Great pop & jazz standards of the big band era for dancing & listening pleasure!

Four musicians makeup the Grumpy Old Men with an instrumentation of piano, bass, drums and saxophone. Vocals occur spontaneously tempered only by the situation.

Dance styles include ballads, waltzes, fox-trots, jitterbug tunes, swing tunes, Dixieland beats, Latin rhythms and, upon very special request, polkas. The Grumpy Old Men have a repertoire of over 500 songs and arrange a program of music tailored to each occasion.

The Grumpy Old Men have performed for wedding receptions, anniversary events, banquets, parties, conventions, grand openings, dances and other occasions. Settings have included convention centers, ballrooms, homes, patios, excursion boat decks, concert stages, front yards, back yards and fields. In some situations, it is requested that dogs be chained and muzzled. Click here for a list of corporate events. Click here for a list of Wedding receptions, reunion and other event locations.

Donny Howard, Piano* Professional musician Donny Howard is a native Texan currently performing throughout the mid-South as well as teaching elementary music in Clarksville, TN.	Scott Thile , Bass** Scott Thile is piano-instrument technician at Murray State University.  A native of San Diego and former member of  the acoustic group "Nickel Creek", he keeps the combo "California dreamin'".	Roger Reichmuth, Sax Roger also occasionally intones a Louis Armstrong-style vocal. Living in Murray, KY and retired from Murray State University after 32 years in the music, fine arts and development areas.	Dean Hughes, Drums In real life Dean is a computer guru specializing in VoIP applications, and lives in Princeton, Kentucky.

Two members of the combo have worked together in bands for over four decades. The drummer is just a kid and has only been on the scene with them for about 30 years. You might see some of us appear with some of our other friends, for instance the Todd Hill Orchestra. For a complete history of the Grumpy Old Men see the Grumpy Old Men Adventures Recollections.

Although not “grumpy” on the job, the Grumpy Old Men interview prospective clients, and have a seldom used motto, “You don’t hire us; we select you!” As a result, the customer is almost always satisfied.

*In early 2011 Donny Howard stepped in for long time member and arranger "H" Pruitte who appears in all but the top photo and our recordings.

** Our hope is that Joe Tarentino will return to primary bass playing duties for the Grumpy Old Men soon. Meanwhile, Scott Thile, who appears in most of the photos and MP3s on this site has returned to the bandstand.