About Jazz First

Joe Whalen, Piano
Joe Whalen, sometimes called “Wailin’ Joe at the pi-ano,” was born and raised in New England. He started playing piano in high school in his cousin’s combo and then small groups led by two sax-playing uncles. He worked his way through college and graduate school leading and playing in small combos. Joe spent 20 years in Washington, DC playing solo, booking small groups, and as a backup pianist in several big bands. Joe loves to improvise on tunes, and counts among his favorite musicians Chick Corea, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Art Tatum, Miles Davis, and Wynton Marsalis. Joe and his wife, Judy, live in Chelmsford, MA. They have 2 married daughters, each with children. Joe has recently retired from a systems engineering position with a local industrial company.

Dave Morin , Drums
Dave grew up in Rhode Island listening to music and knew by the age of 8 that he wanted to be a drummer.  He practiced at home on pots and pans, furniture, walls, anything on which he could pound out a rhythm, until he found his way into a drum and bugle corps and eventually into the Naval Recruit Training Band at the naval base in Bainbridge, MD.  When he returned to civilian life he headed straight for Berklee College of Music in Boston, and over the decades since then has enjoyed long stints with many professional jazz bands including Solid Gold, led by well-known jazz saxophonist Hal McIntyre, as well as with society band leader Jason Tobias and various concert, country, and marching bands.  If it was music, he played it, and if it was jazz, so much the better, whether Traditional, Be-Bop, West Coast, Modern or Classic.  "Mr. Rhythm," with an uncanny precision for tempo, supported his large family as a computer systems programmer/manager by day, and as a drummer nights and weekends.  Retired now from his career in computers, he devotes his time to music and travel.  His grown children live in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Hawaii, where he spent a recent honeymoon with his bride, Samantha.  They live in Ashland, Massachusetts, and together have seven children and fourteen grandchildren.

Chris Guild, Bass
Chris has played the bass on and off for 40 years. He began instrumental studies with the 'cello in the 3rd grade and started playing the bass in high school. During college Chris was the bassist in a trio which played at a local restaurant. He also formed a band called the Five Sounds with fellow collegiate players which made a record for audition purposes for cruise ship gigs. In 2004 Chris resumed his bass playing and formed Jazz First , a piano, bass, and drums trio at First Church, Nashua. In addition to his current teacher, Volker Nahrmann, of Billerica, MA, Chris counts Ray Brown, Wilfred Middlebrooks, Roger Spencer, Gary Peacock, and John Lamb as positive influences on his jazz playing. Chris has also sung bass for many years in the Chancel Choir at First Church, Nashua. Chris owns a computer consulting and database development business. Chris' hobbies include boating and digital photography. He and his wife, Marty, reside in Merrimack, NH, and they have two adult children, and identical twin grandsons.

Debbie Nordyke, vocalist
Debbie grew up in Indiana and graduated from the University of Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music. She then traveled to New York where she appeared as a professional actress for almost 20 years on Broadway and in national tours of the Tony-nominated show, "Romance, Romance," the Mitchel Parish musical revue, "Stardust," and in "Snoopy" as Sally Brown. Debbie also performed in "Jerry's Girls" with Carol Channing, Leslie Uggams, and Andrea McCardle, and in "They're Playing Our Song" with Lucie Arnaz. Debbie now resides in NH with her family and works in education.