- original music and arrangements -

Musicians and Groups

A few recommended musician-related sites to visit:
Inspirational great artists, hip groups, friends and comrades of interest

Local Talent/Creative Comrades

Great Musicians/Favorite Groups

Classical Composers

Local Talent / Creative Comrades

Bill Harris		Carl Fischer		Tom McGrath
An unsung hero on the NYC music scene. A phenomenal sax player and a brother in spirit through the years.		One of the greatest trumpet players out there, bar none... Someone to watch.		Free-lance percussionist, recording engineer, recording studio owner... A refreshingly different creative artist.

Thierry Arpino		BATIK		Chad McLoughlin
A wonderful down-to-earth guy with a very special grace and sensitivity to the music around him, Thierry's ability to play any style of music from traditional jazz, fusion, world beat, African rhythms, Latin, rock and even techno makes him one of today’s most versatile drummers.		Modern jazz that fuses exotic world flavors, sensuous cinematic atmospheres, contemporary classical music, free improvisations, retro/funk grooves, spacious textures and a even sense of humor. Live Concert Review		Chad McLoughlin is old friend: we grew up together in upstate New York and was the guitarist in my first band. An accomplished virtuosic player (and Pro-Tools master) he is currently active on the jazz-fusion scene in New York City, performing and recording.

Manny Moreira		Kati Mac		John Fumasoli
Great guitarist/singer and Brazilian culture expert, Manny has been involved for quite a few years now in the NYC Broadway scene.		A super-talented singer/ songwriter. She's collaborated with many of the great NYC musicians. A unique and gifted soul -- her creative fires are always burning!		A great bone player and a gifted arranger, his "little big band" - John Fumasoli and the Jones Factor has done some amazing recordings.
May they Rest in Peace...
Jimmy Biggins		Patti Preiss
A great sax player and a musical colleague from my Boston days. He oozes a veteran old school "get out there and play" karma with enormous soulful nitty-gritty.		A great pianist and composer, Patti has written some truly wonderful jazz tunes.

Great Musicians and Favorite Groups

	Eagles / Don Henley Gorgeous impeccable harmonies, lyrics poignantly chronicling a culture rapidly spinning out of control and of course... great, great songs: "Long Road Out of Eden", "Waiting In The Weeds", "The Boys Of Summer", "The End Of The Innocence", "Desperado", "Life in the Fast Lane" "I Can't Tell You Why" the list is endless...
	Steely Dan More of a conceptual framework for inventive music-making than a typical rock band, Steely Dan's complex jazz-influenced harmonies melded with wry and often sardonic lyrics was the perfect vehicle for bridging the word of jazz and pop. "Reelin' In the Years", "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" culminating in the classic "Aja" are—to me—the epitome of great writing...
	King Crimson "Brutally powerful riffs of brain-screaming acid rock, demented abrasive noise and free-jazz noodling contrasting with gorgeous melancholy ballads and grandiose mellotron-driven orchestrations." Ever since I first heard "In the Court of the Crimson King" I was hooked. Otherworldly and almost "Stravinsky-esque", King Crimson broke lots of new ground in progressive rock, stretching both the language and structure of the music into realms of jazz and classical. This is progressive rock at is zenith: innovative and musically sophisticated.
	*GentleGiant* "Their music is both beautiful and challenging to the ear, sometimes so stunningly complex that it's a bit difficult to absorb." Gentle Giant's music combined diverse elements from rock, classical, blues, Renaissance music, jazz, and the avante-garde with multi-part contrapuntal vocal harmonies galore! They were probably one of the most incredible progressive rock bands ever... check out this fascinating site...
	Peter Gabriel Now a gray-bearded elder statesman of rock, Peter Gabriel is a true visionary. A master crafter of the unexpected pop song and a spearhead for worldwide collaboration, he has deservedly earned a worldwide reputation for his innovative work as a musician, writer and video maker.
	Jethro Tull Jethro Tull was a unique phenomenon in popular music history. Their music—a strange mix of hard rock, folk melodies, blues licks and sometimes surreal lyrics—defied easy analysis. Co-founded and led by wildman-flautist-guitarist-singer-songwriter Ian Anderson, the group carved a place all its own in popular music. To this day, "Stand Up" is still one of my favorite albums.
	Oleta Adams "Her voice can soar with intensity, hanging onto notes for dear life, or suddenly drop into hushed intimacy..." Oleta is truly one of the most gifted and inspiring vocalists in contemporary music today. "Come Walk With Me" is an somewhat hard-to-find but extraordinary album - each song a masterpiece.
	Wayne Henderson (RIP) Besides James Pankow, who else but this Jazz Crusader put trombone in the pop music limelight? A gifted player, his unique Gulf Coast funkiness has a down-home earthy swagger that is simple and melodic, yet always inspiring. Sadly. Wayne Henderson suffered from diabetes and died of heart failure at a Culver City hospital on April 5, 2014 at age 74.
	George Duke (RIP) The main man! Funk, Jazz, Brazilian, Pop—you name it—he had it covered and did it well. Always a source of inspiration. Sadly, George Duke died on August 5, 2013 in Los Angeles at the age of 67 from chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
	Poncho Sanchez His three horn latin-jazz group always smokes. Great arrangements, great players, Afro-Cuban jazz at its best.
	Ozomatli An intriguing eight piece horn band blending the musical styles of many cultures. Embracing Latin, hip hop, rock and even North African and Arab musical styles, Ozomatli's 2007 Concord Record "Don't Mess with the Dragon" epitomizes their "culture-mashing" approach and has a couple of infectious hits "Can't Stop" and "After Party." One of the lead singers is the trumpet player and their poignant tune "(Who Discovered) America?" is a brilliant commentary on America's contradictory behavior in the world.
	Was (Not Was) Hysterically clever lyrics and absolute perfection in production, this short-lived wacked-out group made some of the best albums ever made. Check 'em out!
	Oregon Always in a class by themselves. Redefining the boundaries of jazz, classical and non-western music. Truly gifted artists - uniquely brilliant!

Classical Composers - a few of my favorites

(I'm partial to the Russians!)

Igor Stravinsky
another Stravinsky site...

Erik Satie
another site...

Leonard Bernstein

Sergei Prokofiev
another Prokofiev site...

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Morten Lauridsen --
Music Sampler

Paul Hindemith
another Hindemith site...

Dmitri Shostakovich