Peter Lamb and the Wolves

Peter Lamb has been likened to a 'giant possessed Muppet, weaving and bobbing all over the stage’ and if you have ever seen him play, you are probably nodding your head as you read this. This Raleigh based saxophonist blends a mixture of Mingus style jazz with New Orleans style jazz for a sound that makes you too want to weave and bob. Peter’s love for music doesn’t start and end with him playing saxophone. He also can be caught composing and arranging music that comes at you from every direction resonating with young and old alike. In addition to putting out his own CD self-titled Peter Lamb and The Wolves, Peter has also recorded with local artists The Countdown Quartet, The Fleshtones, Heads on Sticks, Chris Stamey, The Rosebuds and The Savage Knights, as well as, Ben Folds Five, Clay Aiken and Josh Grobin. Peter is currently working on writing and arranging tunes for his next album which he hopes to put out during the first half of 2012. Peter Lamb was born in San Francisco, CA and moved to Raleigh, NC with his family at the young age of 9. It wasn’t too long afterward that he picked up his first saxophone and rarely has he put it down since. In 2000 Peter moved to New York after graduating from ECU with his Bachelors in Music Performance but his love for the area brought him back to Raleigh the following year. Since that time Peter has both played and recorded in and around the Triangle with several artists such as The Countdown Quartet, The Fleshtones, The Old Habits, Heads on Sticks, Chris Stamey, The Mint Julep Jazz Band, The Rosebuds and The Savage Knights, as well as, Ben Folds Five, Clay Aiken and Josh Grobin. While typically referred to as a jazz musician, Peter garners his inspiration from different genres and artists all over the world. He loves to play a sexy tango or a heart-wrenching waltz, an endearing ballad, a Russian polka, a favorite childhood video game or comic book super hero theme song. On his personal playlist you will find music from Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Leonard Cohen, Mozart, Tom Waits, Thelonius Monk, Dexter Gordon, Lester Young, The Cars, Talking Heads, The Pixies, The Beatles, Bob Dylan. The list could go on forever and will never stop growing. In 2008, Peter was asked to assemble a band to play a local Inaugural Ball at Humble Pie for President Barack Obama’s inauguration. Peter Lamb and The Wolves has come a long way since that first performance. On January 21, 2013, the band will play the Tar Heel State Presidential Inaugural Ball at the Fort Myer’s Officers Club adjacent to the Arlington National Cemetery. It has been a great pleasure, and a very humbling experience, for Peter to lead such an amazing group of musicians and he could not be more excited about beginning the recording of their second album.

Paul Rogers is a trumpet player and teacher native to Raleigh, NC. He performs with various bands around North Carolina, including Peter Lamb and the Wolves, The Mint Julep Jazz Band, The Atomic Rhythm All-Stars, Boneslinger, The Michael Gamble Group, The Russ Wilson Swingtette, Mr. Potato Head, and others. He appears as a sideman and/or arranger on many various recording projects, including Peter Lamb and the Wolves "Carolina Tiger Milk", Mint Julep Jazz Band "Battle Axe", and Boneslinger "Boneslinger," all available for streaming on Spotify or purchase on iTunes. In high school, he studied with Don Eagle of the North Carolina Symphony, Jim Ketch of UNC-CH, Ray Codrington, and international jazz artist Stephen Riley. After high school, he attended the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City, where he studied with famed jazz trumpeters Charles Tolliver and Jimmy Owens. He completed his BFA in Jazz Trumpet Performance at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he studied with John Swana and George Rabbai. He now lives in Raleigh with his wife, young daughter, and their pet parrot, Chocobo. He maintains an active and varied performing schedule, in addition to teaching brass and jazz lessons out of his home. For lesson inquiries, please visit his website linked in his name above.

Bassist Peter Kimosh was born in Cleveland Ohio. While deeply rooted in Jazz, he has found his voice in a wide variety of genres including hip-hop, salsa, funk, rock, orchestral, chamber-soul and any combination of the above. Peter discovered music at an early age, through the piano. He had no idea, then, all of the places music would take him. In high school he discovered the joys of orchestral and jazz bass under the direction of John Brown. He continued his studies with John at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill while receiving a Bachelor of Music degree. Since college, he has spent time touring with an orchestra in Italy, blending hip-hop and salsa music on while on tour with The Beast in Panama, and playing with multiple artists on national US tours. Currently, his main projects are The Beast, Peter Lamb and the Wolves, Shana Tucker and Orquesta GarDel. He can also be found playing with The Tim Smith Band, Pavelid Castenedaf, Primera Jazz, Mint Julep Jazz Band, Bethel AME Gospel Choir. Peter is a dedicated to education and community. He teaches at the Cary School of Music as well as maintains a private teaching studio. As a member of the Hip-hop group, the Beast, he has done over 500 workshops/shows in schools, for ages elementary school through college. The Beast's curriculum, entitled Sankofa, traces the history of African American music, from its routes in Africa, through spirituals, blues, jazz, reggae, soul to modern day hip hop. As a producer/recording engineer, Peter runs Deep Sound Studio in Durham, NC. He has had the pleasure of working with Nnenna Freelon, Shana Tucker, Eric Hirsh, the Beast + Big Band, Orquesta GarDel, and many more. When not performing, recording or teaching, Peter can be found in his scuba gear, exploring the world's oceans.

Mark Wells is a North Carolina native who has been an active part of the Triangle music scene for 20 years. He is currently the main class pianist for the Carolina Ballet, and also works as an accompanist in Modern, Tap, and Jazz styles for Duke University, the American Dance Festival, and the NC Youth Tap Ensemble. He is the featured vocalist for local jazz and R&B group, Peter Lamb and the Wolves, 2 time winner of “Best Jazz Band” by the Independent Weekly. Mark has also been a featured vocalist for the NC Jazz Repertory Orchestra, and plays and sings regularly in NC. He has worked for Theatre in the Park doing productions of “Hair", "A Christmas Carol" and “Assassins". He also played for Raleigh Little Theatre’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. As an educator, Mark maintains a studio of 15-20 students, and travels the state extensively as a part of the Durham based hip-hop band “The Beast” and their school program entitled “Sankofa”.

Whether noticed in a Jazz, Hip-Hop, Rock, or Latin setting, Stephen Coffman has been one of the most in-demand drummers in North Carolina for the past decade. After graduating from Durham School of the Arts in 2002, he earned a scholarship to join the music program at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he studied jazz performance. Currently, Stephen performs regularly with The Beast (Jazz/Hip-Hop Quartet), Peter Lamb & The Wolves (New Orleans traditional with modern jazz hues), North Carolina Jazz Repertoiry Orchestra (North Carolina’s most celebrated jazzBig Band), and Shana Tucker (Chamber-Soul). In a professional setting, Stephen has also had the opportunity to record or perform with Rene Marie, John Pizzarelli, Joe Chambers, Nnenna Freelon, Maceo Parker, Jason Marsalis, The North Carolina Symphony and Mike Cross among others. Notable performances in recent history include the Presidential Inaugural Ball at Fort Meyer Officers’ Club in Washington, D.C. (2012), Art of Cool International Music Festival, Panama tour, sponsored by Creative Currents Artists Collaborative, including a performance at Festival de Diablos y Congos (over 10,000 attendees) and workshops at the Fundación Danilo Perez for young Panamanian jazz musicians. Stephen performed at the 2012 Democratic National Convention as part of the opening Gala, and made an appearance at Winter Jazz Fest in NYC. In addition to local performance and studio recording session work, Stephen is a dedicated private music educator, as the owner of his private teaching school in Durham. He is also on staff at Creative Music Studio and Cary School of Music. From private drum lessons to judging state Jazz band competitions, Stephen is just as comfortable on stage as he is in the classroom. He has performed workshops and clinics at schools and community centers throughout the country. Stephen is very dedicated to community outreach, using music education as the vehicle. He performs in several groups that regularly participant in artists in schools education, presented by the North Carolina Arts Council. Stephen founded the Jam Session student music ensemble, where young musicians collaborate to create music in a group setting. Stephen prepares the charts for all instruments and conducts the groups. He lives in Durham, NC with his wife and 2 sons.