Looking for the answers to the Ventilator Shoot-Out? Click here.

News - 2/10/2011

It's been a bit since I've updated this site. I need to redesign it as I've been getting emails that it is not compatible with iPhones. Bummer. Look for a redesign in the next month or so.

 

So, what's been going on? I played on the Legendary Blues Cruise with Janiva Magness at the end of January. That was my first experience on a big cruise ship like that and it was pretty incredible. The Caribbean was amazing. I met a ton of fantastic musicians, including some heroes of mine (Taj Mahal & Jon Cleary to name just two). And I got to play some organ behind the Holmes Bros. How sweet is that?

 

We're going back down to Florida for some more shows. And we're going back to Europe this summer.

Besides touring with Janiva, I'm also wrapping up engineering, producing, playing on, writing for, and arranging horns for Greg Nagy's next CD. It's going to be a killer CD. I'm really proud of the work we've done and can't wait to get it out there.

That's about it for me right now. As always, feel free to contact me via Facebook.

 

News - 11/3/2010

What a busy year! I can't believe it's November already. I have one more gig with Janiva Magness on the 13th of this month and I'll be home the rest of the year. It's been very enjoyable to play with such a fine band and singer, but I'm looking forward to some time with my beautiful daughters and wife.

 

I've also got quite a few gigs with organissimo in the next few weeks in and around Michigan.

 

Several music projects await me upon my return. I need to finish mixing an organ jazz CD for a friend and he wants me to record another one for him in January. I almost have enough tunes for another electronic/ambient solo disc. Greg Nagy is going into the studio later this month and I'm engineering and producing that. And I'd like to do an organ jazz CD of my own as well. It will be a busy winter!

News - 8/6/2010

Greetings from Norway! I'm here at the Notodden Blues Festival with Janiva Magness & crew. It's really exciting to be touring the US and beyond with this band. Everyone is not only stellar musically, but really great human beings as well. I am truly blessed to be able to do what I do.

 

I'm updating the site by adding a videos section and another section on gear. I'd also like to announce officially that I am an endorsee for Casio's Privia line of digital pianos. If you're looking for an affordable digital piano with a full 88 keys, weighted action, and a very playable and convincing acoustic piano sound, look no further than the Privia. I've been using the PX-330 on the road with Janiva since April and I love it.

Finally, I'm sad to note that organissimo is no longer together. We had a really good run of almost 10 years and I'm very proud of the albums we made. Joe and Randy are like brothers to me and I'll miss playing with them. I think we went out on a good note, though. New reviews of the live CD are in Keyboard Magazine and Cadence. Who knows what the future will bring? I want to sincerely thank all our fans who have supported us over the last decade. Thank you!

 

News - 6/9/2010

Boy, time is flying by this year already! The April/May tour with Janiva Magness went very well. I met a bunch of new friends and some folks I've only known through various music-related forum sites. It was really enjoyable to meet so many of them in person, all across the country. The majority are fellow keyboardists that frequent the Keyboard Magazine Forum but some are also members of the organissimo jazz forum, which I operate / moderate.

 

And I've picked up a few new toys along the way. One is the Hammond Suzuki XM2 module, which will be part of my "fly rig". Now I'll always have a great organ sound at my fingertips, no matter what.

The second is the new MoPho Keyboard from Dave Smith Instruments. I'm really loving this little mono synth. It's extremely punchy and aggressive; the perfect foil for my Moog Voyager. I'm looking forward to expanding it with the Tetra module, for a nice five-voice polyphonic analog synth. I'm sure I'll be using that combination in the future on another solo electronic / ambient CD.

 

You can check out some tracks I made with the MoPho & the XM2 at the Vintage Synth Forum (1, 2).

 

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! Look for me out on the road with Janiva!

News - 3/24/2010

I'm really proud and excited to announce that I've joined Janiva Magness' touring band to support her new Alligator Records release, "The Devil Is An Angel, Too". I'll be going all over the US and a couple stops in Europe as well. Check out Janiva's schedule on her website and if she's coming near you, come see me and say hi! More dates are being added every day.

Due to that big announcement, I may have some good news about further endorsements soon.

Speaking of gear, I recently got a Neo Instruments Ventilator rotary speaker emulator. In one word, "Wow!" Look for a review shortly.

Even with all that, organissimo's new live CD Alive & Kickin' is ready to be released on April 6th! Get yours today at the Big O Store!

I'll be blogging from the road this spring and summer on Facebook so stop by!

News - 2/20/2010

The new year has brought a flurry of fun activity. organissimo's new live CD, Alive & Kickin'!, is available for pre-order at the Big O Store. I'm excited about the release of this disc; the group is on fire through-out.

I just finished up a short four-day stint with L.A. based blues singer Janiva Magness, filling the keyboard chair for shows in Detroit, Chicago, Waterloo IA, and St. Louis. Great band, great folks, and a really fun time. Hope to do it again.

Greg Nagy's solo disc, Walk That Fine Thin Line, is doing really well and is nominated for a Blues Music Award for Best New Debut Artist. He picked up a new young rhythm section that is killin'. You can vote for his CD if you're a member of the Blues Foundation.

The year promises to be busy. I'm blessed!

News - 12/14/2009

In Memorandom is now shipping. A sincere 'thank you' to everyone who pre-ordered the CD. You made the duplication possible. This project is very personal and I could not have done it without your support.

 

There are still some copies left of the initial 100 unit run. Signed and numbered!

Welcome!

This is just my small corner of the web. If you're here you probably already know me, but just in case - brief bio: I am a musician best known for my Hammond organ playing but I also love synthesizers, engineering, producing, writing, singing, and generally all things music. I also tune and repair pianos in the Lansing, MI area.

 

I am currently the organist for the soul jazz trio organissimo, the touring keyboardist for blues singer Janiva Magness, and was the organist and musical director for the band Root Doctor for 10 years starting in 1999.

 

Click on my discography for more info or join me on Facebook. Thanks for stopping by!

 

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