Our Story
Welcome to the Bio page. Over the years I've had the privilege of playing music with some of the Northwest's finest musicians. With their help, I have been able to provide entertainment for hundreds of events with great ensembles in various musical styles. I want to take this opportunity to thank them and introduce you to the current members of what I affectionately call, "The Association of Swing".
Mike Faast
Mike Faast -Following in the footsteps of other country/jazz singers such as Freddy Powers, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, and Pasty Cline, Mike Faast is equally at home singing a warm country tune, a high honkin’ bluegrass tune or crooning a jazz standard. Mike currently serves as bandleader for the Archtops (rhythm and jazz), Brother’s Keeper (gospel), the Cascade Mountain Boys (Bluegrass), the Jangles (western swing), and the Jangles Quartet (acoustic string band). Mike has been performing concerts on the West Coast for over thirty years, and his bands have performed in hundreds of events in the great Northwest. In 2016 Mike was inducted into the Northwest chapter of the Western Swing Hall of Fame!
Andy Carr - pianist for both the Archtops band and the Mike Faast Trio/Quartet. Andy has been part of the Pacific Northwest music scene for 40 years, as accompanist/arranger for vocalists, choirs, and musical theatre; and as jazz pianist with groups ranging from small combos to big bands. A 12-year resident of Camano Island (and happily retired from corporate life). When away from the piano, Andy loves hiking and sampling Syrah (not at the same time). Andy plays in several NW swing/jazz ensembles including Tangoheart, the Northwest’s premier tango ensemble of which he is a founding member.
Mike Eytcheson is a graduate of Cornish College of the Arts and has been performing primarily as a bassist in styles ranging from jazz to rock from the 1960's to the present. Mike continues to perform with top jazz and rock artists here in the NW. He joined The Archtops as bassist in 2016. You can access Michael's personal web site at http://www.michaelnotticello.com
Frank Grace - Frank plays lead guitar for the Archtops. Frank a native of New York, is an accomplished blues and jazz guitarist. Frank lead his own band in the New York area (the Detonators), before moving to the great NW. Frank is a guitar teacher and can be reached through this web site for private lessons.
Mark Drake - Thrilled to have Mark in both the Jangles and the Archtops! Mark is a versatile drummer in demand for performances and studio work, Mark has collaborated on recordings with Pearl Django (“Mystery Pacific”) and Michelle Dedman (“Meet Me Where They Play the Blues”) and others. He was a frequent performer on the nationally syndicated radio program, Sandy Bradley’s Potluck, on which he performed with The Bobs, Ernestine Anderson, Denny Goodhew, and Barney McClure. He currently performs with numerous bands around the Seattle area such as Thornton Creek, The Our House Jazz Quartet, and Purty Mouth.
Rick Meade - Rick makes his home in Sequim, WA. Plays in both the Cascade Mountain Boys and Brother's Keeper. Rick is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist playing, guitar, dobro, banjo and mandolin. When not playing music with one of his 4 groups, Rick enjoys a career as a physical therapist.
Toby Hanson - Toby plays accordion with the Jangles, as well as serving a band leader for the Smilin' Scandinavians. He is a member of the Valse Café Orchestra, and studied classical composition at Cornish where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. Toby is a member of the Seattle Chapter of the Western Swing Hall of fame. Toby makes his home in Grahm WA.
Roger Ferguson - National flat picking champion, guitar teacher, and multi-instrumentalist. Roger plays for the Cascade Mountain Boys, the Jangles and several other prominent bands in the Northwest including national touring group and Puyallup Fair favorite "the Shop". He makes his home in Poulsbo, WA.
Eric Likkel - Saxophone and Clarinet -University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music class of 1991 Eric is a pastor, teacher, and musician extraordinaire. When not playing music, Eric serves as pastor at Emmaus Road Church in Seattle.