Acknowledgements • Special Thanks
I’m beyond grateful for the many folks who’ve been part of my musical journey, some of whom are gone, but far from forgotten.
FreeWheel – My first band, high school friends who went on to study at Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory of Music: John Litwin (vibraphone & percussion); Chris Reid (drums); Joe Wall (String Bass); & Dave Murray (flute & sax)—who deepened my understanding and appreciation of music.
Vini St. Pierre (that “generous soul” that I mentioned in my Story) – During college I taught beginner level guitar. Vini’s wife, Anne was a student of mine. After hearing some of my original songs, Vini offered to pay for voice lessons and my first studio recording. A successful Boston area restaurateur, the late Vini St. Pierre asked for absolutely nothing in return, furthering my songwriting aspirations out of the goodness of his heart. One of the most selfless people and ardent music lovers I’ve ever known, Vini spared nothing to make the absolute best vocal coaching, recording facility and session players available to me. Wherever Vini’s spirit is in the Universe, I hope he’s hearing this. Amazingly, as I’m writing this on a dismal winter morning, the sun just broke through the clouds… Hey, Vini!
Dante Pavone – The late Dante Pavone was a sought-after vocal coach and consultant to a constellation of stars including Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger, Steven Tyler, Grace Slick, Stepen Stills, Donna Summer, and members of the New York City Opera, among others. A true original and a genius in his own right, Dante taught me how to breath from my diaphragm—how to sing from my core.
Jimmy Hodder – The drummer on those first demo recording sessions of mine was the late Jimmy Hodder. My sessions were one of, if not Jimmy’s last recording dates before joining Steely Dan a few months later. Jimmy played on Steely Dan’s first three Gold and Platinum albums—Can’t Buy A Thrill, Countdown to Ecstacy, and Pretzel Logic—and toured and sang back-up vocals with the band. Hodder went on to perform with Linda Ronstadt, and to record with Sammy Hagar among others. It was an honor having someone of Jimmy’s caliber on my very first studio effort.
Lead guitarist, John Kalishes (left) with Benjamin Orr of The Cars, Jimmy Hodder of Steely Dan, and a Pedal Steel Guitar (similar to Lou Casella’s).
1971 Session Players – Another talented musician who played on my first (1971) demo recordings and co-produced early versions of my songs with me was the late lead guitarist, John Kalishes—who went on to work with Benjamin Orr of The Cars. Additionally, Lou Casella served as (both) my recording engineer and pedal steel guitar player extraordinaire. Previously, Cassella worked at the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama—where such luminaries as The Rolling Stones, Al Green, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Joe Cocker, Cat Stevens and countless others have recorded.
Joel Dorn – In response to my 1971 demo, the late Grammy Award winning* Atlantic Records producer, Joel Dorn personally gave me my first official rejection. Dorn was known for his work with major recording artists across a diverse range of musical genres including The Allman Brothers, Roberta Flack, Bette Midler, The Neville Brothers and Leon Redbone. Additionally, he worked with jazz greats Max Roach, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Mose Allison, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. I had sent copies of my 1971 demo to several major record labels, including one to Joel Dorn at Atlantic Records. I was living at home and commuting to Massachusetts College of Art and Design at the time. When I got home one day, my mother said, “A Mr. Dorn called for you—we had a lovely conversation!” I just about died. My heart was racing. I tried returning his call to no avail. Dorn called back—not once, but repeatedly—as luck would have it, never when I was home. Mom would say, “Oh, that nice Mr. Dorn called again—what a nice chat we had!” Clearly, the ‘Gods of Rock’ were hell-bent on torturing me. Apparently, Dorn enjoyed chatting up my Mom—it just doesn’t get any weirder. At least he was trying to reach me. Finally, I connected with Dorn, who was kind enough to soften the bad news by encouraging me to keep trying.
*Joel Dorn was awarded two Grammys—one for producing Roberta Flack’s The First Time Ever I Saw Yor Face, and another for her version of Killing Me Softly—in my humble opinion, hauntingly beautiful renditions and masterful recordings.
Joel Dorn – Grammy Award winning producer, Stevie Wonder & Stevie on tour with The ‘Stones (1972).
Stevie Wonder – A simple “Thank You” doesn’t come close to expressing my gratitude for the possibilities Stevie Wonder made available to me. First however, a little back story is in order. Worried that I’d be late for a gig at a hotel bar in the summer of 1972, I ran into an opening elevator, accidentally bumping into Stevie Wonder—the most embarrassing moment of my life. I was mortified, sputtering apologies. Stevie was as gracious as could be, laughing it off. It just so happened that he was staying at Boston’s Government Center Holiday Inn, while on tour as the opening act for The Rolling Stones. An hour later during the first set of my happy hour gig, Wonder came in with his entourage and sat down. I began playing my originals, for which the bar manager promptly fired me. Stevie’s bass player, Scotty Edwards came over as I packing up my equipment and said, “Stevie would like you to join us”. I wound up singing and playing more of my songs on my guitar in the hotel room that Stevie and Scotty were sharing, while Stevie riffed along with me on his Hohner D Clavinet. I was in utter disbelief that he’d taken an interest in my songs. The next night, the second of the tour’s two-night Boston stint at the (original) Boston Gardens, I met The ‘Stones and watched the entire concert while sitting on a monitor speaker on one side of the stage.
And so began one of the most incredibly ‘wonderful’ (pun intended) times of my life. Stevland Hardaway Morris, (aka) Stevie Wonder made an extraordinary effort to help further my songwriting career, introducing me over the coming months to Roberta Flack, The Fifth Dimension, The Spinners, and the late, great Donny Hathaway. I had no delusions about becoming a successful song writer, never mind a ‘rock star’. Although no one wound up recording my songs, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. I remain forever grateful for Stevie’s belief in my songs, despite doubting my own abilities countless times before and since.
Sha Na Na, Lenny Baker & John Begg, Jr. – In the early 1980s, several members of Sha Na Na, the doo-wop group and stars of their own TV show and I had the same accountant. Our mutual CPA John Begg, Jr. knew that I wanted to record a new demo, but couldn’t afford the orchestral back-up that I was envisioning. On the other hand, Sha Na Na did so well with the Grease album that they needed a tax break. John proposed an innovative tax write-off to the late Lennie Baker, Sha Na Na’s beloved sax player, who shared the idea with his band mates. Suddenly, my wildest dream was a reality, not because someone believed in my music—but because the likelihood of getting a record deal was, and still is, nil. Despite a tremendous effort, my next bid for commercial success failed—to the gleeful relief of my financial backers. Despite being bitterly disappointed at the outcome, I was nonetheless thankful for yet another, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Marc Parmet – In addition to co-producing my ‘80/81 recording sessions with me, Marc also played drums and other percussion instruments on that project. Check out his playing on one of my songs in particular: I Can’t Get Excited. Marc was a sought-after drummer and percussionist in that era, working in New York and Boston. In addition to playing on my sessions, Marc contracted and conducted my back-up orchestra—a killer rhythm section accompanied by a full complement of strings, horns and woodwinds—including members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), Boston Pops Orchestra, and Berklee College of Music faculty members. By enlisting some of the world’s most sought-after guest soloists, and some of the best side men and women in the business, Marc brought a stratospheric level of musical expertise and sophistication to the process. Marc also introduced me to Doug Timm, a gifted young arranger who’d just graduated from Berklee. Now a successful IT specialist, Marc has worked in such rarified circles as a consultant to Apple, and as Ben Vereen’s music director—Marc has worked as a consultant to Apple, and as Ben Vereen’s Music Director—a consummate pro in both music and technology.
Doug Timm – A gifted arranger and composer in his own right, Doug had just graduated from Berklee College of Music with honors, and was embarking on a brilliant career. His arrangements for my ‘80/81 recording sessions had a profound effect on me—and on my songs. Doug had an uncanny ability to capture the essence and feel of my music that were in my ‘mind’s ear’ so to speak—bringing my songs alive in extraordinary ways. Working from a tape of me singing and playing my songs on guitar, Doug painstakingly wrote out the charts for his string, horn, and woodwind arangements in record time. Eventually moving to LA, Doug’s talents earned him early success, composing and arranging scores for movies and hit TV series including Simon & Simon and Designing Women—while winning Telly Awards and the accolades of his entertainment industry peers. Tragically, just as his career began to soar, Doug was murdered during a robbery.
Doug’s musical legacy is so respected that Berklee College of Music honored his passing by creating The Doug Timm Scholarship Award—providing financial assistance to promising Berklee students for recognition of outstanding achievement in film scoring. I am humbled to contribute in some small way to honoring Doug’s memory by showcasing his extraordinary talents.
Tommy Nagy (pronounced “Naghe” with a soft “g”) – A longtime friend and an incredibly versatile drummer, Tommy’s also a profoundly gifted recording and remixing engineer. After I had my original, analog master tapes digitized, Tommy went to work with a musician’s ear and a seasoned producer’s sensibilities, augmented by his considerable technical know-how. Perhaps most notably, Tommy possesses a keen sense of restraint—an invaluable asset when shaping the outcomes of recordings. He has spent decades playing across a range of musical genres, with numerous bands including The Garcia Project—which many consider to be more the embodiment of the ‘Dead rather than merely a tribute band. As my co-producer and trusted sounding board for what works and what doesn’t work musically, Tommy is making a major contribution to my music.
Mike Nunno – I met Mike several years ago through Tommy. In addition to being an excellent bass player and guitarist, Nunno also teaches music. A regular on the NYC live music scene, Mike toured for years with Lucky Peterson. Tommy and I replaced the jazz-oriented, fretless bass parts on some of my recordings with Nunno’s more percussive style and fretted electric bass. We also replaced some passages with Mike’s guitar work. Additionally, since I play by ear only, Mike meticulously transcribes my sheet music. I brought the sheet music of one of my songs to a talented, keyboard playing friend who’d never heard that song before. It was utterly amazing to witness him sight-reading my song flawlessly, having never heard it—thanks to Mike’s precise handiwork.
Yvonnick Prené – I met the harmonica prodigy Yvonnick Prené following one of his performances and asked if he’d consider playing on one of my songs. After sending him a rough mix, I was pleasantly surprised to hear back just moments later of his enthusiasm for the project. The music press has hailed Paris-born Prené as “a rising star”. Downbeat Magazine calls his harmonica playing “Virtuoso”. Yvonnick and his band are a popular draw at such world renowned New York City jazz clubs as The Blue Note, The Iridium, Smalls, Birdland and Dizzy’s Club—among others. However, Prené’s work on my music reveals his extraordinary gift for other genres, as well. I’m delighted to have Yvonnick as a featured accompanist on Lady In Waiting, and look forward to collaborating with him again on future projects.
Heather Joseph – I first heard Heather sing a few years ago at Stevie B’s, a (now defunct) Connecticut bar and music spot. I was blown away. Although I didn’t have a song in mind at the time, I knew then that when I needed female backing vocals, Heather was who I wanted to work with. The moment that Distant Places was adequately remixed and ready for laying down final vocal tracks, I reached out to her. Once you hear her on Distant Places, especially on the outro, you’ll know why Heather deserves to be heard far and wide.
The Extraordinary Musicians & Recording Personnel who worked on my sessions – Please see the separate listing & credits of the gifted Session Players & Recording Personnel who’ve contributed to my recordings.