“THIS IS ALL I’VE EVER DONE.
I LIVE FOR THIS.”
I’ve spent years paying my dues, playing different genres and studying what makes a great song. I've had the privilege of jamming with some of the best musicians in the area. Seeing the reactions of thousands of fans, I’ve gotten a good idea of what people want… music with heart. A few years ago I was able to spend time creating original music that I hope fits that bill and am proud of the resulting EPs, Crystal and Machine. I was also able to put together Distilled, my own spin on some of my favorite tunes.
“WHILE PLAYING A GIG, I had an epiphany. The crowd was swaying, the band was playing. I looked around feeling that effervescent vibe and THOUGHT - this is where I’m supposed to be.”
My story is a winding road. I developed my sax chops and vocal range playing in original and cover bands, touring the States, Europe, and South America. I played on hundreds of recordings, to crowds in the thousands, and had international airplay with a couple children’s albums.
Now, I’m creating my own music. “You got the horn don’t ya? Turn the goddamn Page!” declared one Bob Seger fan at a gig. This directive lead me to decide then and there that I wasn’t totally happy playing other peoples’ songs for the thousandth time. I’ve always written songs on the side, but I’ve finally buckled down and woodshedded the music. I’ve been singing my heart out for years, finding out what kind of music moves people. What makes them feel alive? What’s on their go-to playlist? I’m hoping these songs have the grit and the polish that people remember about the powerhouses of rock, funk and soul. I wanna make people move, bob their head, feel that surge and groove I felt when I wrote and recorded them.
I’m starting life anew as a songwriter and recording artist. Some say my songs remind them of Steely Dan, Police, Black Crowes, Beck, Daft Punk and Bruno Mars. The new EP’s are inspired by a lifetime of recreating music by my idol’s Rod Stewart, Sting, and Peter Gabriel.
With my dual solo project EPs Crystal and Machine, I’ve struck out on my own working with Obeid Khan on guitar, George Potsos on bass and Daryl Whited on drums. We rehearsed for months, until things started to stew and gel. The album was self-recorded then mixed and mastered by sound engineer Alex Marshall Styles at Universal Studios in L.A. I hope listeners will relate and dig the sounds, the quirky lyrics, the soulful vocals, the mile-wide grooves, the crunchy guitars and the soaring sax lines.
The new release, Distilled, is a collection of songs I’ve covered in the past. My ambition was to do them in a very basic, acoustic style. Rocky Mantia on grand piano, Eric Grossman on upright bass, and Daryl Whited once again on drums create a laid back, peaceful vibe that allowed me plenty of space to sing out and play sax without competing with the rhythm section.
GET the LATEST EP, distilled
For my latest release, I selected six of my favorite songs I have performed over the years, and recorded them with an all acoustic band. Grand piano, upright bass, drums, saxophone and vocals make up the stripped down instrumentation, giving it a real, organic, and warm feel.
I was fortunate to get some of the best musicians in the business on this project. It was a totally unplugged performance, so that my vocals and sax could just float over that soundbed. We recorded live in the same room so that you get the feeling that you are there as it happens.