About Me
I am an electric and acoustic guitarist and bassist. I began playing bass at the age of fifteen and picked up the guitar shortly thereafter. I am not, I repeat, not one of those guitar players who (mistakenly) fancies himself a bass player too ("It's just like playing guitar, only an octave lower". Wrong!!!), nor am I a bass player who is a frustrated closet guitar player. I enjoy and am happy doing either and am equally adept at both. I sing as well and mess around on keyboards a little also. I have written many songs and have been nominated for several Detroit Music Awards (Best Pop/Rock Instrumentalist) and actually won a couple (Best Pop/Rock Live Act, Best Pop/Rock Recording for the album "Instant Classic" in 2000) with the now defunct Detroit area band "The Dungbeatles".My regular gig (no pun intended) currently is as guitar player for the old-school R&B band "Regular Boys, featuring Ms. Jeannie Stales" (www.regularboys.com). Regular Boys play an assortment of classic R&B, soul & blues. The band includes a 4-piece horn section, keyboards, bass, guitar, drums and Ms. Staels as the featured vocalist. Regular Boys also perform as the backing band for Detroit-area-based singer/songwriter/recording artist Stewart Francke (www.stewartfrancke.com).I have also been fortunate for the last several years to be a regular cast member of the Detroit area production of "Tony & Tina's Wedding". I play the part Carlo Cannoli, bassist for the T & T band "Donnie Dolce & Fusion". T & T, for those not familiar with it is interactive theater where the audience is encouraged to be a part of the show. You're basically attending a completely tacky and out-of-control Italian-American wedding where everything that could go wrong does. It's the height of hilarity and I would encourage anyone who's never seen the show to make it a point to check it out.Frequently I perform with fine Detroit-area singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Reitenga (markreitenga.com). With Mark I'm usually on bass, but occasionally on guitar as well. Mark plays a nice mix of songs from the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's, and throws in some of his own material occasionally as well.In the early 90's I was the bassist for and one of the original members of the Detroit-area alternative art-rock band "The Hope Orchestra".My musical influences are many and varied;On guitar: Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Jimi, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Pete Townshend, Billy Gibbons, Joe Perry, Robin Trower, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, Joe Walsh, Dave Gregory & Andy Partridge (XTC), Adrian Belew, John Scofield, Mark Knopfler, Larry Carlton, SRV, EVH, Alan Holdsworth, Robben Ford, Danny Gatton, Eric Johnson, Trey Anastasio, Scott Henderson, Bill Frisell, Sonny Landreth, Steve Kimock, Derek Trucks, Rory Gallagher, Elliot Easton and so on.On bass: John Entwistle, Geezer Butler, John Paul Jones, Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee, Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Tony Levin, Jimmy Haslip, Pino Palladino, Colin Moulding, Mark King, Alain Caron, Jeff Berlin, Tony Franklin, etc.Songwriters: The Beatles, Andy Partridge & Colin Moulding of the band XTC, Pete Townshend, John Hiatt, Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, Page/Plant, Peter Gabriel, Steely Dan, Fountains Of Wayne, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Barenaked Ladies, Todd Rundgren, etc.My singing voice has been described as a cross between Andy Partridge, Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello and Van Morrison. Having been told over the years by various people that I sound like one, or more of these singers, I decided a long time ago to not fight it! My songwriting therefore is along the sames lines as the aforementioned artists.
