About Me
I love music. To have the opportunity in this life to play with and hear the musicians listed below is a blessing. Born in New York City, at about age 15 I was introduced to the guitar by two great players who remain among my most important influences and teachers to this day: my brother Jon, aka “Blackdog,†and Jon’s good friend Matt Baxter. Moving to San Francisco in 1985, I eventually founded the band Gilded Splinters, which played originals and funk, R&B, and blues covers in venues all over the Bay Area since the early 1990's. Gilded Splinters counted among its members the funky rhythm section of godbrothers Karl “Animal’ Carter on drums and Ricky Hill on bass, and "Funky" Leroy Harper, from the working band of James Brown, on alto saxophone. Other guitarists included Matt Baxter and John Sullivan. Midi-sax/digital trumpet guru/drummer/all-around beautiful musician and human being Cecil “P-Nut†Daniels also gained honorary tenure in the band. In October 2005, I had the great honor of performing at Jammin' For The Big Easy, a benefit concert for New Orleans musicians and clubs hurt by Hurricane Katrina, held in Tokyo, Japan. This concert featured a number of top Japanese musicians such as bassist Kenji Hino, as well as American jazz musicians such as singer Joe Lee Wilson, trumpeter Mike Price, and reedman Steve Sacks. Other highlights on my musical journey include performing and recording with New Orleans funk drumming legend Zigaboo Modeliste of The Meters, opening for Zigaboo and Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli, performing at The Fillmore for The Bay Guardian’s 25th anniversary, recording with Leroy Harper and Jerry Poindexter from James Brown’s Soul Generals, performing with jazz drumming giant Brian Melvin (Jaco Pastorius, Beatlejazz), playing with Hands on Fire led by master percussionist and bassist James Henry (Rick James, Buddy Miles, Pete Escovedo, Pablo Cruise...) and with Billy "Shoes" Johnson (Santana, Frankie Beverly & Maze) on drums, recording with jazz funk guitar hero Melvin Sparks, playing in Colorado with funk queen Gail "Mojo" Muldrow (Sly & the Family Stone, Graham Central Station), Cecil P'Nut Daniels, my brother Blackdog, and Dave Johnston and Jeff Austin of Yonder Mountain String Band, opening for Blackdog at The Great American Music Hall, playing with David "Viv Savage" Kaffinetti of Spinal Tap fame and former roommate, R&B guitar guru Stevie Gurr (Elvin Bishop, Dr. John), and performing on a parade float and on stage at the 2008 San Francisco Carnaval with Grand Champion Carnaval Group Fogo na Roupa, along with my friends Marcos Calatayud, Alex Calatayud, and Kirwan Brown. My musical tastes cover a wide variety of styles, including jazz, blues, funk, bossa nova and samba, soukous, New Orleans rhythm and blues, and reggae. My primary guitar influences and heroes include Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Ernest Ranglin, Duane Allman, Snooks Eaglin, Pat Metheny, João Gilberto, Dally Kimoko, Baden Powell, George Benson, Djavan, Jimmy Ponder, Marco Pereira, Taj Mahal, Eric Gale, and Toninho Horta. I am currently very happy to study with Calvin Keys (Ahmad Jamal, Ray Charles...) and Brazilian guitar master Ricardo Peixoto. Other musical activities keeping me busy include gigs with Matt Baxter's Full House Rhythm Kings, and my own project Equilibria. For booking inquiries contact me: 415 640-3055
