Born: October 10, 1955 Primary Instrument: Bass, electric
Born in Savannah, GA, I moved to Massachusetts at a very young age. My interest in playing music began when my father brought home an electric guitar and amp one night when I was around 11. I turned it up to ten, played a power chord, and I was converted. I played primarily guitar until the age of 15 or sixteen.
I began playing mostly with a guitarist friend of mine, Ralph Nelson and my brother Nick on drums. Ralph and I would switch off on bass for the makeshift power trio. Eventually the balance became more me on bass. I then got my first gig ever playing bass and that was it, I was a bassist. I never had formal schooling so it's all been playing by ear and trial and error. I've picked up enough sight reading skills to get by but I won't be getting called to play West Side Story any time soon.
I've always felt what I missed in terms of the technical aspects of music I made up for in learning how to adapt to different styles of music, using my ears to find the best part for whatever I'm playing, and learning much about being out there on the gig making things work on the fly.
Over the years I've had the pleasure of playing music with James Taylor, Carly Simon, Solas, Cathy Ryan, Karan Casey, Jeff Golub, Richard Elliot, John Swana, Liz Carrol, John Doyle, John Belushi, Charlie Musslewhite, Jef Lee Johnson (check him out, folks), Dave Posmontier, Kit Walker and a long list of others I'm too lazy to put right now. Peace! Obama!
