to settle his family after growing up in a musical family in Philadelphia. Singing on TV from the age of 5, and miraculously surviving childhood cancer, Jim made his long musical journey through many years in Philadelphia, then through Nashville, and finally to Fulton, Missouri. He and his wife, Laura, who also sings on the CD and occasionally makes a guest appearance with The Dynamics, own a document service agency. But to hear the Carters sing together, my oh my, . . . sends chills up your spine.

Jimmy Joe Culbertson: Having played with many Mid-Missouri bands such as The Benders and with Henry Clay, Jimmy Joe is the consummate “pilot” behind the drum kit. Jimmy Joe’s ability to switch convincingly from swing to rock to shuffle, from New Orleans to Chicago to the Memphis sound gives the rhythm section and the horn section the freedom to play authentic and tasty tunes in a wide variety of genres, all solid as can be. Jimmy always has time for music, but like the rest of us, he is also a committed family person, raising his kids with wife Dawn, and serving as an officer on the Fulton, Missouri police force.

Tony Lotven: With a long musical history in the area, Tony was also a founding member of the Kansas City Street Band, played often with the Jolly Brothers, and with John and Debbie D’Agostino. As a master flutist and screaming saxophonist, Tony can also be heard as a member of Del Alma and occasionally playing jazz or sitting in with other local blues and jazz musicians. His demanding schedule also includes traveling as a national consultant to the American Cancer Society. But primarily he will tell you he has played music since the age of 4, and he ain’t gonna stop now. He has settled in Columbia with his wife Melynda, one of the country’s leading gourd artists, and their children.

Denise Bowmaker: Denise returned to this area and her family after going back to school to study saxophone in Ohio. She has always had a talent for music instrument repair, and worked as an apprentice with one of the world’s master mouthpiece makers. Before returning to Columbia, she traveled cruise ships as the baritone saxophone player. Highly proficient on all the saxophones, Denise barrels through the bottom end of the The Dynamics horn section on her bari sax. Denise was also a member of the Kansas City Street Band, and played with Mo Betta, the Debbie D’Agostino band. Currently she is called to fill in with the Swingin’ Axes, as well as for many local jazz gigs. Recently a grandmother, The Dynamics may have the distinction of having one of the few active granny bari sax blowers. Go, granny, go.

John D'Agostino: As the newest addition to The Dynamics, John's supple, sublime, and scintilating voice is a staple on the Mid-Missouri scene. Currently still playing with his own band, Rock Paper Scissors, providing lead vocals and keyboards for other bands "on demand" is a testament to his extensive talent and repertoire. By day, John is a high level building inspector for the city, and he has two very talented buildings. He also assists his sister Debbie with D'Agostino's restaurant. But listen to him once, and you'll know that the stage is home sweet home.

Recent additions Rob Boullion and Mike Cordiero help round out the full spectrum of intrumentation for the Dynamics. Rob and his wife Nancy, along with their full time jobs, also lead the Swingin Axes. Rob's arrangement skills contribute greatly to our great horn section sound, not to mention his sweet trombone.

Here's an interesting tidbit. Mike Cordiero's dad wrote "Wipeout". Don't believe it? Well its true!

So there you have it. Nine strong. Very strong. We play a mixture of styles, and a mixed bag of cover tunes and originals. You can listen, you can dance, but you can’t just walk away. It’s just too good. And yes, we’ve all grown older, but we have also grown better. We like playing in Columbia. This is our home. Many of us have traveling thousands of miles playing music, but we have all settled here. And we keep playing. Its just too much fun when you’ve got great people and great musicians around you. We are proud of The Dynamics and we want to share it with you. Playing music is pure joy, and it keeps us young in spirit and at heart.



Contact:

The Dynamics

Attn: Tony Lotven

5401 O’Neal Road

Columbia, MO 65202

USA

Phone: 573-446-5948

Fax: 425-671-0388

Email: tlotven@socket.net




The Dynamics Show Reviews:
  6/20/03 @ Mojo's

The Dynamics Album Reviews:
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Upcoming The Dynamics Shows: (next 30 days)
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