Artist Info

Jazzy blues with groove and feel! This is where my music has taken me—my main avenue with some sidestreet stops exploring different tastes and atmospheres along the way. I’m not cemented into just one vein, thinking it is the only style that is good.

Originally from Walking Tall country in west Tennessee I was involved in the music scene in Memphis, Nashville and now Huntsville, AL. As a boy in 1960 I was at the home of a bass player named Duck Dunn of Booker T and the MGs when their song Green Onions was climbing the charts. His family and mine were close friends. My visit to Stax studios was another highlight while in Memphis and a stepping stone into the groove music of the likes of SAM and DAVE, the BARKAYS, the SHORTCUTS, MEMPHIS HORNS etc.

The new cd ‘Nite at Willie Joe’s ‘ is the result of 3 yr recording project with me writing 11 of the songs and co-writing the 12th. As I was also co-producing and playing multiple tracks on each song, we took our time with the effort and let the feel of the cd evolve with our thinking and with strides in technology. JOHN WYKER of Sailcat fame says, "This music is not your run of the mill rock band. It has an air of sophistication about it while maintaining a slinky funky attitude." This attitude comes from yrs. of soaking up musical influences starting in 1956 coming home with a 45 rpm of ELVIS—Jailhouse Rock. Three yrs. later my mom walked in and announced "You are either going to have to take voice or piano lessons" leaving me no other option. To this very day I do not know where this ultimatum came from or why. I am only thankful. Neither did I question her or it. The voice teacher, being a little uncertain of his gender (which at the time was akin to an alien invasion to a 9 yr old) helped push me into the piano direction. I played classical for 10 yrs. during which time I was introduced to the music of Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It wasn’t the band that was the bottom line for me—it was the writing.

They were my initial tutors. John Lennon said, "Whatever made the 60’s the 60’s made the Beatles the Beatles". An explosion of innovation and creativity. Seeing the BEATLES in concert was the peak of my many musical adventures.

My formative yrs were spent listening and absorbing the likes of LED ZEPPLIN, BB KING, PAUL BUTTERFIELD, ZEPHYR, BUDDY MILES, CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH. Then added to the mix was SANTANA, ALLMAN BROTHERS, STEELY DAN, TOWER OF POWER, JIMMY MCGRIFF, CHESTER THOMPSON, JIMMY SMITH Along with the rythmic punch of EARTH, WIND AND FIRE, KOOL AND THE GANG, KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND and rounded out with the likes of STEVIE RAY VAUGHN, PAT METHENY, BONAFIDE, STING, MICHAEL McDONALD and ANITA BAKER.

This melting pot of sound forms the basis of my music now. In 1991 I went back to school studying jazz harmonies and commercial arranging with Roget Pontbriand at MTSU (now at Palm Beach Atlantic University).

By 1999 having known the Crawlers for 3yrs I decided to get off my butt and make some demo’s—but on hearing the songs Ray and Billy encouraged me to make a master. One month later enters Jessie Wagner with whom I was priviledged to work for the next 2 yrs. Currently at Millkids Studios we are working with Music Makers striving to record and preserve the musical heritage of southern blues singers, along with providing music to the Weather Channel and other new CD’s on the horizon.

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