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12.19.07A Few Notes About Me...
I'm a musician and singer/songwriter currently living in Charlotte, NC. It's
been a long time since the scent of fall sneaked in through my window to wake me
on a cool NY morning. I think back to the days when all I could think of was
jamming to Stones, Hendrix and Zeppelin tunes with a young guitar prodigy by the
name of Freddie Scribner & his brother Brad. Though the trail from NY to Ft.
Myers, FL in early 1978 is etched in my mind forever, the canvas of memories is
weathering, some of the images beginning to fade. Early on after moving to FL, I
got hooked up with a unique blend of musicians that fed me styles totally new to
me as a bassist... these guys gave me a crash course in the art of wood shedding
to Little Feat, Yes, Rundgren, Dixie Dregs, and so much more. What's more we
lived together and ate together, that is, when one of us had money; money we
didn't make gigging coz we refused to play top-40 music. As a musician, I most
definitely grew a lot.
As I ventured further out into the wild, I made a few wrong turns down one way
streets. But as grace would have it, these trials led to situations and
opportunities I might never have been part of. After a couple of seasons on the
road, an informal conversation with the mother of a friend landed me a music
scholarship at a junior college. I soaked up 3-years of bass, piano, theory, and
academia, while playing in club bands, including the time share circuit on
Sanibel & Captiva Islands just outside Ft. Myers.
In early 1982 I began thinking about growing up and I met my wife, we married in
1984. For sometime I'd been watching friends and musical relationships
deteriorate over substances and rank ego trips, which led me to consider
alternative means to continue playing music for a living. So, in 1986 I (we)
joined the US Navy as a bassist in the Navy Music Program... what a trip! I
thought I was a pretty good player till I got around some well educated,
experienced and disciplined musicians at my first duty station in Newport, RI.
Another chapter in my journey as a musician with plenty of footnotes on
tough life lessons.
Fast forward to 1996... we moved our family from Charleston, SC to Charlotte,
NC. I decided to hang up my gigging spikes and only play music at church. While
I totally enjoy using what gifts I have for the greater good, I missed the live
music scene.In late 2002, I was having lunch with a friend,
Brian Hartzog, an experienced and accomplished Indie artist who then worked
at the same company as me. Brian invited me to an
NSAI meeting, and I went. It took very little time for some great learning opportuties and
relationships to present themselves, for which I'll always be grateful.
Over the last 4+ years, I've made a shift in my
approach to music so I can play almost every day without the late nights of club
dates (yeah, I miss gigging) coupled with the early wake up call of a day job.
It's a bit of a compromise, but it sure beats sitting around dreaming about
enjoying the creative process. The artist community in Charlotte is a sea
of pearls. I'm continually amazed at the depth and diversity of musical styles
and talent in town, and surrounding areas. Thanks to a bunch of listening,
learning, many way cool friends and influences, and the awesome grace of God,
I'm finding my own voice as a writer and artist, as well as futhering my musicianship.
And, I know there's a place for my art and
music whether it's here in Charlotte, or wherever I go.