Born: March 25, 1953 Primary Instrument: Cornet
Started on tuba and string bass (still playing tuba)in 1963 Played with Italian bands and “Up with People” in Springfield MA during the late 60's. Played in the '70s with Art Hodes, Teddy Wilson and other members of the Coon Saunders Nighthawks Club in Wethersfield CT hosted by a friend to Eddie Condon, Bob Harrington. Was introduced to Gene krupa and Wild Bill Davison and others from the original Condon Mob in the mid 70's at the Stockbridge Inn in Stockbridge MA by a dear friend Frank Laidlaw who was the original cornet player with the NY Red Onions Jazz Band and who now plays marvelous clarinet/sax and was, for years) a dear friend of Wilbur, Davern, and Evan Christopher. Met Bob Connors there and was indoctrinated into the west coast style playing as harmony cornet/trumpet with the “Yankee Rythym Kings” from 1974 to 1981. Started the “Blue Horizon Jazz Band” in 1981. Went to Japan Kobe festival in 1982 with the Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band second cornet to Bert Barr. Recorded LP there and then became the cornet sub for Tony Pringle in the New Black Eagle Jazz Band as he was going thru a medical issue at that time. Subed for Tony periodially thru 2005. Played the Sacramento Jazz festival in 1977-8-9, 1980, 1982. Found a great friend in Tom Saunders and Wild Bill Davison and deliberated the Davison sound to this day in my playing. My wife, Jan, became a good friend with Anne Davison right up to Anne's death. Recorded with the Albany NY premier jazz group, Skip Parsons' Riverboat Jazz band with Eddie Hubble on trombone. Played extensively with that wonderful stride pioneer and dearest friend of Eubie Blake, Terry Waldo, in Washington DC and recorded on Tuba with his montage of great musicians the day before 9/11 just down from ground zero. Left the Northeast after a horrific year (2005) after losing my best friend (tuba player with the Heritage Jazz Band, Bill Batten) to Lander Wyoming where I had played a 3 year festival with the Dan Wilkinson Beale Street Jazz Band with whom I recorded 2 CDs. Vince Giordano still hasn't gotten the full understanding of why I left and went out to the wild west! Went to Branson MO and attempted starting up jazz influence there and in 2007, Clermont FL. to little avail. Returned to the MA area in 2008 as a temporary domicile and having been living in a 40 foot motorhome for the last 5 years, reinstalled myself into the Northeast Jazz scene.
