Jo Asker is a prolific performer in the Northern Colorado music scene. He fills the bass role in a diverse array of settings as a sideman or featured artist, and brings a unique voice to any ensemble he’s with. A large portion of his gigs are at Fort Collins’ infamous jazz venues, as well as with folk, country, rock, and funk bands like Dave and the Gin Mill Gypsies, the Jasper Grooves Collective, Catch and Release, Big Brooklyn, the Twirling Zucchinis, and more. He has performed with the Fort Collins Symphony, Wyoming Symphony, Washington-Idaho Symphony, and several other established orchestras and chamber groups. A wide variety of musical aptitudes has forged a unique artistic voice that shapes his playing and the sound of any group he’s a part of, as well as his compositions and work as a bandleader. Jo has taught bass and cello at Casper College, and bass/electric bass at Front Range Community College – Larimer Campus.. He holds a B.M. from the University of Idaho, and a M.M. from Colorado State University.

Here’s a link to Jo’s latest collaboration with Michael Kirkpatrick, captured in a Magnolia Sessions video!

Jo and Brianna Harris #movingthemusic in FoCO!

Tom Amend is an organist, pianist, composer, and arranger from Denver, Colorado. Tom performs throughout the Rocky Mountain Region in various settings as both a leader and a sideman. He has performed and or recorded with Colorado based artists: Gabriel Mervine, Taylor Scott, The Burroughs, Paul Romaine, Greg Gisbert, Steve Kovalcheck, among many others. Amend has also shared the stage with, Jeff Hamilton, Chris Potter, Christian McBride, Julia Dollison, Joey DeFrancesco, Groove For Thought, Deborah Brown, John Fedchock, Louis Hayes, Dave Liebman, Sheila Jordan and others.

Tom’s compositions and arrangements have been performed by the Downbeat award winning UNC Jazz Lab Band One, Vocal Lab, Chris Potter, John Fedchock, and Joey DeFrancesco. His writing is featured on the April 2019 release, “Frontier Justice” featuring Steve Kovalcheck and Jeff Hamilton as well as his March 2021 Octet release, “Heliotrope” that features a host of Colorado’s finest.

Amend received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and a Masters of Music in Jazz Composition at the University of Northern Colorado. Through his association with UNC, Tom has performed with nationally recognized UNC Lab I, UNC Vanguard Combo, and Vocal Lab. Tom is currently an Adjunct Professor of Jazz Piano at the University of Northern Colorado and performs extensively as both a leader and a sideman.

The Tom Amend Octet debut release, “Heliotrope” is now available!

Tom and Patrick Atwater, #MovingTheMusic in June of 2015 on Rikki!

LA-based Americana artist Brad Colerick’s songs seep into your heart with a single listen. His finely wrought, plainspoken lyrics find the poetry in everyday language. Billboard Magazine called him “one of a baker’s dozen of acts to watch in the folk community around the world.” He moved from his native Nebraska to Los Angeles in 1986 and built a successful career making music for commercials where he wrote and produced ditties recorded by such musical icons as BB King, Shawn Colvin, Buddy Guy, Amy Grant, The Chi-Lites, and Johnny Cash. Colerick’s albums land firmly in the Americana wheelhouse with guest appearances by Suzy Bogguss, Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen, April Verch, and Gabe Witcher.

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The song we discussed: Healer.  The Album: Nine Ten Thirty.

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Brad and Charlie White played on Rikki as her first guests in March 2015 as I pedalled them around a neighborhood in north Fort Collins.

Since forming his first jazz group at age 16, Spencer Zweifel has become a regular member of the Colorado music scene. An accomplished jazz pianist, Zweifel has performed professionally in a wide variety of genres, including gigs with the Brian Claxton Quintet, the funk-pop band Swerve, the Manabi Salsa Band, and the Burroughs. In 2018, Spencer was selected as a national finalist for both the Jacksonville Jazz Festival jazz piano competition and the American Jazz Piano competition. Spencer graduated in 2019 with a degree in jazz studies from the University of Northern Colorado and won ‘Best pop/rock soloist’ in the 2018 Downbeat Magazine student awards. Spencer is currently pursuing a Master’s in jazz studies at William Paterson University, where he has studied with Bill Charlap, Aaron Diehl, and Geoffrey Keezer.

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The song we discussed: Backwoods Fancy.  The album: Backwood Fancy.

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Spencer has played many gigs on TheRickshawLive stages – both Rikki and Rhoda.  I managed to capture some video of one of my favorites.

Bass Player Jeff Bostic was born in Chicago on September 25, 1980. He began Suzuki violin at 3 years old, and piano at 5. He began singing at a young age as well. He was a member of several singing groups including the Minnesota State University Choir with which he had the pleasure of touring Europe and singing in many famous Cathedrals including the Vatican. At Minnesota State he began exploring performing live music in a band setting. He was asked to play bass guitar for a rock band called Ten Dark Years by a choir colleague, and so it began. Jeff instantly fell in love with the instrument and began developing a deep passion for melodic bass lines and holding down a groovy bottom end. Jeff played with another rock group named Travesty, and then went on to join Jason Downing, currently of Musketeer Gripweed, in a Funky soul driven Blues Band named Blues Is Blood. Bostic’s love for Funk, Soul, and Blues music grew rapidly as did his playing in the genres.

Through the band’s many many endeavors, Bostic landed in beautiful Fort Collins, CO where he now calls home. He began exploring many musical opportunities including a hit pop band Set Forth, later named The Northern Way. Through his musical endeavors, Jeff has shared the stage with many great artists including, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Gavin DeGraw, Randy Travis, and the list goes on. Bostic’s family is deeply involved in the music industry including his sister, Nashville artist, Jenn Bostic. Jeff has joined her on several tours and was hired as her tour manager for her UK tour, which included live performances on BBC radio. He also had the pleasure of playing the Grand Ole Opry. Bostic currently has a solo bluesy soul album out called “Believe” that he created with producer Lance Bendiksen, Side 3 Studios, and Cookie Jar Studio in Los Angeles. His love for music continues to grow as does his drive and talent. Jeff is involved in several projects including the Robert Wilson Blues Band, The Buzz Brothers, The Owl Canyon Outlaws, Johnny and the Mongrels, and will be recording his sister Jenn Bostic’s new album at the House of Blues Studio in Nashville in April. He loves being a musician and it shows in his writing and performance. True passion and feeling in his writing and performance helps him connect with the audience and allows people to “feel” his music. And for this, he lives.