Category: members

Originally from Southwestern Michigan, Greg has traveled the country playing guitar in various musical groups. After settling in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in 1980 he has continued to perform with local acts in many styles from Rock, Americana, Funk/R&B as well as personal projects in Classical and Jazz.

Marty grew up in the Detroit area and was heavily influenced by the Motown sound and the Beatles. He was drawn to the bass in grade school and played professionally throughout the Midwest and South Florida prior to his career in commercial real estate.

One of our amazing singers, Patrick recently started bringing his guitar to rehearsals to help cover some tracks. The band was livid about why he had never done this before as the sounds were incredible!

Amie, one of our newest singers, launched her singing career with voice lessons at twelve in Duluth, MN. She later dazzled in a five-state karaoke competition, landing fourth out of 9,000+ contestants. Prior to joining Emerson Avenue, she co-founded and led the Amie Austin Band. A fourth-generation musician, Amie’s performance repertoire spans from country to rock, with a deep appreciation for R&B and 70’s music. Outside the band, she is a devoted wife and mother of two boys.

Steve, our saxophonist, is a commercial real estate broker by day and a musician by night. Since 1974, he has performed with numerous local bands, drawing his influences from Jazz, Funk, R&B, and Latin music. He views music as a gift and cherishes Emerson Avenue as his creative outlet.

Roger’s musical journey began at seven with accordion lessons, followed by the trombone at nine. However, it was the trumpet he adopted in his forties that captured his heart. His experience as a soloist in drum and bugle corps and marching bands is evident in his robust playing style.

For years, Chris has been our band’s purveyor of low tones. His signature glissandos, particularly featured in Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” truly set him apart.

An experienced performer and bandleader, Cheri has led her own jazz-funk combo for fifteen years. She’s a sought-after solo party pianist, a veteran church band leader, and a beloved presenter of Ragtime and Boogie Woogie to seniors. Although her keyboard skills are rooted in classical training, she discovered early on a love for playing Beatles songs by ear. Joining Emerson Avenue Band is her latest venture, where she appreciates not having to book the gigs! Find her at www.cherisykes.com

Andrew has been playing jazz, classical, and drum corps trumpet almost his entire life. This is still less than the entire length of time that Roger played Trombone before he played trumpet… In his day job, Andrew is a Software Engineer at Veritas, and instructs high school marching band and drum corps around Minnesota.

Originally from Colorado Springs, Pat was drawn to the Twin Cities by music in the late seventies. After touring from the Grand Canyon to Canada, he found home in Minneapolis’s lively music scene. With a history of supporting acts like Foghat and Head East, Pat has anchored bands in the Twin Cities for over 35 years. At Emerson Avenue Band, his compelling rhythms keep the dance floor buzzing.