Meet Sublime Jazz

Joe Zampi - Trumpet, Band Leader

Joe plays trumpet and produces Downbeat Big Band. He has played trumpet for more than four decades, and also plays flugelhorn, cornet, piano and valve trombone. Joe has played innumerable weddings, the Mayor’s Ball, nightclubs, military funerals, studio work, churches, off-Broadway shows, and in a seven-piece society band. He was an individual solo champion of New York, and directed a New York State championship marching band. Joe has performed with many notables, including Lou Soloff, Thad Jones, Mel Lewis; for Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr., Paul Seaforth, and Gilbert Castellanos; and in musical theatre. He plays in the Grossmont College Big Band, Southwestern College Jazz Ensemble, the RJ Big Band, Memory Lane Combo, and Sublime Jazz Band.

He has bachelor's, master's and juris doctorate degrees. Joe has been a physics teacher, trumpet teacher, band director, and musician. He is a practicing attorney and an adjunct instructor at the University of San Diego.

Doug Buchanan - Saxophone

Saxophonist Doug Buchanan, originally from Bayou Le Batre, Alabama, is known about San Diego for his creative work with Sublime Jazz, the Grossmont Jazz Ensemble, and Downbeat Big Band.

Doug played on tour with the great Charlie Musselwhite, and opened for Etta James, John Lee Hooker, Tower of Power, Canned Heat, and Roomful of Blues. Doug has a great tone, and always comes up with a way to make the song a lot more exciting, whether it's with his sax or adding extra rhythm sounds.

Renee Calvo - Vocalist

Renee Calvo, a San Diego native, is a gifted and talented vocalist and pianist. She started her musical studies learning to play the piano at age six and continued to develop her music skills at the University of Miami, Point Loma Nazarene University (BM Vocal Performance), and San Diego State University (MM Vocal Performance). Renee has been a featured soloist in many local and international venues. Ms. Calvo has performed a wide variety of roles including Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte (Lyric Opera Studio, Weimar) Rose in Street Scene and Cecily in La Davina (San Diego State University). She has an extensive solo and chorus background with the San Diego Opera Chorus, First Presbyterian Church of San Diego (Soprano Soloist), as well as several prominent classical and jazz regional ensembles. She was featured in the Classics 4 Kids production of The Magic Flute as Papagena and sang the soprano solos in Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Anthony Davis’ Amistad with the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus.

She has won many vocal competitions including: the San Diego NATS Young Artists Competition, H.B. Goodlin Foundation Vocal Scholarship, La Jolla Symphony and Chorus Young Artists Competition, Virginia and Susan Hawk Vocal Competition and finalist in the Carmel Society Vocal Competition and Musical Merit of San Diego Foundation.

March 2010 performances include soprano soloist in Will Todd’s Mass in Blue with the Grossmont Master Chorale and Grossmont Faculty Jazz Quartet as well as the Silicon Valley Chorale in San Jose, CA. She currently sings with Sublime Jazz, teaches at the Children’s Academy of Performing Arts and is serving on the board of the San Diego Teachers of Singing.

Mike Cornelison - Bass

Upon graduating with honors from Musicians' Institute in Hollywood, Mike began compiling his intensive study of the bass playing of Jaco Pastorius into a book of 26 note-for-note transcriptions entitled "The Book of Jaco."

He has since published five more books for the practicing bass player, including Classical Masterpieces for Electric Bass, which has been the top selling book at www.bassbooks.com three of the last four years running.

After having played and toured with acts as diverse as The Jim Seal Band (country), Shrinking Ego (reggae), and too many rock n' roll bands to mention, Mike has settled down with Sublime Jazz, swinging with the music he loves most and enjoying the opportunity to play fine venues and settings throughout the San Diego area.

Phillip Steven Marcus - Guitar

Phillip plays guitar for Sublime Jazz. A veteran of the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), he is currently Music Director at Standley Middle School. Phil received his a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, and went on to study at SDSU as a Graduate Assistant under Charles Yates and Harold Warman. He holds teaching credentials in California and Missouri.

A 19-time honoree of Who's Who Among America's Teachers, Phil has distinguished himself as an outstanding educator. He is the founder of the University City High School Centurion Band and co-founder of the San Diego Youth Philharmonic Orchestra Intermediate Symphony. Among his many honors are the PTSA Honorary Service Award, KUSI TV's "Class Act: Teacher of the Week," SDUSD Site Teacher of the Year, and Outstanding Young Men of America. He is the recipient of the David Paul Schuchman Memorial Award for Outstanding Secondary Music Teacher of the Year for SDUSD, and was selected as a national finalist in the Barbie Arts Teacher of the Year National Search. In 2005, he was selected as the Director of the SDUSD All-City Elementary Honor Band.

Phil has performed with the San Diego Opera, Charger Band, the Super Bowl "Bud Band," and on radio and TV in commercial spots and shorts. He received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Television Director for the drama "Waiting for Al"; the Video Expo '91 award for the orientation video "The Boys & Girls Club of Escondido Welcomes You"; and The Leading Edge Award for "The Next Generation is ASD". He is a member of the SCSBOA, CBDA, CMEA, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Students of Mr. Marcus perform with Downbeat, The Jazz Ensemble, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, San Diego Youth Symphony, San Diego Young Artist's Symphony, Civic Youth Orchestra Palomar College, Grossmont Symphonic Orchestra, San Diego State University, the San Francisco Conservatory, UCLA Marching Band, USC's Thornton School of Music, and the cast of the original Broadway musical "Jersey Boys."

Albert L. Rubidoux III - Drums

Albert keeps the band in time on the drums. He has played for 11 years and also plays hand percussion. He has played with Southwestern College Small Jazz Combo and Latin Jazz Band, and currently plays in the Jazz Ensemble and Downbeat Big Band. Albert played in the pit orchestra for productions of Side by Side by Sondheim, Damn Yankees, and Working. He graduated from Southwestern College in 2003.

Albert works as an event manager for a corporate and private catering company, and is also an audio engineer for independent and student films. Albert is a Foley artist, audio consultant, and soundscape designer.