Sax Players: Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Cannonball Adderly, Don Sinta, Johnny Hodges, Red Prysock, Ben Webster, Clifford Scott, Brecker, Kenny Garrett, Paul Desmond, Coltrane, Sam "The Man" Taylor, Rick Margitza, Wayne Shorter, Coleman Hawkins, Gerry Mulligan, Eddie Harris, Donald Walden, Lester Young, Bob Shepard, Fathead Newman, Gene Ammons, Junior Walker, King Curtis, Earl Bostic
But Not Least: Donny Hathaway, Steely Dan, John Lee Hooker, Wilco, Brian Eno, Muddy Waters, Duke Elington, Stevie Wonder, Tom Waits, Ray Charles, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Maria Schneider, Bill Evans, Sex Mob, Prince, Earth Wind & Fire, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Erykah Badu, Charles Mingus, The Roots, Alison Krauss, Joni Mitchell, Kris Kristofferson, Daniel Lanois, Morphine, Aretha Franklin, James Carr, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Bill Frisell, Bruce Springsteen, Meshell Ndegeocello, Isaac Hayes, Miles Davis, Esquivel, Mos Def, Pat Metheney, Wilson Pickett
Your Old Lady and Lonely Avenue: Not mine, the Isley's and Ray's respectively. Featuring the likes of Bennett Miller on bass, Joel Arnow on drums, and David Bailis on guitar. A taste of our new band, The Stick-Ups. We kick ASS.
DWP and Shout: Mid-winter recording exercises which grew legs...and provide an excellent contrast between pre-meditated structure and spontaneity. Fascinating.
Sun Goddess: A cover (Ramsey Lewis/EWF). Matthias Bublath (organ) and Darcy MacRae (drums) fill out the band on this one.
Leaving Paris: I wrote this in school at UMich during the three weeks after (surprise) returning from a week in Paris; a rather substantial part of myself wished to stay there. I don't play on this recording, as I was conducting (sax solo is by the good doctor, Dean Moore II).
Bio:
If you guessed that I play saxophone, well, congratulations, you win a donut. Sometimes I run it through a bunch of effects out of deep-rooted rock n' roll envy. Mostly out of expectation and obligation, I play flute and clarinet. With much more enthusiasm, I also play electric bass (frets or no) and keyboards, and I sing. I would hate to classify myself solely as a jazz musician, 'cause I really like to play it all, which is honestly not a cop-out. I'll play and have played just about anything, as long as it's good, be it free jazz, singer/songwriter gigs, electronica, ambient, hip hop, modern classical, country, hard bop, choro, funk, rock n' roll... don't matter! Some argue that playing everything will only lead to widespread mediocrity. If so, then bring on that sweet, sweet mediocrity, mm-mmm.
I write as well, though not much of this is currently recorded. Hopefully more soon. I am not one of the "Music flows from my head like a freshly-tapped oil well" types. No, quite the contrary. Writing is work. I write because I haven't been able to find certain sounds, and feel a need for them to be present in the world. If I don't have a forum, I generally don't write. But, give me a band, and I'll give you tunes.
As far as songwriting is concerned, I can't write a damn lyric to save my life — unless, of course, it's miles from serious. (Stay tuned for my country debut, "I Only Drink Liquor From A Plastic Bottle." You will laugh.) If you are a lyricist who has a similar problem with music, we should talk.
Ok, I suppose that every bio's got to list the stuff I do or have done to which some may exclaim "Wowie zowie!" So here goes. Most recently, I have been welcomed into Meat Loaf's band, playing sax and keyboards, just in time for the Bat Out Of Hell III promotional tour of Fall '07, which was way too much fun. It included sell-out concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall and New York's Palace Theater, as well as performances on The Today Show, The Jimmy Kimmel Show, and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve . Last year, I had the honor of playing the Organ Summit at Iridium in NYC with organists Dr. Lonnie Smith, Reuben Wilson, and Jimmy McGriff. I played with McGriff for most of 2005. Until its closing (damn the evil mouse to hell), I was a regular sub on Movin' Out, the Broadway musical featuring the music of Billy Joel. Occasionally, I can be seen with The Blue Vipers at a number of venues around Manhattan and Brooklyn, both indoor and out. Tuesday evenings are spent playing bass with singer/songwriter Ansel Matthews at Zinc Bar. Others I have played with include Seleno Clarke, Bettye Lavette, the Temptations, the Temptations Revue feat. Dennis Edwards, Johnny Bassett, Clarence Clemmons, Al Hill, Odessa Harris, Steve Rush, and Clound 9 Music.
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I finally broke the seal and started buying records, the vast majority of which are soul/R&B 45 rpm singles. It's a wonderful music with which I am completely and inexplicably in love, and 45s seem to be the perfect scale at which to experience. As it would be a complete shame for such a collection to simply sit on my floor in boxes, I will occasionally assume the persona of DJ Zippo and emerge to play said records for the world at large... too much fun.
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Feel free to stop on by my blog, say hi, leave a comment or two. Maintained with a widely varying degree of regularity.
Thanks for the kind words. It's an honor to have you aboard the friend ship. Just tuned into "Shout" and can really appreciate how your bass talents shine through in your reed work. Is that a bari in the intro on that tune? Fancy how it struts that raunchy low groove, then the higher sax voices jump in to do a little hopscotch with the harmonies. Charting the ledger lines on that altissimo part would require a magnifying glass, a compass, & an industrial strength Sharpie! lol Keep it up, man...it's horn players like you who give hope to the rest of us that we'll never be replaced by synths...unless we're the ones playin' 'em. : D
Hey David, Yeah I know it has been awile.. Just moved to the burg last week and getting settled in.. I will come and see you guys soon!!! I'm actually going to see New World Order this Friday.. Will you be there? Glad we got back in touch! Keep it it Rockin!
Thanks David for youre great playing on tour with Meat Loaf. I remember one thing Meat told me at the m&g: that the press said you don't play live. Meat was so pissed. But: see that as a compliment, you where playing so damn good, they couldn't believe there ears. I loved it! you where great!You learned me this instrument is not for old people, and can rock as hard as any other instrument. So thank you, and don't you ever stop playing!
Your upcoming shows with the Stick-Ups will be great, I'm sure everybody will enjoy them much. I remember your sax solos on stage with Meat : you're more than talented. I send you lots of hugs from France.
Hi David. I was at the NYC Meat Loaf show Saturday and had the PRIVILAGE of hearing your solo in 'Rock 'n' Roll Dreams'. You were AMAZING! I was moved. WOW!
I see you're playing the next 2 Fridays in the city. Unfortunately, I work overnight on Fridays, otherwise I would come check it out for sure. Alisa
