I'm a professional keyboardist and composer of some 30 odd years. I am a member of The Senders, The Senders Small Band, The Cedar Avenue Big Band, Carole Holley and the Planets, The New Creation Baptist Church Choir, The Twin Cities Jazz Imports, Pooch's Playhouse, Twin Cities Americana Gospel, and The Dots (we play once a year).
I've written and played on hundreds of commercial music spots and jingles (I am/was the 'Asche' part of Asche and ______ Music), composed choral anthems and jazz instrumentals, taught college level jazz piano, played on forty-five or so discs, and logged around 4000 gigs. A lifetime as a gun for hire.
It has been a marvelous privilege for me to have recorded with Minnesota's finest: Brian Gallagher, Joel Sayles, The Senders, Keith Boyles, Dave Karr, Roger Hernandez, Lynwood Slim, Rob Stupka, Bruce "Pooch" Heine, Bill Paul, Mojo Buford, Hornheads, The Cedar Avenue Big Band, Dave Graff, Gordy Johnson, Gordy Knudtson, Steve Faison, Merle Knudson, and Jeff King. I've recorded on the Artegra, Blue Loon, Cypress, and Lifescapes lables, among others. My thanks to these wonderful musicians for allowing me to tag along.
I've performed with Kenny Loggins, Bob Berg, Bob Mintzer, Johnny Adams, Paul Wertico, Byron Stripling, The JazzMN Big Band, John Lee Hooker, Michael Tait, Mojo Buford, Viola Wills, Alberta Adams, Marvin Rainwater, Lynwood Slim, Jimmy Brown, and Big Jay McNeely.
With the Senders, I've opened for James Brown, Dr. John, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Charles Brown, Koko Taylor, Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets, James Cotton, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Irma Thomas, Ruth Brown, and Etta James (I know I'm forgetting a few).
Locally, I've worked frequently with Phil Hey, Pete Whitman, Gordy Johnson, Gordy Knudtson, Dave Karr, Bobby Peterson (RIP), Dave Brattain, Ed Berger, Charmin Michelle, Jennifer Grimm, Dave Graff, George Faber, Keith Boyles, Vickie Mountain, Shirley Witherspoon, Irv Willams, Dave Maslow, Alden Ikeda, Bruce Heine, Steve Pikal, Jim Behringer, Dave Schmalenburger, Dr. Kim Gast, Bobby Stanton, Joel Shapira, Wally Walstad, Dale Mendenhall, Greg Wollan, Norm Blagman, Leon Jenkins (I owe ya, man) and legions of others. At the end of the day, I love to play.
Gear (for those inclined to be interested in such): Nord Electro 2 61, Casio PX 310 (controller), Kurzweil 1000 PX (piano sound), Korg TR 61, Nord Lead 2X, Kurzweil 1200 Pro I, Roland D-550, numerous Hammond organs and Leslie speakers, a few Wurlitzers, 2 Rhodes, Epiphone '56 Goldtop reissue (lovely), Fender Blackout Telecaster, Squier Classic Vibe 50's Stratocaster (unbearably cool), Squier Classic Vibe 50's Telecaster (unbearably hot), Peavey T-40 bass (best in in its class), Squire Tele/Precision bass (big bottom), Squire 5-string Jazz Bass, Palomino V16 guitar amp, Crate V 33 guitar amp, Ampeg B100R bass amp, numerous Danelectro stomp boxes, and about eleventeen billion other things.
Layout by CoolChaser Background from flickr user
