I started playing guitar when I was about 10 years old. My first time playing in public was at a high school gong show during a French Club event. Tragically, I got gonged and it scared me pretty badly. It set me back, but I didn't let it defeat me. My musical aspirations weren't revived until my childhood best friend, Rudy, returned from his relocation to California and started teaching me all the Neil Young songs he'd learned. We would jam together for hours & hours, teaching ourselves harmonies and working out songs together. Upon my returning back to the area from college in early 1992, Rudy and I decided to start playing-out and the Flatops were born.
The Flatops played a lot of gigsin the early 90's. You could catch us every single week at the Wooden Nickel in Bath, NY for book drawing night. We played a lot at Wilkie's in Hammondsport, the Hotel McDonnell and even some gigs at the VA Center; and who can forget the Leaky Roof! It was when I moved away to Rhode Island that the Flatops ended their run. But, to this day, when Rudy and I get together, we can really make some music!
When I moved back to the area in 2001, after living in Rhode Island for a few years and eventually the Albany area for about six years, I became friends with Mike Maloney who owned Maloney's Pub in Hammondsport. He hired me to host the open mic night every week. This I did quite happily for a long time. Every week, my friend Sean Case would come and play hand drums and soon we found ourselves joined by a great picker named Mac Seago. Somebody said that we should start a band and, just like that, the Keuka Katz were born. Shortly thereafter Mac would commit to playing in his cousin's band and the Keuka Katz became a duo. Ace and I played together through thick and thin for fourteen years as the Keuka Katz. We could tell you stories for days of our exploits. However, in October of 2015, Ace retired from regular gigging in the Keuka Katz and I have decided to go solo. I am sure that there will be Keuka Katz reunion gigs through the years.
Playing solo has taught me a few lessons about self-confidence and humility that I can't (or won't) go into here, but I am enjoying it very much. I went out and invested in a new smaller PA unit, a Fishman SA22o, also known as a "fish stick". This smaller PA keeps me from having to drag my big PA equipment to the solo gigs.
I am looking forward to the future as a new solo performer. I hope that if you're here trying to decide if you should hire me or not that you'll take a chance. I play my heart out, every gig!
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