EQUIPMENT FOR STAGE AND STUDIO KEYBOARD SESSION WORK:
Nord Stage 73, Hammond B3, Leslie 122, Fender Rhodes, Yamaha MotifES, Wurlitzer, Steinway S grand with midi recording abilities, Yamaha KX-88, Hammond 44 electric melodian through effects pedal board (very unique new sound), giggable PowerMac G4 with MainStage running Logic instruments, Native Instruments B4, Scarbee Electric Pianos, Ivory, Moog, Strings and loads of other sounds, Kurzweil rack, Roland JV rack, M-Audio Axiom, 1983 Fender telecaster, Yamaha acoustic/electric guitars, Fender P-bass, several mics, Electronic and acoustic drums.
In terms of live amplification, I use a very loud and clean QSC1804 amp through two JBL MRX512's in stereo and a Rolls line mixer, plus a (real) leslie when called for, plus all kinds of EQ, processing, and direct boxes as needed for flavor. And a volume pedal I always keep one foot on, so as to blend in just right. For smaller and jazz gigs I can use a compact Groove Tubes SRX100 stereo amp.
I record on Logic Pro, Digital Performer and Pro Tools with a new fully-loaded iMac 3.06mhz/4GB/1TB through an Apogee interface, am very midi/recording-savvy, and have tons of other gear in my studio. I work out of two studios; one that's a keyboard/computer studio with top-level recording abilities via keyboards or instruments going directly into the board and using computer-based effects, and another that's acoustically treated and soundproofed and designed for excellent, flat live vocal or instrument recording. From these I do online keyboard overdubs -- recording parts for songs, albums, promos etc for projects worldwide which clients simply download via ftp and pull into their projects, fully synced -- as well as underscores for commercials and films, musician demos, etc.
Those are the ingredients. I put them together, mix well with 10 speedy fingers, good ears, and a music-head, and serve hot!
Influences
Porcupine Tree, Yes, Bud Powell, Brad Mehldau, Bach, Spock's Beard, Oscar Peterson, Muse, Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, Tool, Led Zeppelin, Mars Volta, Elvis Costello, Eric Satie, Rare Earth, Gentle Giant, Handel, John Coltrane, Vince Guaraldi, Radiohead, Steely Dan, Dregs, Triumverate, Spirit, Focus, Diana Krall, Crack the Sky, Counting Crows, Medeski Martin and Woods, John Novello, Thelonius Monk, Albinoni, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Johnny Cash, Linkin Park, Norah Jones, Mozart, Duke Ellington, Marian McPartland, Lennie Tristano.
Sounds Like
Whatever the producer asks for (with my own special secret sauce added).
If you're here, we've probably talked about a project, and you just want to make sure I know the difference between middle C and a donut. So these selections are not about getting me on American Idol -- they're chosen to give a very quick, bite-sized, credentialing overview of keyboards snippets I’ve played for clients, spanning a range of commercial rockish styles. I'm focusing on what those clients seem to want most; Hammond organ, Rhodes/Wurli piano, some synth, and background strings/pad/horns/efx etc. I have lots more musical examples ranging from hard bop jazz to progressive rock to reggae to classical to film scores, so if you don't hear what you're looking for style-wise let me know. Now for the background part:
I'm a Southern California-based keyboards player, well-versed in session playing on stage and in studio, touring, gigging, composition, arranging, recording, and producing, with experience covering a wide variety of studio, concert, and movie/video/ad scoring projects. I can and have played pretty much all styles, including progressive rock, jazz, rock/cover, reggae, blues, classical, country rock, latin, fusion and more, in both cover and original projects. Along with playing acoustic piano, Hammond B3, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, clavinet, synths, classical pipe organ, electric melodica, (but NO keytar), and covering anything from strings to oboes to UFO sounds via midi and virtual instruments, I also sing, and play passable rhythm guitar, bass, percussion, and drums (but not at the same time) if coerced. In the music director seat, I know how to rehearse, chart and prep bands and projects to fruition.
My background includes Grove School of Music, Berklee studies, university music schools, past private studies with John Novello, Charlie Banacos, Andy Laverne, T. Lavitz, Charles Lewis (an Oscar Peterson protégé), and lots of others. I know my theory, read and write music, and improvise and play by ear fluidly.
Please contact me at nmcq("at")cox.net or 949-683-five-0-five-three with requests regarding playing and/or recording, or hearing WAY more depth in any of these or other styles, or for a list of artists with whom I've played and recorded, and the venues in which I've played. Or if, for some reason, you want to hear my original and/or jazz stuff. But that's another site....
MY BAND IS PLAYING AN ALL AGES SHOW THIS SATURDAY AT HOGUE BARMICHAELS IN NEWPORT BY JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT. WE GO ON AT 9:00P.M. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU AND ALEX THERE!
