The pieces I play are mainly from the golden age of American songwriting by composers such as Gershwin, Arlen, Berlin, Porter, Rodgers, Loewe, Kern, Mancini, and the Brazilian composer Jobim. I also play modern standards and my own compositions. My musical influences include Dave McKenna, Kenny Barron, Bill Evans, George Shearing, Mark Levine, Lennie Tristano, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, and Mulgrew Miller.
Last year I had a wonderful time performing with the Kansas State Faculty Jazz Ensemble. It was exciting for me to play with such fine musicians as Wayne Goins, Paul Hunt, Craig Treinen, Kurt Gartner, Tod Kerstetter, and Kurt Morrow. You can read more about my classical music background on my Kansas State web page. You will find the link on the Links page on this site.
I attended college at the Eastman School of Music and Kansas State University. After I finished my studies at the Eastman School I worked in New York City for a few years as an opera coach and free-lance accompanist. In New York I started studying jazz piano. One of my most treasured memories from that period is of sitting a few feet away from the great Bill Evans during a performance in a small Greenwich Village jazz club.
