I was born and raised in the city of New York, in the borough of The Bronx—a guitarist, singer/songwriter whose music is rooted in the blues and early soul. As a child, I was constantly being introduced to a wealth of great music by my parents. My dad came from New Orleans, Louisiana and my mom from Harlem, New York. While digesting the early sounds of rock-n roll and rhythm and blues, I also discovered other genres of music made popular by legendary artists of my youth. However, it was the lyrics which soon piqued my interest. I became heavily inspired by the songs of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Hal David & Burt Bacharach, Sly Stone, Smokey Robinson, and the many great writers from Motown Records. For a time, even the music of Tin Pan Alley caught my attention.
As a teenager, forming a band with friends, we’d play in countless bars and night clubs throughout New York. It was during this time, at age 17, that I tried my hand at songwriting. It was an instrumental piece written for the legendary jazz guitarist George Benson, whom I’d met, and who heavily inspired me as a guitarist. Being too shy to present the song, it wasn’t until 10 years later that a fortuitous meeting with the late superstar singer Rick James led me to the late, iconic music producer Arif Mardin. Rick introduced me to Arif, who was producing George Benson. He heard my song and decided to have Benson record it for Warner Brothers Records. That song is called “In Search Of A Dream” from the Grammy nominated album “In Your Eyes."
21 saw me embark on my first national tour, playing for a singing group that opened for the Bee Gee. That experience sparked my musical career. Working for Roberta Flack, Marcus Miller, Nona Hendryx, Steve Jordan, Phyllis Hyman, Sophie B. Hawkins, Jim Lauderdale, and Robert Palmer, we’d perform on all the major stages and festivals, sometimes opening shows for Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Whitney Houston, Peter Gabriel and a number of great artists throughout the world. From recording an album for The Village People to playing with singer/guitarist Jonathan Butler on The Tonight Show, it’s been one big musical journey which still continues today.
Becoming a solo artist has granted me a wealth of opportunities, opening shows for James Cotton Blues Band, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, The Wailers, Jim Lauderdale, Tower of Power, Ruthie Foster, and Stanley Jordan. While continuing to write songs, a second composition for the multi-Grammy winner George Benson, titled “True Blue” got me noticed by The Song Writers Hall of Fame. Later In 2007 The Song Writers Hall of Fame honored me with the Abe Olman Scholarship Award for Songwriting.
In 2010 another composition was used for the national television series, The Injustice Files. That song is titled “Like A Soldier”, from my 2009 CD release Bohemian 959. That CD received good reviews from (M-Music & Musicians). "Small melodies frame the voice of a classic crooner with influences from Seal to Smokey Robinson, but when he gets his groove on more aggressively with SoulSatisfied and Like A Soldier or shows a fondness for the blues on Better Days, he makes an equally formidable impact.”
2015 shows my most recent work up to date. It’s an EP titled “The Light Shines” that marks my fifth recording as a leader. The moods on this record will take you on a ride from New Orleans to the Caribbean and drop you off somewhere in the Delta, with stops along the way. A featured track from this EP is Woke Up Cryin’. This slow, dark and haunting blues caused me to become a semi-finalist in the International Songwriters Competition, as well as landing me a nomination in the blues category for the Independent Music Awards.
As you’re reading this, rest assured that something new is coming soon!