Who is The DZ Combo?
Danny Zanger
The ‘DZ’ in the combo— is the composer of original music and pianist for the quartet. Woven into the fabric of the Dubuque music scene, Danny plays in other local groups including: Lame Witch, Marzipan Mailbox, and Big Sloth. Danny also works to inspire the next generation of musicians as a instructor with the local non-profit, Centrally Rooted. Danny studied Songwriting at McNally Smith College of Music (St. Paul, MN, 2015-2017) and Composition at Clarke University (DBQ, IA, 2021-2023).
His motivation for forming the group was two-fold; a desire to make jazz music more accessible to the Tri-State area, and to collaborate with an ensemble who could play the charts he writes. Danny has invested in, and grown fond of the gear he lugs to the gig— for a full gear list click here.
Although the namesake for the band, The DZ Combo gets it’s sound through equal artistic contribution from its members. Scroll down to read about the artistic minds that breathe life into Zanger’s compositions.
Jeremy Jones
Jeremy brings over 35 years of bass guitar experience, drawing influence from legendary artists such as James Jamerson, Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, Leland Sklar, and Flea. His diverse playing background with Upright and Electric bass spans punk, R&B, country, bluegrass, and jazz.
An active member of the local music scene, Jeremy currently performs with The DZ Combo and The DR Band. He has also shared the stage with notable artists like Elizabeth Mary and the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his performance work, Jeremy is a dedicated educator, having taught music at the elementary and middle school levels and offering bass and piano lessons at Centrally Rooted in Dubuque, Iowa.
Benjamin Drury
A rapid-fire and dynamic soloist, performer and educator Benjamin Drury (trumpet) joined the DZ Combo in 2024. As a 20-year mainstay in the Dubuque music community, Benjamin brings a wide swath of experience from classical symphonies to in-your-face funk show bands to weird eclectic basement jams. He can be heard on two albums by the funk fusion collective Soul Sherpa - "Invest in This" (2016) and "Same Wave Train" (2017) where he was the trumpet soloist for three years. Benjamin holds an MA from the University of Iowa in Trumpet Performance (2015) and a BA in Music Education from Clarke University (2010), he has studied with a variety of excellent teachers such as Dr. Amy Dunker, Dr. James Sherry, Dr. Amy Schendel, and Dr. Courtney Jones. Benjamin is also the trumpet teacher at Centrally Rooted studios.
He has performed with improvisers such as Sasha Burdin, Zane Merritt, Bob Bucko, and Ora Uzel; jazz artists such as Ian Draves, Hank Welter, Cathy Goodman, Soul Sherpa, The Johnson County Landmark, and The Round Midnight Trio; Musical theater performances throughout the tristate area including The Grand opera House, Five Flags, Theater Cedar Rapids, Orchestra Iowa, and The Cher Show; and with classical ensembles such as the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, The Julien Winds, The Timber City Band, The Tallgrass Brass Band, and much more.
Dan McNamara
Dan has yet to submit a bio. Dan can play. We appreciate Dan in all capacities.