About the Band
High Def Band stands out from the rest, with most of our members having played together for over 10 years. That’s rare in this industry, and the camaraderie comes through in our performance. It all started in 2008 when a few friends from the College of Music at the University of North Texas came together with the goal of becoming a premier cover band in DFW. In the Spring of 2010 we decided to take our act to the next level by adding additional singers to the line-up and expanding our repertoire to include Motown, pop, disco, r&b and top 40s music from the last 50 years. Today, we enjoy playing numerous events around DFW, and are lucky to have built such a close, tight-knit group over the years.
About the Band
High Def Band stands out from the rest, with most of our members having played together for over 10 years. That’s rare in this industry, and the camaraderie comes through in our performance. It all started in 2008 when a few friends from the College of Music at the University of North Texas came together with the goal of becoming a premier cover band in DFW. In the Spring of 2010 we decided to take our act to the next level by adding additional singers to the line-up and expanding our repertoire to include Motown, pop, disco, r&b and top 40s music from the last 50 years. Today, we enjoy playing numerous events around DFW, and are lucky to have built such a close, tight-knit group over the years.
Our Core Band Members
GARY EDWARDS – Vocals
Gary is a Detroit, MI native who has made Dallas his home. He has been singing with High Def since 2016. Gary studied elementary education and has a passion for teaching music to kids. He was also featured on season 14 of The Voice on NBC. In addition to High Def Band, Gary sings and directs with Dallas gospel artist Fred Hammond. When he’s not pursuing his musical career, Gary enjoys writing, playing piano, and watching a good comedy.
MIKE URNESS – Guitar, Vocals
Mike hails from Minnesota where he was raised by a musical family and developed a love for music (and the color purple) at an early age. His passion for music brought him to Denton, Texas where he earned a Bachelor’s of Music in Jazz Studies/Guitar from the University of North Texas. When not performing with High Def Band, Mike – previously the guitarist with the Celtic rock band The Kildaires (2013-2017) – has begun his own passion project, the Celtic band Rathmore. Additionally, Mike teaches private guitar at his home in Denton, Texas.
GIOVANNIE CRUZ – Vocals
Giovannie earned her degree in Music from the University of North Texas in 2009. She joined High Definition full time in April of 2010 and is the band’s lead female vocalist. When she’s not working for High Def, Giovannie enjoys a career as an actress for film and television and works in print as a commercial model.
ROSS REDMOND – Keyboard, Vocals, Band Leader
Ross has been performing professionally, singing and playing in the DFW area since 2005 after graduating with a degree in jazz piano from the University of North Texas. He’s worked with such Dallas bands as Jackopierce, Special Edition, Limelight, Moving Colors, Grooveline, and David Whiteman and the Experience. Outside of performance, Ross teaches piano lessons and composes TV music for his production company Creatia Music.
BRIAN MULHOLLAND – Bass
Brian is an adjunct assistant professor of jazz bass and music business at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Since 2007, he has taught courses at UTA, including jazz history, film music appreciation, improvisation, and jazz combos. He toured nationally with Maynard Ferguson, performing on Ferguson’s final album The One and Only, and the Maynard Ferguson Tribute DVD. His album Deco features original compositions for jazz quintet and solo bass. He created Gaikoku City Pop Band, an ensemble that performs the viral 1980s Japanese-language music revived by DJs and social media. Mulholland graduated from the University of South Carolina (B.M., magna cum laude) and the University of North Texas (M.M.).
MIKE SPAY – Drums
Mike grew up in Fort Worth and has worked as a professional musician in DFW for over 20 years, playing many styles of music in different settings. His history with the other members of High Def goes back over 15 years. Mike has played with George Clinton, and such Dallas bands as Forever Mac, Tin Man, JR Byrd, Texas Blues Crew, The Image Band, Ice House, Domino Effect, All Funk Radio, as well as many churches and studio sessions. Outside performance, he’s taught music lessons for a number of years.
