Chris Alvarado
Leader, Drums, Vocals, Arranger
Chris is a founding member of the band as well as it's leader in all aspects off of the stage. He was born and raised in Cibolo, TX and now resides in New Braunfels, TX. He is the founder of Roarin' Jazz Club, which focuses on preserving live jazz in San Antonio. Chris has also been a San Antonio Swing Dance Society Board member for 4 years and is responsible for founding numerous swing dance events such as Battle of The Swing Bands, as well a yearly concert series that has payed tribute to the likes of: Divas of Jazz, Chick Webb, Jimmie Lunceford and Duke Ellington. Chris is also an active music educator and takes great pride in passing his love for jazz to the next generation of musicians. His musical influences include: Boots Douglas, Eddie Torres, Kevin Hess, Hal Smith, Gene Krupa, and Vince Giordano with his main musical mentor being Jim Cullum and other members of The Jim Cullum Jazz Band. Chris has also had the pleasure of performing with Jon-Erik Kellso, Allan Vaché, Michael Pittsley, as well as subbing with jazz acts around town.
Curtis Calderon
Trumpet/Cornet
Curtis was born and raised in San Antonio, TX, where he was a 3 time All-State Jazz trumpeter. After high school he went on to perform with numerous touring acts like the Russ Morgan Orchestra, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and The Four Freshman, a group he joined in 2001 and enjoyed a long tenure with before moving back home to San Antonio in recent years. Curtis is a proud Schilke trumpet artist and also leads his own projects when he is not playing with The Dirty River Jazz Band. Check out his personal website for more info! calderonmusic.com
Ian Anderson
Trombone
Ian is a founding member of the band. Born and raised in Seguin, TX, he now resides in San Antonio with his fiance Sam, where the are both music educators. Ian is currently a middle school band director in Judson ISD where he spreads his love for jazz and music to young musicians. He has also performed with The Grand Ol' Christmas Show at venues all around Texas. His musical influences include: Jack Teagarden, Wycliffe Gordon, Frank Rosilino, and JJ Johnson.
Nick Brown
Clarinet, Tenor Sax
Nick has been with the band since April of 2018 and is a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in early jazz. At a young age, Brown was exposed to multiple styles and forms of music and developed a love for improvisation. After pursuing a classical route for the bulk of his career, Brown pivoted back to jazz upon moving to Austin. Since then, he has performed with the North American Tour of Phantom of the Opera, Selmer's Arch, and a number of other groups in the Central Texas region. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music degree from the University of Texas and maintains an active performance and teaching schedule throughout the region.
Edwin Brown
Sousaphone
Eddie is a tuba/sousaphone player and has been with the band since 2016. He was born and raised in New Braunfels, TX where he still resides. He has a large studio of tuba and euphonium lesson students throughout the Central Texas Area and has helped put on Tuba events such as Tuba Christmas and Tuba Fest in New Braunfels. He has studied Music Performance at Arizona State University, Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Music Production & Technology at Berklee Online. He can also be seen performing with multiple Polka groups around Texas as well as at Wurstfest and other music festivals.
Tyler Jackson
Tenor Banjo, Guitar
Tyler Jackson is a world renown tenor banjoist and upright bassist that has been with the band since late 2017. Under the tutelage of Buddy Griffin, he quickly learned the ukulele, tenor banjo, and electric bass. Tyler went on to study the double bass at the University of North Texas under Lynn Seaton. With the help of Seaton he began to fine-tune his skills as a professional bassist. It was during this period that he was asked to work for Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys. With Price he played in countless venues including the Grand Ole Opry, Massy Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Gruene Hall, as well as the Stagecoach Festival, Austin City Limits Live and more. Besides his tenure with the late Ray Price, he has worked with many well known artists spanning several genres including Earl Klugh, John McEuen, Randy Travis, Jim Cullum, and Dale Watson. Currently residing in Boerne, TX, Tyler continues to tour, record and teach private lessons.
Piano
Dan Walton
Dan Walton is a jazz pianist based in Austin, TX, and has been with The Dirty River Dixie Band since September of 2018. Originally hailing from the San Francisco bay area, his music draws from a variety of influences from boogie woogie, to stride, bebop, and classical music. Growing up, he enjoyed the music of Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, George Gershwin, Fats Waller, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Pete Johnson, Arthur Rubinstein, and many other. He has also worked in the Western Swing genre and has recorded/performed with a variety people in the music industry, including: Dale Watson, Willie Nelson, Asleep at The Wheel, Lyle Lovett, Jerry Jeff Walker, Pat Green, Johnny Bush, Paul Shaffer, Elizabeth Cook, Buddy Miller, Vince Gill, The Time Jumpers, Robert Earl Keen, George Strait, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Rhonda Vincent, Garrison Keillor, Leon Rausch and Elvin Bishop to name a few. Dan's work as a musician has taken him all over the world and he enjoys working in all musical genres.
Vocals
Courtney Woods
Claire Kibodeaux
Vocals