My music making started with, wooden spoons and spatula in hand, the whacking of pots and pans scattered across the kitchen floor. By the time fifth grade was upon me, I began playing my first real instrument- the tenor saxophone. My motivation was that someday I would play in Tina Turner's band. From year to year I dabbled with seemingly every instrument until age thirteen, when I settled in with that sweet old guitar.
Throughout high school, I had a blast playing with rock, funk, and jazz groups. Sandy Prager, my guitar teacher and Lexington High School Music Director, Jeff Leonard, taught me so much. Both of whom got me deeply into composing and jazz music. I was hooked and there was no turning back.
Given that I lived in the Boston area, I had plenty of colleges to choose from. In the end I went to Berklee College of Music graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Composition. It was there that I really started to learn the craft of composing and arranging. I had many outstanding opportunities at Berklee- most notably the chance to compose for big bands and to study guitar with Mick Goodrick and Jon Damian. Jon Damian is my favorite teacher of all time.
After finishing college, I began vigorously playing solo nylon and 12-string guitar around New England and in New York. I was composing and arranging for these instruments under the influence of Ralph Towner, Egberto Gismonti, and Sandy Prager. This style of playing was intriguing to me because of the subtleties and intimacies of solo guitar, coupled with the fact that not many people were doing this.
I later went on to form the group Orchestra of This, an acoustic world fusion jazz quartet consisting of Brian O'Neil on multi-percussion set-up, Alec Derian on double bass, Alec Spiegleman on woodwinds and myself on guitars. We played a lot of really great rooms in and around Boston. Brian also makes a hell of a Tiki drink.
In addition to Orchestra of This, I play lead guitar with the soulful singer Jesse Dee and his band. I've been playing with them for a number of years now. I've gotten to share the stage with some of Boston's finest musicians playing in this band and continue to do so. We recently cut a fantastic recording Bittersweet Batch on 7 Note Records. The core group consists of Jesse on vocals and rhythm guitar, Jim Larkin on Bass, Matt “Pie†Beaulieu on drums and myself on electric guitar.
My good friend Elan Mehler has performed a number of my pieces with his stellar atypical jazz quartet throughout Europe. He also wrote lyrics to and recorded my piece Factory on his second release from Brownswood Records. We used to play together in a jazz trio in high school. What fun we had!
On top of all this, I try to take the things I've learned (and continue to learn) from life, people, and the beautiful and amazing teachers I've had by giving back as much as I can through teaching. I continue to write songs, compose, play music with many wonderful musicians and friends, teach and hike mountain tops. Is there anything higher?
