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George Maurer Group, variety & jazz band
"Dress smart, act casual, look like you know what you are doing, and wait for somebody to count to four" is one humorous take on the George Maurer Group’s approach to having fun on stage. Just as varied as the great music they perform are the personalities of the musicians who perform it. It is that fun “family” style of relating…to each other, to the audience, to their instruments, that makes up a GMG experience. A common love of jazz for the sake of playing jazz is the main motivator behind these "genre bending eclectictites" (Jazz 88 FM, Minneapolis). They are a gathering of the best of friends and the rarest of professionals, and their individual creativity and artistry continually pushes so-called “limits”. Other entertainers have noticed; individually or collectively, GMG members have performed Carnegie Hall, The Montreaux Jazz Festival, the Fitzgerald, Ordway & the Dakota, for members of Congress and the White House, and have performed with Eric Clapton, Dick Clark, The Crickets to Bob Hope and many, many more. Led by pianist/composer George Maurer, the George Maurer Group performs traditional jazz to swing, blues to bebop, and a healthy dose of originals. They are “one of the preeminent small jazz groups on the scene. Recommended." (David Nathan, All About Jazz). Come tap your toes to the "irreverent style and sly musical humor" (the Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis) of the George Maurer Group, a gathering of several well dressed friends who play jazz the way it was meant to be -- by the seat of their pants. Fast Facts About the George Maurer Group: Press "This was fun. It's impossible to sit still and to NOT smile when you observe the "teamwork" that propels jazz musicians as they pass off the lead to celebrate one another's individual talent." Steve Waller, Lake Country Journal Personnel
Band Bios That piano is now being restored by George Maurer, “Minnesota’s premiere jazz pianist” (KARE-11 TV, Minneapolis). “Maurer has a feel for his instrument that makes for an immediate emotional response...” (Minneapolis Star Tribune). He makes his music close to his heart, and his fans have been making it a part of their lives ever since his solo debut, Behind the Pine Curtain (Pine Curtain Records) in 1986. George Maurer has performed nationwide as a solo performer- from the Ordway Theater in St. Paul, MN, to performances in Washington, D.C. for members of Congress, the United Nations, and the White House. He’s compiled a discography of 15 innovative solo piano and jazz albums, and his gentle humor and storytelling abilities, woven with original music, have garnered him several nominations for “Jazz Entertainer of the Year” nationwide on college campuses. Maurer joined the Twin Cities’ Wesley Balk Summer Institute in 2002 as an Associate Music Director and participant, and has spent numerous summers and falls music directing and arranging for community theaters in Central Minnesota, as well as music directing and scoring for several Rough Cuts (Nautilus) showcases. In the Twin Cities, he has scored original music for Ms. Julie (10,000 Things), So This Duck Walks Into A Psychiatrist’s Office (Rough Cuts, Nautilus) and has scored and produced or performed for audio-books by noted Minnesota authors, including Jon Hassler (Staggerford, Rookery Blues) and Doug Wood (Old Turtle). Recently, Maurer has performed with Eric Clapton at the House of Blues, Los Angeles; with Dick Clark, Bobby Vee, the Chiffons, the Crystals, Fabian, and Buddy Holly’s original band The Crickets, and with numerous other rock and jazz performers. Armed with an uncanny ability to interpret, arrange for, and produce and perform numerous musical styles; from traditional jazz to bebop, classic to modern rock, to country and beyond, Maurer is called upon often to be a hired gun for numerous recording and theatrical ventures. When George isn’t performing solo, he arranges for and music directs the George Maurer Jazz Group, a “rambunctious” (The City Pages/Minneapolis), irreverent gathering of nine jazz musicians, “one of Central Minnesota’s sparkling contributions to the arts.” (Dale Connelly/Jim Ed Poole/ MPR’s The Morning Program). These “genre-bending eclectites” (Jazz 88 FM), are known for their "irreverent style and sly musical humor" (the Dakota Bar & Grill, Minneapolis). They hail from various locales from the outer backwashes of Central Minnesota, and their musical style is touted as “jazz beyond suburbia…..then way out.” (Leigh Kamman, The Jazz Image, MPR). They bend tradition whenever they can, even as live performers, and are featured regularly on Minneapolis’ KARE-11 TV’s Saturday Morning Program, and MPR’s Morning Program. See www.gmjazz.com. Jeff Engholm (bass) wears many hats as a bassist, singer, songwriter, engineer, conductor, and producer. Primarily a bass player, he works mostly for the George Maurer Jazz Group. Jeff also plays in Blimp, a Led Zeppelin tribute band, and is a singer/songwriter in the Collective Unconscious. He recently returned from Bobby Vee's "Up North December" tour as a singer, guitarist and bassist. Jeff is also a recording engineer at Rockhouse Studios in St Joseph, MN, and has engineered and helped produce the last four George Maurer albums, including the recently released "Groovitis" from the George Maurer Trio, two Collective Unconscious CD's, the soon to be released Dennis Warner 20th Anniversary Concert, and an upcoming DVD from the "Big Wu" Family Reunion, to name a few. As an independent producer, Jeff has put together productions of "Carmina Burana", "African Sanctus", and the Beatles album "Abbey Road". Jeff arranged and conducted a 24 piece ensemble production of the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" which sold out to concert halls from St. Cloud to Zumbrota, MN recently. Links to all of this information, and other stuff can be found at www.hunnynutstudios.com, Jeff's home base. Muggsy Lauer (guitar & vocals) has been playing guitar since age 12 when he started learning John Denver songs out of a songbook. His love of jazz developed in high school, and he spent 17 years doing a weekly jazz radio show on KVSC-FM. Muggsy started singing jazz in the George Maurer Jazz Group and marks it as one of his most favorite contributions to the band. Muggsy is also a member of Collective Unconscious. When not playing and singing jazz he is the Roast Master at the Meeting Grounds Coffee Company in St. Joseph, MN. Richard Witteman (trumpet) sings with the Half Steps a cappella group and works for Bankers Systems, St. Cloud, MN. Scott Chabot (drums) is still working on his new house and will drum for food basically anywhere. Disography
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What people are saying: The GEORGE MAURER GROUP |
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