JMC50 has had some changes in personnel over the past couple of years as some members have decided that it’s time to back out of the spotlight. We understand. JMC50 has always been subject to change. But we figure out a way to carry on!
Long standing members Bill Meeker (sax), Lee Testorff (keys) and Chuck Miller (trumpet) all “retired” in 2023. Marc Meeker, Bill’s son, played with us for a couple of years, then continued to help us in our “Quarantine Recording” period. All of these fine musicians are great friends – and that will never change. We moved them onto our “Band with a History” page to honor their contributions to the band, and then went on the hunt to see how we continue to move ahead. That was not a new experience for a band that survived through a lot of personnel changes in the the 60’s and 70’s!
The result of our efforts included an internal change when Jim Labit moved from bass to keys. Then we recruited another Rolla Alumni, Joe Hatfield, on bass. Joe had played a short time with Miller’s Cave before a group of us graduated in 1972. He is now covering the ever important low-end.
Our female lead vocalist, Lindsay, recruited a sax player (who can also sing) to make up for Bill. And then she married him. (Not sure if that’s the exact story, but it works here.)
So we now have ten members – and we’re still livin’ the dream!
