Original photos of Dave, Stephen, and Rich, courtesy of David S. Hachen Jr. Photo of Mary by Jeffery Miller.
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The Artists
Dave Easley is an accomplished performing and recording artist, based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dave is a jazz artist who has also performed and recorded with 3 Now 4 (Time Ebbing, Book of Spells, 3 Now 4), the Brian Blade Fellowship (recorded under Daniel Lanois and performed a duet with Joni Mitchell), Coco Robicheaux, and Shannon McNally. Dave also writes, plays guitar, and sings. His five-piece band, Hartifacts, as quoted by Relix Magazine, is “…one of the best, and most refreshing ‘unknown’ bands I’ve heard in a long, long time.” He uses MIDI and other effects that are not often used with pedal steel guitar to create sound sources from which to draw from that are uniquely his, exciting, and different. Dave is mainly an improvisatory musician, even though pedal steel guitar is most often associated with country and western music. Dave has been compared to the Charlie Parker on his instrument, who is one of his major influences. Another is the late Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia – Easley's playing on a six-string guitar is often compared to his. His focus is on jazz and rock, but recently joined a bluegrass band, Delta Waves, in Louisiana, where he has lived since 1988. He's become part of the New Orleans music scene; in 1997, New Orleans Magazine listed him as a "Jazz All Star" and in 1997, OffBeat magazine, which covers Louisiana musicians, cited him as the "best other instrument" player for his work on steel pedal.
Rich Cohen relocated to the Midwest from the east coast and has worked in clubs and festivals throughout northern Indiana, southern Michigan, and Indianapolis. Since moving to Carmel in 2005, Rich has worked with groups at the Jazz Kitchen and the Chatterbox. Rich is also part of the house band at Trio's Jazz Club in South Bend.
Stephen Merriman, co-founder of Merrimans' Playhouse with his wife, Mary, has been playing professionally since 1978. He has worked in a variety of musical genres from reggae to rock to jazz in places as varied as the Pacific Northwest, Canada, New York City, San Diego, and Boulder, Colorado. Some of his credits include the Boulder Jazz Improvisation Group Chiaroscuro, and the piano and drum duo The Great Leap, based in New York City. Since returning to South Bend, Stephen has focused solely on jazz, and has played with the jazz groups, Random Elements, Apogeebop, and currently The Merrimans.
Mary Merriman, co-founder of Merrimans' Playhouse with her husband, Stephen, began her bass career playing with various orchestral and jazz groups in Michigan. Mary studied privately at Central Michigan University beginning in high school, and was a member of several jazz ensembles, including the Faculty Jazz Band. Mary has performed with various groups in northern Indiana, but since relocating to South Bend, she has put her energy into the art of the jazz trio. She also enjoys teaching private study for double bass, including beginner orchestral students.
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