Continentals Big Band
Keith Longmire
Keith Longmire, alto saxophone/clarinet has been a member of the Continentals Orchestra since 1988. He is a retired band director from Durham Public Schools, having taught the last 15 years at Carrington Middle School. He has also taught in Columbus County and Granville County Schools. Mr. Longmire at this time is driver education co-ordinator at City of Medicine Academy with Durham Public Schools, plays with three bands and pick-up orchestras, and repairs, buys and sells woodwind instruments. He leads the Continental Combo and also plays in the dixieland band, Decatur Street Beat.
Alston Sykes
Alston Sykes plays alto sax and clarinet in Leon Jordan's Continentals. He played with the Ambassadors big band in Raleigh from 1972-1977, and with Leon's band from 1977-1992 and re-joined in 2008. He began piano at the age of 6 yrs and at 10 yrs old he started on the clarinet, and at college he added saxophone. He has a degree in chemistry from Campbell University and is the Principal Chemist and co-owner of a testing laboratory in Raleigh, NC.
Larry James
Larry James has performed with such notables as Natalie Cole, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Bob Hope, Mel Torme and the North Carolina Symphony, the North Carolina Theatre, Artie Barsamian's Boston Big Band and the Ron Rudkin Big Band. In addition to recording with Leon Jordan and the Continentals, Larry also recorded with Artie Barsamian's Boston Big Band, the Dave Coate Group and the Asbury College Brass Choir and Stage Band and can be heard with the Continentals in the the United Artists motion picture "Once Around" starring Richard Dreyfuss, Danny Aiello and Holly Hunter. Larry attended North Texas State University and received his Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston. He also holds a Master of Product Design degree from the School of Design at NCSU. Larry has been a teacher for many years and was a student of Matt Marvuglio, Rhonda Martin, Beth Lunsford, and the late Tim Eyermann of the US Air Force Airmen of Note.
Mark Medlin
Mark started playing saxophone in 5th grade, continued through HS and became the marching band Drum Major his Senior year. He then attended La Tech University as a Music Major in 1982, on a saxophone and bassoon scholarship. After joining the 156th Army National Guard Band in 1983 out of Shreveport, LA, Mark transferred to the Regular Navy from 1985 to 1995 as a Boiler Technician. Upon leaving the US Navy he renewed his music endeavors by joining the 440th Army National Guard Band in 1998 out of Raleigh, NC and graduated from both Advance and Senior courses at the Army/Navy School of music in Virginia Beach, VA. Mark has performed many concerts for the State of NC from the beaches to the mountains in Jazz Bands, Sax Quartets, Woodwind Quintets, Rock Bands, Concert Bands, and Marching Bands. He also had the opportunity to perform internationally with the Botswana Defense Force Army Bands in Botswana, AF. After 33 ½ years of military service, Mark retired in 2019 and continues to perform with several volunteer bands, Jazz/Dance Bands, and a Contemporary Christian Rock Band at North Raleigh United Methodist Church. Mark has 5 kids and currently lives in North Raleigh.