Jaime Lee Frank’s powerhouse lead vocals and energy of stage create a dynamic performance at any venue. Jaime Lee grew up in rural Minnesota listening to female country greats such as Patsy Cline, Linda Ronstadt, Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire.
Her first taste of the stage was at just 7 years only, and since then it has become her favorite place to be. She has a double BA in Music Education and Elementary Education and is a Choir teacher in the valley. Jaime Lee enjoys teaching and loves her students, but she says her “true passion is performing in front of the crowd”. Over the past several years since moving down from MN in 2003, she has gotten the opportunity to do just that.
Jaime Lee started dipping her feet into the Arizona music scene as one half of the ‘Desert Gold Duo’ that performed as the house band at the Horny Toad in Cave Creek, Arizona. She was also even blessed enough to tour in Hong Kong with an Arizona-based christian ministry group as their lead singer for two summers in a row; performing over 60 show in just 21 days! Most recently, Jaime Lee was the lead singer of the Country/Classic Rock band ‘Tequila Highway’, who had the opportunity to play at Country Thunder in Florence, AZ as well as various local casinos, private events/parties, as well as rodeos and festivals in the area.
Unlike many artists Jaime Lee did not come from a musical family, and was also the first one in her immediate family to graduate from college. She attributes her passion and drive to pursue music as a career to her wonderful and supportive family and friends. With her voice being compared to the likeness of Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood, paired with her sweet but sassy attitude, Jaime Lee is bound to wow a crowd wherever she performs.
Russ Edwards
Guitar and Vocals
Began playing at the ripe old age of 5. Beginning on drums at the direction of his father who played in a local country western band in El Paso Texas. Moved to California at 7 and picked up the guitar from a friend who showed him the basics and formed a band playing bass guitar. Along the way he took the usual grade school piano, clarinet, & violin lessons. (A parental mandate in those days).
At 12 moved to Arizona and formed a band with two fellow classmates in junior high, playing guitar and keyboards.
During high school he played folk music with another classmate before gravitating back to rock & roll.
His piano teacher, who was the high school choir director and close friends with his parents, coerced him into singing in the high school concert choir for 4 years. These years helped hone his vocal abilities.
After graduating high school he joined another band of fellow classmates and ended up touring the mid west club circuit for close to 5 years with Big Zephyr bassist, Mike Edwards.
He has been playing in bands ever since and found his way, once again, to playing alongside, long time friend and bassist, Mike Edwards in “The Big Zephyr”.
Mike Edwards
Bass & Vocals
Mike Edwards is the bass player for The Big Zephyr and helps with back-up and a few lead vocals. Mike has been a local East Valley boy since the first grade when his parents moved here from St. Louis, MO.
He decided at the age of 12 after watching his older peers play the songs he was hearing on the radio at local dances that this was something he too, had to do. His first “gig” was lip-synching to the Beatles with 3 other school chums at the 8th grade talent show on instruments they did not yet know how to play. So with a few junior high friends began his journey of rock and roll. Although he started out playing 6 string guitar on classics like “Gloria”, “Dirty Water”, “Wild Thing” and “Born to be Wild”, he was soon recruited to switch to bass when another band’s bass player was drafted into the Army.
Playing every local high school dance, sock-hop, hootenanny and “Battle of the Bands” possible became a passion all through high school until his 1971 graduation. After a short semester as a music major at Mesa Community, Mike and three long-time buddies formed the band “Geofree” and evolved into a top- notch night club band with a strong local following. After playing at all the local venues, they were ready to venture out on the road as local heroes from Chandler. Two and a half years of steady touring the midwest college circuit allowed Mike to hone his chops on just about every top 40 song that rock and roll radio played in the early ’70’s.
Mike’s first and most prominent bass-playing influences ranged from the Beatles, Stones, and early R&B to Blues and every form of rock and roll in between, with heavy emphasis by early blues rockers such as Savoy Brown, John Mayall, Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton and Delbert McClinton. Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin were his early “metal” heroes. He later tried to emulate players like Otiel Burbridge and Nathan East.
Mike has played in several local bands since those “road” days and kept pace with whatever people want to hear when they go to dance and listen to music. He even played 2 1/2 years of country and oldies in a 3 piece band called “Fly By Night”, further enhancing his ability to play other musical genres.
Playing in Bill Babin’s Big Zephyr has opened up a whole new and exciting opportunity to play with other very talented musicians and is the beginning of a new era for Mike’s musical horizons.
RUSS NOBLE
Russ Noble discovered his grandma’s piano at age eight and then took lessons for many years. Throughout high school, he continued his musical studies and participated in marching band as well as all-state programs. He started college as a music major, and almost went on a church mission, but joined a rock band instead, and his rock and roll career had begun. Eventually, he earned a Business Degree from San Diego State University.
In the 80’s , Russ played with several bands like “The Leisure Suits” and “Listen.” Eventually, he found his way into musical theater where he has done extensive work directing and arranging music for local theaters around Phoenix like ASU West, Fountain Hills Theater, Copperstate Theater, Tempe Little Theater, and others. Some of the shows he has directed or has worked on are Man of La Mancha, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Midsummer Dreamin’, Sweet Charity, Once On This Island, Cinderella, Kiss Me Kate, Annie Warbucks, Cabaret, The Taffetas, Assassins, The Boyfriend, and The Dead.
His talent and scope as a piano player are vast. He will bring pop, rock, country, Broadway, and classical styles to your party or event. CLICK HERE to listen to Russ Noble.
