Ed Vezinho/Jim Ward Big Band

Ed Vezinho-Woodwind Speciaist, Ed Vezinho, has been performing professionally since 1975 and working in theatres in and around the Atlantic City / Philadelphia area since 1981. Ed has solo credits with such artists as Aretha Franklin, Shirley Bassey, The Temptations and Tony Bennett. These include numerous television and radio broadcasts. Photo: HighSlide JS

An internationally renowned composer and arranger, Ed has had his music performed and recorded by Mel Torme, Maureen Mcgovern and numerous professional organizations, universities, high school/ junior high schools throughout the world. His commissions include all the music for the grand opening of Atlantic City Convention Center, The Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, Ceasers Hotel & Casino, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Resorts International.

Currently on the faculty of Rowan University, Ed teaches composition, arranging and conducting. He has been a featured clinician/ performer for the all South Jersey High School Jazz Ensemble, The Somers Point Jazz Festival and the Temple University Jazz Festival. The Rum association in Krikstaad Sweden invited Ed to be a clinician at their Summer 2004 Big Band Camp where he directed two ensembles. The weeklong program culminated in four concerts at various venues including one for the King and Queen of Sweden. He has published over one hundred compositions and arrangements available through Walrus Music and DAB music.

Jim Ward- Born in Syracuse, New York to Don and Jan Ward my parents always encouraged me to practice and play the trumpet. Sometimes I look back, and think I should have been a bricklayer like my father as there are many similarities to playing trumpet!

I started to get serious on the trumpet at Cicero High School, Cicero, New York where I studied with Lee Thornburg. Lee graduated and turned me over to the late Elliot Topalian, my friend and mentor. His long list of student’s includes, Lee Thornburg (The Tonight Show Band), Scott Thornburg (Western Michigan University), John Raschella (Syracuse Symphony Orchestra), and Dr. David Champouillon (East Tennessee State University).

My college days saw me attend Onondaga Comm. College in Syracuse where I studied with Daniel Sapochetti, and Peter Voisin of the Syracuse Symphony and Prof. James Mosher. I transferred to The University of Miami where I studied with William”Colburn’Clark. I met Ed Vezinho in college where we put our first band together in 1976 calling it T.A.H., {Tight as Hell}. We played the Syracuse area for a couple of years then Ed went to Potsdam State College and I went to Miami. I left Miami in 1980 and went to the newly opened casinos in Atlantic City where I still work today. Ed arrived in 1982, we got a new band together, and we’ve been going ever since.

Along the way, besides the band, I’ve had the good luck to play with many great players and play many great gigs. My favorites were as lead trumpet for: The nationally televised 2000 Republican National Convention, A tour with Shirley Bassey that included stops at Carnegie, and Symphony Halls, and a trip to Sweden in 2004 to work with Ed and our Swedish friend Berndt Sjögren. I hope you enjoy the site and the music, love to my wife Lori, and my children Jessica and Michael, Jim Ward.
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