"I've been playing yamaha drums for 25 years and have had several kits. My maple customs were on the road with Hall & Oates for 12 years and I never had a problem. They're incredibly solid drums, they always tune up great and the sound guys love 'em. Currently I'm using the Absolute Birch Noveau. Punchy and ballsy, They have a wonderful brightness and projection. Their hardware is the best, well designed and practical. I've been to the factory in Japan and have seen the integrity and pride that goes into these drums. I'm proud to be part of the yamaha family."
From the wide open spaces of Jersey, I started playing drums at the tender age of ten. After banging on pots and pans for a couple of years, my parents decided it was time for a drum pad and some lessons. Seven years of study followed with some solid teachers, including Jim Chapin, Tony Williams, Sonny Igoe and Norman Grossman.
Throughout the seventies, I did my share of demos, and playing with local rock bands. After a hitch at Berklee College of Music in Boston, I landed back in New York ready to start my career.
In 1976, I got my first bonafide shot – an album with Elliot Murphy. Sitting in on those sessions were a handful of heavies including Billy Joel, Richard Davis, and Ralph Schuckett. It was a heady initiation into the professional session world. Since that time, I've had the good fortune to work with many great artists, such as Carly Simon, Grahm Parker, Peter Frampton, John Wait, Rick Wakeman, Peter Allen, Michael Bolton, John Sebastian, Phoebe Snow, Leon Redbone, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddly, Tom Rush.
From 1990 on, the mainstay of my professional career has been playing drums for Hall and Oates. This gig has taken me all over the world, and more importantly, provided me with an opportunity to work with a stellar band, backing up two of the most prolific songwriters of our generation.
