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Doug Kassel (drums), a native Chicagoan, has led a double life as part of the Bay Area music and improvisational theater scenes since 1972. Having his initial roots in Jazz through his grandfather, Chicago Jazz cornetist Jimmy McPartland and legendary Piano Jazz host Marian McPartland, he began to study drums at a young age with drummer Joe Morello (The Dave Brubeck Quartet). Later, growing up in the Old Town section of Chicago and around the corner from The Second City, Doug began workshops with the creator of Theater Games, Viola Spolin, during the writing of her groundbreaking book, Improvisation For The Theater. He later performed with Spolin's Playmakers, The Game Theater (with Peter Boyle) and Paul Sills' Story Theater. Like many baby-boomers, he also played in high school garage bands during the British Invasion, both in Chicago and while attending school in Mexico. After 2 1/2 years in Mexico, he returned to perform in a Story Theater production during the 1968 Democratic Convention, The American Revolution, Part I. He then began a stint with Chicago's famous Second City-based, satirical country-rock band, "Wilderness Road." He also joined composer William Russo's multi-media rock ensemble The Free Theater, part of the Columbia College Center for New Music, where he performed numerous rock cantatas in both the Chicago and London companies. He also spent time in the orchestra pit for a Chicago production of Murray Schisgal's Jimmy Shine (score by John Sebastian) featuring Shelley Long, Mandy Patinkin and Jim Jacobs (co-author of Grease), as well as a San Francisco production of Jesus Christ, Superstar. Doug also has over 30 years' experience in improvisational theater. He was Creative Director and a founding member of San Francisco's longest-running 100% improvisational theater company, Flash Family, beginning in 1978. In addition, he was Workshop Director for two improvised episodic long-form cult hits, Liquid Soap and Emotional Hospital. He has also directed countless student companies at ImprovWorks, as well as coaching privately. In addition, Doug has studied acting technique with Cliff Osmond's Actors' Studio. Since 1982, he has also taught with Cliff Osmond, Drama Studio London /USA, Sue Walden & Co. and Kids on Camera, among others. Doug also has numerous regional and national acting credits, including TV, commercials, industrials and voiceovers. While continuing to expand his vast knowledge and love of '60s rock with The Vanilla Extract, Doug has also returned to his Jazz roots. He had previously performed with several jazz greats, including with his grandparents on KQED’s Over Easy with Mary Martin, and with Marian McPartland on PBS' series Jazzmakers. He has recently worked with such Bay Area musicians as: The Dave Matthews Blues Band, The Lost Cats, The Silver Fox Trio, The Walter Bankovitch Trio, The Jazz Pirates, and vocalists Stephanie Bruce, Madeline Sheron, Lauralee Brown and Natasha Miller, among others. Doug has also been a popular accompanist at The Jazzschool in Berkeley, playing for many classes and ensembles taught by some of the bay area's best musicians and educators: Don Alberts Laurie Antonioli Peter Barshay David Belove Brenda Boykin Stephanie Bruce Danny Caron Maye Cavallero Christy Dana Steve Erquiaga Jean Fineberg Mimi Fox Peter Horvath Seward McCain Scott Morris Brian Pardo Glenn Richman Ellen Seeling Wayne Wallace Doug has also played with such artists as: Jimmy McPartland Marian McPartland Dick McPartland Jim Lanigan Bud Freeman Vic Dickenson George Brunies Norma Teagarden Floyd O'Brien Floyd Bean Doc Cheatham Dill Jones Burt Bales Martha Raye Terry Garthwaite Nicholas, Glover & Wray (S.F. Cabaret Gold Award Winners) Michael Greer Nick Gravenites Jerome Arnold (Howling Wolf, Paul Butterfield, Bob Dylan) Mal Sharpe Rufus Reid Lee Konitz John Pattitucci and others.
Opening act for: Journey, Sons of Champlin, and Billy Crystal, among others.
San Francisco Bay Area Venues:
The Great American Music Hall, The Boarding House, The Plush Room, San Francisco Civic Center, Sweet’s Ballroom, The Magic Theater, Mystic Theater (Petaluma), and others. Los Angeles: The Troubadour, The Ice House, and McCabe’s Mexico: Casino De La Selva (Cuernavaca) London: The ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), Tottenham Court Theatre
E-mail Doug at doug_kassel@hotmail.com |
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