Jim Buntin
Jim Buntin began playing a cornet in grade school in Bakersfield, CA. He played in Bakersfield High’s Driller Band and at Bakersfield College. He was first chair in the Southern California Junior College Honor Band in 1965. He also played in community theater productions. At UCLA, Jim played in Clarence Sawhill’s concert band. After college, Jim returned to playing with Union bands in Bakersfield. The highlights of the Bakersfield experience were playing with the Electric Oil Sump, a jazz-rock big band, and casual gigs with the Rosemary Ryan trio.
Jim moved to the Sacramento area in 1977. He worked with big bands led by Red Clark, Bill Rase, Al Frechette, and Buddy Harpham. He plays lead with the Nostalgic Swing band, and two adult “big band camps.”
Jim has been playing lead with the Swingmasters since 2010 and is Band President.
Ben Graumann
Ben is an accomplished musician with a degree in Music Performance. He cut his musical teeth in the Los Angeles area, and brings to the community a wealth of experience as a trumpeter and singer. Ben plays most of the "hot" trumpet solos, but can seduce with a mellow flugelhorn solo when appropriate.
Chuck Lockhart
Chuck has been playing trumpet in the Sacramento area for more than 40 years, and decided to take up singing when his wife told him he sounded like Frank Sinatra. Chuck is a founding member of Swingmasters, and offers up fine trumpet solos along with his crooning skills.
Jared Blum
Brass instructor and Sacramento native, Jared earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Sacramento State University and is currently undertaking his Masters Degree in Music Performance with jazz emphasis. He began playing trumpet and studying brass technique in the 5th grade. He has performed in pit orchestras for musical theater companies, in addition to performing regularly in jazz festivals on the West Coast.
Jared received instruction from world-class arrangers, composers and artists including Jim Cullum, Gordon Goodwin, Christian McBride, Dave Brubeck, and Wycliffe Gordon. He teaches privately at Tague’s Band Instrument shop.
Jared has directed and performed with student ensembles and professional community ensembles since high school. Representing American River College in CSUS' Youth Traditional Jazz Band Festival (YTJBF), his ensemble earned recognition as the top college. He received the Kenton O. Smith Traditional Jazz Scholarship for Most Outstanding College Musician in 2011 and 2013. Jared joined Swingmasters in 2017.
Tom Smith, Music Director
Tom started playing trumpet at the age of 10 in Sacramento and played through American River College and California State University Sacramento (CSUS). He studied with Noel Smelser at CSUS and John Coppola in San Francisco.
After college, Tom played “road” gigs out of San Francisco and joined a hotel lounge act that toured throughout the United States for 3 years. He played lead trumpet in Clare Willey's big band for 2 years, working in local clubs in Arizona. In San Francisco, Tom played in John Coppola's Octet and big band. Though Tom plays in several local musical groups, he is a founding member of Swingmasters, and has been Music Director since 2015.