Kent Odell
Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

Founder, The Tripping Griswolds                             

Kent (or “Honey”, as everyone calls him) was born in Vancouver, Washington. He has, however, been a resident of Parker, Colorado since 1969. Kent has been involved in performing and in the music profession since he was a teenager.

Why go through all the trouble of starting a band from scratch in Colorado and trying to make it as successful as it has been for so many years? Kent says it best: “The first concerts I ever attended were The Eagles and Chicago. I made a promise to my friends (and myself) that any band I would ever start or be involved in was going to be a very strong vocal band, with additional attention always devoted to working out the harmonies. It’s not uncommon for our band to come to the studio where we practice, leave all our instruments in their cases and just work on vocals. My ambition with this group of guys is to separate us from all the other bands that people can choose to go hear, especially with the vocal part of the material.”

 

 

Ed Bagwell
Vocals, Percussion, Bag-O’-Stuff

“Special Ed”, as the band calls him, has loved to sing ever since he was very young. He and his father would sing together on the front porch (we think Ike was president at that time!), where his dad would sing low parts, leaving the higher harmonies for Ed to figure out. 

Growing up in Phoenix, Ed was always performing in one choir or another during his high school and college years. In 1972, while being a member of the Phoenix Boys’ Choir, Ed toured in Europe with a schedule that culminated with his performance with the world-renowned Vienna Boys’ Choir.

 Married to his lovely wife Joan for 29 years, Ed can still hit those high notes (how tight are your jeans, Ed?), and anyone who has seen the Tripping Griswolds can agree that no one ever knows what Special Ed, the certified “practical joker” of the band, will do next for attention!

Frankie Z
Keyboards, Vocals

Frankie hails from Connecticut, where he started playing music at age 4. He was guest soloist with the Meriden Symphony when he was 14 years old, and attended the Hartford Conservatory of Music, where he was a jazz/pop/recording major. Frank was also a studio musician for several years as a teenager in the Connecticut/NYC area. While in the Air Force, Frankie  was the band leader for Tactical Air Command’s Stars of Sound, an Air Force showcase troupe that tours countrywide and in the Panama Canal Zone. After spending 21 years in Las Vegas, he decided to leave Las Vegas to "get his four seasons back" and beat the heat.

 

Frankie has played clarinet, sax, accordion and guitar, but considers the piano his first love. Often asked who his musical influences are, they are Chick Corea, Hiroshima, Keiko Matsui, Diana Krall, Oleta Adams, Billy Joel, Yellowjackets and Jean Luc Ponty, to name a few.

 

 

 

Steve "Pinky" Soell
Drums/Percussion, Vocals

When someone performs on a hot pink colored drum kit, it definitely results in many questions and comments from the crowd. Pinky recently rejoined the band after a three-year break and brings thirty years of performance life along with himself.

 

Rob Landreth
Electric Guitars 

Rob Landreth, formally a veteran of the L.A. music scene, has been living in Southern Colorado since 2008.  Originally from the Chicago area, he spent many years in L.A. after graduating from Musician’s Institute in Hollywood.  He continued his studies with such notables as Ted Greene, Ron Eschete, and Frank Potenza, focusing on developing his jazz improvisation abilities. 

 

Rob began gigging and teaching around the L.A. area in the mid 1980’s, first with his own jazz group, Zwi-Bop, then with the pop-fusion band Shades, a group that he co-lead with his friend, drummer/composer Gregg Hall.  His interest in jazz, blues, rock, funk, and bluegrass brought him in contact with a variety of musical scenarios, both live and in the studio.

 

Rob has performed for theatrical productions such as Steven Sondheim’s “Frogs” (Odyssey Theater,) recorded as a session player for a variety of artists, and shared the stage with luminaries such as Al Jarreau, Pete Rivera, Freda Payne, The Coasters, Richard Street (The Temptations,) Gerald Albright, and Paul Jackson, Jr.  He has opened for many well known acts, including The Bangles, 10,000 Maniacs, Melissa Manchester, The Association, and Ambrosia.  His ability to play many diverse musical styles ranging from heavy metal to jazz, blues, R&B, and rock make him a first-call for many contractors.  Rob is also an avid teacher who brings his love of jazz and blues to any who want to learn.