The Capitol City Xpress was founded in 2006 as a group to keep the music alive. We all love Big Band music from the tunes of the 1930's to the modern charts of today. We play everything from the oldies of Glen Miller and the Dorsey brothers as well as Stevie Wonder and Norah Jones hits.

We like to have our charts played a little up tempo from the usual and still make the ballads sound soulful. We are a group that is consistently evolving and  feel like we are getting better every year. The band performs a wide variety of dance styles - cha cha, rumba, samba, tango, waltz - and just plain old swing for great ballroom dancing, and even some driving rock, once in a while. This band has got to have fun playing   and we think our audiences and dancers have a great time, too.

Check out our Image Galleries Below >

Diane Bowman Vocals

An Atlanta native, Diane's been performing for years. With a background in the theatre, she's performed across the US, but here at home with groups such as the Bill Snyder Quartet, Usual Suspects of Atlanta, Atlanta Jazz Krewe, Atlanta Swing Orchestra, Take Note Big Band, Capitol City Jazz (her own combo group) and most any opportunity to escape her day job in IT. Diane is married to Sterling Bowman and has two daughters Hannah and Katherine.

Dennis Nunnelley Piano

Dennis has been involved in music and the arts for years as an educator, in church ministry and numerous charity events for the benefit of children. He is the founder of the Hayden M Nunnelley Foundation, a non-profit organization benefiting children's charities. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Theory and Composition from Auburn University and has written arrangements for jazz, blues and gospel concerts. Dennis performed at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2002 GA Special Olympics and has played with the Jazz Lab Band and Auburn Knights Orchestra. He also plays regularly at Nordstroms, as an interim pianist for many local churches, and is a teacher at Piano Works.

Tim Maguire Bass

Tim is a self taught musician.  At an early age he was exposed to many kinds of music and influenced by his father who sang and played piano.  But it was Rock and Roll (or maybe the girls) that inspired him to pick up the bass guitar and join in a band.  Tim is a newcomer to Jazz but wanting to continue and grow as a musician he joined in to learn the Big Band Music which had always loved to hear since he was a young boy. Tim has become versatile in many styles of music and logged hours upon hours in the recording studio working on various original music projects.  He has been laying down the foundation for local recording artists Liberty Jones for 10 years.  Tim also can be heard in Shades of Gray, St. Lawrence or maybe just sitting in with friends at your local pub. Tim Maguire bass for hire.

Rick Simon Drums

Rick’s drumming style has been developed and honed during the several hours of practicing over the last few decades. He played 3^rd tambourine in the Holiday Inn circuit throughout western Pakistan during the late ‘70s with the Rollicking Frolicking Lads, and later toured VFW halls as alternate baritone tambourine chair for the “Tribute to Elvis Impersonators Show Band and Review” in much of rural New Mexico.

Based on the promise of no more alto clef parts and the fact that he wasn’t getting any girls, he quit the band and bought a set of drums. Excelling at keeping drum music in good numerical order and finding an uncanny natural talent for packing up drum sets sealed Rick’s relationship with jazz drumming. Although he has trouble keeping time and playing anything other than mezzo-piano, Rick is somewhat renowned for his uniquely free form, modal, air-drumming (Phrygian and Mixolydian, in particular.)

Over the years, Rick has played with performers like Garrett Simon, Erika Simon, Brooke Simon, and Lois Simon, to name just a few. See the exciting and breathtaking Cirque de Simon, pyro-technical, percussion exhibition of Rick’s performance skills with Capitol City Xpress throughout the balance of this week – or until they find someone else…

Bill Dance Trombone

Coming Soon.

Cliff Jones Trombone

Cliff holds a Bachelor and Masters degree in Instrumental Music Education from Georgia State University. He is currently one of two band directors at Hull Middle School in Duluth, Georgia. He has been at Hull since February, 2002. Mr. Jones is active in northeast Georgia as a performer and a clinician, having worked with area marching bands and other middle schools in the Gwinnett area. Most recently, he helped guide the Peachtree Ridge High School Jazz Ensemble to a first place finish in the 2006 Atlanta Youth Jazz Band Competition. He currently resides in Duluth, GA with his wife Jennifer.  

Lee Opert Trombone

Coming Soon.

Randy Rheinschild Trumpet

Randy started playing trumpet in school band in 6th grade after thinking drums were the way to go... wrong...needed a melody to play and that was the end of playing drums. After playing in High School marching, symphonic and jazz band he spent 3 years playing in the US Army Band. Stationed in Ft Polk, La he played trumpet doing the regular duties and also worked the sound board for the combo band that toured high schools doing recruiting and setting up for two high school performances a day at different locations for each performance. After moving on to Fort Ord, California playing more and deciding that the Army was a good thing but not for him, he moved back to Kissimmee, Florida to look at a civilian life. Through the years Randy has been playing in various classical, symphonic and jazz bands over the years. Now days he runs his computer service company from his farm ( www.wauka.com) north of Gainesville and is married to Marci of 19 years and has two girls Kaitlyn and Caroline.

Todd Hoff Trumpet

Todd began playing trumpet in 5th grade and after moving a few times, ended up in Northeast Ohio where he played in high school, and eventually at The University of Akron. During that time, Todd played with numerous groups, and was a member of the United Way All Collegiate Band and has played at Disneyland, Rose Bowl, and various performances including the Kennedy Center with the “Pershing’s Own” Herald Trumpets.

After college, Todd got a real paying job (to pay for his fascination of buying different trumpets), married a trumpet player from Ohio U (Carla), and now has 3 kids (the oldest two both playing trumpet). During moves in 5 states & travels in Asia - Todd seeks out local groups to play with - Gwinnett Community Band, his church (Sugarloaf UMC), & local jazz; CCX.

Brian Cunningham Trumpet

Brian graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, TN in 1987 with a degree in commercial music and music business. While at Belmont, he was playing with the Bo Thorpe Big Band anticipating a full summer tour when a last minute opportunity to participate in a summer missions program was presented to him.  His choice to be a missionary for the summer eventually led to a fulltime career in ministry after receiving a Masters Degree from Seminary.

Brian, together with his wife Lisa – a talented vocalist, has served as a music director and worship leader in various churches for the past 20 years. His music ministry has also taken him to countries in Europe, Asia and South America. Currently, Brian and Lisa are serving as music missionaries with Mission Service Corps. 

He and Lisa regularly write and perform worship and inspirational music and are currently finishing up their first CD of original songs.  He also enjoys writing everything from worship songs to smooth jazz, blues, and contemporary piano instrumentals.

Joe Galasso Trumpet

Joe has been performing for as long as he can remember.  Fortunate to have been born into a very musical family, Joe has been a featured soloist in the Junior Symphony, student director of his college jazz ensemble, leader of three "gig" bands in Pittsburgh, and currently performs in the Metro Jazz Club, Capitol City Xpress, Shades of Gray Rock Band, and was recently elected president of the Gwinnett Community Band, where he has performed for 17 years and serves on the board of directors. His father was my earliest influence, along with teacher, Clyde Bellan. Joe's favorites are Doc Severinsen, Al Hirt, Chuck Mangione, Miles Davis, Maynard Ferguson, Bill Chase, Herb Alpert, Dizzy Gillespie, Lew Soloff, Lee Loughnane, and most recently, Rick Braun and Chris Botti. He can also be heard exulting the Lord at St. Lawrence. Life is a song, Love is the music!

8/20;
Georgia Tech Swing Dance