I was 8 years old and standing in front of a family friend's bass amp. The vinyl padded Kustom amp was bigger than me. My friend hit the low E string and my body shook like Jello. I was hooked! That was what I wanted to play: The Bass!

The Beginning
My first professional playing experience came when I was sixteen. A friend had a concept for a group, "Black and White." We would play George Duke, James Taylor, EWF, Steely Dan, Pop and R&B. Jazzy stuff.

Early Influences
The R&B influence was strong in my neighborhood. Earth, Wind & Fire. Parliament / Funkadelic, New Birth, The Barkays, The Emotions, The Dazz Band, Brick, Confunkshun, Slave, The Reddings, Midnight Starr, Tina Marie, Patti Austin, Ohio Players, Average White Band, Atlantic Starr, Peabo Bryson, Robbie Robbins, Bobby Caldwell and many more.

Single most influential album 
"I Heard That!"  Quincy Jones

Favorite Groups
Return To Forever
Earth, Wind, and Fire

Favorite Bassists (in no particular order)
Chuck Rainey, Marcus Miller,  Larry Graham, Louis Johnson, Bootsy, James Jamerson, Byron Miller (George Duke), Neil Orsted-Pederson, Tony Dumas, Anthony Jackson, Abraham Laboriel, Ron Carter, Stanley, Jaco, Lincoln Goines, Victor Bailey, Victor Wooton, Ray Brown, John Pattituci and more!

Favorite Keyboardists
Joe Sample, George Duke, Rodney Franklin, Kenny Drew, Bobby Enriques, Jorge Dalto, Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Jeff Lorber, Greg Phillingaines, Bob James, Bobby Lyle, Billy Childs, Kenny Kirkland and many others!

Favorite Drummers
Steve Gadd, Harvey Mason, Lenny White, Billy Cobham. Omar Hakim, Dave Weckl, Robby Ameen, Dennis Chambers, Trilok Gurtu, Vinnie Coliuta and more!

Favorite Guitarists
Earl Klugh, George Benson, Joe Pass, Jonathon Butler, Paul Jackson, Jr., Norman Brown, Al Mckay, Ray Parker, Robbin Ford, Eric Clapton, Andre Segovia, Chet Atkins and so many more!

Horn Players
David Sanborn, Grover Washington, Jr.,Gerald Albright, Najee, Kirk Whalum, John Coltrane (of course), Tom Browne, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Ernie Watts, Marion Meadows, Miles Davis, Paquito DiRivera, Dave Valentine, Ronnie Laws, The Brecker Brothers, Charlie Parker, and many, many others!