The Makai Jazz Group is composed of drummer Jimmy C, keyboardist Jeff Hellmer, saxophonist Bruce Boege, and bassist Dave Graber.
Jimmy C
A versatile drummer, Jimmy C’s eclectic, street-wise drumming style results from years of layering a variety of musical genres such as jazz-fusion, Dixie-cowboy, and Philly doo-wop: he plays rock ‘n roll, country, and show tunes as well as jazz. Although he mostly performs live, Jimmy is also a recording artist.
Jeff Hellmer
Jazz pianist Jeff Hellmer has enjoyed a 35-year career as a performer and educator, appearing frequently on the central Texas scene as well as throughout the United States at venues ranging from the Litchfield Jazz Festival to the Idyllwild Arts Academy. Twice named a finalist in the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, he has performed and taught jazz throughout the United States as well as in Russia and Taiwan. As the long-time director of the University of Texas Jazz Orchestra, he led performances of the band at the North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals and has appeared with jazz masters such as Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, John Clayton, and Kenny Garrett.
Dave Graber
Bass player Dave Graber was awarded the Edmonton Jazz Society Scholarship and graduated from Grant MacEwan College with a diploma in Jazz Studies in 1991. He graduated with distinction from the University of Calgary in Jazz Studies/Performance where he received the Margaret Locke Scholarship for strings. Dave has studied privately with Gary Willis of Tribal Tech and Charlie Banacos of the New England Conservatory of Music and Berklee College of Music. Dave has also taught the National Guitar Workshop in both Seattle and San Francisco.
Bruce Boege
Saxophonist Bruce Boege has played jazz music from Hawaii to Hungary in various groups. He began as the lead guitar player and a singer in the Ravens for a few years then learned the saxophone and began playing jazz in the 1970s with The Bel Isle Trio in Belfast, Maine. He was a member of the Maryanne Driscoll quintet, an avant garde jazz group that toured Hungary, and has played at the Paradise Club in Boston, Birdland in New York City, The Left Bank Cafe in Maine with Miles Evans, and in concerts with James Williams (piano player with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers). Bruce moved to Maui in 2008, played with The Soul Kitchen Band, and setup a recording studio on island mostly to record for others but also to write and record his own songs.
Bruce also operates his Limin Music recording studio in Kihei.
www.liminaudiomusicstudio.com