First off, I'm an upright and electric player. Not just a jazz/classical bassist. I can and do do it all!

I started playing bass when I was 10 years old, but didn't acquire my first instrument until I was 12. I played in a make believe garage band that performed U2 songs with handcut wood instruments strung up with white string. The band members all started to bug their parents to get them their own instruments, but my parents had already provided me with a trombone. I ended up being thrown out of the U2 cover band at age 11 because another boy in the area had a real bass guitar.

From that point on, I was determined to become an outstanding bassist so that the guys next door would regret throwing me out of the band.

While waiting to be asked back into the band, I fell in love with the 4-string electric bass. Everyday after school, I'd come home and listen to the red hot chili peppers, the minutemen, operation ivy, the beatles, the rolling stones, bow wow wow and the smiths. I played alone in my house until I was 18 and was asked to join my first band The ambiguous "they".

Around 15, I approached the orchestra teacher at school and asked him if I could play the contrabass in the orchestra. He laughed and told me "If you can teach yourself the bassoon in one summer, you can pick up the string bass in your sleep!"

That summer in 1995, I worked hard at improving my classical skills on the upright bass. My teacher, Patrick Jackson, had me audition for the local St. Louis Community Youth Orchestra after 3 months of lessons and somehow I ended up as the principal bassist. The next year in the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, I was assistant principal bassist.

At this point, I knew bass would be my instrument.

I went to Webster University in St. Louis and studied jazz. I had never listened to or even thought about playing jazz until I met the faculty at Webster U. They pulled me from the classical department and told me to focus on improvisation. Which really brings me to where I am now.

 

I play musicman basses, fretted and fretless.

I have a 1940's german upright bass

I use phil jones bass amps, d'addario flat wounds and a hybrid string set on my upright.