Kevin flynn & Svengali Jazz quartet

Svengali is Kevin Flynn on sax, Dan Waldis on piano, Jim Stout on bass, and Mark Chaney on drums and vocals. Recently featured at an Excellence in the Community concert at the Gallivan Center, their sound can be compared to the Dave Brubeck quartet with vocalist Mark Chaney crooning ala Sinatra or Buble. The band formed with the goal of playing authentic, but accessible jazz, that would take the listener on a journey through swing, bebop, funk, fusion, and modern styles of jazz. The name Svengali was taken from the hypnotic character in a French novel, who cast a spell on a woman so she could sing like an angel. The members of Utah’s Svengali hope to cast a spell with their music wherever they play.

"Music has been my passion ever since I was a wee lad listening to my father play saxophone and also guitar, while singing Irish ballads.   I picked up his sax at age 10 while living in So. California and played in award winning school bands and jazz ensembles.  During that time I was influenced by the cool sax of Paul Desmond (Dave Brubeck Quartet), then became enamored with the sassy blues of Cannonball Adderly.  After high school, I studied and played in jazz ensembles at Westminster College and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.   I studied sax privately with studio session master Jon Crosse, award winning artist Alan Michael, and Professor Ray Smith at Brigham Young University, and have taken masterclasses by sax greats Phil Woods, Brandon Marsalis, and Eric Marienthal.  I have recorded albums with other groups like the Slickrock Gypsies (Ascension, Stirrin' It Up, Standing Out from the Crowd, Gypsies get Jazzed)  and the Fabulous FlynnsTones (Splash)".

"Have drums, will travel." reads the card of this versatile percussionist. Mark Chaney has accompanied a diverse group of artists, including Bobby McFerrin, Mose Allison, Elvin Bishop, Herb Ellis, Laurel Masse, Von Freeman, and Joe Henderson. As a bandleader, he has enjoyed two European tours, including a spot at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival. Recent compositions include an original score for the successful PBS documentary, "Salt Lake- Once Upon a Time", and further contributions to the series, "Utah in the Fifties”. In 2002, Mark performed extensively during the Winter Olympics, and has been featured in the Utah Arts Festival, and the Park City International Jazz festival, backing up French guitarist Serge Kreif. Now in the fortieth year of teaching private music lessons, Mark is also Band Director for the Weilenmann School of Discovery. He travels extensively from his home base, “Blue Sky Studios”.

Jim Stout has played the bass for over 35 years. He plays electric and acoustic bass and has recorded music for national and local television, radio advertising spots and motion pictures. He toured the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom with the Osmond Brothers. Jim was an adjunct professor for the University of Utah Music Department and has performed with many national and local professional acts, including Freddie Hubbard, Sam Cardon, Hank Jones, Herb Ellis, and John Stowell. Jim continues to be an active bass player in the mountain west area playing regularly with several different performing groups.

Dan Waldis, a Salt Lake native, began learning piano at age 7.  Even at an early age, he could not tell the difference between someone in the house playing piano and his father playing the stereo.  Slowly he learned that if no one was sitting at the piano, it was probably the stereo.

But seriously, folks...

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Dan Waldis, a native of Salt Lake City, began learning the piano and the clarinet at age 7.  His first piano lessons were from his great aunt, who attempted teaching him how to read written piano music.  Failing this in the beginning, he  demonstrated abilities at an early age of learning music by ear.  He played both piano and clarinet until junior high school, where one of his band teachers asked him to play tenor saxophone.  He took an immediate interest in the instrument, playing with the concert bands through high school.  It was during these years that he developed an interest in jazz.

During his early years he was surrounded by the music of Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Errol Garner and Art Tatum.  As he began to play saxophone more seriously, he started studying Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane.  And as he began his college years he  again became more interested in the piano, staying exclusively with the instrument.  His later influences are Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea.

As a pianist, Dan has shared the stage with such jazz greats as Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Don Menza, Brandon Fields and Bill Watrous.  He has recorded with Mike Stern and Joe Beck.  He has written and recorded many kinds of arrangements, including orchestra and big band.  

He attended the University of Utah, and is currently teaching jazz piano students for the university music program.  His annual Christmas concert "A Little Jazz With Your Mistletoe" is presented the first week in December and continues to gain popularity.