I play the acoustic bass and piano during my extensive spare time. My main areas are blues and jazz. I'm now playing bass in the Cincinnati Dancing Pigs. We are a bunch of wild and crazy guys, a Jug Band. We play the 1st Saturday of every month at Arnold's. Note the Pig theme to my music. Cincinnati is well known for its pigs. Here is a photo of the current cast of characters. For more info on the Jug Band phenomenon sweeping America, go Here.

During the years 1997-9 I played with the Mary Ann Kindel Blues band.

I would like to pay tribute to John Arcady, a gentle and intelligent soul, an excellent drummer in the Mary Ann Kindel blues band, and a taxi driver. He was killed in a senseless act of gun violence on September 27, 1999, while driving his cab.

The name of this computer is after one of the great American blues singers, Bessie Smith. Another one in the group is named after T Bone Walker, a blues guitarist/singer from the 40s to the 60s who was one of the first electric guitar players. He strongly influenced all subsequent blues and rock performers.

I had the good fortune to play for two years with Pigmeat Jarrett, a local Cincinnati blues legend (piano/vocals). Pigmeat's brand of blues was a combination of boogie and story telling blues. He had an amazingly strong playing style for a man his age, and a very soulful voice. You knew you were in the presence of the `real deal' the moment you heard him play and sing. His first professional gig was in 1919. Pigmeat, Jay Miller (harmonica/guitar), and I (string bass) played at the 1992 Chicago Blues Festival. Pigmeat got a standing ovation. A very exciting day!! He was a wonderful man, a great blues performer, and he died on 9/5/95 at the age of 95. He is sorely missed by us all, but is likely entertaining in some other realm.

Go to the website Pigmeat if you want to hear a short clip of his playing (RealPlayer is needed for this) and get a little more information on his life.

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