Pittsburgh has a reputation as being a hard-working town, and in the music business, no one reflects that as much as drummer Roger Humphries. Rather than trying to capture an audience by playing trendy hip-hop numbers, the Roger Humphries Big Band is a swinging band that never stops working when it is on stage. The band will play a number like Dizzy Gillespie’s "Manteca" which you’ll hear on this album “Don't Give Up” and "Mile Stones" by Miles Davis and the musicians will be riveted with attention as they listen to each other’s solos. We are blessed to have veterans in the band that can teach some of the younger players such as the great Lou Stellute on tenor sax. Count Basie alumni Dr. Nelson Harrison on trombone, who teaches us phrasing on swing - the key to this music we call jazz. Director of Jazz Studies at Duquesne University, Mr. Mike Tomaro on Saxophone - is not only an intricate part of the Saxophone section, but a world-class composer and arranger of many of the tunes we play. The recording, like the band, reflect the history of a man who at age 15 did a show with saxman Illinois Jacquet at Pittsburgh’s Crawford Grill. He then went on to work with organist Shirley Scott and tenor Stanley Turrentine. He also has played with pianist Horace Silver, organist Richard “Groove” Holmes, and the legendary band leader Ray Charles. Pittsburgh’s music fans got lucky when he decided he was tired of the road life with people like that and wanted to return home to his wife Regina, their three daughters and one son. “I’m not looking for that big jackpot,” he said. “I would rather see myself just being comfortable with me and my family.” This CD is dedicated to the memory of my brother and sister Harold and Mary A. Humphries who made it a point that I “Don’t Give Up” on music and in life.