Playing an instrument did not poses any appeal to me until my older cousin Justin began to play the bass. The desire to play manifested itself after a dream in which Justin and I were jamming. Our level of profficiency was awe-inspiring, and the ease with which we navigated the fret-board only accentuated that impression. When I awoke I felt an unfarmilliar sense of satisfaction. Once I passed through the process of waking and arrived at the state of being awake, reality immediatly replaced my bliss with the fact that I had no idea how to play the guitar. However, excitement transcended my dream, and I was consumed with thoughts of the instrument.
I received my first guitar as a Christmas present, I was 9 years old.
Just before I enrolled in Berklee College of Music I studied with Jim Hall . I remember our first visit perfectly. I was anxious as the elevator ascended the stories. When it opened there stood Jim with his dog in his arms
"this is 'Django'" he said "he's just going to listen."
While at Berklee, my musical voice and philosophy were heavily influenced by Julien Kasper. Julien often spoke of the priorities of a composer/guitarist, among them the importance of groove, tone, as well as, embracing the nuances of the instrument. Upon hearing him play the depth of what I had yet to learn became immediately apparent, yet the sound I was searching for had never been so clear.
is another professor whose presence and musicality demand ones attention. I became acquainted with Kenwood while playing for his Jimi Hendrix Ensemble. Just before the second class he invited me to take part in the first of many subsequent metajams. It was a unique musical environment which emphasized a heightened awareness of the group. Communication amongst the participants was the theme and spontaneous composition was the purpose. These evening jams taught me valuable lessons about listening and reacting. Since I graduated from Berklee in 2005 I have been developing my own musical voice. Which in many ways is evocative of the teachers whose influence is lasting. This new album is the first concerted effort at creating music which is a true reflection of my soul.
