Dan Effland Group

The Dan Effland Group is based in Chicago and perform frequently at local clubs, such as Lizard’s Liquid Lounge, the Velvet Lounge, and Pops for Champagne. The members of the group have also performed individually at famous jazz clubs and festivals around the world.

Dan Effland has been heavily involved in the Chicago jazz scene since 2003. In that time, he has performed extensively throughout the Midwest as well as touring on the East Coast and in Brazil. He has had the opportunity to perform at many famous venues including the Green Mill, Andy’s Jazz Club, Pops for Champagne, the Velvet Lounge, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge (Detroit), Chris’ Jazz Cafe (Philadelphia), and the Chicago Jazz Festival. He has the opportunity to play with many great Chicago-based musicians including Scott Burns, Jeff Parker, Dennis Carroll, Neal Alger, John Bany, Greg Ward, Eric Schneider, Andy Brown, Geoff Bradfield, Dave Miller, Matt Ulery, Michael Raynor, Rob Amster, Joe Policastro, Mikel Avery, and many others. He is also a top call player in Chicago for accompanying jazz vocalists and has played with Jesse Palter, Elaine Dame, Erin McDougald, Juli Wood, Paul Marinaro, Amanda Crumley, Lisa Roti, Lesley Byers, Petra Van Nuis, Claudia Stefanski, Jeff Hedberg, Leslie Beukelman, Matt Lewis, Rose Colella, and others.

Todd Boyce After completing his music business degree at DePaul in 2004, Todd has immersed himself in the Chicago music scene playing many different genres of music with a host of bands. Todd has performed with the Rhythm Rockets, World Class Noise, Brother John, The Alan Gresik Swing Shift Orchestra, BMR4, The Rob Parton Jazz Tech Big Band, Bill O’Connell’s Chicago Skyliners Big Band and others playing at the Green Mill, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Joe’s Bebop Café, Pops for Champagne, Andy’s Jazz Club, Shaw’s Crabhouse, Pete Miller’s Steakhouse, Fitzgerald’s, The Taste of Chicago and many other clubs and restaurants. He has also performed with multiple theatre shows in Ron Hawking’s “His Way” at the NBC Theatre, in “Nothin’ But The Blues” and “Grey Gardens” at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie and “WINGS” at the Apple Tree Theatre in Highland Park. Todd currently lives in Chicago and performs with his own jazz duo and quartet in addition to playing regularly with Standing Room Only, KongFuzi and the M13 Big Band. He also maintains a teaching studio of about forty private students between St. Giles Grade School in Oak Park, Downers Grove North and South High Schools and BackBeat Music Studio in Chicago.

Joe Policastro, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, began studying piano at the age of five, but switched to the bass at age twelve. As a recipient of the Hugh Hoffman Scholarship Award, Joe earned his Bachelor of Music in Jazz/Studio Music from the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. In addition, he studied Classical Double Bass Performance on full scholarship at Miami University where he was a recipient of both the String Department Award and the Orchestra Award. While in Cincinnati, he performed with local greats such as Concorde recording artist Cal Collins and Stan Kenton drummer John Von Ohlen. Although he is predominantly a jazz performer, Joe is also in-demand as studio and stage musician. He has performed with numerous pit orchestras, symphony orchestras, chamber ensembles and popular music groups. After leaving Cincinnati in 2002, Joe lived and worked as jazz performer in Berlin, Germany. In April of 2003, he moved to Chicago where he quickly enjoyed success as a freelance musician. He has shared the stage with jazz luminaries such as Diane Schuur and Billy Hart, and he regularly performs with many of Chicago's finest musicians such as Judy Roberts, Russ Phillips, Kimberly Gordon, Dan Cray, Andy Distel, Elaine Dame, and Chris Foreman, to name a few. He is featured on recordings by Chicago artists Kimberly Gordon, Jen Zias, Rachel Charson and Petra VanNuis. In addition to his work as a bassist, Joe is also as freelance arranger. He leads, composes and arranges the jazz quartet, Jeru, a group featured at the 2004 Chicago Jazz Festival. His arranging is featured aon Petra VanNuis' 2006 release, A Sweet Refrain. He has performed at every major venue throughout Chicago including The Green Mill, the Pump Room, Pops For Champagne, Andy's Jazz Club, and Katerina's. In May 2006, along with his wife, Marie, Joe temporarily relocated to Bonn, Germany where he performed and taught throughout the Rhineland. While in Bonn, he organized a European version of his quartet, Jeru with members of the WDR Big Band for concerts and festivals in Germany. In April of 2007, he returned to Chicago where he continues to pursue his jazz career.

Mike Schlick lived in Milwaukee from 1986 to 1996, where he performed regularly with David Hazeltine, Brian Lynch, Melvin Rhyne, Scott Hamilton, Spike Robinson and Charles Davis. After moving to Chicago in 1996, Mike has played and re