Band – IdaFunk & The Monster Horns

IDAFUNK BAND MEMBERS

IdaFunk & The Monster Horns is a horn focused, instrumental funk band made up of professional musicians who just love playing music together. We rehearse often, and we always try and challenge ourselves musically. The goal of the band is to play music that is fun for an audience who enjoys listening to and takes advantage of our musicianship. IdaFunk was formed in 2023.

Mikel Bartol – Trumpet (Section leader)

Mikel started playing trumpet at age 11. Spent the next 3+ years playing Latin music in Panama and Columbia.

After returning to the United States at age 16, played lead Trumpet with Young Sounds of Arizona.

Recorded as a session player on his 1^st album while a senior at Westwood High School in Mesa Arizona.

Spent two years at Mesa Community College playing lead and solo trumpet.

Entered service in the US Army band system and played there for 3 years active ad 3 years reserve.

While in the Army, backed famous trumpeter Clark Terry. While performing, a highlight was when Clark brought Mikel out front and featured him spontaneously during the performance.

Subsequent to the armed forces, Mikel spent many years as a session/touring musician From Los Angeles; Phoenix, AZ; New York City and parts in between.

Performed with Bob Hope’s comedy tour with the Les Brown orchestra on lead and solo..

Performed in a support capacity for Lena Horne, Della Reese & Mary Wilson of the Supremes during the latest come-back tour.

Performed with Horacio El Negro for several years.

Also performed with El Tropicana then with the Costa Rican national big band as a guest.

Steve Goff - Tenor Sax

21 years in the US Army Band. Performed with many professionals from Aretha Franklin to the VA symphony. Now living in the Boise area and performing locally at Chandlers with Emily Stanton, High Street and now the Idafunk & The Monster Horns band!!
Loving life!!

Frankie Pineda – Bari Sax

This will be Frankie’s fifth year as Director of Bands at Middleton Middle School. Prior to this he taught two years in Colorado and three years in Nebraska. He earned his bachelor's degree at Boise State University where he performed on the Blue Field as clarinet section leader for 4 years while also playing saxophone in Symphonic Winds, The BSU Jazz Band and various jazz combos.

He went on to earn his master's degree in music education with a cognate in Jazz saxophone performance at the University of Colorado Boulder. During his time there, he played saxophone in their Thompson Latin Jazz Ensemble, Jazz band, Symphonic Band, and the Dave Corbus Combo.

Frankie has played in numerous big bands and small ensembles. He currently plays in “Boise Straight Ahead”, “Switch in Time Jazz Orchestra”, “The Idaho Jazz Collective” and the funkiest of them all “IdaFunk & The Monster Horns”.

Dale Schiro – drums

As the rhythmic heartbeat of IdaFunk and the Monster Horns, Dale Schiro commands the drum kit with unparalleled passion and precision. With a career spanning 45 years in the music industry, Dale has solidified his reputation as a powerhouse percussionist, driving the band's sound to new heights.

Born and raised amidst the vibrant music scene of San Diego, Dale developed an early fascination with rhythm and groove. From pounding on pots and pans as a child to mastering complex polyrhythms as a professional, his journey as a drummer has been marked by dedication and determination.

Throughout his career, Dale has collaborated with an impressive array of artists, both in the studio and on stage. From intimate club gigs to electrifying festival performances, his dynamic drumming style has captivated audiences worldwide. Whether laying down a tight groove or unleashing explosive solos, Dale consistently delivers an electrifying performance that leaves audiences in awe.

In addition to his prowess behind the kit, Dale is also a versatile musician, skilled in various percussion instruments and musical styles. Drawing inspiration from genres as diverse as rock, jazz, funk, and world music, he infuses each performance with a unique blend of influences, creating a signature sound that is unmistakably his own.

Offstage, Dale is known for his humble demeanor and tireless work ethic. Whether mentoring aspiring drummers or collaborating with fellow musicians, he is committed to nurturing the next generation of talent and pushing the boundaries of musical expression.

As IdaFunk continues to evolve and innovate, Dale remains at the forefront, driving the band forward with boundless energy and creativity. With each thunderous beat, he reminds us why the rhythm is the heartbeat of music itself.

Catch Dale Schiro in action with Idafunk at upcoming shows and be prepared to experience the electrifying power of live music like never before.

Jeff Erekson – bass

Jeff began his musical journey in the 4th grade learning to play the cello in the orchestra. He switched to the upright bass in the 6th grade and continued playing bass in the orchestra for seven years through middle school and high school.

He received an electric bass as a gift in the 8th grade and started his first band. The band didn't last long, but the feeling of playing live music with drums and guitar was the beginning of a lifelong passion.

In college, he responded to an Ad in the newsletter from two funky guitar players looking for a bass player to start a funk band. He immediately responded, and formed what would be a the beginning of a popular college funk/rock band that played regularly on campus, local venues, fraternities, house parties, and even Maverik Stadium with over 20,000 people for the 4th of July. He met many talented musicians in college and played with a variety of different bands ranging from folk, rock, indy, and funk. One of those bands won a battle of the bands contest that gave them the opportunity to play at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Jeff has recorded several albums over the years with various bands writing original music and playing live shows. He took a break from playing in bands to move to Idaho and start a business. Ironically, in 2023 he responded to another Ad looking for a bass player for a funk band. After several rehearsals, he was added to the roster and Idafunk was formed.

Greg Greenlee – Guitar

Greg started his musical journey playing blues and rock as a young teenager in the greater Kansas City Metro area. His early influences included Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. Growing up in Kansas City which has a strong blues and jazz history, Greg was exposed to jazz early on and studied with New York-based renowned jazz guitarist Steve Cardenas. With the exposure to this more complicated music, his influences shifted to local jazz guitar great Pat Metheny and LA-based guitarists like Larry Carlton, Robben Ford and Steve Lukather. In the late 70s, as a member of the jazz fusion ensemble Sextant and later with the progressive power pop band Glow , Greg made his mark in the Kansas City music scene. In 2014, the members of Glow were inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame.

I'm Over the last 20 years, Greg has paid his dues playing over 1000 gigs in the greater Boise, Idaho scene. Including a nearly 5 year stint with the band “The Saloonatics” where he shared the stage opening for and jamming with many up-and-coming country artists including a young Taylor Swift, Lee Brice, Luke Bryan and many more. Currently, he brings his guitar sensibility, cerebral soloing style and funky chops to Idafunk and IdaJam Band.

Jeff Stevenson – a Real Hammond B3 (Band Leader)

Jeff started playing piano at the age of seven while living in Cape Town, South Africa and it became an immediate and unstoppable passion. Since then he’s played in everything from 18 piece Jazz Big Bands, Rock & Roll , Country , 50's Americana, Funk Bands and small Jazz Trios. After perfecting the Organ in his keyboard rig and getting his first Hammond B3 & 147 Leslie many years ago, his influences quickly became Papa John Grows, Ivan Neville, Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, John Medesky, The Meters, Booker T, Robert Walter, and several other funky players. He carts his Leslie speaker for his organ everywhere he plays as he refuses to settle for inferior sounding retro instruments that don't spin air in all directions. He's shared the stage and played with Leo Nocentelli (founder of The Meters), Melvin Seals (Grateful Dead), Bill Dickins (Stevie Wonder), Bill Gibson (Hewey Lewis), and many other amazing players.

His last band "The Zins" was based in Sonoma County CA, was together for 16 years and featured the founding member/drummer of "It's a Beaytiful Day", Val Fuentes. IdaFunk is the Idaho dream band he put together in 2023 after a chance meeting at a jam session with Dale & Mikel.

In 2017 Jeff had a massive stroke due to high blood pressure which left him completely paralyzed on his left side. Luckily his right side is just fine and he puts his left hand in park but still has to pay it the same wage as his right hand. He could complain but nobody would listen, so he just gets busy playing funky music.

Jeff is a Hammond technician and has worked on and rebuilt a dozens of Hammond B3's & Leslie's and has never met a Hammond B3 he didn't want to own. He has rented his B3 rigs to some of the most incredible B3 players on the planet including Ivan Neville from DumpstaPhunk, Melvin Seals from the Grateful Dead, Leo Nocentelli's (The Meters) super group, Jackie Greene (Black Crows) and Papa John Grows of Papa Grows Funk.

His roughly 3,000 lb collection of keyboards include:

1949 Hammond C2/147 Leslie - converted to a B3 spec with Trek percussion & smooth drawbars.

1961 Hammond B3/Leslie 147 - ridden hard and put away wet, this rig has toured the world. Papa John Grows, Ivan Neville, and several other B3 icons have played & signed the back of it.

1965 Hammond B3/122 Leslie - The crown Jewel of B3's. Smooth as butter. A pristine instrument in my studio.

1965 Hammond A100 Chop/Leslie 46w - Completely removed from the A100 wood case and put into a custom, "portable" road case. I can actually lift one end by myself.

Hammond XK-5/Hammond Leslie - The "live" rig & flagship of the new Hammond clonewheel, multi-touch organs. Feels & sounds "almost" like the real thing without the 700 lbs.

Nord Stage 3 - The best Nord there is.

Nord Electro 2 Rack mount - the best Rhodes, Clav & Wurly sounds!

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