Album Notes

I have been playing music all of my life. My parents have a picture of me as a small child playing a plastic Tom and Jerry guitar with my diaper hanging out. The funny thing about the picture is not the diaper or the guitar but the fact that my hands seem to be in the correct position even at a very young age. Link to photo

By age six my babysitter started giving me piano lessons. The lessons continued with moderate success until I reached the age of twelve. Around fourth grade, or age ten, I began taking cello lessons at school. However, my inability to hold a bow correctly while having my hand smacked by a less than understanding teacher led to early abandonment of this wonderful sounding instrument.

By age thirteen exposures to guitar from others, as well as my father, led to my switch from piano to guitar. The guitar held a certain inexplicable allure. Even though my father’s own attempts at playing guitar did not discourage me – just joking Dad! – I began playing guitar at the age of thirteen with a passion.

At the age of seventeen I had a life changing experience; I saw jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan(photo link), who was attending Princeton University at the time, playing his two hand tapping guitar technique. I came away amazed and confused. The sounds that I heard coming from this unique approach led me to one conclusion; this was how the guitar was meant to be played.

Over the years I have played many different styles of guitar and many different instruments with many different bands but my own true unique voice has developed from what I call playing “two hand guitar.” My sound can best be described as a sound that is a cross between Stanley Jordan and New Age Windham Hill pianist George Winston(photo link) but that is still uniquely my own voice.