Tommy Dorsey

Carl Janelli plays several instruments but is most fond of the saxophone. He began his career during the big band era and performed with Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey before embarking on a wonderful career in the Broadway show orchestras. His stories of the shows and stars he worked with are engaging and his love of music is inspiring. In recent years Carl plays along side his wife and both are noted saxophone teachers in the San Diego area.

Jackie Mills as a drummer put down the beat for jazz and big band stars such as Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday. As a record producer, he played a critical role in the careers of Janis Joplin, Irene Kral and Bobby Sherman. As the co-founder of Choreo Records (later known as Ava Records) he worked with Tommy Wolf to create a music publishing company (Choreo Music) that provided a wide range of songs by several key songwriters for over 40 years. As a songwriter, he gave songs to cartoon and other children’s programs including three classic songs for the Brady Bunch in the early 1970s. And all the while Jackie Mills loved being a part of music making!