Introducing the band

On Piano: John Zahn

John is the leader and originator of the band. His musical education started at age 9 with 6 years of piano lessons at a Catholic grade school where he also played flute in the band and later in the Beaver Dam High School band. Music then took a back seat for college, military service, and earning a PhD in Engineering Mechanics. After 6 years of teaching at the University of Wisconsin he joined the U.S. Forest Service, where he worked for 30 years as a research engineer, retiring in 1992. Soon after retirement he and a few friends started a band in Madison, WI, where he reduced classic big band arrangements to 7-piece versions. Upon moving to Arizona in 2000 he formed the Retro Swing 7 using new friends he found in the Tucson Concert Band. He also plays piano in the Rhythm Gang and the Music Samplers, alto sax in the Green Valley Stage Band, and, for 6 years, tenor sax in the Big Band Sounds of Green Valley.

John says "if you still remember World War II, you will LOVE our music! (And even if you don't!)"