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Derek Stroh was born on November 13,1979 to parents Rick and
Patti Stroh. He was introduced to music at an early age through
his parents, who both emphasized the importance of music in his life. Derek played trumpet in his middle school band
for three years. At age 13, he bought himself his first guitar. His father taught him the beginning chords to Ritchie
Valens "Labamba," and The Everly Brothers "All I Have To Do is Dream." His mother , who also played guitar, taught him the
spanish tune "Malaguena." From then on, Derek set out to become the best musician he could be.
Throughout his high school years, Derek would play in
several garage bands. They would perform at parties, legion halls, and various coffee houses in his hometown. With an ever growing interest in all styles of music, Derek experimented with a plethora of
music genres and soon discovered a true passion for American roots music. At age 17, he started a band that covered
songs by early rock and roll artists such as Gene Vincent, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Eddie Cochran,
in addition to Derek's own original songs. The band would use fake I.D.'s and sometimes even fake mustaches to sneak into
local bars to perform. "I think that the bouncers were hip to our scams, but they just couldn't turn
away four young guys with pompadours and an upright bass!" Finally, at age 21, Derek was old enough to
frequent the clubs of Chicago. He had friends who played weekly at the Green Mill (a popular Chicago nightclub) where
his eyes were opened to the world of jazz.
Derek had always admired jazz musicians and singers. In fact, his favorite song as a child
was Bobby Darin's "Beyond The Sea." It remains his favorite to this day. He recalls as a teen receiving a cassette
tape of Frank Sinatra. He would listen to it over and over while other kids his age were listening to rock bands."
Although I listened to other stuff too, there was a charm about jazz music that attracted me." It wasn't
until recently that Derek began performing the music that he loves so much. "I never thought it was feasible
to put together a band that could play this music. Everyone played guitar, bass, or drums. Piano
and horn players just did not exist among the people I knew." Derek eventually took matters into
his own hands and began performing popular jazz standards to backing tracks at various restaurants and clubs throughout
the Chicagoland area. In doing so, he has caught the eye of several top notch musicians with whom he now shares the
stage.
Derek has been compared to well known artists such as Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, and
Frank Sinatra, to name a few. When asked how he felt about this, his response was: "Those are tough shoes
to fill, but I don't plan to fill them, I just want to shine them up a bit!" Like many great jazz
artists, Derek seeks to add his personal touch to the music that shaped the face of America.
With a lot of hard work and a little luck, this multifaceted entertainer is destined to contribute to the artistry of
American music.
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