About Me
THE BASS PLAYER
I started out playing in a band as a singer...thank goodness my mom bought a bass for me!!!! I began playing bass in 1973, (at age 13). My first bass was a Sekova copy of a McCartney Hofner. I grew up in the mid-70's playing Zeppelin, The Who, Grand Funk, Deep Purple, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Robin Trower, early Rush, etc., with a band called "Phoenyx". Got my first real bass, a brand new '75 Fender Precision (sunburst with black pickguard) in high school. Around that time, a good friend turned me on to Tower of Power, Average White Band, Parliament, The Meters, Earth, Wind and Fire and other funk bands. I was learning to play saxophone in the school band when I was first introduced to jazz and started listening to Weather Report, Crusaders, Jeff Lorber Fusion and others. I studied music theory and composition at University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana, Lafayette) in the late '70's and played in a few New Orleans rock bands throughout the '80's and early '90's, including "The Crave", "Strait Face", "Volon", "Lockwood" and "No Rulz". In the mid-'90's, I joined a blues/rock band called "Red Hot & Blues" and began summer tours of Norway in 1998. We performed all across the southern half of the country for the next five summer tours. I am now performing with a couple of blues bands, but will start up a couple of new projects very soon...stay in touch!!!!
In August 2007 and again in August 2008 I returned to perform at "Sildajazz" (a music festival in Haugesund, Norway) with blues singer Luther Kent. Over the years, I have met many special people, many of whom I consider extended family. My time in Norway has been the highlight of all of my musical endeavors.
My current setup is a Gallien-Krueger Backline 210 with Eminence neodymium speakers. I have two basses, a '72 Fender Jazz (the one in the profile pic and purple background), and a Ibanez Soundgear. I've played pretty steadily for the past 25+ years, playing rock, blues, funk, r&b. I'm looking forward to playing more rock but still plan to play blues, funk, r&b in a few different bands. I plan to stay pretty busy gigging around New Orleans!
I am married to a wonderful woman named Kathy for 21 years, and we have two sons, Eric, 20, and Ethan, 9. I couldn't be more proud of them!!!
