WHO ARE HIS ALL-TIME MUSICAL INFLUENCES & FAVOURITES?
David Gilmour, The Allman Brothers Band, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Radiohead, Incubus/ Brandon Boyd, Bill Withers, Jimi Hendrix, Boys II Men, John Fruscantie, 3 Doors Down, David Grohl, Eric Clapton, Elmore James, Chris Cornell, OutKast, John Butler, Tommy Emmanuel, Bach, The Wu-Tang Clan, DJ Shadow, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson.
WHAT MUSICAL ARTISTS DOES HE LIKE TO LISTEN TO THESE DAYS? Lately I have been listening to…
The Allman Brothers Band “Live at the Beacon Theatre” and “Live at the Fillmore East”
A Lot of Radiohead… mostly “Kid A” and “In/Rainbows”
Pink Floyd “The Division Bell” and David Gilmour “Live in Gdansk”
Jimi Hendrix “Live at the Fillmore East”
True Blood Soundtrack
Incubus’ new album “If Not Now When” and Brandon Boyd’s Solo album “The Wild Trapeze”
Ataxia “Automatic Writing”
GZA “Beneath the Surface” and “Legend of the Liquid Sword”
DJ Shadow “Endtroducing”
And i recently discovered The Talking Heads “Remain in the Light”
BACKGROUND IN MUSIC:
One of my earliest childhood memories is listening to Michael Jackson’s Thriller on my aunt’s record player while my family played cards.
I started to play the trombone and joined a jazz ensemble when I was 11 or 12. Around this time I remember having a small casio keyboard and a pair of drum sticks which I would play around with. I began spending most of my time listening and singing to the radio either WHOT-FM Hot 101.1; which was a top 40’s station out of Youngstown, or WAMO-FM 106.7; an urban Hip-Hop and R&B station out of Pittsburgh. My musical tastes were further developed during long road trips for basketball, where my teammates and I would trade CD’s throughout the ride.
After I graduated from highschool i went on to Kent State University. While there I got interested in beat production. I experimented with computer based programs such as Hydrogen, Fruity Loops and Cool Edit. My freshman roommate had an old acoustic guitar and I would play it whenever he was in class. That Christmas I got my first guitar, I believe I was 19.
Around the age of 23 I started to play open mic/open jam nights. Mostly blues standards and various rock covers. Soon after this I started having moments of clarity where I realized that this is something I want to do for the rest of my life. Most notably when I was working for Blossom Music Center carrying beer kegs around. Eric Clapton was performing that night and I remember just standing there and watching the whole set. Afterwards I took off my uniform, threw it on the ground and went home and played my guitar until the next morning.
I started to trace the roots of my favorite guitar players backwards in time. Fruscantie, Einziger, SRV to Clapton, Hendrix, Allman and Page to Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and B.B. King all the way to Robert Johnson, Son House and Elmore James.
Later I took two semesters of Classical Voice training from the University of Akron and this past spring semester I took a course in Jazz Theory and Guitar. While at U of A I spent a lot of time reading books on music theory and composition. In July of 2011 I played my first set with B.E. Mann and have been loving it since.
Currently I’m writing and recording my first solo album which I hope to have finished really soon. The working title is Lost In Transmission.
PERSONAL QUESTIONS YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW:
What is his favourite foods? Simple things… Grilled Cheese, PB&J, Sloppy Joes, hamburgers etc.
What is one thing I wish I could work better at? Writing without the aid of spell check.
Favorite t.v.shows ? Fringe, True Blood, Dexter, Battlestar Galactica, The X-Files, Modern Family
What do I like to do in my free time? Dream
What are my favourite cravings? Ice Cream, Chipotle
Where is my most favourite place I have visited? Sunset Beach NC
What do I do when you get nervous? Yoga and/or Meditation
Do I think more about the past, present, or future? I think about the present in hopes to improve my future.
What is my most favourite alcoholic beverages? Depends on the occasion… Red wines, Crown Royal, or a nice lager
Do you like the rain? I love the rain. One of my favorite things to do is watch a thunderstorm roll in.
What are my most favourite movies? Fight Club, The Terminator, Inception, Se7en, Sunshine, The Watchmen,
Have you bought any clothing items in the last week? I bought a Pink Floyd Shirt.
Pet Peeves ? Bad manners and narrow mindedness
Sports fan ? I was a huge basketball and hockey fan growing up.
Least favorite kind of music? Metal and what is being marketed as “Hip-Hop” these days.
What is one thing I would like to be remembered as? A connoisseur of deli meats
Guitar influences
Older Influences
David Gilmour
Eric Clapton
Jimi Hendrix
John Fruscante
Mike Enzinger
John Mayer
Duane Allman
Jimmy Page
John Fogerty
Lindsey Buckingham
Newer Influences
Cornell Dupree
Eddie Hazel
Steve Cropper
Junior Marvin
Al Harrington
Prince
Jimmy Nolan
Phelps “Catfish”Collins
Dewayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight
Top Albums of all time
Creedence clearwater revival- Cosmo factory
Radiohead- Kid A….In Rainbows
Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here
Jimi Hendrix- Band of Gypsi
Incubus- Morning View
DJ Shadow-endtroducing
The Allman Brothers Band- Live at the Fillmore
Boyz II men-II
OutKast- Aquemini ….Aliens
Bob Marley- Kaya
