DAN ODEGAARD - BAND LEADER & TRUMPET PLAYER
Dan Odegaard became leader of the Classic Big Band in 1998. Dan's love of the big band sounds and his determination
to preserve and reproduce it as closely as possible is evidenced by
the countless hours he has spent transcribing many of the charts from
the original recordings. He also plays with a dance orchestra called
the Execs Big Band, a group comprised of business executives
and professionals dedicated to preserving big band music.
 A dentist by profession, Dan interspersed music with schooling and work
for many years. He started playing the trumpet at age nine and was a
member of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra in the Twin
Cities in the early 1960's, being admitted by tryout and playing solos
in 1961. Odegaard developed an interest in big band jazz and dance music
while in high school. He started playing with the Bobby Thomas
Orchestra, comprised of North High teens and college students,
while a junior and was performing for salary at major hotels by his
senior year. Upon graduation from high school in 1966, he was part of
the Minneapolis and St. Paul Federation of Musicians
and started regular "jobbing" in the Twin Cities. As a member
of the Dick Whitbeck Orchestra, he performed at many
dances and concerts over the next six years, also playing with church
brass choirs.
During his college years, Odegaard did "subbing" for musicians in
major orchestras to fit his schedule. He played one-nighters with the
Warren Covington/ Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Bob
Crosby Bobcats, and the Ralph Marten Orchestra.
While he was studying predentistry, he was a trumpet student of Daniel
B. Tetzlaff, a member of the faculty from the University of
Minnesota School of Music. Then Dan started dental school and
played lead trumpet with the newly formed University of Minnesota
Jazz Ensemble directed by Tom Keith.
Dentistry and a young family kept him from being as active in music as he would
have liked until 1990. He started playing in the Vets, which was a house band for the Richfield Legion since around 1986. He started amassing his collection of authentic arrangements and started the vocal group, The Nostalgics, in 1995. When Bill Dean resigned as leader in 1998, Dan stepped into the role. He has also performed with the Rod Smith
Big Band, Beasley's Big Band, Twin Cities Jazz Orchestra, Roseville Big Band, Swing Beats,
Jerry O'Hagen, Chamberlain Orchestra and the Zurah
Flames. |
