Album Notes

Hi everybody! I'm a musician living in Cary, NC (that's just outside of Raleigh). I was born in Laurel, Mississippi where when I was little my Mom used to play piano while I was sitting in her lap. I got degrees in piano performance from the University of Southern Mississippi and Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY (It's cold up there). Locally I've played with a few different bands doing covers, originals, and funk stylings.

As a songwriter, influences range from Beethoven to Ginastera to Tori Amos to Billy Joel (the biggie). I especially like tunes with odd or changing meters and interesting harmonies and/or harmonic progressions. I get bored easily.

The tunes on my CD "Offering" were mostly written for the church where I play here in Cary, Genesis Methodist. Most services have a spot for some instrumental stuff, and I guess I find it easier to make up new stuff than to learn stuff other people have already written. A few of the tunes are instrumental versions of songs or half-songs I have written, which is why I ended up with such titles as "In My Bones" and "Hold Your Head Up." The artwork for this album is by North Carolina artist Kwang Suk Park. Interestingly, the cover painting is entitled "The Offering." I found this painting after "Offering" had been suggested to me as the album title. The back cover painting is entitled "Communion II." This is also interesting because at least one of the tunes, "Dreams From The Procrustean Bed," I have played during communion at the church service.

Anyway, I hope you like the music. And if you want to be in my band, send me an e-mail.