The SJO Trombone Section

Jim Woolbright - Lead Bone
SJO TENURE -1 Year

When SJO founder and lead trombonist Henry Mason announced his intention to leave the band after 31 years and move to North Carolina, we were, needless to say, stunned! His would be a hard chair to fill. We went through an arduous audition process until we found our new lead trombonist. Mr Jim Woolbright!

Jim Woolbright is a native of Jonesboro, Ga. He attended the University of Georgia, graduating in '83 with a Bachelor's degree in music performance.

Jim can be seen around town at local restaurants and clubs honing his trade. He has performed with Lou Rawls, Frankie Valli, Percy Sledge, Sam Moore, (The) Shirelles, Impressions, Drifters, Vandellas, Box Tops, Legends of DooWop, Temptations Revue and others. Big band appearances include the bands of Don Miola, John Head, the Atlanta Seventeen and even a stint with the Sentimental Journey Orchestra in the mid 90's. He has performed classically with the Atlanta Pops, Augusta Opera and the Savannah Symphony and has toured with the American Wind Symphony and with the Atlanta Pops on their 2004 Taiwan tour. For the past 20+ years he has played with the Atlanta Lyric Theatre, performing most of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan and many broadway shows such as Camelot, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story.

In his spare time Jim works as a full-time broadcast television engineer at WATL TV 36 in Atlanta, and has a video consulting business. He currently lives near Stone Mountain with his wife Kim and dog Max.

Hector Bourg Jr. - Second Bone
SJO TENURE: 33 YEARS

Usually known as "Butch" to one and all, Hector... er... Butch, occupies the Second Chair and has additional duties as Band Librarian, SJO Web Master and SJO President. He is a graduate of St. Stanislaus College High School (where he was introduced to the trombone by his band director, Roy Carubba) in Bay St. Louis, MS. He played in his high school's marching band as well as its Big Band dance orchestra, "The Rocksters."

He is a proud alumnus of the University of Southern Mississippi and "The Pride of Mississippi," its legendary marching band. He has a BFA degree from USM with majors in Commercial Art and Drawing and Painting, as well as minors in Art History and French, and is currently self employed in Atlanta as a Graphic Designer... everything from logo design to Web Pages. He has designed (and painted) our stands, our logo, our web site, our business cards and brochures and is the originator of our name as well.

He has been singing bass in his church choir for more than 30 years. While with the choir, he has been privileged to sing for High Mass in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, St. Mark's Church, in Venice, Italy, St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome, Italy as well as during three Papal audiences. A native of Gulfport, Mississippi, and an Atlanta area resident since 1965, he's married (Denise, a physical therapist) and has a son ("Tad") and a daughter (Erin) and one grandchild (Christopher).

Mike Smith - Third Bone
SJO TENURE: 1 Year

Mike began playing trombone in the seventh grade. He was all district and all state for 3 years in high school. He received a Bachelor of Music Education with trombone as his major instrument and a Master of Music in performance of the French Horn from Northeast Louisiana University. He also has 21 hours towards a Master’s in Theology from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. While in college, Mike played lead trombone for 7 years with the jazz ensemble, and the Phares Corder Dance Orchestra.

He served 2 years active duty and 4 years reserve as Captain in the United States Army. In the 70’s and 80’s Mike worked as band director at 1 middle school and 2 private schools, and was music director at 2 churches. During this time his playing experience included trombone with Barnum and Bailey’s Circus, the Bob Hope Show, Holiday On Ice, Sonny and Cher, Tom Jones, Miss Louisiana and Miss Mississippi Beauty Pageants, Little Theatre and a USO Tour of Europe. He also played bass guitar in a rock band and trumpet with a rhythm and blues band, as well as guitar, bass guitar, trumpet and piano in church.

From 1989 to 2001 Mike worked in the real estate business and continued to play in church. In 2001 the best thing in his life happened when Debbie agreed to marry him. They now live happily ever after in their home in Dunwoody. From 2001 to 2005 Mike taught piano, guitar, and trumpet privately, and played trumpet with the Atlanta Swing Orchestra part of that time. Now he trades stocks eight hours a day, and plays with The Sentimental Journey Orchestra and the Atlanta Trombone Ensemble. Richard Fillmore - Bass Bone
SJO TENURE: New Member

Biographical Info and Photo Coming soon.

Vacancy-Bass Bone
SJO TENURE: 0