I played in the jazz band in high school, learned how to play a couple of standards, and owned a Thelonious Monk tape. But I didn\’t really start loving jazz until my 1st day of college. My mom purchased Miles Smiles as a going away present for me. I listened to that tape incessantly my whole freshman year. I took some jazz theory classes, played in some combos, and took a couple of semesters of private jazz piano lessons, much to the chagrin of my classical teacher. I started listening to Horace Silver: I was at first unimpressed with the simplicity of his ideas, but now strive for that simplicity and clarity in all of my playing. I started backing up jazz vocalists, and realized that all of the music-reading ability in the world cannot take the place of listening. I transcribed some Herbie Hancock solos, and became amazed at his mastery of all different styles. I hosted a jazz jam for 9 years, and experienced the ups and downs of playing with up to 25 different musicians in the same night. I gained enough confidence to record my own jazz record. Now I try to take all of my experiences and create music that I can be proud of each and every time I get on stage.
