Originally from North Carolina, I’ve lived in New York City for the past 30+ years, becoming part of the tapestry of the city’s vibrant music scene. Originally relocating to NY to study, I was part of the very first graduating class of the New School’s Jazz & Contemporary Music program, where I received my bachelor’s degree, and I had the distinct pleasure of studying with renowned saxophonist Jimmy Heath and pianist Roland Hannah while pursuing my master’s degree at Queens College, part of the City University of New York.
My career has seen me perform with artists as varied as Diana Ross, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, The Allman Brothers, Little Feat, They Might Be Giants, Vaneese Thomas, Mary Wilson, Bernard Purdie, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, The Spinners, The O’Jays, The Four Tops, The Temptations, and a multitude of others. Equally at ease in the theater pit as on the performance stage, I’ve performed and/or toured with the Broadway musicals Smokey Joe's Cafe, A Night With Janis Joplin, Memphis, Hair, Hairspray, In The Heights, Movin Out, Five Guys Named Moe, and The Rocky Horror Show.
I love the studio as a performer, producer, and engineer. As an Apple certified Logic Pro, I’m often called on to install, troubleshoot and teach studio installations of Apple’s flagship audio program. I’ve written, performed and produced music for television and film, from CBS Sports and NBC News to daytime talk shows like Sally Jesse Raphael, Maury Povich, and Oprah. My saxophone and woodwind playing has been featured on local and national TV & radio, and my horn section arranging and orchestration skills have been used on numerous recordings.
I have expended much energy, time and resources in exploring the potential of the Akai EWI (Electronic Wind Synth). I’ve devoted myself to developing the relationship between the EWI and Logic/Mainstage, while bringing the instrument to a wider audience. The very informative website, www.ewilogic.com, was developed and is maintained by me, to help further these goals.
In 1997, I co-founded New York Horns (aka the Juke Horns), a horn section specializing in the writing, recording, performance and promotion of horn section oriented music. You can find more about that at www.nyhorns.com Since 1997, NYH has been a fixture of the New York music scene, performing, recording and writing for artists of all types and styles. Our recent album, New York Horns, has garnered rave reviews by fans and press alike for its soul & blues infused American roots music.
I currently split my time between gigs for worldwide music icon Diana Ross and the legendary New Jersey soul/rock band, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, regularly touring throughout the US and Europe.
I teach at Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville, NY where I am the saxophone instructor, as well as directing ensembles and teaching jazz arranging. I’m very much enjoying working with the next generation of young musicians. They inspire me to continue to study and grow.
I am thrilled to be an artist with Cannonball Saxophones, Aaron Drake Mouthpieces, Silverstein Ligatures, AMT Microphones, D’Addario Reeds, and Dynasample performance synthesizers.