I’ve been lucky enough to have played, jammed, recorded and/or performed with countless musicians. These include: -Luther Ingram Stax Records artist -Donnie Weaver the O’Kaysions -Mike Gardner PKM -Tommy Redd Nantucket ~ Solo artist -Scott Sawyer Solo Artist -Peter Rowan Singer/songwriter ~ Old & In the Way -Kenny Soule PKM & Nantucket -Jimmy Herring Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit Widespread Panic ~ Solo Artist -O’teil Burbridge The Dead ~ The Allman Brothers Band Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit -Jeff Sipe The Jeff Sipe Trio ~ Leftover Salmon, Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit -Robert Kearns Lynyrd Skynyrd ~ Sheryl Crow -Chris Chew North Mississippi Allstars -Calvin “Skeeter” Brandon Blues/Gospel artist -Steve Kimock Bob Weir, O’teil & Friends -Ann Rabson Sapphire-the Uppity Blueswomen -Chip Shearin “Rapper’s Delight” bassist -Pee Wee Watson PKM ~ Nantucket -Scott McEwen Owner/Engineer: ~Fry Pharmacy Recording Studio, Nashville ~Memphis Magnetic Recording Co. -Dick Hodgin Owner/Engineer: Osceola Recording Studio, Raleigh, NC -Rod Abernethy Award Winning: ~Sound Track Composer ~Folk Singer-Songwriter -among many others. My influences include: Howard Morgen, Andres Segovia, Billy Gibbons, Mississippi John Hurt, Joe Walsh, Col. Bruce Hampton, Doc Watson, Carter Stanley, Johnny Smith, Pat Martino, The Allman Brothers Band, Jimmy Page, Julio Sagreras, B.B. King, Frank Zappa, Elizabeth Cotten, Mance Lipscomb, Michael Hedges, Stax & Motown Records artists, John McLaughlin, The Brevard Music Center(Where I attended many performances and Benny Goodman’s performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto!), et. al. These varied interests began to make sense, at least to me, when I studied with Howard Morgen(see links page). I am lucky to have engraved two for-print transcriptions(see Transcriptions page) for the fingerstyle jazz guitar icon: -Amazing Grace Just Jazz Guitar Magazine No. 53 November 2007 -Still Crazy After All These Years Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine No. 71 2010 I am also in the eternal/infernal process of writing an original guitar method book.
I have been around the NC music community since the middle 1970’s. Having grown up in Asheville and moving to the ResearchTriangle area for college, I’ve been very lucky to experience a wonderful pot of musical “Stone Soup.” I started out trying to play simple kid’s stuff on guitars that belonged to friends & a cousin. My first lessons were group lessons in the gymnasium of the Weaverville Grammar School in 7th grade. Later I got into playing Rock-n-Roll & Fusion which evolved into Classical music, Soul & Funk, Reggae, Folk, Blues and Jazz. My second teacher was Tim Haden(whom Warren Haynes called “the jazz guy in Asheville.”) My third teacher was Mike Barnes(known for his Christmas Jam appearances with Warren). One of my first jobs was working concession stands at the Asheville Civic Center, where I had many interesting experiences. Ranging from Boots Randolph & Floyd Kramer to Three Dog Night to Toto to Nantucket(opener for REO Speedwagon) and playing high school basketball in there.
Since then I have been working with aspiring guitarists, having taught over 1,000 students privately. I was honored to spend almost a decade at the Community Music School-Raleigh as the guitar teacher and 5 summers as Summer Notes Music Camp Counselor/Director.