Meet our talented mentors.
Dave Rogers
A native of Mena, Arkansas, Rogers graduated from Arkansas Tech University and cites Gene Witherspoon as a mentor. In addition to being a consummate drummer and percussionist, he is a composer, arranger, sound engineer, and educator.
He has performed with Pharoah Sanders, Eddie Harris, Randy and Eliane Elias-Brecker, Mose Allison, Emily Remler, John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moriera, John Hendricks, Larry Coryell, Herb Ellis, Mark Murphy, Sammy Davis,Jr., Robert Goulet, Lawrence Luckinbill, Lucie Arnez, Phyllis Diller, and others. He has been a member of the Art Porter Trio, Charles Thomas Trio, Artistry, John Puckett Trio, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Little Rock Jazz Machine, and the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation (AJHF) Big Band. Dave was selected as the 1994 Jazz Person of the Year by AJHF and is presently a recording technician at Capitol Keyboard Theatre Recording in Little Rock, Arkansas.
A native of Mena, Arkansas, Rogers graduated from Arkansas Tech University and cites Gene Witherspoon as a mentor. In addition to being a consummate drummer and percussionist, he is a composer, arranger, sound engineer, and educator.
He has performed with Pharoah Sanders, Eddie Harris, Randy and Eliane Elias-Brecker, Mose Allison, Emily Remler, John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moriera, John Hendricks, Larry Coryell, Herb Ellis, Mark Murphy, Sammy Davis,Jr., Robert Goulet, Lawrence Luckinbill, Lucie Arnez, Phyllis Diller, and others. He has been a member of the Art Porter Trio, Charles Thomas Trio, Artistry, John Puckett Trio, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Little Rock Jazz Machine, and the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation (AJHF) Big Band. Dave was selected as the 1994 Jazz Person of the Year by AJHF and is presently a recording technician at Capitol Keyboard Theatre Recording in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Dave Williams
Born and raised in Little Rock, Dave followed in his father’s footsteps and began playing tenor saxophone at age 13. He took lessons from former Central High School Band Director Bob Fletcher, who taught Dave’s father to play sax in the ‘70s.
He first played jazz in the Parkview High School Jazz Band under the direction of the late Rex Perry. Dave performed with the Arkansas All State Jazz Bands all three years of High School under the direction of noted saxophonists Chris Vadala and Jack Cooper. He attended UCA and studied saxophone for two years with Dr. Jackie Lamar.
Dave currently plays tenor sax with the Little Rock Horns, Dave Rosen Big Band, The Drew Pickens Duo, Freeverse, Cody Belew & The Mercers, The Heads of State and The Morange Get Down Band, and the Dave Williams Trio / Quartet. He has performed with The Four Tops, The Viceroys, Sweet Nothin’ Revival, The Charlotte Taylor Band, the Conway Pops Orchestra, the Pine Bluff Pops Orchestra and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
Dave can be heard all over Little Rock performing a variety of music with many bands. He runs an open jazz jam each Friday night at his dad’s restaurant, Dave’s Place, and often performs at the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation's end-of-the-month Monday night jazz jam at The Afterthought.
Born and raised in Little Rock, Dave followed in his father’s footsteps and began playing tenor saxophone at age 13. He took lessons from former Central High School Band Director Bob Fletcher, who taught Dave’s father to play sax in the ‘70s.
He first played jazz in the Parkview High School Jazz Band under the direction of the late Rex Perry. Dave performed with the Arkansas All State Jazz Bands all three years of High School under the direction of noted saxophonists Chris Vadala and Jack Cooper. He attended UCA and studied saxophone for two years with Dr. Jackie Lamar.
Dave currently plays tenor sax with the Little Rock Horns, Dave Rosen Big Band, The Drew Pickens Duo, Freeverse, Cody Belew & The Mercers, The Heads of State and The Morange Get Down Band, and the Dave Williams Trio / Quartet. He has performed with The Four Tops, The Viceroys, Sweet Nothin’ Revival, The Charlotte Taylor Band, the Conway Pops Orchestra, the Pine Bluff Pops Orchestra and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
Dave can be heard all over Little Rock performing a variety of music with many bands. He runs an open jazz jam each Friday night at his dad’s restaurant, Dave’s Place, and often performs at the Arkansas Jazz Heritage Foundation's end-of-the-month Monday night jazz jam at The Afterthought.
Rex Bell
Dr. Rex Bell holds a degree in piano performance. Fluent in all styles, special areas of interest include classical (especially contemporary) and jazz. A frequent performer in the central Arkansas area, Dr. Bell has also released two jazz CD’s on the Infrared label which have received exceptional reviews in both local and national publications as well as earning airplay on local radio stations KLRE, KUAR and KABF and nationally on NPR’s Audiophile Audition.
He has performed music from the CD’s at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and as a member of the Arkansas Arts on Tour roster sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council. Classical music training includes study with Dr. Neil Rutman, Artist-in-Residence at the University of Central Arkansas. Current projects include composing as well as commissioning new works from nationally recognized composers for an upcoming jazz piano ensemble CD project. Dr. Rex Bell is a pathologist in private practice in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Dr. Rex Bell holds a degree in piano performance. Fluent in all styles, special areas of interest include classical (especially contemporary) and jazz. A frequent performer in the central Arkansas area, Dr. Bell has also released two jazz CD’s on the Infrared label which have received exceptional reviews in both local and national publications as well as earning airplay on local radio stations KLRE, KUAR and KABF and nationally on NPR’s Audiophile Audition.
He has performed music from the CD’s at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and as a member of the Arkansas Arts on Tour roster sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council. Classical music training includes study with Dr. Neil Rutman, Artist-in-Residence at the University of Central Arkansas. Current projects include composing as well as commissioning new works from nationally recognized composers for an upcoming jazz piano ensemble CD project. Dr. Rex Bell is a pathologist in private practice in Little Rock, Arkansas.