ALL THE OTHER YEARS
Striving for Virtuosity
Excellence in music, like any other creative endeavour requires two elements: mastery of technique and highly developed empathy.
"The roots of everything I do are traceable to pop and rock, particularly from the 70s and 80s, a unique period in the development of music. Raw energy leftover from the rebellious 60s met with a growing access to music making. Using the feeling of change and aspiration to a better way of living overwrote the stylistic artifice of the previous decade and a greater understanding of technique and appreciation for structure was the result.
I specialize in lead guitar, bass and keyboards, recording and my own forte: dance accompaniment. The latter is a forum I particularly treasure and one in which I have created a name and a niche. Unlike studio or live work, it requires a very developed mastery of the rudiments of music per se in order to be able to create, embellish and react to mood, atmosphere and nuance.
My profession has taken me to London, Amsterdam, New York, Tokyo and now Berlin. These places gave me a unique opportunity to imbibe the spirit of the times as well as understand and master the use of musical structure. The excitement of having, inter alia, reggae, bluegrass and elements of Gregorian chant cohabiting belongs to the age of mature contemporary music.
When I record, I strive to compensate for the lack of vitality of a live room with live people - the in the moment moment, lived most intensely by the improvising musician. On this Album I have added instruments and parts in the 2D to recreate the 3D and the spiritual energy of the live room. This is my attempt to reproduce my ideal scenario: a holy trinity of musician, music and audience. I use unconventional tunings and I add space by working with reverbs and echo, sonic environments in which instruments and sounds are played, evolving a sound world to live in. Much of this is done at the mix stage where the mix engineer listens and crafts sonicscapes."
MILESTONES ALONG MY WAY
London:
The Eurythmics, Top Topham (Yardbirds), Rab Spall (Soft Machine/3rd ear band), Andy Falconer (Orb), Tim Flitcroft (Goldsmith’s)
London Contemporary Dance Company, London Contemporary Dance School, Pineapple Studios, Laban Center for Movement and Dance, Rambert Academy, Arts Educational (Arts E.), Urdang Academy, City Ballet, Liz Ingram / James Simpson at The Scottish Ballet
Rotterdam/Amsterdam:
Hal 4, Rotterdam Music and Dance School, Ciel Werts, Ed de Vos / LMA-Codarts
New York:
Tom Desisto, Butch Jones (Madonna Talking Heads)
CBGB’s, The Bitter End, Peppermint Lounge, Mudd Club, The C Note, 7A,The Living Room/Googie’s, Village Pub, Pisces Café, The World, Woodstock
The Martha Graham Company, The Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Ailey School, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, The Cunningham Dance Foundation, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Ballet Hispanico, Jose Limón Dance Company, Pascal Rioult, Joyce Trisler / Milton Myers, Murray Louis
The Juilliard School, Barnard College, Columbia University, Marymount University, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, The Neighborhood Playhouse of the Theatre, The Clark Center, Peridance Dance Center, City Center
Berlin:
Johnny and the Drivers, Lisa Lowell
Die Etage, Dock 11, Heidi Weiss, Group Motion, Marameo, Fabrik Potsdam, Junge Kultur Mitte, Frecher Spatz e.V., Ellys/Berlin Danceworks, Wendy Taylor/Berlin Dance Institute, Sergio Giannotti/Flensburg Ballet, Palucca Hochschule für Tanz Dresden
Ter Hell, Maria Wirth/feinart berlin, Heidemarie Wiesner/ArtSalon-MittagsMusik