The U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp
Representing The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” The U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp has been active for almost two decades, performing traditional jazz and folk music of Louisiana in support of recruiting and community outreach initiatives throughout our nation.
Upcoming Events
Thursday / Aug 17 / 7:30 pm
Roster
SGM Graham Breedlove
trumpet
trumpet SGM Graham Breedlove
Lafayette, LA
Group: The U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp
Joined the Band: 1996
Alum: Louisiana State University / Indiana University
Jazz Times magazine writes: "Breedlove has chops...and is the leader of a tight, forceful band." The International Trumpet Guild's Journal raves, "...one of the most exciting trumpet players on the planet!" SGM Breedlove's compositions have appeared on NBC’s Today Show and Food Network’s Emeril Live. Breedlove has performed with The Saturday Night Live Band, Ray Charles, Darius Rucker, and Doc Severinsen. He is listed in the book Trumpet Greats, a biographical dictionary of about 2,000 famous trumpeters since the Baroque Era, and has appeared on over 100 recordings including back-to-back Grammy winning CDs in 2004 and 2005 and his own CD "Coming Home." Breedlove has appeared as a guest soloist across the country and has served on the faculties of Towson University, Catholic University of America and the National Jazz Workshop. Breedlove has performed at the Kennedy Center, the White House, and during the 2008 holiday season volunteered to participate in a USO concert tour of Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2011 he was honored by his undergraduate alma mater when he was inducted into the LSU Alumni Association Hall of Distinction as the 2011 Young Alumnus of the Year.
MSG Regan Brough
bass
bass MSG Regan Brough
Orem, UT
Group: The U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp
Joined the Band: 2006
Alum: Brigham Young University / George Mason University
MSG Regan Brough began playing electric bass at age eleven for his family steel band, Pan Jam. The son of a university percussion professor, Brough was exposed to many genres of world music and ethnic music in his early years. As a teenager, Brough received several outstanding soloist awards culminating at the 2005 International Society of Bassists Convention where he was awarded second place in the Jazz Solo Division. Soon thereafter he graduated from Brigham Young University magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in bass performance. In 2006 he became the bassist for the premiere jazz ensemble of the US Army, The U.S. Army Blues. Regan has performed with artists such as Tim Hagans, Terell Stafford, Tim Warfield, John Clayton, Bill Watrous, Dick Nash, Buddy Baker, and Conrad Herwig, among others. Brough continues to perform actively in the Washington, D.C., area and can often be heard with the Alan Baylock Big Band, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, and the Capitol Bones.
MSG Xavier Perez
saxophone
saxophone MSG Xavier Perez
Hialeah, FL
Group: The U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp
Joined the Band: 2013
Alum: University of Miami / SUNY-Purchase
Saxophonist MSG Xavier Perez of Hialeah, Florida holds a Bachelor of Music in Studio Music/Jazz Performance from the University of Miami and a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from SUNY-Purchase. He was named "2001 Top Collegiate Jazz Soloist in the U.S. and Canada" by Down Beat Magazine's Student Music Awards Division. He was twice invited to compete in the international World Jazz Saxophone Competition, both times taking second place. In 2003, he was selected for jazz vocalist Betty Carter's artist-instructor mentoring jazz residency program, Jazz Ahead, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and was selected in 2007 and 2008 for Carnegie Hall's Emerging Artists Program. As a saxophonist in bands such as Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau, the United Nations Orchestra, and the Jon Faddis Orchestra, Perez has played in notable venues such as New York's Blue Note Jazz Club, Washington, DC's Blues Alley, and New York's Carnegie Hall with artists such as Ignacio Berroa, Randy Brecker, Diane Schure, Hector Martignon, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove, and Slide Hampton. Perez joined The United States Military Academy Band's Jazz Knights in 2009, and in 2013 became a member of The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" as tenor saxophonist with the U.S. Army Blues.
SFC Michael Kramer
guitar
guitar SFC Michael Kramer
Germantown, MD
Group: The U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp
Joined the Band: 2014
Alum: University of Maryland
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in nearby Germantown, MD, guitarist, SFC Michael Kramer, can truly be called a “local boy.” At age sixteen, he landed his first steady ‘gig’ playing guitar at Café Mileto, a neighborhood restaurant where he had previously bussed tables. For two years, he played solo guitar there every Friday and Saturday night, honing his skills for his music future. Following high school, Kramer headed off to the University of Maryland in College Park, MD, where he earned a bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, in Jazz Studies in 2011. While there, he studied under guitarist, Gerry Kunkel. Throughout college and following graduation, Kramer was an active freelance musician in the Washington, D.C., jazz scene playing in venues such as An Die Musik in Baltimore and DC’s Atlas Theater. As a sideman, he had the good fortune of performing with jazz greats such as Ted Brown, Lee Konitz, and Joe Chambers. In 2012, Kramer enlisted as a musician in the United States Navy and was assigned to the Navy’s musical organization of the Pacific Northwest, Navy Band Northwest at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, in Silverdale, WA. During his fourteen months with that unit, he was a regularly featured soloist and upon his departure was recognized as the band's Staff Arranger. While there, Kramer auditioned for The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” He feels fortunate to have won the position and transfer services to the seat he currently holds today in The U.S Army Blues. With "The Blues" he has performed with jazz greats such as trombonist Wycliff Gordon. When not performing with "The Blues," Kramer remains an active musician on the D.C. jazz scene and is an educator at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA, where he holds a position on the adjunct Applied Music faculty in jazz guitar.
SSG Eric Pers
drum set
drum set SSG Eric Pers
Longmeadow,, MA
Group: The U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp
Joined the Band: 2017
Alum: University of North Texas
Eric Tapper Pers has been playing drums since age 13. Pers attended the University of North Texas’s prestigious Jazz Studies program where he studied under the tutelage of master educator Ed Soph. At the University of North Texas, Pers was a member of the multi-Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band and received the award for Outstanding Undergraduate in Percussion. Upon graduation, Pers moved to Anaheim, California, where he was a member of the 2017 All-American College Band at Disneyland. He performed for over one million people over the course of the summer and has attended masterclasses led by some of the most in-demand and successful musicians in the country. Immediately after his work at Disneyland ended, he won the audition for the position of drummer for The U.S. Army’s premier jazz ensemble, The U.S. Army Blues. Upon arriving at Ft. Myer, he was the youngest member in The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” He has been living in the Washington, D.C., area since2018.
SSG James Collins
piano
piano SSG James Collins
Philadelphia, PA
Group: The U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp
Joined the Band: 2017
Alum: Temple University
SSG Collins is a Philly-Bred, Washington D.C. based pianist and organist. Collins received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Temple University, where he had the privilege of studying with masters such as Terell Stafford, Bruce Barth, Dick Oatts, Elio Villafranca and many more. Collins regularly performs between his hometown of Philadelphia and Washington D.C. In his travels, Collins has played with the likes of Steve Wilson, Victor Lewis, Rodney Green, Eddie Daniels, Ben Allison, David Wong, and Scott Tixier. Collins takes joy in performing a versatile array of jazz styles, from 1940s swing to the modern jazz of today.
Learn More
Representing The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” The U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp has been active for almost two decades, performing traditional jazz and folk music of Louisiana in support of recruiting and community outreach initiatives throughout our nation. Past performances include national broadcasts on ESPN, Emeril Live, and WWOZ’s renowned New Orleans Music Show. In addition, the Swamp Romp has supported vital volunteer efforts, including America’s Gulf Coast rebuilding operations implemented after Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact.
As with each group within The U.S. Army Band, the Soldiers of Swamp Romp are deeply committed to education as part of their mission. The Swamp Romp regularly presents concerts and clinics in public schools and at major universities, promoting the proven cross benefits between childhood music participation and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Through the years, there has only been one constant: no two Swamp Romp performances have EVER been the same. Improvisation, audience interaction, humor, joy, and audacity all combine to create a musical gumbo unique to each occasion. In performances, all musicians, even those without jazz experience, are enthusiastically encouraged to collaborate with these Soldiers through impromptu jam sessions, looking away from the printed page whenever possible. Magic happens when friends join together for bold, unplanned musical journeys. This live recording captures the spontaneity, camaraderie, and jubilance of this unique ensemble’s onstage performances.
