Hultman & Jazz Friends

The Carl Hultman & Jazz Friends band is a four piece band that plays primarily cool and beep-bop jazz in the Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderly tradition. The band is unique in that they play tight vocal and instrumental arrangements using two and three part vocal harmonies along with instrument/vocal arrangements. The band showcases the extraordinary saxophone playing of Bruce Johnstone, a nationally recognized player and arranger for Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, and other jazz greats. Along with Bruce the band has two other vocalists doing lead and harmony jazz singing. 

Carl Hultman leads the band, plays guitar, sings, and does the arranging for the band. Stan Kenton, The Hi-Lo’s, Manhattan Transfer, and other groups that know how to make arrangements with a big sound that swing have heavily influenced Carl. These musical influences are apparent when Carl’s band plays. Carl also believes that many people like to hear music that they are familiar with. Therefore the band uses many well know jazz and other standards as the platform to play jazz. The band's program mixes up the groove of the band enough so that hopefully everyone in the audience gets a chance to hear their favorite traditional jazz style. The band may even play some western swing if asked. This is an opportunity to hear world class jazz performed at the Lily Dale Auditorium!

Carl Hultman has over 40 years’ experience playing in many different bands. He earned a performance scholarship at Arizona State University to play trumpet in the band and orchestra. During college, he started playing acoustic guitar and has been playing and singing jazz ever since.

Barb Schwartz has perfect pitch for voice and harmony in jazz, folk, bluegrass, country, and pop music. She is a natural musician with a unique style and a voice that audiences love and remember.

Bruce Johnstone was first exposed to American audiences as a member of Maynard Ferguson’s band in 1972. He recorded three albums with the Ferguson Band which, along with live concert appearances placed him in the #3 spot in Down Beat Magazine’s Readers Poll behind Gerry Mulligan and Pepper Adams. Moving to NYC, he signed with Arista’s new Freedom label and with co-leaders Rick Petrone and Joe Corsello formed the new Jazz Fusion band, New York Mary. While in N.Y. Bruce also recorded with Anthony Braxton and with blues singer Luther Allison. In 1977 Bruce toured and recorded with The Woody Herman Band. Now living in Western N.Y., he maintains a busy concert/clinic schedule including appearances with Dave Stevens Big Band, Buffalo Brass, Erie Philharmonic Pops, Bemus Bay Pops, and the Don Menza Octet. He is currently Director of Jazz Studies at SUNY Fredonia.