DOUG KASSEL
A native Chicagoan, Doug has led a double life as part of the Bay Area music and improvisational theater scenes since 1972. Having his initial roots in Jazz from both his grandfather, Chicago Jazz cornetist Jimmy McPartland and his step-grandmother, legendary pianist and Piano Jazz host, Marian McPartland, he also began studying drums at a young age with his mentor, drummer Joe Morello (The Dave Brubeck Quartet).
Later, growing up in the Old Town section of Chicago and around the corner from The Second City, Doug began workshops with the creator of Theater Games, Viola Spolin, during the writing of her groundbreaking book, Improvisation For The Theater. He later performed with Spolin's Playmakers, The Game Theater (with Peter Boyle) and Paul Sills' Story Theater.
Like many baby-boomers, he also played in high school garage bands during the British Invasion, both in Chicago and while attending school in Mexico. After 2 1/2 years in Mexico, he returned to perform in a Story Theater production during the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention, The American Revolution, Part I. He then began a stint with Chicago's famous Second City-based, satirical country-rock band, Wilderness Road.
He also joined former Stan Kenton arranger/composer William Russo's multi-media rock ensemble, The Free Theater, part of the Columbia College Center for New Music, where he performed numerous rock cantatas as a member of both the Chicago and London companies. He also spent time in the orchestra pit for a Chicago production of Murray Schisgal's Jimmy Shine (score by John Sebastian) featuring Shelley Long, Mandy Patinkin and Jim Jacobs (co-author of Grease), as well as San Francisco's first fully staged and orchestrated production of Jesus Christ, Superstar, with a young John Pattitucci.
Doug also has over 30 years' experience in improvisational theater. He was Creative Director and a founding member of San Francisco's longest-running 100% improvisational theater company, Flash Family, beginning in 1978. He was also Workshop Director for two improvised episodic long-form cult hits, Liquid Soap and Emotional Hospital. He has directed countless student companies at ImprovWorks, as well as coaching privately.
In addition, Doug has studied acting technique with Cliff Osmond's Actors' Studio. Since 1982, he has also taught with Cliff Osmond, Drama Studio London/USA, Sue Walden & Co., Kids on Camera, and The American Music Theater of San Jose's Theatre Arts Conservatory, among others. Doug also has numerous regional and national acting credits, including TV, commercials, industrials and voiceovers.
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While using his vast knowledge and love of classic rock, playing with the 60's tribute band, The Vanilla Extract, Doug has also returned to his Jazz roots. He had previously performed with several jazz greats, including with his grandparents on KQED’s Over Easy with Mary Martin, and with Marian McPartland on PBS' series Jazzmakers. He later shared photos and stories about his grandparents on Mal Sharpe's KCSM radio show, "Back On Basin Street."
Doug is also a contributing editor and writer for allaboutjazz.com.
He has more recently worked with such Bay Area groups and vocalists as:
The Dave Matthews Blues Band
The Lost Cats
The Silver Fox Trio
The Walter Bankovitch Trio
The Ken Muir Trio
The Jazz Pirates
The Vince Wallace Quartet
Stephanie Bruce
Madeline Sheron
Lauralee Brown
Kathy Blackburn
Lissy Walker
and Natasha Miller
among others.
Doug has also been a popular accompanist at The Jazzschool in Berkeley, playing for many classes and ensembles taught by some of the Bay Area's best musicians and educators:
Don Alberts
Laurie Antonioli
Peter Barshay
David Belove
Brenda Boykin
Stephanie Bruce
Danny Caron
Maye Cavallaro
Christy Dana
Steve Erquiaga
Jean Fineberg
Mimi Fox
Peter Horvath
Maria Marquez
Seward McCain
Scott Morris
Brian Pardo
Ed Reed
Glenn Richman
Ellen Seeling
Wayne Wallace.
Doug has also played with such artists as:
Marian McPartland
Jimmy McPartland
Dick McPartland
Jim Lanigan
Bud Freeman
Vic Dickenson
George Brunies
Norma Teagarden
Floyd O'Brien
Floyd Bean
Doc Cheatham
Dill Jones
Burt Bales
Martha Raye
Terry Garthwaite
Nicholas, Glover & Wray (S.F. Cabaret Gold Award Winners)
Michael Greer
Nick Gravenites
Jerome Arnold (Howling Wolf, Paul Butterfield, Bob Dylan)
Tary Owens
Mal Sharpe
Rufus Reid
Lee Konitz
John Pattitucci
and others.
Opening act for: Journey, Sons of Champlin, and Billy Crystal, among others.
San Francisco Bay Area Venues:
Great American Music Hall
Boarding House
Plush Room
St. Francis Hotel
Octavia Lounge
The Magic Theater
Moscone Center
Trinity Place
Bimbo's 365 Club
Fanny's
Redante's
Cadell Place
The Palms
Talk of The Town
Keystone Palo Alto
Sleeping Lady Cafe (Fairfax)
Chuck's Cellar (Palo Alto)
Vintner's
Rusty Pelican
On Broadway
Marshall Tavern
Victoria Theater
Chez Jacques
Mr. Hyde's
The Entertainers
Ollie's
Chez Pat
Savoy-Tivoli
Old Spaghetti Factory
San Francisco Civic Center (S.F. Hookers' Ball)
Mystic Theater (Petaluma)
Sweet’s Ballroom (Oakland)
Sweetwater (Mill Valley)
Casper Inn (Mendocino)
Larkspur Cafe Theater (Larkspur)
University of Redlands
Harvey's Casino (Tahoe)
Hexagon House
The Woods
Fife's
Napa Veteran's Park
Wente Winery
and others.
Los Angeles:
The Troubadour
The Ice House
The Improv
and McCabe’s.
Mexico:
Casino De La Selva (Cuernavaca)
Indonesian, Ghanan and Cuban Embassies (Mexico City).
London:
The Institute of Contemporary Arts
Open Space Theatre
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