Trombones

Trombone

Trombonist/Composer/Arranger Erick Storckman has three albums to his credit as a leader: Scrapbook, Chuckle Factor, and Algorhythms (with the band ES2, co-led with keyboardist Eliot Smith). For over twenty years he was the lead trombonist and a resident composer with the critically-acclaimed Diane Moser’s Composers Big Band, and he performs with a variety of other bands throughout the NYC area. His recording credits as a sideman include the Grammy-Nominated “Aislado” by Papo Vasquez, dozens of albums by a variety of jazz and pop artists, soundtracks for feature films. His most recent recordings include albums for jazz artists Peter Furlan and Eric Goletz. He has performed in the orchestras for many Broadway shows and with a who’s-who list of legendary performers including Aretha Franklin, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, The O’Jays, and The Temptations. Erick formed his acoustic jazz septet in 1999 as an ensemble to feature his own music. The band has performed regularly over the years at jazz clubs and in concerts in New York City and the surrounding area, on performing arts series in other regions of the county, and Erick has toured numerous times as both a soloist and band member across Europe and North America..

Trombone

Born in Seoul but raised here in New Jersey, Michael Ventoso is an engineer, musician, and educator based in Rahway. Currently, he is working at Amazon as a software development engineer on the Prime Video team and at Nucamp as an instructor for their introductory coding course aimed at adults transitioning into the tech industry. He graduated from Bard College/Conservatory of Music in 2020 and remains active as a freelance trombonist in the NJ/NYC area. In addition to tech and music Michael is passionate about cars, and loves playing board games, reading the classics, and spending lazy afternoons with his dog Molly.

Trombone

Joe Walter, member of the GSJO trombone section, was the instrumental music teacher and band director for the South Amboy Board of Education for more than twenty-six years. He had the pleasure of teaching leader Ken Zampella as Ken began his journey as a musician. During his career, Joe played in several rock and wedding bands, including the Just Four Plus. He played under the tutelage of Condit Atkinson Jr. and Dr. David Uber. Morgan Marina, the family business, takes up time in his daily life. When not playing with the GSJO, Joe also plays for the Colts Neck Community Band as well as the Imperial Band of South River, NJ. Joe would like to thank his understanding wife and son for those times when woodshedding is a must.

Bass Trombone

Darrell Hendricks is currently the Director of Bands at Mount Olive High School where his responsibilities include Director of the Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble. Under his direction, the Mount Olive High School Jazz Ensemble has grown from one concert per year to regular performances at the Berklee High School Jazz Festival, Essentially Ellington Regional Festivals at the Newark Academy and Temple University, the Rowan Jazz Festival, NJAJE State Preliminary and Final Rounds, and has also performed at the world-famous Apollo Theater in 2014. Mr. Hendricks has taught at the Mt. Tabor Summer Music Camp as a Jazz Instructor and also as an Adjunct Professor of Brass Pedagogy at Montclair State University. He has also conducted the NAJEA Region I & III High School Jazz Ensembles and served as the President of Region I for NAJEA from 2018 to 2021. Mr. Hendricks is currently the President-Elect for NJAJE.

Prior to teaching at Mount Olive High School, Mr. Hendricks has been a low brass specialist for the past twenty years. In that time, Mr. Hendricks has performed with the critically acclaimed Glenn Miller Orchestra, Peter Cetera, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keyes, John Mayer, Josh Groban, The Four Tops, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Frank Kuamba Lacy, Video Games Live, Secret Society Orchestra, Darlene Love, Ritchie Van Zandt, and Alan Chez with the Brothers of Funk. He also has performed with several Broadway productions such as Curtains, The Lion King, Cry Baby, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Les Miserables, and toured with Broadway Shows such as The Music Man, Miss Saigon, and Swing Forever.

Mr. Hendricks has been invited on many occasions as a guest clinician/artist for several schools around New Jersey and New York, and Pennsylvania.