(Alphabetically by genre) Duane Allman, Dicky Betts, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Jimmy Herring, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Pete Townsend, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Ron Wood, Mark Knopfler, Leslie West, Jorma Kaukonen, John Fogerty, Randy California, Eddie Van Halen, Robin Trower, The Edge, Neil Young, John Lennon, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh, Gary Moore, George McCann, Mike Bloomfield, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Frank Zappa, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Pat Metheny, Larry Carlton, John McLaughlin, Carlos Santana, Al DiMiola
Sounds Like
Depends on the day... A mix of BB, Eric, Mike, Jorma, Jerry, Carlos...
Max started playing piano in grade school, but kept on that track for only 3 years. While music was in his veins, he never took up another instrument until College. Once there, he met Oleo Polyester, who played some killer guitar and that was it... he was hooked. The good girlfriend bought him a '64 Gibson Melody Maker for $75 that is still played today! Of course now there are at least 9 or 10 guitars in the stable with a '96 G&L S-500 being the mainstay.
First band was a Dead cover band called Uranus. Most of the members of that band are still playing today, even though that was a number of decades ago! Later bands included Technology in Totalitarian Society (The TITS), Dinner With the Relatives, Tongue and Groove, and The Greenheads. Most of the bands played danceable, up-tempo, tongue-in-cheek, original tunes that were appropriate for the 80's and early 90's.
Max has never forgotten his roots of the Allmans/Dead style of long jam grooves, while embracing diverse sounds from Dire Straits, The Cars, The Cure, Stones, Clapton, Neil Young, Jeff Beck, Garbage, etc. There is also a deep appreciation for all Jazz, and especially the 70's style of Jazz Fusion. All these influences have shaped Max's style over the years.
Max stopped playing nearly altogether in the '90's and early 00's to persue other interests. However, a reuniting in 2005 with old friend and bandmate Echo, he was inspired to once again pick up the guitar and PLAY! After revisiting some early Southern Blues as made popular by early acoustic Hot Tuna, Max has now expanded his Blues horizon to include many Blues styles.
This Blues foray has brought him in touch with the very active New England Blues community. Max has studied musical theory with the Lightspeeder German Schauss, and Blues vocabulary with James Montgomery's favorite guitarist, George McCann. George hosts the monthly open Blues jam and Framingham's Chickenbone Saloon, along with fellow guitarist Barry Fitzpatrick. Max can generally be heard there every month, as well as at other Blues jams around Boston.
LATEST NEWS: Max has finally rounded up a top notch group of players and has formed a new band! We are hereby to be known as Improper Gentlemen and are in the midst of practice practice practice! Stay tuned for announcements concerning upcoming gigs in and around Boston!
"The
Freedom To Rock" is about artistic freedom, in this case music. Where it's
fought for in a time when big business saw it as a lucrative product, thus
stunting the growth of creativity. A tale that is rewarding although
frustrating at times with big time dreamers and those not ready for change.
"Writing that rocks as hard as the music that's integral to the story." - Christine Ohlman
thanks for gracing the floorboards of our stage with your Suhr fire playing yesterday - much appreciated Max! The crowd were howling for more even as the police wagon was dragging them away! best wishes - bees deluxe
!
