Quartet - "Don't Quit Your Day Job"

• Bob Ockenden - guitar
• David Edminster - saxophone
• Bjorn Villesvik - bass
• Rick Nair - drums

Don't Quit Your Day Job was formed in 2003, after the founders, Bob and Dave had been playing together in various aggregations for the previous 10 years. The name represents the reality for most jazz musicians, whose lives are often very full with day job, family obligations and an enduring love of and need for musical expression. David is a frequent composer of material for the quartet, he was an early member of the Composers Forum, and has had his music played by the St Paul Chamber Orchestra in a new composers concert. He plays, in addition to jazz saxophone, early music on recorders, and Classical music on bassoon. Bob has been active as a sideman in the twin cities, having performed with many local, regional and national artists. The quartet specializes in the jazz known as post-bop and hard-bop, exemplified by such notable artists as Horace Silver, Wayne Shorter, Clifford Brown and other stalwarts of the Blue Note records catalogue. They also emphasize original music.

Bassist Bjorn Villesvik is a recent Mus. ed. grad from Augsburg College, and he is hoping to find a day job to not quit. He has performed in a variety of settings, from orchestral to rock music and folk, to jazz.

Rick Nair, drums, is a New York transplant and is an in demand small group drummer. His playing is subtle, yet energetic, and he is a colorist with a solid groove. He is the newest member of the ensemble.