Bio

I first found a love for music when I attended San Rafael High School, under the direction of Mark Peabody. While at San Rafael, I took private sax lessons from Bay Area Musician, Marcia Miget. Marcia was, and continues to be now, a huge inspiration in my musical life. Marcia, as well as Mark, introduced me to music and passed on much of their knowledge to me. I fed off of their passion for music, and fell in love with the art form. I consider them both mentors, friends and excellent ambassadors of the arts.

After graduating from San Rafael High School in 2001, I accepted a music scholarship to attend Sonoma State University, under the direction of the late Mel Graves. Mel was head of the Jazz program, and ended up becoming another great inspirational mentor for me, throughout my musical journey. While at Sonoma State, I was privileged to learn under many excellent performers and educators such as: Mel Graves, Randy Vincent, George Marsh, Harvey Wainapel, Jeff Pittson, Charlie McCarthy, Kendrick Freeman, and Pete Estabrook, to name a few. During my junior year, I decided to add a Music Education degree to my current load of Jazz Studies. For the next few years, I worked hard toward degrees in both Jazz Studies and Music Education as well as a Single Subject Teaching Credential. That same year I met my future wife Christine, who just so happened to be a musician studying to become a teacher as well. I graduated, as well as got married in 2006 from Sonoma State University as a Distinguished Jazz Musician Graduate. I owe all of my success to Marcia, Mark and Mel. They have been my guides on this journey that I continue to travel today.

After graduating from Sonoma State University in 2006, I accepted a teaching position at Hall Middle School in Larkspur, CA and have been teaching their ever since. In both 2008 and 2011, my wife gave birth to our beautiful daughters Gianna and Eva, who have music in their blood. I really enjoy the challenge of instilling my passion for music into my students, similar to how Marcia, Mark and Mel instilled it in me. In 2006, I also began performing music professionally, and have been playing Jazz throughout the Bay Area ever since. Performing is my number one passion and I love to share my music with everyone.

Instrument Setup

• Alto: 157,xxx Selmer Mark VI Sax, 10mfan Showboat 7 mouthpiece and Boston Sax Shop 2 and 1/2 reeds

• Tenor: 76,xxx Selmer Mark VI Sax, 10mfan Ultem Robusto 7** mouthpiece and Boston Sax Shop 2 and 1/2 reeds

Backup horn: 159,xxx Selmer Mark VI

Musicians I’ve performed with

Piano

• Jake Smolowe, Adam Shulman, Ken Cook, Noam Lemish, Casey Cameron, Max Perkoff, Jimi Mitchell, Greg Schlaepfer, Malcolm Campbell and Jon Herbst

Bass

• Mel Graves, Doug Miller, Jason Carr, Chris Amberger, Scott Pingel, Adam Gay, Fred Randolph, Piro Patton, Blake Richardson, Kellen Harrison, Daniel Fusco, Rob Fordyce, Giovanni Benedetti, Miles Wick, Ian Dickenson, Dartanyan Brown, Mark Peabody, Dan Feiszli, Eric Vogler, Noah Schenker, Doug Lee, Andrew Emer, Ollie Dudek and Ken Lenga

Drums

• Harold Jones, Jaimeo Brown, Niels Myrner, Alex Aspinall, Bryan Bowman, Alan U’Ren, Erik Von Buchau, Billy Johnson, Sly Randolph, Mark Bernfield, Omar Aran, Rick Rivera and Chris Gamper

Guitar

• Carl Lockett, Matthew Heulitt, Ben Zeff, Erik Lindquist, Perry Smith, Ken Husbands, Sanford Barnett and Cody Anderson

Sax

• Marcia Miget, Noel Jewkes, Jim Rothermel, Charlie McCarthy, Matt Rothstein, Robby Marshall, Joe Cohen, Mike Bello and Shawkie Roth

Trumpet

• Doug Morton, Garrett Michaelsen, Pete Estabrook, Todd Grady, and Daniel Radhakrishna

Percussion

• John Santos and Jose Rios

Vibes

• Tyler Blanton

Bands

• Harold Jones and the Bossmen and The Starduster Orchestra

As well as many others.

Musical Heroes

• Kenny Garrett, Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Maceo Parker, Michael Brecker, Joshua Redman, Horace Silver, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Brad Mehldau, Hiromi, Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny, Cedar Walton, Joe Henderson, Charles Mingus, Wes Montgomery, Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner and Clifford Brown, Ahmad Jamal, to name a few.

Musicians I’ve seen live

• Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau, Larry Grenadier, Jeff Ballard, Mark Guiliana, Kenny Garrett, Michael Brecker, Roy Hargrove, Charlie Haden, Cedar Walton, Joshua Redman, Oscar Peterson, Joe Lovano, McCoy Tyner, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Brian Blade, Hermeto Pascoal, John Pattitucci, Joey Calderazzo, Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Wayne Shorter, Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, Eric Revis, Ahmad Jamal, Pharaoh Sanders, Ornette Coleman, Lewis Nash, Danilo Perez, Pete Escovedo, Mel Martin, Marcia Miget, Etta James, Vincent Herring, Carla Bley, Billy Drummond, Steve Swallow, Joey Alexander, Andy Sheppard, Mimi Fox, Bill Watrous, Kenny Werner, Herlin Riley, Bobby Shew, Carl Allen, Mose Allison, Mel Graves, George Marsh, Randy Vincent, Ulf Wakenius, Anthony Brown’s Asian American Jazz Orchestra (Masaru Koga, Wayne Wallace, Kenneth Nash, Glean Peason, Geechi Taylor, Steve Oda), to name just a few.