The Short Story...

Back in the days when major record labels ruled the earth and home recording was done with open reel tape recorders strung together with guitar cables and fancied up with stomp box effects pedals, my "professional" career was born. I recorded a lot of home demos (of songs I'd written) with this kind of gear which resulted in my being signed to United Artists Music. During my stay with United Artists I made a record. It never got released. Ah, Show biz.

A lot went on prior to that, but this is after all, the short story. However, way before any of it, I was born in Brooklyn NY and with a few brief exceptions have called New York my home ever since. For reasons unknown, one day when I was about nine years old, I came home from school and announced I wanted to learn to play the saxophone. That was the day my “semi-professional” career was born.

Anyway, together with the unreleased album and my home recordings floating around, I got the opportunity to write with other artists and writers. This led to having a couple dozen songs that I had written or co-written, being recorded by other artists for their own records.

One of those co-written songs, Don't Shed A Tear, recorded by British artist Paul Carrack, became a Billboard top 10 hit. There were a couple of others that were recorded by a band called the Del Fuegos whose main songwriter and singer was Dan Zanes. Dan and I continue to work together to this day co-producing his Dan Zanes and friends CDs.

Another side effect of the home recordings developed into the production part of my life. While co-writing songs and recording demos for Sony Canadian artist Keven Jordan, the president of the company suggested I produce the record as well. That was fine with me!

Since then I've produced, recorded, mixed and played on records for artists on major labels, indie labels and no labels at all . Click here for a list of some of those artists.

A few years ago after producing, playing on and mixing a CD for keyboard player Rob Barraco ( Phil Lesh and Friends, The Dead, DSO) we decided to get some other players together and go out and play some gigs around the country. So with a couple of other New York musicians, drummer Doug Yowell, Bass Player Jeff Allen and former band mate of Rob's from Phil Lesh's band – Jimmy Herring, we did just that. Although it was a short lived tour, some great music and fun was had, and I was reminded that I really do need to get out and play more!

Spending all that time in studios (although I did go out and play other artists' music from time to time) did nothing to break me out of my predisposition as a cave dweller. So, I recorded a few of the songs that I had written over the past few years to bring along and have been out playing live.

Look forward to seeing you there...