About Me
I'm a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. I'm really just a guy who likes making up songs and working on them like an art project. I'm unapologetic about my disparate musical inclinations, and I'm not afraid to take inspiration or even completely steal ideas from EVERYTHING and EVERYONE, even sacred cows like Brian Wilson or Studs Terkel or even James Joyce, sometimes all in the same song.My band is the most sensitive group of players on the planet and they are responsible for the success of any given gig. So sensitive in fact, that they often cry while watching movies on the Lifetime channel. I am, by far, the WORST player in the band. I'm okay with that, I get to concentrate on YOU that way!In addition to my regular group, I've been joined in the studio by some of my big heroes and have recorded my songs with players like Don Preston and Ike Willis (both former Zappa bandmembers) and Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Solo, Lounge Lizards).I record my music on supposedly obsolete antique Ampex tape recorders but they actually sound better than anything new. My AMPEX 601-2 can beat up anyone's ProTools rig, anyday.I'm usually happy to simply plumb the depths of the conventional aspects of song, but I also love the "Explorer Series" Nonesuch recordings that feature things like African water dances and other intriguing indigenous musics. I sometimes enjoy rock music. Jazz, 19th century art songs, the classical heavies, gamelan, and those nutty 20th century music adventurers are quite inspirational. Microtonal music can be so refreshing as well. I like dry witticisms on the human condition, noisy ad hoc collections of Partch-like ensemble sounds and I also love those itty-bitty simple ballads that somehow manage to avoid sounding like itty-bitty simple ballads.I like trying to perform musical sleights-of-hand while still sounding familiar, distinct, relevant and/or engaging. I like to communicate with an audience live and by recording. I'm largely uninterested in the industry of music. I prefer to concentrate on the ART of music and I assume that most listeners would agree. Thats me, and I have a wondrous band.NOTE 1: I also play some wild and wooly drums (drums are my first love) for a great band called "Lunar Ensemble", an improvisational band in the spirit of the downtown NYC scene. Please view the Lunar Ensemble profile in my "top friends". Thanks.NOTE 2: I'm also drumming with "the Ribeye Brothers", check their page out too.
