Born and raised in the farming area of western New York, Jack was class valedictorian of Gowanda Central High School and solo clarinetist in the band. The seeds for his becoming a Multi-Instrumentalist and a Comprehensive Musician were evident from the beginning.  As keyboardist, he began playing organ and piano for church services at the age of 13. He sang the leading role in the opera, "Amahl and the Night Visitors", and performed with the Columbus Boychoir (now the American Boychoir) at the age of 14. In high school, he also learned to play the flute, saxophone, trumpet, and french horn before attending the State University College at Fredonia, NY where he also became proficient on trombone, baritone horn, tuba, and string bass.  He graduated magna cum laude in 1964 with a B.S. in Music Education and earned a Masters of Music degree in clarinet, composition, and Music Education in 1974, from the same university. Professionally, he studied clarinet with Stanley Hasty, composition from Samuel Adler, Warren Benson, Manny Album, and Rayburn Wright, counterpoint, orchestration, jazz arranging, and studio recording techniques at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester and saxophone with Al Gallodoro of the NBC Staff Orchestra, clarinet from James East, flute from Dr. Donald Hartman, and composition from Dr. Walter Hartley.

In the 1960's, Jack toured most of the eastern United States with a gospel music brass ensemble playing low brass and string bass, arranging music for the group, and making five studio recordings. In addition, he freelanced on Long Island with the Suffolk Symphonic Orchestra, Suffolk County Concert Band, Sayville Musical Workshop, Carriage House Players, and Theater Three, while performing in numerous churches playing saxophone, clarinet, flute, as well as piano, organ, trumpet, french horn, baritone horn, tuba, and string bass with The Jericho Brass and Singers.  He performed on Philadelphia television as the "Pied Piper" clarinetist on a children's show, performed saxophone and trumpet on live Canadian radio, composed more than 40 pieces for orchestra, concert band, chamber music ensembles, school and church groups, and the theater.  The Suffolk Symphony premiered his Psalm 98 for orchestra in 1968.  During his career, Jack has played or worked with, Carmen McCrae (Jazz singer), Chuck Mangione (Jazz Trumpet), Donald Hunsberger (conductor of Eastman Wind Ensemble), Bobby Ridel (50's rock singer), Jimmy Burke (cornet virtuoso, Goldman Band), Garrison Keillor (Prairie Home Companion), Robert Shaw (conductor of Atlanta Symphony), Michael Tilson Thomas (Buffalo Philharmonic), Julius Herford (Bach expert), Jens Lindemann (trumpet-Canadian Brass), Harvey Phillips (Tuba virtuoso, Goldman Band), Dick Hyman, jazz pianist, Al Gallodoro (NBC Symphony Saxophonist), Al Venuti (Trumpet virtuoso), Vince DiMartino (trumpet virtuoso), Earl Lauder (Euphonium virtuoso), Daniel McAinich (Solo Oboist Louisville Symphony), Manny Album (Coke and Chevy commercials music composer), and Rayburn Wright (conductor Radio City Music Hall).  Phil Ramone (America's Premiere Record Producer) was involved in recording "Jennie's Tune," "Uncle Ed's Tune," and "Girl from Ipanema" on Jack' Compositions and Arrangements CD.

While on a three month long bicycle tour of seven countries in Northern Europe in 1965, as part of an American Youth Hostels (AYH) tour, which included ten other Americans bicycling up to 75 miles a day, a travelogue documentary was made of his trip entitled "Bike and Baggage Through Europe" and shown nationwide on the "Bold Adventure" television show. In 1968, he toured Europe with an eighty voice choir and brass ensemble, performing in churches and youth retreats in six countries.  In the 1970's and early 80's, he toured the Midwest as lead trumpet-arranger of a sacred music brass ensemble and choir, performed with the BAFFA Symphony Orchestra as solo clarinetist, played woodwinds in the Playcrafters and Airport Playhouse Theater Orchestras, led the "New Winds" Woodwind Quartet, soloed on cable TV Sunday morning church programs, concertized with the Quintaur Woodwind Quintet, the "Offshore Winds" Quintet, and Eastern Suffolk Woodwind Quintet, and performed with the Atlantic Wind Symphony and the American Concert Band.

From 1964-1982, Jack taught public school music on Long Island and upstate New York as Music Department Chairman, band director, high school orchestra director, chorus teacher, general music classroom, and electronic piano lab teacher, while continuing to maintain a successful private studio practice.  His summer employment for 15 years was teacher of BOCES II Gifted and Talented Advanced Composition and Music Theory Summer Institute to some of Long Island's brightest high school students.  Many of those students have become professional musicians and teachers.  He has been sub-Dean of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), Suffolk County and for 14 years he was a member of the faculty of the Eastern Suffolk School of Music in Riverhead.  He has performed keyboard for silent movies both at the Guild Hall and the Parrish Art Museum in the Hamptons.  In 1982, he left public school teaching to form ProMusic, as described in this web site.
        Jack recently retired as Director of Music from Christ Church United Methodist in Port Jefferson Station after 17 years as the organist/choir director/Director of Music. He has given numerous seminars and recitals throughout the  Island-Metropolitan New York area.  ProMusic (recording)  produced the CD "Elisabeth Palmedo and Friends" in 1995 and Jim Tooher’s Swing and Standards of the 30’s and 40’s featuring solo voice and guitar this past year. Just recently completed is Mike Sueiro plays and sings Tschazz, featuring the new Boston University graduate and former ProMusic private student, Michael Sueiro showing his awesome keyboard jazz skills. Over 250 of his students have achieved All County or All State status and have gone on to study music at the college level with many of them becoming professional or semi-professional musicians. As a solo instrumentalist and keyboardist, Jack still performs regularly at churches, weddings, recitals, and recording studios often combining MIDI technology and personal performance to create uniquely beautiful classical, sacred, gospel, and contemporary music.

Over the years, when not involved in music,  Jack has been found traveling, bicycling, skiing, golfing, model airplanes,  digital photography, and sailboat cruising/racing with his wife Jennie.

      In November 2003, Jack retired from Long Island's ProMusic Studio, sold his home, and relocated to Historic Downtown Madison, Indiana located on the Ohio river.  Named by Charles Kurault as "one of the best preserved historic towns in America."  Madison is known for a friendly, small town atmosphere, excellent Ohio River views, non-stop festivals, garden and home tours, river regattas, antique riverboat visits, and some of the best preserved historic homes anywhere in America.  In addition, Madison is 50 minutes from Louisville, KY, one of the most musical cities in America.  Besides a top ten symphony orchestra, this city boasts many professional and semi-professional musicians and dozens of excellent music groups.  Jack is now playing in bands, jazz groups, and other ensembles up to 5 nights a week.  What a wonderful area for a musician to choose for retirement. 

    1.  The River Cities Concert Band first chair solo clarinet with Kentuckiana's best community band from 2004-7.
            2.  Solo Eb Soprano Clarinetist, jazz and Dixieland soloist,  and first clarinetist in the prestigious 88 member select Indiana University Southeast Concert Band composed of music majors and professional musicians in the Louisville and Southern Indiana area.  This excellent band has a long waiting list to join and is one of the most exciting bands in the mid-west. 
           3.  Concertmaster and first clarinet with Advocate Brass Band of Danville, Kentucky.  This band is composed of some world famous brass and woodwind players as well of some of the best musicians in three states (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana).   They have toured Europe several times and hosted and performed at the Great American Brass Band Festival (See: GABBF.ORG) at Centre College, Danville, Kentucky, attended by up to 40,000 music fans. 
            4.  Soloist and lead alto saxophone and occasional pianist with the Louisville big band Signature Jazz Orchestra. 
            5.  Back in Madison, clarinetist and trombonist with Madison's own Dixieland Band, Soundz OF Dixieland,  which plays for town and Ohio River events as well as parties and park concerts. 
           6.  Frequent instrumental special music solos at the North Madison Baptist Church, Resurrection Lutheran Church, Madison Salvation Army, and Trinity Methodist Church of Madison. 
            7.  "Jazz Night" soloist at a local restaurant called "Joey G's" which attracts some very fine jazz players from the area. 
            8.  Classical Clarinet Recitals at the Classical Chautauqua concert in Madison each year. 
            9. First french horn with both the college band and orchestra at Hanover College in nearby Hanover, Indiana for four concerts. 
          10. French Horn and sometimes lead trumpet with The Madison Brass Ensemble.
          11. Curved soprano and alto saxophone with The Madison Saxophone Choir.

       We would like to hear from any old or new friends. 

See the E-Mail address at the bottom of the page.