Bassist, Guitarist & Producer

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I'm quite proud of my contributions to Alison Pipitone Band's record "Big Wide World". I played bass, wrote my parts, and contributed to the arrangements. I put a lot of thought into all of those aspects, and also deliberately chose instruments and amplifiers to suit the songs best. Then tracked all my parts in a day, live with a few punches.


Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm working on getting better at writing, singing and self-producing with an eye on the sync market. Doing as many co-writes and productions as possible. Building my catalog and finding long-term collaborators.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Kyle Weirzba is an awesome producer I've worked with - gets really great analog sounds and a super cool guy.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: ooof... Digital. I love the sound of analog, and have had really great playback systems with vinyl, tube amps and massive horn speakers. There's something to it. But the amazing sounds that can be created with digital, and the speed and ease with which we can create them, is simply transcendent. I love it.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: Authenticity, honesty and integrity. Effective communication and their satisfaction with the results.


Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I just love collaborating and the joy of creating something that has the ability to move bodies, hearts and souls.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: This is a new platform for me - ask me your question and find out!

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That you can't make money at it unless you're famous.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: * A: Approach the process with specific intentions, and an openness to what comes as a result of collaboration.
 I like to know about reference sounds and vibes. If there's a reference track for the whole song, great! Or if there's a performance on an unrelated song that inspires you, let me know! Often, that's more helpful than a thousand words and 8 emails. And when do you need it? I like to deliver a track so if a revision is desired, we have time to make adjustments.


Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Approach the process with specific intentions, and an openness to what comes as a result of collaboration.


Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: G&L L1000 bass Ampeg B15 Heritage H140 (sits between a Les Paul and an SG) Fender Deluxe Reverb A nice vintage drum kit, like some 40's Slingerland Radio Kings

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I started out with a University training in the mid-90s, playing string bass with a bow in an orchestra, and living and breathing jazz outside of class. I was too afraid to move to a major market to try to make a living with music, so I learned how to survive doing work I didn't love. I always kept playing and listening deeply to music, and my ears and taste have been developing the whole time. I got serious about putting myself in better musical situations around 2005 and joined a great original band in 2008 - The Alison Pipitone Band, based in Buffalo, NY. Check her out - she's been writing great songs for a long time. Life took some twists and turns and I left after about 5 years, many shows and one record (it's prominent in my demo reel here). I also co-founded Black Rock Zydeco as a singer and guitarist in that time frame. I left town and started over in a small central NY town, taking a couple years to get my legs under me, figure out how to roast amazing coffee and run a business. In the process I rediscovered the joy of creativity. After a while I returned to the Buffalo area and rejoined my old zydeco band and have been moving toward my desire of making music full-time since. Covid kinda gave me a nudge, and I'm sure not alone in that.


Q: How would you describe your style?

A: In the pocket. Versatile. Authentic. Musical. Soulful.


Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: I'd like to work with Jason Isbell. I think he's writing some of the very best songs today, and that's what I'd like to learn about the most.
 Plus it would scare the s*** out of me, and I learn the most from doing scary things.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The most helpful thing for me has been to understand how sound behaves in the air, in a space. This translates into a core understanding of how to use compression and time based effects. It's important in knowing how to get sounds that represent a recorded but faithful version of an instrument or vocal, and equally important in taking that and twisting it into something new.


Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I play in a Zydeco band, at least when we're not in the middle of a global pandemic... That's a ton of fun and takes care of my groove jones. I also fill in quite a bit for live work - this is exhilarating stuff, and I've met so many great drummers at soundcheck. I met Beyonce's current drummer at a soundcheck for a reggae gig at a winery... But most of the studio work I get is in the singer/songwriter bag. And I love it.


Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Knowing when to stop. With the technology at our disposal, it's easy to keep tweaking and beating the art and musicality out of a song. It's important to have a sense of when it's done.


Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring a perspective and sense of appropriateness that has taken years to develop. Sometimes no notes or one note are what's called for. Anyone COULD do that, but how many WOULD? Commitment. Whether it's busy, dense playing, or simple grooves, I'm not satisfied until you are.


Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to have the track the day before I start writing or recording. I'll listen and ask for direction if anything's unclear about what the client wants. If charts are available that's great too - it makes my work more efficient. Nashville style or fully notated, whatever you've got. Once I'm in the DAW, I'll typically take 1 or 2 "gut passes", then start shaping the part to work musically with the song. I am happy to provide dry stems, but most often clients are happiest with the light compression and amp tones I provide, so only minor sweetening to fit the final mix is necessary.


Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I track into Logic, using an Apollo Twin X. Acoustics and vocals get captured using a Neumann TLM107 (not super common, but check it out), Shure SM7B, AKG C535EB pair, and various other mics for color, including ribbons and other vintage dynamics. I monitor with Beyerdynamic DT770pro 250 ohm cans, and Focal Alpha 65. I mainly program soft instruments in the box, but also have an Akai MPKmini. I tend to go after and achieve tube/tape/analog sounds. UAD plugins are great for this. I usually mix into Oxide tape emulation and Ozone.


Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Daniel Lanois has been a favorite producer since I heard "For the Beauty of Wynona" in '93. From there I went back and discovered his important earlier work with Peter Gabriel, U2, Dylan, Willie and Emmy Lou. There's so many great producers and engineers, though. Jaco broke my brain when I was young; his contributions to Joni Mitchell's late 70's - early 80's records truly reset the standards for creative collaboration by a bassist, but I don't try to emulate his playing style. I love Aston Barrett's and Robbie Shakespeare's playing and tone when reggae was breaking new ground. So many greats like Chuck Rainey, Leland Sklar, Sting, Adam Clayton...


Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I'm best known as a bass player, so that's the type of calls I get most often. Lots of work with singer/songwriters who need me to write and perform a musical part that helps their tune take shape from a guitar/vocal.