Musical Education;
Three years rudimental and jazz drum lessons with Carl Wolf, Bloomfield, NJ.

Formal Education;
Bachelor of Arts, Major in Journalism/English, Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Virginia.

Primary Instruments;
Drumset and hand percussion.

Secondary Instruments;
Electric and acoustic guitar, blues harp, bass, Native American flute, mountain dulcimer.

Playing styles;
Rock, Blues, Swing, Jazz, R&B, Funk, Country, Big Band, Pop, Standards, Orchestral.

Experience;
1967-69; Bloomfield High School marching band, concert band, orchestra, jazz band, wind ensemble, percussion ensemble; Assistant Section Leader, 1968-69.

1968-77; Several working rock bands, New Jersey and Virginia.

1979-84; Stranger, working rock band, NJ/NY club circuit.

1984-86; Solid State, working rock band, NJ club circuit.

1986-98; The Roosters, popular, trend-setting roots rock/blues band., NJ/NY/PA club circuit. Regionally released recordings. Extensive freelance live and recording work.

1999-02; Fly By Nite, popular classic rock original/cover band.

2002-Present; The Kootz and The Wheels, freelance with Fly By Nite
and others as time allows

Freelance:
Son Lewis band, Vince Converse, Jimmy Vivino, Johnny Charles, Midnight Street Shakers, Russell/Clemens Band, Christopher Dean Band, Tyler Hayes Band, Bill Turner & Blue Smoke, A Train Blues Band, Sharp Edge, Glenn Nahass Orchestra, Stardust Orchestra, Tom Barth, Jon Paris, Michael Hill, Magic Red & The Voodoo Tribe, Roadside Louie & The Dusters, Exact Change, Sauce, Geno Delafose & French Rockin’Boogie, Katalyst.

Personal Strengths:
Over thirty years professional experience; Very solid, aggressive timekeeper; Ability to
play most styles of music with taste and authority; Positive, cooperative attitude; Competent music reading ability; Reliable, punctual, drug and alcohol free; Neat appearance; Recording experience with click tracks and electronic percussion; Background vocals.

Career Highlights;
Played with members of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue, including Mick Ronson,
T-Bone Burnette, Rob Stoner, Cindy Bullens, Steven Soles, Bob Neuwirth, and Ramblin Jack Elliot, 1976.

Played in Nashville with session greats, Curley Chaulker, Jeff Newman, 1981. .

Performed with jazz clarinetist Sol Yaged, 1994.

Played with The Yardbirds, Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame members, 1997.

Performed with guitarist Jimmy Vivino (Conan O’Brien Show), 1998.

Music Columnist & Editor, The Aquarian Newspaper, 1974-82.

Author of the book “Great Rock Drummers Of The Sixties,” published by Hal Leonard, 1990. Now recognized as the standard on rock drumming history.

Chosen to participate in the Pro-Mark Not Yet Famous advertising campaign, with full page ads in Modern Drummer and other music magazines, 1995.

Team Member, Project X, Pro-Mark; Field-testing of new products, 1996/97.

Contributing columnist and writer for Modern Drummer, Blues Revue, Blues Access, No Depression, Vintage Guitar, Blues Matters!, Blue Suede News magazines, and numerous other magazines, newspapers, and websites, including Drumweb.com, 1984-present.

Associate Editor, Skylands Blues News, 1996 to 1999.

Artist Endorsements; DW Drums and accessories; Pro-Mark drumsticks; Evans drumheads; Istanbul Agop cymbals.

Release of CD, Standing Room Only, two cuts with Son Lewis Band, 1999;

President, Straight Eight Media, public relations and promotions business, 2001.

Equipment;
Drumsets by DW, Slingerland, Ludwig and Leedy; DW, Slingerland, Ludwig, Gretsch, Leedy, and Radio King snare drums; Paiste, Sabian, Meinl, UFIP, Istanbul Agop and Istanbul Mehmet, Wuhan and vintage Zildjian cymbals; Roland TR-505 digital drum machine; Various hand percussion; Gibson, Fender, Guild, and Danelectro guitars; Vega tenor banjo; Marshall and Ampeg amplifiers; Jim Goode mountain dulcimer; Bear Creek Native American flute; Hohner harmonicas; Peavey 300 watt 8-channel board and monitors; Shure SM-57, SM-58 and AKG microphones.