In 1977 when I was 19 I started playing the blues in San Francisco bars and clubs. I've been fortunate to have grown up in an area with a thriving blues scene. In 1989 I toured Europe with Ron Hacker and the Hacksaws.
I've played all of the major Northern California festivals-San Francisco Blues Festival, Sacramento Blues Festival, Marin Blues Festival, Monterey Blues Festival. I played on Mark Hummels 1st harmonica blowout in 1994 and twice since. I've the shared the stage with blues legends James Cotton, Brownie Mcgee, Lowell Fulson, Eddie Taylor, Sonny Roads, John Mayall, Maria Muldaur, Del Ray,. Lazy Lester and Percy Mayfield. I played with Mississippi Johnny Waters and Sonny Lane for about 5 years until they both passed away. Our drummer was the legendary Francis Clay. I've played on dozens of albums including releases by Red Archibald, John Broadway Tucker, Planet Blues, Mojo Madness, Maria Muldaur, Carol McComb, Shane Dwight, Paris Slim, Clarence guitar Sims and Ron Hacker.
In 1998 I purchased a mandolin to learn to play pre-war blues on. I bought some Bill Monroe recordings to hear how the mandolin could sound and started digging the soulfulness of the oldtime bluegrass sound. I played mandolin and sang with the Alhambra Valley Band for a year and a half then joined John Murphy's Carolina Special for 2 1/2 years. I also played with California Bluegrass Association legend Jake Quesenberry and Matt Dudman in the McCrae Brothers for one year.
Currently I play mandolin in Bay Area bluegrass band Keystone Station, a Marin County based bluegrass band. I had the opportunity to open for a Ralph Stanley show in the spring of 2000. I've played onstage at the following Bluegrass festivals: Good Old fashioned Bluegrass Festival, Willow Creek, Wolf Mountain, Woodland, Mid State, Scotts Valley, Plymouth, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, SFBOT, Bluegrass by the River in Arizona and California Bluegrass Association Fathers Day . I can also sometimes be found playing mandolin at Bay Area and Bluegrass Festival Jams.
I can often be heard playing solo (guitar with harp in a rack) at Pier 39 at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. I've developed a method of micing the racked harp that captures the authentic Chicago style blues harp tone. In my solo show I sing and play mostly Early Chicago and Delta Blues with a few oldtime country songs thrown in the mix. Occasionally I am joined by musicians from the SF Blues community.
I play on the street at the wharf too, click here to go to sfstreetmusic.com , the SF Street Musician's Guild webpage.
I have released 6 CD’s of my own: “San Francisco Bay Blues Volume 1” ,“San Francisco Bay Blues Volume 2”, “Harmonica Country” , "SF Street Blues" "Sidewalk Boogie" and "Big City Blues"all on my “Backtrack Records” label. I also engineered and produced the Carolina Special CD “Carolina Sunset” when I was playing with them. All my CD'S are available at my online store or by contacting me.at 415 564 4910
