Meet Our Musicians

Established in 1999

“A” Train Music has a long history of establishing band & music programs to local private schools, providing exceptional music instruction for all instruments and managing partner for other academies. Our elite performances provide an authentic approach to New Orleans Style Jazz blended with a unique style of flavor and improvisation to create an enjoyable listening experience for everyone.

Our Team

Chester J. Arizmendi
Owner,  Founder, & Musician

Chester served in the U.S. Army Band. After his service, he continued his passion for music and in 1999 he officially created a music service called, "The Best Music & Rates Anywhere" and as the business continued to expand, he changed the name to "A" Train Music which articulates the last name of "A"rizmendi of whom him and his family owe their musical skills and abilities to his late father Jose Arizmendi who served in the U.S. Marine Drum & Burgle Corps for 20 years. Coincidentally, the name of the business also derives from Duke Ellington's Popular tune, "Take the A Train" which is the band's official theme song and sign-off melody and where he attended high school with his older brother Jose Arizment at Duke Ellington, School of the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Chester began a much needed service in the lower Rio Grande Valley of providing music and band services to a wide variety of private schools. In addition, he created an Academy of Music & Piano Instruction and later partnered with The Spirit of Music in Brownsville, Texas. Chester has also created music programs for Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Brownsville. He currently serves as a pianist for the First Baptist Church on the Arroyo. Chester's passion has always been in performance where he continues to play in many different venues. 

Jim Crixell
Musician & Booking Manager

Bio Coming Soon!

Jose Arizmendi, Jr.
Musician

Jose Arizmendi Jr was born in Brownsville, TX. He began playing trumpet at age 5 while his father served in the US Marine Drum & Bugle Corps. He was 10 when he learned clarinet and hasn’t let it go since. He graduated from the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts in Washington DC in 1994 and enlisted in the USMC as a Marine Musician. During his two tours, he traveled the US and abroad performing in events such as the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, GA, 1997 Lifetime Achievement Awards in Fort McHenry, MD, Mardi Gras Krewe parades in New Orleans, LA,  the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the 2000 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA, and a tour of Western Canada with the House of Blues starting in Edmonton and ending in Vancouver 
in 2002. 

SSgt Arizmendi was medically retired in 2002 and returned to pursue higher education. Mr. Arizmendi taught private instrumental lessons and piano, band and choir from elementary to high school, and provided band instrument repair for the RGV. He continued pursuing higher education in mental health and transitioned from music education to private practice as a psychotherapist. Dr. Arizmendi created and owned Cascadas Counseling in 2011 working in multi facets and offices serving the RGV providing mental health services and clinical supervision to interns for 8 universities. Due to health reasons, Dr. Arizmendi closed Cascadas Counseling in 2019. 

Dr. Joe has performed with his brothers his whole life and “A” Train since it’s inception with musical influences of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Pete Fountain, Barney Bigard, Richard Stolzman, Sidney Bechet, and Metallica. 

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Mick Kuntz
Musician

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Mike graduated from Vander Cook College of Music in Chicago where he began his professional career as a high in demand trumpet player in the studios and various live bands. Mike has taught music in Illinois and in Texas where he lives now and continues to work as a music clinician and arranger and performs on a regular bases around the south Texas area.

Daniel Arizmendi
Musician

​Bio Coming Soon!

Anaeli L. Arizmendi
Musician

​Bio Coming Soon!

Bob Vastano
Musician

​Bio Coming Soon!

Michael F. Arizmendi
​Musician

Michael Arizmendi is one of our trumpet players who resides in Brownsville, Texas. He is a junior at Veterans Memorial Early College High School and has been playing trumpet since middle school. Michael has competed in numerous trumpet competitions since the 7th grade. So far in high school he has received the title for his region of principal chair for orchestra, 1st trumpet for mariachi, and lead trumpet for the Jazz Ensemble I. He has made the TMEA All-State Sinfonietta Orchestra (2019), 6A All-State Band (2020), and All-State Jazz Ensemble (2021). Additionally he is a member of Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra. Currently, his future educational goals is to get into a conservatory or university and to have a double major in jazz performance and composing.

Bass Player- Vacancy