Me, Mr. Grant, Keith Robinson and Larry Saltzman (guitar one and two from the Ain’t Too Proud orchestra on Broadway) Mr. Cornelius Grant, the original guitarist for the Temptations, and music director for their live shows for over twenty years, came to see our show. He co-wrote the blockbuster, “(I know) I’m losing you” for…
Read more
A Tribute To Eddie Van Halen by his son Wolfgang- “Distance”
People die from more types of diseases than COVID. It’s a fact we all seem to be forgetting. Life is short. Take advantage of the time we have right now and never let an opportunity go to waste to reach out to friends and family. Wolfgang Van Halen has released “Distance,” his first solo single…
Read moreWork To Do – Brent Carter and Friends
Some of my favorite drummers are playing on this tune. When I was new to New York City, there were a few drummers that I damn near idolized. Brian Dunne, Rocky Bryant, Gene Lake and JoJo Mayer were just a few. It’s nice to see two of them here. During my formative years, Steve Ferrone…
Read moreThe First Step In Becoming A Touring Musician For A Broadway Show
A colleague asked me the other day, “What would you recommend as a first step in becoming a touring musician for a broadway show?” I had to think about that for a moment. I can only describe my experience and what I did right, and what I did wrong. From 1993 until the year 2000,…
Read moreGrammy Award Nomination For Ain’t Too Proud
I just l found out my show was nominated for a Grammy. It feels great to be a part of something special. Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations Principal Soloists: Saint Aubyn, Derrick Baskin, James Harkness, Jawan M. Jackson, Jeremy Pope & Ephraim Sykes; Producer: Scott M. Riesett (Original Broadway Cast)
Read moreAfro-Cuban music/The Roots Of Rhythm
I’ve been interested in Afro-Cuban music for a long time. I never really knew where to start when looking for the roots of this music. When I’m interested in a new style of music, I prefer to start from the beginning. I want to know where it came from and who were the innovators. After…
Read moreThe Lucille Lortel Awards
I recently played with some of the greatest musicians in NYC. – Jared Grimes KILLING it with his tap dancing as the show opener, John Conte and Alex Nolan playing their a$$es off and our fearless leader Michael Mancini putting it all together. We were the house band for the Lucille Lortel Awards. It’s…
Read moreWhat Makes This Song Great? Ep.10 SOUNDGARDEN
This sone is one of my all time favorites:
Read moreWhat Makes This Song Great? Ep. 2 THE POLICE
What an amazing song and recording:
Read more“The Temptations Were Our Beatles”
“The Temptations were our Beatles” I stumbled across a series of Behind The Music episodes on YouTube last night and watched the story of Hall and Oates. Wow, I forgot how many hits they had. I loved so many of their songs. But, The Temps… I really didn’t know how much of an influence they…
Read more