Introduction to me. Part 1

Hi friends, I hope this finds you well.

I thought it would be a good idea to start writing a Blog - as a lot has been going on lately. I have been lazy or found too many excuses to update my website in the past but after a few people telling me I should write a journal, I decided to start writing this Blog, get a new website and get things off my chest at the same time. I will be updating this Blog regularly so keep posted.

I will start by trying to update you on all that I have been up to and where I am now.

I have to say thanks to the amazing Pati Gaitan for building my new site and generally encouraging and supporting my career. This business I am in can get really hard, discouraging and exhausting, so to have someone believe in you really keeps the show on the road. 

I have spent a lot of the last few months on the road with the amazing Indian Electronica Tabla player/drummer Karsh Kale, which has been a dream gig for me; it has fused all the elements that I have loved in music since it all began - I have loved Indian music since I was a child, through my connection with the great guitarist John McLaughlin.

While growing up in Newcastle (England), I wasn't involved in bass playing at all but I was more into being a DJ and playing dance music. I started playing the bass after I was involved in a horrific car accident which left me with a broken back; I was given a bass guitar while recovering, it was a gift to help me get over my intense depression and anxiety. I quickly became obsessed, the more time I spent practicing the less time I had to dwell on my present state and future. It became pretty obvious pretty quickly to my family that this was becoming more than a hobby but indeed a way of life.

My father had suggested that I contact my uncle John McLaughlin to ask his advice on the next steps; John has been an amazing and supportive mentor to not just my music but my life in general and has taken me under his wing. The first time I watched him on the road was with his Organ Trio featuring the incredible Joey Defrancesco and Dennis Chambers, it just seemed like the coolest lifestyle and still is today even though it's full of challenges and lack of sleep. When I first saw John with Shakti my mind was completely blown away, I was watching them rehearse in sound check the most complicated but yet beautiful and healing music, the way they communicated with each other, with love and trust, was something I had never seen before. During the show I remember feeling nervous, like a feeling that everything was about to change and pretty quickly, after that, it did. I think the reason that this music speaks to me so much is because of the spiritual nature of it, I mean the reason I started in the first place was a way for me to heal, After that show I said to John, I want to be a musician and travel like you but, am I to old? He looked me dead in the eye and said, ‘you have time, but you need to go to America, in fact you need to go to Berklee College of Music in Boston and eat sleep and drink music’. Within the next 6-8 months I found myself in another country, living another life completely.

I remember my first ensemble class was a nightmare and huge reality check to where I was musically and physically. The teacher suggested we play a blues piece to get familiar with each other, she counted it off and everyone started playing but me. I had no idea what a blues was or what to play. It was very embarrassing to say the least. The guitarist said "why don't you let me play bass and you just watch and learn" I think it was one of the worst feelings in my life. I basically went back to my room and wrote out the most intense practice schedule trying to organize my time around my classes so I could basically try and catch up.

Whilst studying at the Berklee, I got really into Jazz music and totally abandoned the DJ lifestyle. I quickly got absorbed in learning and practicing all things Jazz and if I'm honest, I can say that I became a bit of a jazz snob, disregarding all other music that actually inspired and moved me growing up. As I became more confident in myself musically and spiritually, I realized the error of my ways and started looking for my place in music...Part 2 coming soon...