Picnic & Pops

The Howard Paul Quintet is comprised of the area's premier jazz musicians.  

Transplanted to the low-country from Northeastern cities (and one west coast player), each member brings with them an impressive list of recording and performance credits from the very top tier of the jazz world.   Jazz guitarist Howard Paul leads the group.  In addition to 40-plus yeas of performance with greats like Bucky Pizzarelli, Joe Beck, Howard Alden and Bob James, he serves as President/CEO of the world's premier jazz guitar manufacturing company - Benedetto Guitars in Savannah, GA.  Jody Espina worked with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Mel Torme, and Milton Berle before moving South to establish his own brand of clarinet and saxophone mouthpieces, JodyJazz in Savannah.  Distinguished in both classical music and jazz,  bassist Peter Berquist and percussionist Dr. Steven Primatic (also music professor) are familiar to Hilton Head audiences as member of the Hilton Head Orchestra and the Savannah Jazz Orchestra.  Flugle Horn/Trumpet player Kirk Lee is a fixture with the Savannah Jazz Orchestra and regularly performs at Hilton Head's The Jazz Corner.  We hope you will enjoy this groups focus on American Songbook and Classic Jazz compositions!

Artist Information

Howard Paul, Guitar

Howard Paul grew up in Atlantic City, N.J, and has been playing guitar since the age of four. He was drawn to jazz at 10 years old, eventually working both small and big bands, and performing in clubs, hotels, showrooms and eventually casinos. At seventeen, he joined the Judy Cahill Trio, backing or played opposite artists including Chris Conner, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Ayres, Freddie Cole and Carmen McCrae. 

He taught music privately and as an adjunct faculty member at Atlantic Community College in Mays Landing, New Jersey from 1978 to 1981. Since moving to Savannah, Georgia in 1991 he has led his own trio and quartet, worked continuously with bassist/jazz legend Ben Tucker, recorded as a studio musician for Manion Music, and performed with the Savannah Symphony Pops Orchestra and the Coastal Jazz All Stars. He is a recurring performer at Savannah Jazz Festival and Savannah Music Festival, and St. Simons Island Jazz in the Park. 

Howard is the house guitarist and a band leader at The Jazz Corner in Hilton Head, SC, where his band has performed nearly every Monday night since 2003, as well as a dozen weekends a year. His recent recordings with the Sweet Jazz label "Live at The Jazz Corner" series feature artist Ali Ryerson, Ben Tucker, Bobby Ryder, Bill Atwell, and Christian Tamburr. Howard has been a contributing writer to Just Jazz Guitar Magazine, and has co-produced the Benedetto Players in Concert series since 1998. 
He has performed throughout the United States in guitar duos/clinics with guitarist including Bucky Pizzarelli, Jimmy Bruno, Howard Alden, Jack Wilkins, Joe Beck, Frank Vignola, Craig Wagner and Jerry Sims. Small group performances include club dates with flutist Ali Ryerson, clarinetist Ken Peplowski, singer Diane Hubka, vibraphonist/drummer Chuck Redd, bassist Phil Flannigan, and piano legend/Grammy winner Bob James. 

In addition to his music career, Howard serves as President/CEO of Benedetto Guitars Inc. 

Kirk Lee, Fluglehorn/Trumpet

Widely regarded as one of the most versatile performers in the area, Kirk got his start in Southern California in the 70s and solidified a passion for Jazz during high school years in Illinois and Wisconsin where he began playing professionally. While completing his degree in Chemical Engineering, Kirk held the Lead Trumpet chair in the top Jazz Ensemble at Ole Miss all four years under the direction of Dr. John W. McCauley. 



Migrating to the Savannah area in the mid 80s, he established himself quickly as a top call player capable of delivering in a wide variety of styles. As a long-standing member of the Savannah Jazz Orchestra, Kirk has shared the stage with Jazz Greats including Jimmy Heath, Benny Golson, Clark Terry, Ben Tucker, Claudio Roditti, Bobby Watson, Bob Berg, Vincent Herring, and Wycliff Gordon. He is called on regularly for both the high energy lead work required in Big Band and Latin ensembles as well as the more intimate flugelhorn and straight ahead jazz approach appropriate to the club and event setting and is a frequent performer at regional venues such as The Jazz Corner, Kokopelli's, The Mansion, Adagio, and Hannah's. Recent recording credits include the Savannah Jazz Orchestra Telfair CD "Satin Doll", Howard Paul group with Ben Tucker Live at the Jazz Corner, Equinox Jazz Orchestra Johnny Mercer Tributes, Swing-time Orchestra, Latin Jazz Motion w/ David Lugo, Bobby Ryder Big Band Brass Bash live at the Jazz Corner, Bob Alberti's Big Band Bash and Mancini tributes, Ron Con Anis, Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love, and the Savannah Jazz Writers Project Octet.

Jody Espina, Saxophone

Saxophonist Jody Espina is a highly regarded and much in-demand Jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist with a unique and personal sound. From 1985 to 2008, New York City was his stomping ground until he relocated to Savannah Ga, in the Spring of 2008.  He has performed and toured with The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Mel Torme, Milton Berle, Patty Page, Eddie Arnold, Louis Bellson, Don Alias, Bob Moses, Dave Douglas,, Lew Solof, Vic Juris, Harvie Swartz, the Charlie Persip Superband, Rachel Z, and the Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble. He is a frequent conductor of Soundpainting and has given seminars and workshops in Europe and the United States teaching it.  He has performed in recording sessions, jingles, appeared with Broadway pit orchestras, and played in pop, R&B, funk, and avant-garde groups. He has done numerous sessions for film, television and CD recordings. Jody is president of the internationally renowned, JodyJazz Saxophone & Clarinet Mouthpieces.  Jody Coordinated the Jazz Department at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School in Scarsdale NY. He also was Adjunct professor of saxophone and clarinet at Concordia College in Bronxville, NY.   Jody was Professor of saxophone, clarinet and flute in Barcelona, Spain, and the Director of the Big Band at the Aula de Musica i Moderna Jazz.  He has been involved with the Grammys In The Schools Program, bringing performing artists to inner city schools and has written and performed “What Is Jazz?” -an entertaining educational concert for children.  In Savannah, Jody is a Board Member of The Savannah Children’s Choir, and does coaching for the Jazz band at the Savannah Country Day School and also gives lessons for the Salvation Army.

Peter Berquist, Bass

Peter Berquist began musical studies at the age of 9 on the cello, and switched to bass at 12. Prior to moving to Savannah, Peter performed with the Rochester Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and was a member of the U.S. Marine Band in Washington, D.C for eight years. He is now in his ninth season as principal bass of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, and has performed regularly with the Savannah Jazz Orchestra and numerous smaller jazz ensembles. He received a degree in musical performance from the Eastman School of Music in 1978.

Steven Primatic, Drums

Stephen Primatic is currently an Associate Professor of Music at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah Georgia. He received his Bachelor of Music from Wilkes University in Wilkes Barre, PA, his Masters of Music from the University of Miami, Coral Gables FL, and his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Georgia, Athens GA. At AASU, Dr. Primatic teaches percussion lessons, percussion ensemble, percussion methods, percussion repertoire, sophomore theory, form and analysis, jazz combo, jazz improvisation, and music technology.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Primatic also maintains an active performing career. He is principal percussionist with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in Hilton Head, SC, and he also performs with symphonies in Savannah GA, Charleston SC, and Jacksonville FL. He performs with jazz, theatre and classical groups in the Savannah and Hilton Head areas, and he is the drummer for the Darius Rucker (of Hootie and the Blowfish) Big Band.

Over the years Dr. Primatic has accompanied such artists as Harry Allen, Al Caiola, Art Van Damme, Scott Hamilton, Joe Cohn, John Doughten, Lynn Roberts, Nancy Evans, Bob Alberti and Ben Tucker, and played in the acts of Shari Lewis, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé, Peabo Bryson, Roberta Flack, James Ingram, Melissa Manchester, Jerry Vale, Don Rickles, Joan Rivers, Mitzi Gaynor, Connie Francis, Jim Bailey, Music Man with John Schneider, Annie Get Your Gun with Andrea McCardle, Guys and Dolls with Vic Damone, South Pacific with Debbie Boone, Mame with Loretta Switt, Will Rodger’s Follies with Gary Sandy, Fiddler on the Roof with Theodore Bikel and My Fair Lady with Michael Moriarty.

Dr, Primatic also has several musical publications with Meredith Music, drop6 publications, and Music for Percussion. He is also currently working on a percussion methods book.