Swoon to Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon, rock out to Herby Hancock’s Watermelon Man or get down with the funk of Cold Duck Time, tango to Petite LeFleur or salsa to the Girl from Ipanema and the Wave. These are the jazz sounds of Livin Easy entertaining people of all ages around the Omaha area since 2012. The group plays primarily private parties and retirement centers right now, however they do book a few public venues. Come out to listen, dance and relax to a variety of jazz standards.
Don’t miss them at Omaha’s Champions Run Country Club for the Bloody Mary Jazzfest 2020. Date and time to be announced due to the COVID 19 restrictions at present.
Meet the Members
Bonnie Gill – keyboards ran the “Jazz on Stage” series for a decade at the Grande Olde Players, a theatre she and her husband Mark Manhart founded in the 1980s. She has played with the Cathedral Arts Project, Jazz Explosion, Komar’s Quartet, Birks and Bentley’s Jazz Explosion and at local clubs such as Jazz Louisiana Kitchen and Jambo Cat. She formed Livin Easy in 2012. When not behind the keys, you will find her either working with theatre projects, Rotary, her grandchildren or traveling.
Marc May – saxophone and flute is a regular member of Honey Creek Quintet, the Jazz Circus and Livin Easy. He also plays guitar for his church. An Omaha native and retired Omaha Public School’s photographer, May now has more time to devote to his music. He has excellent reading skills and is a walking textbook on jazz history and discography. When not playing, May does freelance photography jobs, cycles and walks his dog.
Tym Livers – bass played in rock bands as a teen and young adult. He discovered jazz later in life through local jam sessions and other musicians. Livers is a regular member of Honey Creek Quintet, Jazz Circus and Livin Easy. Retired from First Data Resources as a programmer, Livers handles all things technical. Besides his love for music, Livers is also a respected thespian dating back to his days at the Omaha Community Playhouse as a child actor and several shows with the Grande Olde Players and Chanticleer theatres.
Brad Yearwood – percussion discovered he could play drums while stationed overseas
with the military, playing at chapel services and other base functions. He later became house drummer at an acoustic blues open mic night in the Seattle area. Moving to Omaha in 2008, Yearwood now plays for several blues bands around Omaha, and with Livin Easy. He is an avid cyclist, hiker, camper and is also known to rescue animals.
Donald-Brian Johnson – vocals began his singing career as a soprano Santa Claus. Since then, he’s performed in numerous musicals, and sing with groups including Omaha’s River City Mixed Chorus. Previously a theatre playwright, director, actor and a radio/TV entertainment reporter, in 1995 he embarked on a new writing career. Don’s authored a dozen books on antiques and collectibles, and his columns appear monthly in antiques publications nationwide. First and foremost, though, DBJ loves to sing!