DRUMS GOOD... MAKE HAPPY!!
My earliest musical performance experiences were in school bands and choirs and Christmas Caroling with my church. I began playing and studying drums in the fifth grade. I continued and was a featured solo performer in a summer high school Big Band class while still in the eighth grade. In high school I played in every performance ensemble available.
I continued my music studies at Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA. I studied jazz and took lessons from George Marsh in San Francisco. I was a regularly featured solo performer in our award winning Jazz Ensemble directed by Lyle Cruse. I also was a member of the popular Jazz/Rock group "Fafner". "Fafner" consisted of most of the first chair players from the Cabrillo College Jazz Ensemble, and was quite possibly the most creative band I have ever been in. I also tried my hand at playing guitar and concentrated on my singing with an acoustic duo called Gemini. The last band I had in Santa Cruz was Chameleon. Chameleon was a hybrid band with some heavy Latin influence. The band consisted of guitar, bass, keyboard, trap set and percussion. I learned a great deal about Afro-Cuban music from my partner and fellow drummer Michael Spiro . Most important for me, this band included my first song-writing collaborator, Todd Epstein on and guitar and vocals. Todd and I wrote several of the bands original songs and went on to write many more songs together.
My professional performing credits include tours, TV and recordings with: The Pointer Sisters, Maria Muldaur, The Cockrell-Santos Band, Elvin Bishop, The Tom Johnston Band (original and founding member of the Doobie Brothers), The Texas Chainsaw Band, Hearts on Fire (a Bammie Award winning Country band), Peter Rowan, Norton Buffalo, Roy Rogers (the blues guy), songwriter Alex Call, Johnny Colla (from Huey Lewis & the News) and the Lucky Devils, as well as a recent stint with rockabilly guitarist and Grammy nominee Bill Kirchen.
I currently perform with Crazy Ivan – Tuolumne County’s Premier Rock and Soul Party Band, The Blue Food Rock and Soul Orchestra, Columbia College Big Band – Big Band music that spans the 20’ to the 90’s, The Rod Harris Kicks Band – a smaller version of the CC Big Band, Sagebrush – A fun country and bluegrass outfit, and my newest project The WaterFall Jazz Trio – A vocal jazz trio featuring The Saloon Singers Show with special guests.
