Frequently Asked Questions How long have you been playing the drums? I have been playing the drums for about 15 years. I have been a pro for 12 years. Although I did spend many hours in the practice room at home and in college, when I first started I was all about playing in bands, and I began doing so right away, even though I could hardly play. HAHA! How do I go about getting gigs as a freelance musician? Well, first be sure you have the right tools, and then go out, network, set-up some jam sessions, and let yourself get known. After that hopefully you'll get some calls for gigs and it'll keep building from there. Who is your favorite drummer? I actually have many favorites. I can't just pick one. Some of my favorites are Elvin Jones, Steve Gadd, Tony Williams, Jack Dejohnette, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Buddy Rich, Earl Palmer, Ringo Starr, Levon Helm, John Bonham, Jim Keltner, Ndugu Chancelor, Clyde Stubblefield, Vinnie Colaiuta, Horacio Hernandez, Portino, Jeff"Tain" Watts, Amir Thompson, Prince, Jeff Porcaro, Jerry and Rick Marotta, and so many more. What kind of ride cymbal is that? I get asked this a lot on jazz gigs. My main ride is a 22" HH Jazz Ride by Sabian. It's a great old sounding and trashy cymbal that can also cut through the biggest of bands. For more gear info check out my gear page. Who did you study with? Well, my very first drum teachers name was John LaMattina from Long Island N.Y. I then moved on to Dom Famularo for a few lessons, and later went to The Drummers Collective to study a bit with Brad Flickinger and Marvin "Smitty" Smith. I also took lessons with the great Tommy Campbell. When I was in L.A I took some lessons with Ralph Humphrey and Casey Scheurell, and at Berklee I studied with Ron Savage, and Jamey Haddad. I never really stuck with any teacher for too long. For me that seemed to work. I would get a taste of their style and vibe and throw it into my bag of tricks and move on. I must admit though, I was very lucky to have such top players teaching me about music and the drums. I can really appreciate that now, and I thank my parents for their support through that period. Do you teach? Yes I do take on some students. There's info in the lessons section. What's in your electronics rack? That rack is top secret. If you really want know just go to the gear section. ;-) Who are your favorite bassists to work with? And what do you look for in a bassist? This answer is way too long to list. Every bassist that I work with often in NYC is great. I've been very lucky. For me the first two elements are groove and confidence. By confidence I mean, I don't enjoy bassists who try to anticipate where the drummer will put the next beat. I like them to just play and do their thing. If they are thinking about what I'm doing, then the groove becomes too cerebral, and unsteady for me. The third and fourth elements are note choice and musicality. Do they come up with the right part, and are they notey on their fills, or tasty. I think there's a time and a place for both depending on the music. Luckily 99% of the time the bassists I play with are really great players. What's it like playing with The Manhattan Transfer and some of the many other profile artists you deal with? Again, I've been very lucky and have never really had any negative experiences. Everyone I work with plays great and is very respectful to me. For me The Manhattan Transfer is a cool gig because stylistically, the repetoire is all over the map. Old style rock shuffles, latin, big band and small group swing, pop etc.. The guys in the band are not only great players, but they are great people. The M.D is Yaron Gershovsky (piano) who has played with Wayne Shorter, Pharoe Sanders, and is also a top session arranger and keyboardist on the NYC scene. They also have Richie Goods on bass who's on Alicia Keys last CD and plays with Mulgrew Miller and Russell Malone. Then we have L.A session veterans Wayne Johnson on guitar, and Larry Klimas on sax. It's a fun band. And of course the singers, Janis, Cheryl, Tim and Alan, are not only great people but they are pretty much the creators of this group vocalese sound that many have tried to copy over the years. How many hats do you own and what's underneath? Are you really interested in that? HAHAHA! Ok, I don't know how many. I do know that I need a bigger house just for my lids! Ever since I shaved my head I've been collecting various lids from around the world.