West Bend, Wisconsin native, Jamey Simmons, earned his bachelor of music and teaching certification at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire under the guidance of Robert Baca.  In May of 2002 he earned his Master of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Media at the Eastman School of Music where he studied under jazz composer and arranger Fred Sturm.

As a jazz trumpet player, Simmons has toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra across the United States, South America, and Japan.  Simmons has made appearances with artists as diversified as the Hornheads, the Temptations, Dave Weckl, Buddy DeFranco, Macy Gray, Jason Alexander, New York Voices, and the JazzMn Big Band out of Minneapolis.

He has been twice awarded the Best Arranger Award by Downbeat Magazine for the years 2001 and 2002.  In September of 2003 Mr. Simmons won first price at the Brussels Jazz Orchestra International Composition Contest in Brussels, Belgium for his composition Lock Box.   Simmons has written arrangements and compositions that have been performed by the Rochester Chamber Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cedar Avenue Big Band and the Middle Tennessee State University Wind Ensemble. Currently he is the top selling writer/arranger for Increase Music Publishers of St. Paul, MN (found at www.increasemusic.com).    His composition Young Person’s Guide to the Jazz Ensemble was the Editor’s Choice in the Pepper Music catalog in 2002 and is available through Heritage Jazz Works/ Lorenz Music.

Jamey enjoys spending time with his wife P.J. and three children at his house on a farm near Wartrace, Tennessee.