When I was very young, I began picking out tunes and learning notes on the piano. In my early teens, I did the same with guitar and continued to learn new instruments whenever possible. Officially, I played the trombone throughout school, and still do when appropriate.
A pharmacist by trade, I spend much of my off time writing, recording, and performing with several musicians of varying styles in and around Chicago.
I hadn’t knowingly listened to the music of Bruce Hornsby until 1999. After being intrigued by his approach to songwriting in Paul Zollo’s book Songwriters On Songwriting, I picked up Spirit Trail (a specially priced 2 CD set) and subsequently discovered his catalog(ue) in reverse chronological order. I’m proud to be one of the few whose first appreciation of Bruce Hornsby did not include The Range.
Initially, I thought it would be interesting to record “Funhouse” in a darker, more sinister mood. I think I had Tom Waits in mind. Although that concept evolved over time, my ultimate goal was to take the song somewhere new, which hopefully the listener will appreciate.