Pete Cummings

Bio:

New York City bassist Pete Cummings, began his career in music around 1979, working with artists from the local NYC scene. Early in his career he had the pleasure of working with members of various pop groups including, The Force MD’s, The Drifters , Sha Na Na. In 1983, he met local drummer and flatbush Brooklyn legend Collin “ Wathaka “ Young and together they formed the jazz/rock group “ Wreckless Wire “ with guitarist/keyboard player Alex “Spanador “ Mosley who went on to form the pop group Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam and second guitarist Gary Paulson who went on to work with jazz /rock legend keyboardist Joe Zawinal . In 1984. he began his long association with New Jersey jazz guitarist Tom Gavornik, working various clubs associated with the New Jersey music scene. In 1987, while working with a jazz/rock power trio known as “Revelation “, which featured guitarist John Purvis (The ReAwakening), and drummer Abe Fogel ( Regina Belle, Najee, Rob Thomas)he attended a meeting given by an organization called The Black Rock Coalition. The BRC was founded by “Living Colour”, guitarist Vernon Reid and Village Voice newspaper writer Greg Tate, to bring awareness about the discrimination taking place in the music industry at the time . Within this organization he found a network of musicians and artists who awarded him the opportunity to meet and work with some of the industries major talents who were on the rise at that time such as blues guitarist/storyteller Michael Hill, Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, guitarist Eric Gales of the Eric Gales band and ex-Labelle vocalist Nona Hendrix, just to name a few. In 1990 as a member of the BRC rock group “ Shock Council ”, he appeared on their first BRC compilation album entitled, “The History Of Our Future“ recorded on Ryko Disc on the track called “ Hustler Man “. Pete has worked extensively throughout the tri-state New York/New Jersey area with several artists from the jazz world such as the father of bebop; trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, alto saxophonist Greg Osby. In 1995 blues man Michael Hill asked Pete to join his “BluesMob “ to take over for Michael’s brother and bassist Kevin Hill who was departing the group. As a member of Michael Hill’s BluesMob, he has recorded and co-written several songs “Sweeter Days” (Have Mercy 1995), New York State Of Blues (NY State Of Blues 1998) both on Alligator Records and “Heat On The Highway“ from the cd “Larger Than Life” recorded in 2001 on Singular Music. The Michael Hill’s Blues Mob cd entitled “ Electric Storyland Live “, was recorded live in 2003 while on tour in Germany and was released on Ruf Records. Pete has travelled abroad to several countries including England, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Russia, Switzerland, Scandinavia, France, Norway, and Greece, sharing the stage with many blues greats like guitarists: Hubert Sumlin,” Steady Rollin” Bob Margolin, Debbie Davies, Ana Popovic, former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, Joe Louis Walker, Junior Mack, Saron Crenshaw, Clarence Spady, future queen of the blues Shemeika Copeland, jazz /rock legend guitarist Ray Gomez, New Orleans pianist Henry Butler and Zydeco/Blues artist C.J. Chenier . He worked and recorded with The Burt Conrad Allstars , a band lead by singer/guitarist Burt Conrad , who during his career, engineered many hit records such as Goodtimes by Chic and Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years while working with mega record producer Phil Rhamone. The Burt Conrad Allstars consisted of legendary drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, keyboard player/singer EJ “ The Professor “Sharpe (Michael Hill’s Blues Mob), keyboard player Jeff Levine (Joe Cocker), latin keyboardist/arranger Alex Giglio, Japanese keyboardist Miho Nobuzane , legendary percussionist/producer Ralph McDonald and veteran saxophonist George Young. Recently he produced two cd releases by NJ jazz guitarist Tom Gavornik, the first entitled “Flip It” which features Bernard Pretty Purdie and the newly released cd entitled “ On The Floor “. Currently he is working on compositions for his first solo cd

Member Since:

February 13, 2007

Members:

MICHAEL HILL'S BLUESMOB -with drummers William McClellan Jr and Tony Lewis..BURT CONRAD ALL STARS- features legendary drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, percussionist Nelson Rodriguez (Ray Serrano Latin Soul Orchestra) and bandleader Burt Conrad on vocals, guitars and keyboards and on the song "Take My Hand" guests pianist Jeff Levine and brazilian vocalist Raquel Lima...New Jersey Jazz guitarist TOM GAVORNIK ...COOL DOWN PAPA with guitarist John "Onedegodth" Purvis from the band THE REAWAKENING

Influences:

Monk Montgomery, James Jamerson, Milt Hinton, Larry Graham, Billy Cox, Lee Sklar, Alphonso Johnson, Ralphe Armstrong, Stanley Clarke, Robert "Pops" Popwell, Jaco Pastorius, Rocco Prestia, Paul McCartney, Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, Slam Stewart, Major Holly, Dave Holland, Lester McFarland, Danny Wilson, Mark " Mr.Mark "Adams, Louis " Thunder Thumbs " Johnson, Sekou Bunch, Tony Newton, Jimmy Johnson, Jermaine Jackson, Janice Johnson, Nathan Watts, John Paul Jones, Marcus Miller, Bobby Watson, Francisco Centeno, Rick Laird, Cleve Alleyne

Record Label:

Unsigned