It was shortly after I arrived to the United States at 15 that I began to teach myself to play electric bass using an instrument and amp I rented from my friend’s brother. In Fredonia I immersed myself in recording ... and painting!

Volunteering at WCVF-FM, the college radio station, under Dan Berggren’s tutelage, I was granted almost unfettered access to the radio recording studios, which had just been remodeled to include a 1/2” OTARI 8-track reel-to-reel tape recorder. At home, I would record whatever I could on my walkman, manipulating the sounds on my cassette 4-track. I dove into the cassette DIY subculture, and began a collaborative process with these audio manglers through a New York State grant, producing a series of experimental radio shows titled “Playing It By Ear.”

My first serious band was Quintet, an improvisational progressive rock ensemble featuring vibraphonist Mike Kline. Here’s one of our 1994 performances at the Buffalo Arts Studio, where I had my painting studio for a number of years:*

                             

             Quintet Live at BAS (1994) - Set 1           Quintet Live at BAS (1994) - Set 2

  

1. *PLEASE NOTE: QUICKTIME PLUG-IN NEEDED FOR THE GRAYBAR UNDERNEATH THE PICTURES TO TURN INTO A MUSIC PLAYER. On a Mac, you will find the Quicktime plug-in in Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Disabled Plug-Ins, then move it out of the disabled folder.
   

                          

We had a monthly residency at The Screening Room in Amherst, NY where we would improvise the soundtrack to a silent movie. Because of this commitment, the band voted against a last minute cancellation to accommodate a long-running local arts organization’s request to perform at their yearly themed event, despite the threats and bullying. Although we had been asked in advance to participate, they were unable to provide a projection system for the event.

Here are recordings of some of our live performances:

                        ° The Phantom of the Opera

                        ° The Hunchback of Notre Dame

                        ° Nosferatu

                        ° Metropolis - featuring David Kane of Them Jazzbeards on Theremin! The late Ted Reinhardt would also sit-in with us playing the Chapman Stick, a departure from his usual drum kit.