O.K. due to popular request here goes..the real skinny.... Both Parents were actors. Mom also sang with big bands when young. Dad's mom, was a child prodigy Concert Pianist. Moms dad Concert Cellist. Long line of artistic loons. No one in my lineage ever "Grew up" (including step grand daddy who died at 94) and I am afraid that has been passed on to me.Overly successful as a kid trombonist. All came very easy. Started out thinking I wanted to be a symphony trombonist. Played and listened to the classics. Played with Debut orchestra with Michael Tilson Thomas, American Youth Symphony with Mehli Mehta, was principal trombone in U.C.L.A. symphony while a junior in high school. At 19 got a gig with Don Ellis band, lead trombone. Big jazz band at the time. Played the Village gate in front of Miles (he watched whole gig !) big rock festivals on same night as Hendrix. Ed Sullivan show...wow..I knew that it would all be onward and upward fom there !!! I got quite into improvisational music and decided this should be my path. Aided by many too many psychadelic experiences, 21 year old me told hugely successful hip jazz band leader that "We were moving in different musical directions" and I quit, moved to San Francisco and joined a great but alas dying Psychadelic rock band. I got to meet and play with some cool people (The boys of "The Pipe", Bill Champlain,Mike Finnegan, Phil Wilson, Buzzy Featon, Julius Hemphill, Luis Gasca, Merl saunders etc...) but the Vortex of L.A. again called.
Came back, recorded and toured with Alan Parker, Canned Heat, Frank Zappa, Dave Mason, Manhattan transfer, California earthquake, Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Reverend Boogie, Howard Wales, Robbie Krieger, Billy Mitchell band, Trullio Disgracias, Joan Osborne, Lou Rawls, HMA salsa jazz orchestra, Susie Hansen, Many many film scores. Formed a band with Tim McIntire a fabulous loon actor musician, John Rubinstein and fabulous loon musician and Gary Barone one of the greatest M.F. I have ever known. We added Wolfgang Melz on bass Ben Benay on guitar and Don Poncher creating what became known as Funzone. We had what appeared to be a great deal...but record company went bankrupt (see AMG (all music guide Funzone..says it well). Millions of salsa bands, Rock and roll rock and roll. The great Steve Huffsteter 19 piece band....my own band sometimes known as "Jock Strap" album Collateral Damage. Now adays, I regularly play and record with Dave Schulz a wonderous loon and ball of energy, Mitch Perry same, my pal Jo and many other amazing musical projects some of my own creation. I'm an actor too.....for V.O. demo's, WWW.voice123.com/jockellismusic
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