BIOGRAPHY
I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska playing the hammond organ, piano and later became inextricably drawn to the double bass and electric bass - all part of a musical journey that continues to this day.
For the past two+ decades, I’ve been the house bassist at New York’s Birdland Jazz Club for Jim Caruso’s Cast Party with Billy Stritch and drummer Daniel Glass.
I’ve had the privilege of performing with the following artists of note: Tony Desare, Billy Stritch, Christine Ebersole, Natalie Cole, Don Rickles, Ron Affif, Ben Monder, Ann Hampton Callaway, Dave Stryker, Steve Slagle, James Williams, Chris Potter, Christine Lavin, Jeff Daniels, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Jon Weber, Pekka Pylkkanen, KT Sullivan, Marilyn Maye, James Williams, Gene Bertoncini, Jim Caruso, Megan Hilty, Bucky Pizzarrelli, Bruce Barth, Lari White, Laura Mvula, Max Von Essen, Rigmor Gustafsson, Christine Lavin, Karen Oberlin, Linda Lavin, Pete McCann, Montego Glover, Christoph Eidens, Kate McGarry, Keith Ganz, the Countess Luann de Lesseps, Amanda Green and Jeff Harner.
…and some of the venues: the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Birdland, Blue Note (in both New York & Tokyo), NJPAC, Carlyle Hotel, Zinc Bar, Smalls, 55 Bar, Knitting Factory, 54 Below, Cornelia St. Café, Lincoln Center.
It’s always a great privelege to play at jazz festivals. Here are some memorable standouts: Jazz Festival Santiago, San Javier Jazz Fest, Vail Jazz Fest, Jazz in the Park in Kansas City, KS.
For a stretch, I was performing frequently with pops orchestras around the US: the Houston Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Kansas City Symphony, the Chesapeake Youth Symphony the Vancouver Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, Oklahoma City Symphony, the National Symphony, the Rochester Symphony, the Portland Symphony, Saratoga Springs Symphony, the Detroit Symphony the Baltimore Symphony and the Sun Valley Symphony.
Unfortunately, I don’t play Hammond organ anymore. As mentioned earlier, I do gig on the piano. Mostly, I play for private events and at various clubs around NY. Having a relationship with the keyboard has been an invaluable tool for my aspirations as an arranger and composer. I’m very fortunate to be able to bounce back and forth between instruments. It’s fun and an incredible challenge. Special thanks to the late, great Tony Gullizia for showing me the way. He was an early teacher back in my wee Omaha days.
As a pianist, I played for Crystal Cruise Co.; on a round-the-world cruise as the piano bar pianist. I have also been a featured piano entertainer at the New York Grand Hilton, the Plaza Hotel and the Waldorf Astoria at the famed Cole Porter piano. For many years, I headlined with my trio at Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel. Currently I play BASS at Bemelmans on Sundays with the aforementioned Jim and Billy. I know, confusing.
Currently, I live in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan/NYC where I teach, gig, record, compose and arrange. Drop me a line if you want to say hello. Thank you for visiting my website.
“He proves himself a master in the invention of melodies and compilation of timbres. They give an idea of he vastness of the landscape of his native Nebraska.'‘
- Herra Grohs Gechoff, Abendzeitung (Munich)