SOME BACKGROUND ON ME:
I've been playing/writing music since I was 7yrs old. I started on guitar and picked up bass & keyboards in my early 20s. My main tool for composition is a keyboard, facilitating samples and sequencing, along with live recording.
My professional experience spans about 25 years. This includes studio and live gigging.
I started out playing good old Rock; like most young guys back in the 70s. I followed that genre for about 5 or 6 years. But after a that I wanted to explore my musicality more in depth, so I studied artists like Earl Klugh, George Benson, Jeff Beck, Spyro Gyra, Stanely Clark, Allan Holdsworth, Chick Corea, John Scofield, and many other top Jazz & Fusion artists of that decade. I've always been a predominately self-taught musician.
In the mid 80's I joined a well known Vancouver Funk/R&B band named "H.B. Concept" (short for "Henry Brown"). For the next 15yrs I was immersed in this genre. The keyboard player and I also hired ourselves out as a unit. Aside from duo gigs at Jazz bars, we played for the top solo artists on the circuit at that time like Ron Haywood (formerly lead vocalist for 'Stripes'), Joni Bye, Lori Paul, Cathy St.Germaine (also from 'Stripes'), and a few other favorites. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about those styles. No matter what I've written since those days, those 2 styles specifically have always been in-the-mix for me. Some of my favorite Funk/R&B/Soul artists are Prince, Morris Day, EWF, Sly and the Family Stone, Marvin Gaye, Bobby Caldwell, anything Quincey Jones touched, The Dooby Brothers, and lots of others I can't recall at the moment.
As to whom I feel I most sound like... I can't honestly say. I'm not very good at classifying myself like that. I don't seriously think I sound like any one artist. But I might just be too close to the stereo to hear the music. ;)
I also have a diploma of music. My musical influences range from old spaghetti westerns to Cool Jazz to 70s rock, Fusion & R&B/Soul. My personal preference is jazz fusion/smooth jazz, but I write and play just about any style. I have a collection of movie/tv styled scores also. That's always been a favorite pastime of mine.
A BRIEF ON THE MUSIC:
The inspiration for this, my first real CD, was to combine elements from the 70s,80s and 90s. With a modern Smooth Jazz style, but some samples and chops from earlier decades, along with some contemporary R&B grooves (and a touch of my own personal style), I've tried to setup a specific overall storyline type of feeling to the this group of songs. I hope I've managed to pull that off to some degree. This is a CD you can really 'chill' to. Nothing overly aggressive musically on this project (I'll do that on the next project), so turn it up and relax with your favorite person for awhile.
MY INFLUENCES?
Earl Klugh, George Benson, Jeff Beck, Spyro Gyra, Stanely Clark, Allan Holdsworth, Chick Corea, John Scofield, and many other top Jazz & Fusion artists of the 70's/80's/90's.
Some of my favorite Funk/R&B/Soul artists are Prince, EWF, Sly and the Family Stone, Marvin Gaye, Bobby Caldwell, anything Quincey Jones touched, The Dooby Brothers, and lots of others I can't recall at the moment.
I also really liked the pop/rock bands of the 70's like Boston, ELO, Chicago, Van Halen, Kansas, RUSH, Ambrosia, Player, The Sweet, KISS, ...you get the picture.
I'm also classically influenced. My favorite classical composer is Igor Stravinsky, and next would be Benjamin Britten. Both are 20th century composers. I love their string work; voicing & movements. They're very unique. However i also love the thick lush compositions by composers such as Beethoven, Wagner & Brahms. Masters of counterpoint, they all were.
FAVORITE SPOT?
Fav spot is on the couch with my 2 children watching their favorite shows.
FAVORITE CITY?
Fav city is New York; even though i've never been there, yet.
EQUIPMENT USED:
Musical... oh!... and one of them thar new fangled COMputer thingies...
ANYTHING ELSE?
Just a smile and a nod. ;O)>
Read more...