Born in Arizona in 1943, brought up in Southern California from 1950 – 64, I came of age as an artist in New York City in the 60’s and 70’s. My apprenticeship as a trombonist was completed at the Juilliard School of Music ; as an artist with the likes of John Cage and friends, Karl Berger and the « Creative Music Studio », MEV in its NYC version.
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The wildly eclectic atmosphere of « Downtown NYC » where I met and played with poets, dancers, painters, composers while playing a bewildering assortment of musics from classic and comtemporary to blues, salsa or jazz was a marvelously fertile place for creative energy. But it was the free improvised music in those days that finally set me free to become the composer that I felt I needed to be. The A-1 Art Band (1975-80 ) was my orchestra of this period. In Belgium for the last (almost) 30 years I have been able to expand upon this foundation. Working in the theater with Max Parfondry and Jacques Delcuvellerie ; as a performer creating different ensembles ; « The Real Live Orchestra », « The Garrett List Ensemble » « The Collective du Lion » and recently « The International Riffing Society »; as a composer continuing with works such as the 24 composition suite « Music for Trees »(1986-89) or a series of cantatas ; «Au Cœur du monde » (text : Blaise Cendrars 1980-98), « La Cantate de Bissesero » (Rwanda 94 with Delcuvellerie and Mathias Simons 1998-2000), « Etat de Siège » (with Mahmoud Darwich 2002-05).
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