Drummer and vocalist Jimmy Fenno was born on Bastille Day, 1958 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. At a very early age, his family moved to southern California.

At age eight he began drumming on the family pots and pans while singing along with Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Louis Jordan. With encouragement from his father and his many music teachers, Jimmy played drums in bands and sang in vocal groups from elementary school through college.

Jimmy began experimenting with jazz, African rhythms and non-traditional percussion while in college in Santa Ana, California. Jimmy’s musical roots are firmly planted in the Swing, R&B, Motown, Blues and Rock. His vocal leanings are definitely swinging. His interpretations of Frank Sinatra, Louis Prima, Louis Jordan and Louis Armstrong are always a hit at our performances.

Some of notable performers Jimmy has performed and toured with are The W.C. Clark Blues Revue, Mr. Fabulous & Casino Royale, Joe Detroit Junior, Chicago Bob Nelson, The Shrimp City Slim Band, and many others.

The senior Fenno Brother—Richard—was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, the birthplace of the modern plastics industry. He spent his early years in neighboring Fitchburg, where his father worked as a draftsman at a local paper mill and dreamed of a musical career.

The Fenno father, Dick Fenno, was a drummer and arranger, the first drummer to be admitted to Schillinger House in Boston—the immediate ancestor of Berklee College of Music. When Richard (then "Ricky") was ten years old Dick landed a job teaching at the Westlake College of Modern American Music, which had just moved to breathtaking Laguna Beach, California. There he taught arranging and led band classes until the school suddenly closed in 1961. Richard's mom, dad, three sisters, and his kid brother Jimmy packed up and moved to Santa Ana, in that long-lost time when Orange County, with its orange grove scents and wide-open places, was as close to paradise as you could get. It was in Santa Ana that Richard discovered the saxophone, band class, and even practicing. Through the wonderful support of band directors, he passed though high school and into college playing alto saxophone and flute on the weekends for actual money.

Richard studied at the University of California, Santa Cruz and, at nearby Cabrillo College, studied arranging and improvisation with trumpeter Ray Brown while playing in the notorious Cabrillo College Jazz Ensemble, led by Lile Crews.

After he couldn't stay in school any longer, Richard toured with the Stan Kenton and Glenn Miller Orchestras, with Horace Heidt, Jr., Helen Forrest, Herb Jeffries, the Modernaires, and many other big bands and small combos. Since moving to Austin he's played with Ruben Ramos, Marcia Ball, Duck Soup, Mr Fabulous, and for the Temptations Review with Dennis Edwards.

Richard wrote most of the arrangements for the Original Recipe Band, and designed and wrote a lot of what you're reading on this website. On the band he plays saxophones, flute and piccolo. He is an endorser for Jody Jazz Mouthpieces and works for Princess Cruises when the wanderlust hits.




Baritone saxophonist Chris Kapral is a graduate of M.I.T. and Stanford. He designs software systems which in turn evaluate microchip designs. Chris is an avid do-it-yourselfer. He performs with the Austin Jazz Band and with Ken Ragsdale's Orchestra. He is a fine arranger, and we are glad to be playing his charts.
His wife, Lucinda, is also a woodwind player who recently retired from the National Guard band at Camp Mabry. Together they are raising two young boys, both of whom has musical aspirations.

Versatile, soulful, and blessed with a vocal tone that is naturally rich and honest, Jennifer Zavaleta began singing in her grandfather's Baptist church in South Georgia at the age of five. Fast forward to the present, and her résumé consists of veteran status with one of the nation's top ten party bands, Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes, singing at prestigious events and high-profile locations such as the Republican National Convention in NYC in 2004, The Presidential Dinner in Washington, DC, in 2004, the Bellagio Hotel on the Vegas Strip, at half-time for the San Antonio Spurs, along with countless corporate events, weddings, and fundraisers. Jennifer has also worked repeatedly with noted musicians such as Jon Blondell (Willie Nelson, Carolyn Wonderland) and Brandon Ailey (Edie Brickel and the New Bohemians). Active in Austin in many venues, you can currently find her belting out classics with The Original Recipe Band, bringing a smile to people's faces with The Three Blondes comedy and vocal act, shaking things up on weekends at Lake Travis with the house band at Carlos and Charlies, and singing praises at her church in South Austin, Bannockburn Baptist, where she is a member of the choir and the Praise Team vocal ensemble. In addition, she is a songwriter who stunningly weaves unique and melodic vocal tapestries that will capture your heart and soul with their authenticity and heart-felt poetry. In the process of recording her first solo album, Jennifer is spending time in the studio, as well as performing her original music at venues in Austin and the surrounding Hill Country.

Guitarist, bassist and vocalist Monte Mann has been an active part of the Austin music scene for over ten years, singing and playing guitar with countless Texas bands. He is a sought-after player and skillfully, unobtrusively raises the musical bar of the groups with whom he performs.

Monte gained his experience through his travels and is no stranger to the road. From 1997-2003, Monte toured the US, Canada and Japan with "Yesterday–A Tribute To The Beatles," performing the role of George Harrison.

Monte has entertained solo, armed only with his acoustic guitar and outstanding singing style. He has provided music for a wide variety of events and has the capability to 'read the audience' and give them what they want. Monte is equally comfortable providing background music at a corporate mixer as he is presenting a high-energy show.




Guitarist, bassist and vocalist Bruce Truitt is employed by the State of Texas in the Office of the Auditor. He's been plying the musical trade in the city of Austin for a lot longer than he'd care to remember. He teaches statistics at St. Edwards University. Bruce sings in Spanish, Portugese and Russian and is fluent in all three languages.

Vocalist and keyboard player Marilyn Rucker is one of the country's top comedic singer/songwriters. She has released two CDs on her own label—Teapot Lady and Voyeur Princess. The Fenno Brothers pitched in on both CDs. Her recordings are regularly heard on Dr. Demento's radio program, and are included in his compilation CDs.

Marilyn is a recovering attorney who has a Masters degree in jazz performance from Texas State University, where she studied with the legendary James Polk.

Marilyn's song "I Love Your Smell" was featured on the CBS television show King of Queens. The song, from Teapot Lady, and is available on the iTunes Music Store.