Jack - ProfilesArchive

About Me

For the record I grew up in Southern California, Santa Barbara to be exact. I've been playing electric bass and guitar in bands such as "Ernie & the Emperors", "The Fugitives", "The Golden Guitars", and "The Checkmates" since I was about 15. At 18, I began staggering around Europe then, a few years later, moved back home to sunny California. I moved to Washington State in 1990, and quickly realized that bassists were in higher demand than another "so-so" guitar player, so that became my main instrument. I've Worked and recorded with "Stickshift Annie & the Overdrive" and "The Randy Oxford Band" plus cohosting a weekly all-star jam for 4 1/2 years, while also working a number of "casual" gigs with local players when asked. I'd like to relocate to Clarksdale Mississippi in the near future, at least part time, to pursue my love of the blues, we'll see what the future brings. To see what moves me about Clarksdale, check out www.cathead.biz and cruise around their website for awhile, and remember "Blues is the roots, the rest is the fruit."

My Interests

Music, and playing, has been my passion for a very long time and I can't imagine doing anything else. I've got a nice little selection of guitars, basses and amplifiers, I'm especially fond of cabinets loaded with 15's. There's a fine line between getting the tone you want, and moving enough air so that the fourth or fifth row of tables know you're serious - 15's do that for me and, of course, those 15's have got to be pushed by Ampeg power - Old School Peavey twin 15 cabinets with Ampeg svt3pros sitting on 'em....It just doesn't get any better than that.

I'd like to meet:

Fellow Blues Musicians - Past and present....Players that know when to jump in and when to lay out, giving the music a chance to breathe. Muddy Waters - Howlin' Wolf - Robert Johnson - B.B King - Buddy Guy and on and on. I've scored autographs from Willie King & the Liberators - "Super Chikan" aka James Johnson - Bill "Howling Madd" Perry and Robert "Wolfman" Belfour to name a few....Those autographs are decorating one of my Fender Jazz basses. My High School band actually opened for The Isley Brothers when Jimi Hendrix was touring with them, I'm told there was a "knock-down drag-out" version of "Twist & Shout" when we joined The Isleys on stage for the encore, Uh, some of the 60's are a little hard to remember.

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Music:

I've been around music in some way, shape or form since I was a kid, either playing Guitar or Bass, even working as a Radio DJ for some years. Right now, I'm into the Blues, Country rock, Southern Rock. Cats like Delbert McClinton, Anthony Gomes, Michael Burks, "Lucky" Peterson, Tommy Castro, even ZZ Topp when the mood strikes and, of course classic Beatles, Rolling Stones, Mannfred Mann, Small Faces, okay, most all kinds. "Bellyup4Blues.com" on I-radio rocks, they keep me up late at night. Check 'em out why don't'cha??

Movies:

A Christmas Story, The Commitments, The Full Monty, Standing in the shadow of Motown, Second hand Lions, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Little Miss Sunshine (I can relate to Grandpa)Any of the Cheech & Chong movies (Man, I think I jammed with those dudes).

Television:

NCIS, CSI, The Mind of Mencia, Pinks, Ultimate Fighting, Discovery & Travel channels, oh yeah, let's not forget Dirty Jobs.

Books:

I'm working through a stack of, what else, books about music: Beatles, The Cream, Aerosmith, The Calvin and Hobbs collection and, as strange as it seems, I'm doing a a "tongue in cheek" biography of own my musical journey through life.....Working title: "None the worse for wear." Look for it at a St Vincent de Paul near you soon.

Heroes:

Everyone needs heros but I don't think they have to be "media heros." My Wife, Trish, with her support and understanding - My Daughter, Kristee, with her accomplishments in life - Someone who is willing to take a stand....Everyone's a hero just waiting for the right time to emerge. In October 2006, I suffered Heart Failure after a show but, thanks to my Wife and Daughter's care, I'm getting healthy and becoming the old grouch they remember and love, they are my heros, oh yeah, and a couple of pretty great Doctors helped along the way too.

Now that was a hot set!!!