I'm Just a Bass Player
My Info
My musical background is primarily jazz, with a lot of R&B/funk tossed in there. For most of my teens and throughout my 20's I was a traditional jazz bassist, working in groups from as small as a piano duo to a 22 piece big band. Most of these gigs required pretty extensive reading and working through arrangements, and fortunately my schooling has left me well prepared in my sight reading skills. As I went into my 30' and 40's, the music definitely became more fusion driven, a mix of jazz and R&B/funk, but really still based on improvization and group playing. I guess you could say I have never been a big soloist, really much more of a groove and rhythm player.
Today, music is a very important part of my life. No longer full-time, but just as meaningful to me as when it was my only means of income. I play every day, sometimes it may only be for a 1/2 hour or so, but I try to play as much as I possibly can.
I have been with my beautful wife, Bunny, for 30 years!! Hard to believe that she has put up with me for so long, but I count my blessings every single day! Bunny is a very gifted Art Doll designer and has a high profile in the art doll community. You can see her fantastic work by going to her web site BunnyGoodeDesigns.com.
Today, music is a very important part of my life. No longer full-time, but just as meaningful to me as when it was my only means of income. I play every day, sometimes it may only be for a 1/2 hour or so, but I try to play as much as I possibly can.
I have been with my beautful wife, Bunny, for 30 years!! Hard to believe that she has put up with me for so long, but I count my blessings every single day! Bunny is a very gifted Art Doll designer and has a high profile in the art doll community. You can see her fantastic work by going to her web site BunnyGoodeDesigns.com.
Bunny
Laura
Our daughter, Laura, is a manager for the NYC ASPCA, which for her is a life-long dream come true. If you were to look in the dictionary under "animal lover", her picture would be there!! She is a self professed "pasta-farian", so meal times with her are usually quite the challange!
Morgan
And, of course, our life would be way too boring without Morgan and Madison, our Shih Tzu's. They are a bunch of fun and trouble, all rolled into two little furry packages!
My very first paying gig as a bassist was when I was 12 years old. I was playing in a band with two of my friends, a drummer and a sax player. That’s right, just drums, sax and bass. We thought we were very hip!
The gig was at the Nutley Women’s Garden Club tea party. We go in, set up, (no amps, no PA, just acoustic) and play for about 2 hours. The job paid the band $75.00, a fair amount of cash in 1963. After we ended, the garden club chick comes up to us and hands the sax player $50.00 and says, “You played very well”. She then gives the drummer $25.00 and says, “You really had to carry a lot of equipment in”. Then she looks at me and says, “I don’t know what you did, you’re just a bass player”, and walks away! I should have known there and then that bass players never really get the respect they deserve. (Yeah, the band did split the cash up evenly).
I attended Juilliard School of Music, starting when I was in the 8th grade, going to school at night in the Extension Division after finishing my regular school day. I went to NYC on the bus about 2-3 days a week for 5 years, and finally finished up my studies 6 months after I graduated HS. At the time, Juilliard was really just a technical school, so I ended up with what they called a “Professional Diploma”, something that sounds cool but has as much practical use as a sheet of newspaper. I must admit, however, that it does look good on a resume!
The gig was at the Nutley Women’s Garden Club tea party. We go in, set up, (no amps, no PA, just acoustic) and play for about 2 hours. The job paid the band $75.00, a fair amount of cash in 1963. After we ended, the garden club chick comes up to us and hands the sax player $50.00 and says, “You played very well”. She then gives the drummer $25.00 and says, “You really had to carry a lot of equipment in”. Then she looks at me and says, “I don’t know what you did, you’re just a bass player”, and walks away! I should have known there and then that bass players never really get the respect they deserve. (Yeah, the band did split the cash up evenly).
I attended Juilliard School of Music, starting when I was in the 8th grade, going to school at night in the Extension Division after finishing my regular school day. I went to NYC on the bus about 2-3 days a week for 5 years, and finally finished up my studies 6 months after I graduated HS. At the time, Juilliard was really just a technical school, so I ended up with what they called a “Professional Diploma”, something that sounds cool but has as much practical use as a sheet of newspaper. I must admit, however, that it does look good on a resume!
Me at work, where they actually pay me money to support my bass habit!
My day gig is with AWT Environmental Services, an environmental remediation company based in Sayreville, NJ. Basically, AWT is a heavy equipment construction company that specializes in clean-up of environmentally damaged property. I am officially the Technical Services Manager, and I have responsibility for all project cost estimating, overseeing sales activity, corporate health and safety compliance, and a bunch of other duties that are too long to list here.
AWT is a pretty cool place to work, provides a bunch of stability for me and my family, and it also gives me the time to play bass as much as I want. After many years of struggling to pay the bills, it's really nice to feel secure and comfortable. If you want to, you can get some more info right here AWT Environmental Services
Our son, Steve, unfortunately passed away on December 4, 2005 as a result of a suicide. He was a very talented percussionist with deep roots in the drum corps world and had performed with several nationally known Senior Drum Corps. He is deeply missed by all who came in contact with him.
Contact Me
You can reach me thru e-mail at imjustabassplayer@gmail.com.
You can also log onto www.talkbass.com for a chat, my forum name is PointBass!!
"Zoned Out" at Langosta Restaurant in Asbury Park, April 2009
