He is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer,
musical director and singer-songwriter born in Brooklyn, New York, whose
father was a pianist and organist.He learned the piano while young, the recorder when he was 8 years
old and by the time he was 10 he had moved on to concentrate on the
clarinet, which he would major in at the LaGuardia School of Performing
Arts.Learning how to
accompany songs he was taught how to pick out guitar chords from sheet
music by his father and he would also play bass guitar in several local
bands.Taking further studies
in music education and clarinet, he attended Queens College, New York, and
performed in their jazz ensemble.It wasn't long before his bass playing became noticed and work was
beginning to come in, to the point that he gave up college and ventured out
on a full-time musical career as a session musician and sideman. From 1975 he has worked with David
Sanborn, from 1980 to 1990 he also worked regularly with Miles Davis, with
Luther Vandross from 1981 until his death and with The Jamaica Boys from
1986 to 1990. In the 1990s he
joined up with the Eric Clapton, Steve Gadd, Joe Sample and David Sanborn
in the group Legends and toured many of the European jazz festivals.The artists he has worked with in
the studio either as a musician or producer are far too many to mention but
naming just a few they include Joan Armatrading, Aztec Camera, Celi Bee, Bee
Gees, George Benson, The Brecker Brothers, Tom Browne, Peabo Bryson, Jimmy
Buffett, Mariah Carey, Felix Cavaliere, Stanley Clarke, Linda Clifford,
Natalie Cole, The Crusaders, Brian Culbertson, Paulinho da Costa, Will
Downing, Donald Fagen, Bryan Ferry, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy
Gillespie, Whitney Houston, Billy Idol, Jean-Michel Jarre, Al Jarreau, Dr.
John, Elton John, Michael Johnson, Chaka Khan, Ben E. King, Earl Klugh, Julian
Lennon, Richard Marx, Michael McDonald, Meco, Stephanie Mills, Melba Moore,
Odyssey, Claus Ogerman, Teddy Pendergrass, Boz Scaggs, Scritti Politti, Ben
Sidran, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Simple Minds, Frank Sinatra, The Spinners,
Spyro Gyra, Sunfire, The Temptations, Stanley Turrentine, Dionne Warwick,
Was (Not Was), Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers. With his own band and as a solo
artist he has recorded many albums from 1983, which include Suddenly,
Tales, Silver Rain, Free, Friends and the "Best Contemporary Jazz"
Grammy Award winner, M2.In the world of television he not only continued to perform but was
also the musical director for the Sunday Night Band for NBC for two
seasons.He also composed the
music for the series Everybody Hates Chris and the movies Boomerang,
The Brothers, Deliver Us from Eva, House Party, The 6th Man
and School Daze.His signature
jazz bass has now been produced and sold by Fender in 4 and 5 string
versions.
