I have been playing music since age 11, my first instrument was the drums. I then went on to play clarinet, baritone, alto, and tenor saxophone. After that came the piano and flute out of my desire to be a well rounded musician. I noodled on the bass a little bit for several years before I picked it up and got serious in 1983. From that point on I had found my newest passion.
I was born in East Orange New Jersey but call Gary Indiana my home because I lived and grew up there from the age of five.Gary Indiana had a great music scene in the seventies mainly because of the popularity of the Jackson 5 who also reign from Gary.We all wanted to be like them! I played in a few funk&blues groups (playing sax&keys) around town. Mostly small clubs.So much talent in that little city. It was a great time to grow musically. Saying all that, I had one goal, To get to LA the best way possible because that's were it was all happening. I made it out west around 1980. First stop San Diego where I got into Jazz pretty seriously. I found some heavy cat's to study with down there. Still LA was calling. I made it there in 1985. I immediately got into the "Black Rock Scene" (playing bass) which was huge back then. I really developed my studio chops in LA. There was always a session going on somewhere. Since that time I have played with so many artists both live and recorded. There are too many too recall from memory but here is a partial list:
Chante' Moore, Don Cherry, Cree Summers, Michael Franti & Spearhead, De Barge, Dionne Farris, Zap Mama and many others.
I have been in Spearhead since November 1994 and continue perform with them today. It is still an incredible exspearience. We are consistently out on the road for the most of the year. Travelling and seeing so much of the world is one of the best parts of being in this group. It's truly a blessing to finally release my first solo project "A Few Sides Of Myself". For this project I wrote, produced and performed the music from a side or sides of me I don't get to express very often. A little Jazz Funk, Latin and Soul. Oh yea,a touch of Poetry.It's such a pleasure to be able to express ones self on a personal level. Please check it out! I love meeting new people and developing relationships with people of all cultures. If you ever come across me at a show, please feel free to come up and introduce yourself. Or if you would like to get in touch with me electronically, my e-mail address is c-ya-later-sounz@mindspring.com. I'll do my best to respond in some way or another! |
