More about the Shadow Captain Maties

Jett Cheek has been making music in Denton since being drawn to the jazz  program at North Texas State University in 1987. More recently heard as pianist and music director for Theatre Denton, Jett teaches private piano at the FUMC Fine Arts Academy and in his home studio. Growing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s and listening to folk rock, jazz, classical, and sacred music, vocal harmony has always been almost second nature, and the harmonies of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, were a natural attraction. Upon Crosby’s death on January 18, 2023, Jett immersed himself in Crosby’s life & music, and discovered a wealth of songwriting that remains largely ignored. Shadow Captain is the growing vision of sharing Crosby’s music with new  audiences while exploring the man, his perspective on life, and the people he knew. 

Christie enjoys every minute of singing and playing with Shadow Captain. She has a Bach. of Music Education from UNT, with a major in flute performance, and sang in one of the original jazz "jingle singing"  classes. Since then she has played professionally in the Shreveport  Symphony Orchestra, and sang professionally with Voces Novae et Antiquea (Philadelphia), Texas Voices (DFW), and the Dallas Symphony Chorus. She  enjoys being semi-retired after 29 years as a stained glass artist. Right now her focus is playing in the pit orchestra for Theatre Denton, arranging rag time music, and gardening. 

Kyleen Milton Hjembo is so excited and humbled to be involved in this  collaborative project with so many talented people. She’s developed a knack for filling in where needed and has had some amazing opportunities since moving to Denton; from becoming a member of the Trammell Group to performing with Theatre Denton (favorite roles include Lina Lamont in Singin’ in the Rain and Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast). This  project has her dusting off skills she hasn’t used much since college at NYU, and she’s doing her best to keep up!  

Shelly Denning is a Denton-based artist who specializes in portraiture, but also dabbles in ceramics, metals, jewelry, photography, graphic design and more. Shelly is happiest when she is creating things. Shelly is currently in the process of building Shelly’s Artspace: a business that  is starting out with workshops and art kits, but will eventually be a one-stop shop for everything art-related. When not in the studio, Shelly enjoys volunteering with Theatre Denton where she helps out with  everything from sound to set design. On occasion, she even performs on stage and is excited to get to be a part of Shadow Captain, which has been her most challenging role yet!  

Kyle greatly appreciates the opportunity to play guitar with many accomplished musicians in Denton. He was the rhythm guitar player in the Foo McBubba jazz big band (2 years) and the Mosaic Worship band (13  years), both housed at First United Methodist Church Denton. He's played in one musical at The Campus Theater. During college in the 1980s, he  was in a trio playing folk-rock covers in Dallas. Kyle is a fan of blues, folk-rock, Americana, and classic rock. He is also an  accomplished photographer, and is frequently hired to photograph sports and landscapes. Kyle has been a TWU faculty member for 24 years, teaching exercise physiology in the School of Health Promotion and Kinesiology.