ABOUT

My Playing

I’m a musical or vocalist’s drummer. I lay down a time perfect line and play to blend with and drive the group I’m a part of. I know what the word “dynamics” means and play kits with lots of drums and cymbals or a simple small jazz club setup. All are matched to produce a beautiful, blended result. Unless I’m touring and using, mostly, backline instruments, the kit I select to play depends on the needs of the group and/or the gig I am called upon to play.

I understand and play most all kinds of music, have a very large repertoire and, if there’s something new that I need to learn – consider it done!

I’m easy to work with, relaxed, creative and have absolutely no issues whatsoever. My image?  Well, my wife describes me as neat, hip and clean cut.

In addition to traditional drum kits, I play all of the Latin percussion, as well as Cajon and Djembe.

My History

I’m from Brooklyn, New York, where I started playing drums at the age of 14.

The acts used to come in with poorly written arrangements and rehearse the band for hours before they were satisfied that the shows would go off well. Most of the time, they did. Once, though, there was a particularly nasty comedian who didn’t know music but said he knew what he wanted to hear. When it was time to play him on, we slowed down the tempo to a dead crawl and couldn’t stop laughing as he came out to do his act. Come to think of it, we never did see him again.

Weekend late nights were spent at the River Tavern. A great pizzeria, where all the top jazz players who were working in “The Mountains” used to go and jam until the wee hours of the morning. All the sax players wanted to play like Gerry Mulligan, Selmer Mark VI tenor or alto sax, cigarette in the lower bell of the horn and great jazz. I was known as a brush player and so, rather than try to compete with all of the great bop players, I waited to be asked to play with guys who emulated Garner, Jamal or Monk. Even the pizza was great. We’d be there until the sun started to come up.

After a couple of summers together, the three of us seemed to go in different directions. Richie concentrated on school to become a teacher, Marv, who was a prolific woodwind player, started playing local nightclubs with a pretty darn good group and ultimately became a big band leader in New York. As I was still too young to get my Cabaret Card and because I sang, I started doing what were then known as “club dates”. Club dates provided steady work for the best musicians in the New York area. All of this was done at the thousands of weddings and bar mitzvas that were common in and around the Tri State area. There were many booking offices that had work every week and were able to keep many musicians working, all the time. I gravitated toward Hal Silvers Music. In that office, I was “tutored” by the very best. In fact, I learned to play authentic Yiddish drums from a wonderful gentleman named Sol Gubenko. Solly was an old pro who could play with the best of them and the technique he taught me is still with me, today. By the way, Solly was Terry Gibbs’ elder brother. I met Terry at Solly’s son’s bar mitzvah at which I played drums with the band. It was an experience I’ll always remember. Ultimately, I became a band leader for Hal, played a full kit standing up while singing and handling all announcements.

I can’t begin to name all of the great players I was fortunate to have gigged with. They ranged from Big Band Era super stars to jazz artists, pop studio musicians and touring players who were in town for short periods of time. One time, I showed up to play drums on a Musician’s Union Performance Trust Fund gig. The bass player was Ray Brown! It was a golden time.

Today, musicians are “specialists”. They are either rock players, Salseros, Tijano players, blues players, etc.  In a way, it’s sad that new players don’t have a feel for or understand the concept of other kinds of music and how they can be mixed to make for better playing, over all. When I was coming up, we had to play “everything” in every key – or – we didn’t work. The more versatile we were, the more gigs we were able to get.

During this time, one of my favorite genres, Doo Wop, was starting to disappear and so since I wanted to play it, I started doing Rock ‘n Roll Revival Shows. In and around New York, I got to play for The Cleftones, The Cadillacs, The Crests, The Monotones, Santo & Johnny and The Teenagers (without Frankie Lymon). Once I played a show with a group called Vito and the Salutations. Their one big hit was “Unchained Melody”. We did it in a bright “two”. That’s how they wanted it. I laughed (internally) throughout the entire rehearsal and show. It was “crazy”. Still, it went on to become one of the absolute great Doo Wop standards.

By the time I was 18, I was back in The Catskill Mountains playing Salsa with the Del Castile Latin Band. Salsa was the hot music of the time and I loved that music and the band I was with. We wore seersucker tuxedo jackets and bowties. It was cool.

Later on, after more years in the “club date” business with Hal Silvers, Steven Scott, Glenn Burton, and some other booking offices, my time to leave New York came. I went west.

Soon after I moved to Los Angeles, I met Maurice King. He was a big guy, very kind and gentle….until he was in front of an orchestra. At the time, he had been conducting for The Detroit Spinners. We were introduced and I told him that I was a big fan of The Spinners and said that I’d do anything to play with them. That was that.

About a year later, I received a call to come and meet with Mr. King. It was at a studio in West Los Angeles. We talked a bit and then he asked me if I really thought I was good enough to play for the group. Then, in walked the guys, including my idol at the time, Felipe Wynn. They were going to do a quick run through of That’s what Girls Are Made Of. Mr. King invited me to sit in and play drums. It was an easy track that I had listened to many times. Afterward, they politely thanked me and went on to other business. I thanked Mr. King for allowing me to play, and left.

Later that day or maybe it was a few days later, he called and asked me if I wanted to be their backup and percussion drummer on an upcoming tour. That was it. I was with them and enjoyed every minute. Today, only dear Henry is still around. Even Mr. King is gone. A new version of The Spinners tours and does all of the great songs, but it’s just not the same.

Over the past few years, because of my background, I’ve become more of a “journeyman” player. I tour when asked, I record with artists who want to do top quality demos, and I do club dates, now called casuals. It’s no longer about “making the rent.”  It’s more about playing with great musicians who “get it” and who love what they do as much as do I.

At the same time, I joined a great group of players touring the Far East. I’ve been going twice a year, for a month or two at a time, to China, Hong Kong, Macau and Japan. I love the audiences and the respect I receive, as a professional player.

Now based in Las Vegas, I’m playing with local independent artists and doing casuals in Los Angeles and locally. Finally, I spend a few months a year playing in Asia.

Recently, I joined with two great and talented musicians to make up a wonderful jazz trio called Milestone, and also with an R&B/Soul group called Michael Jackson and The Big Block Band (Not THAT Michael Jackson). Both are labors of love. Wonderful music, very nice people and extremely competent players. What more can I ask for…..

I’m prepping a blog on various aspects of drumming and drums. This should kick off in about a month or two.