I started playing violin when I was 5, and switched to bass in my mid teens. It's the only instrument I've ever wanted to play. I really got into early '70's english prog rock in my early teens, as well as fusion, which naturally split off into jazz and funk. I spent all my money from my paper route on used records in the mid '80's. These 1000 or so records provided my basic music education. I met John Clayton at a jazz clinic around this time, and he provided me with a lot of good advice on how to go about learning the double bass. I spent the '90's making my living playing the bass in New Orleans and New York and Canada. I feel blessed having had the opportunity to be involved in such great scenes at such great times. I've played in over 40 countries and worked with some of the worlds best young jazz musicians including Kurt Rosenwinkle, Mark Turner, Seamus Blake, Nicholas Payton, and Eric Harland. I've been living in Victoria, B.C. for the last several years. I play in a group called Namedropper which includes Ray Garraway, Russ Klein and Brad Turner. It's a modern mix of '70's fusion, ambient, drum n bass and hip hop played live. I also do a Jaco Pastorius tribute once or twice a year to make me PRACTICE!. The rest of the time I play mainly straight ahead jazz gigs around town most nights of the week on upright if I'm in town. Myspace and Youtube has introduced me to a bunch of great bass players recently I'd never heard of, including Dario Deidda from Italy, Martin Laportilla from Spain and Laurence Cottle from England. These guys are all coming from a heavy Jaco influence but really trying to get to their own thing. I hope to name them as influences in the future.
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