ABOUT THE BAND
Pieces of Eight is 8 talented musicians, coming together to
perform
the songs of Chicago, Tower of Power, and other artists that feature
horn section arrangements.
Founded in
2020 by Steve Hollingshead, featuring a full horn section,
we offer something fresh to the Tampa Bay area.
 J. C. Grigg - Vocals
JC
Grigg was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 31,
1966 where he spent his young years singing in both church and
school choirs.
JC accomplished his first record deal in
1986. He won Pioneer Singer of the Year in Orlando Florida in
1996. His compelling charm, inspiring devotion to his alluring
voice will draw you in as a fan. JC’s vibrant personality,
appealing character, and sustaining vocals make him a perfect
entertainer for all audiences! |
 Dave Fredericks - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Hailing from Chicago, where Dave spent the 1st 28 years of his
life, Dave moved to Tampa in1986, and now cosiders himself a"Tampanian"
Louis Armstrong is one of his major musical influences, and source of inspiration.
Dave is an identical twin, and his brother still lives in the Chicago area!.
He
once got to guard Maynard Ferguson's dressing room when he and his band
played at Sickles High School. Perks of being a band booster!!! |
 Steve Hollingshead - Drummer, "Band Boss""
Steve
is the creator of "Pieces of 8". When thinking of a name for a
band with eight members, he reflected on the book "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson and referenced the statement that was constantly squawked by the parrot of Long John Silver.
Hollingshead's
musical background began at age 12 when he got his first pair of
drumsticks. He later joined his high school band in Everett, PA and
continued playing in various bands from classic rock to jazz through
his military service and college years. With
a 44 year pause in his musical career, Hollingshead again felt the
passion to play the music from his past. Loving horn bands, he started
recruiting seasoned musicians of a professional level and after almost
two years brought the perfect set of musicians together playing the
sounds of Chicago, Tower of Power and others songs that will take you
on a journey to the past. |
 Gene Cowherd - Lead Guitar
In
the beginning there were transistor radios on which Gene could listen
to secretly in bed after hours waiting for songs like "Duke of Earl" or
anything from The Four Seasons. Then came Elvis, then the Beatles on Ed
Sullivan and he was hooked. Getting his first guitar at age 10, he
entered the world of rock n roll and never looked back...except for
those few decades he took off to get a degree in Counseling Psychology
and have a career and a family. But since 1996 Gene's been back at it,
actively (part time) playing live around his home town of Tampa. His
musical influences have been The Allman Brothers, Santana, Led
Zeppelin, AC/DC and Yes. Other guitarists he follows are Reb Beach,
Steve Lynch and Trevor Rabin.
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 Charlie Phillips - Sax, Vocals
Charlie's
adventure began in Rhode Island when he took a music “aptitude” test in
5th grade. He then learned to read and play music on the accordion and
over the years, moved on to clarinet, flute, and then tenor sax. He
played in everything from garage and wedding bands to show bands. Next,
he picked up baritone sax in his college jazz band. At this time,
he was also a vocalist and sax/flute player in another show band
project named "NO EXIT". After college, he took about 20 years “off” to
raise a family.
He
moved to Florida in 2011, and “accidentally” discovered and
joined the local successful big band, "Voices of Jazz" where he remains
a member, serving as saxophonist, vocalist, and VP of this non-profit
organization.
He
discovered "Pieces of 8" when Steve reached out by email. The project
was very exciting to him as he had dreamed of getting back into a
classic rock horn band. |
 Andrew Rosenthal - Trombone, Trumpet
Born in Philadelphia, Andrew grew
up in sunny southwest Florida where he discovered music at the ripe age of
nine on the baritone horn. After a foray into legit music with a
useless instrument, he eventually found trombone. Limited dexterity and
the inability to take anything seriously had also driven this decision
to pursue music at a purely superficial level. For the past twenty
years, Andrew has been playing in a variety of bands and is currently in
about 6.5 bands. Possibly one day he can find some semblance of musical
fulfillment. By day, he works supply chain and analytics in the pharma
sector and is a partner at a cognitive health supplement company. Women
want him, men want to be him. |
 Adrian Zvarych - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Adrian
Zvarych is a versatile musician, having played guitar, bass, and tuba
in various bands since 1974. He honed his skills in private
lessons as well in Top 40/Variety/Dance bands, pit bands, three piece
jazz combos, as well as R&B, Roots Rock Reggae, and tribute
bands.
In addition to providing thoughtful solos, Adrian believes
in establishing a firm foundation with the rhythm section on which the
solo instruments can shine. |
 Tim Marshall - Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Hailing
from Canton, Ohio, home of musical greats The O'Jays, Boz Scaggs, The
Ohio Players, Macy Gray and more, Tim was influenced by church choir,
theater organ, early synthesis with the ARP 2600, and many musical
genres from different eras. He played keys for Canton based Plan B Band
and did A&R studio work.
Today
he resides in beautiful Dunedin
FL, and works as a park ranger at Honeymoon Island State Park. He
formerly played keys for The Time
Bandits Band, Riptide, Smooth Pompidou, Disco Redux & Sideways. He likes artists Todd Rundgren, Stevie Wonder,
Jamiroquai, Joan Armatrading, Joni Mitchell, Hall &
Oates, and more. |
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