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| Joel Cook |
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| Danny Kozak |
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EAST COAST, WEST COAST
By 1977, having finished my degree at LSU, I was at loose ends
and contemplating a move to the East Coast when I was invited to collaborate with New York pianist Joel Cook on a two-part
jazz series for National Public Radio called, "If Wishes Were Horses....." The project involved some 25 jazz musicians
and singers from around the U.S.-- including avant garde saxophonist and poet Danny Kozak-- and was subsequently re-broadcast
over Public Radio International (PRI) where it garnered critical praise from listeners abroad.
| Jack Novotny |
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| Roger Neumann |
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Since then, I've shared the stage with many distinguished players,
including LA-based saxophonist Roger Neumann, with Cleveland's Tenor Monster Jack Novotny, with Chicago-based guitar visionary
Scott Hesse, and with Tahoe-Reno area trumpeter and bandleader Fred Padden.
| Scott Hesse |
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In the early 1970s while studying at Louisiana State University, a fellow-musician
and American folk music enthusiast introduced me to the brilliantly outrageous music of Frank Wakefield. Since that
time I have had the distinct privilege of becoming personally acquainted
with this internationally acclaimed Mandolin virtuoso and recording artist. I guess Frank liked those flatted
fifths and bluesy bass progressions I was playing because he subsequently asked me to accompany him on several East
Coast appearances. While Wakefield's early roots lie in rural southern Appalachian string music, Frank's incorporation
of blues, jazz and classical voices into his highly original repertoire sets him far above and beyond the rest of his
peers and Frank very often employs jazz musicians to execute his unique--- and extremely demanding--compositions.
| Frank Wakefield |
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While not a jazz artist per se, Frank nevertheless was one
of the first musicians, if not THE first, to incorporate minor keys, jazz and blues chords, alternate time
signatures and extended improvisational passages into traditional acoustic string music. He was David Grisman's primary
mentor and teacher for many years and therefore is the grand-daddy of the "DAWG," or "Jazzgrass" musical genre,
and it was an honor to be associated with this musical firebrand. The many shows I accompanied him on--
always to standing-room-only audiences-- were some of the most exhilerating of my career. We also performed live
on "The Hudson Valley Sampler" over radio station WAMC-FM in Albany New York at that time. In 1997, I helped Frank produce
his tour de force all-instrumental album "That Was Now...This Is Then!" on the Rosewood label, and I wrote the liner notes
to that album. In 1999, I had the opportunity to record a live project with Frank here in Washington D.C. that also
included jazz violinist and Acoustic Disc recording artist Nate Leath.
| Larry Eanet |
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WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE
Closer to home, I've performed with pianists Ellsworth Gibson, Larry
Eanet, Lou Jones, Roy Goodman, Michael Price and Rykke Overton over the past few years, and I recently began an exciting association
with the superb keyboard artist Morrie Kelsey...
...I've also gigged with guitarists Hale Bushlow and Henry Gold, with saxophonists Larry Wright,
and Norman Cone...
| Henry Gold |
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| Art McKinney |
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| Herbert Drake |
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| Jay Summerour |
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...with blues harpist extraordinaire Jay Summerour and drummers Kevin Lloyd, Jay Jefferson,
Herbert Drake and Art Mckinney.
| Georgene Fountain |
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| With Barbara "Bann" Walker |
I've backed some wonderful jazz vocalists over the years, including
Kay O'Day, Maggie Berry, Anne Stewart, Georgene Fountain, Sandra Johnson, Barbara "Bann" Walker and Neil Fleming.
| Larry Wright |
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| Backing Larry Wright, Jon Mathis and Craig Gildner |
Never far from my roots, I'm also on call with the thriving local
Traditional Jazz Community. This past year I've performed with cornetist David Jellema, with the
multi-talented reed man Larry Wright, and with local bandleaders Dave Littlefield and Bags
Howard.
| David Jellema |
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| "Little Bix" - David Jellema |
MENTORS AND INFLUENCES
Initially self-taught, I later studied the instrument with noted
jazz bassists Jim Aton (Billie Holiday, Anita O'Day, Earl Hines, Bobby Troup, Chico Hamilton, Red Norvo)
and Steve Novosel (Roland Kirk, Cedar Walton, Teddy Wilson, Fathead Newman, Shirley Horn). I've also attended Master classes with Steve Gilmore and Rufus Reid, and more recently have been exploring classical
double bass techniques under the tutelage of Richard Cohen (Atlanta, Quebec Symphonies, Boston Pops) and in Master classes
with Francois Rabbath.
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