How Did You Start Playing Music/How Was The Band Formed?
When I was a freshman in college, I heard salsa music at a bar in Texas and I was simultaneously like “none of this makes sense, all the beats are not where I thought beats should be” and “wow this is the coolest shit ever.” Fast forward three years, Capital University somehow talked the government into letting us do a study abroad program in Havana, Cuba. During this trip, I bought an album from a guy selling CDs on a street corner. I’m sitting on the rooftop of our hostel, overlooking the city lights, listening to this album and thinking “hell yeah this is legit local real deal Cuban jazz.” I read through the liner notes and it’s all Cuban names until I got to the bandleader - pianist Bill Wolfe, a white guy from Wyoming.
In 2018, I had a month-long residency at Dick’s Den. I put together a different band for each wednesday of that month, including a Cuban jazz focused group featuring my good friends Ben Maloney on piano and Max Marsilo on percussion, as well as Nate Parker on drums, Kevin O’Neil on sax and Anthony Stanco on trumpet. Looking back over that month, it was very clear I spent most my time writing for the latin jazz project, so I decided to put a name to it and the rest is history.
What Is Your Creative Process Like?
I try to write compositions like a pencil sketch on canvas. Once I’ve sketched out a basic idea, I bring it into rehearsal and see how the band colors it in. Sometimes the band erases some of what I’ve sketched. I’m very thankful to be with a band of people who tell me when something is too much.
How Do You Drink Your Coffee? Do You Remember Your Favorite Cup of Coffee?
An espresso in the morning to warm myself up before I take Slappy outside. In past years, the first sip of diner coffee after a night of heavy partying. By the bottom of the cup, you realized it was bad diner coffee but those first sips of caffeine made you feel so much better.
In recent years, my favorite memory is being in Italy and being told not to drink the coffee while walking, since that was disrespecting the coffee, whose goodness should be focused on to enjoy.
What Is One Message You Would Give To Your Fans?
Humanity’s advancement over thousands of years is thanks to our collective ability to understand rhythm. Understanding the rhythms of the sun and the seasons let us grow crops. For better or worse, drummers guided the march of armies conquering land and foe. Rhythm is fundamental to our existence.
What’s Next for You?
We recently received a grant from the Ohio Arts Council that we used to record a live album at Natalie’s Grandview. The audio and videos from that concert will be released this Spring. While that’s getting mixed and edited, we’re writing new songs and playing gigs at our favorite local venues such as Ginger Rabbit.
