I am a multi-instrumentalist, performing and teaching professionally on trombone, piano, voice, and large gong, among other instruments. Here is a brief description and audio samples of a few of these instruments.
TROMBONE— My mainstay. I play trombone and bass trombone in jazz, classical, blues and Eastern European styles, from ancient to modern. I have had great teachers- these include Bernard Schneider and Mel Jernigan of the St. Louis Symphony, and jazz wizard Phil Wilson of the Berklee School in Boston.
"Caravan" from CD Music for Events Sampler
PIANO— John Barzin at St. Louis Inst. of Music in 1967 was the one who really got me fired up on piano basics and the classics. I am mostly self taught and have a style/sound that some compare to Keith Jarrett and at other times to Theolonius Monk. I love lush,13th chords and listening to swinging players like Tommy Flanigan and Brubeck.
"Kiss the Earth" from CD Kairos/Krono
DIDJERIDU— Didjeridu is the voice of creation, the hum of the Earth, Aboriginal Australian "great ancestor" of the trombone- a simple hollow log capable of astounding simultaneous harmonics and rhythms. David Blanasi, from Arnhem Land, Northern Territory showed me the "old man" style of didjeridu playing in 1999.
"Sumi Cedar Spirit" from CD Kairos/Kronos
VOICE— Jazz and blues! I also studied North Indian Raga with Terry Riley for 12 years. He's an accomplished singer and a fine teacher. Raga is one of the mother cultures of music on this planet. To me, the voice is the key to all rhythm, melody and harmony.
"Come Rain or Come Shine" from CD Music for Events Sampler
GONG— The gong I use for ceremony and performance is a special design made by the Paiste company in Switzerland. It is large, 36" in diameter, and has an unusually long sustained tone due to it's nickel and silver composition. It is their "Earth/Sun" gong from the Planet Series, and is capable of producing the softest chime tones up to a roar I call the "sound of complete unknowing". Imagine ten grand pianos all rolled into one disc!
"Kairos" from CD Kairos/Kronos
MODIFIED AUTOHARP— Really a table harp, I will tune it in archaic scales such as Pythagoros did, to experience the sounds of what are called "just intonation". You could call this a time machine.
"Clue from a Broken Vase" from CD Music of My Life
CONCH AND COW HORN— Both are powerful ceremonial instruments which I play in order to set the space, from weddings to Spring Equinox gatherings - "Telephones of the Gods".
Conch played by Gary Snyder from CD "Mountains and Rivers Without End."
