I am currently playing with:

The Nightlights Jazz Combo - usually - a 4 piece combo

The North Oakland Concert Band - an awesome community band of about 85 great, dedicated folks. This really exercises my arco - so it helps for the CTR choir work as well.

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The Christ the Redeemer Choir - 4 keyboards, 2 guitars, 1 sax, 1-2 flutes, bass, and drums (plus all of the singers of course) What a wealth of talent!! I really feel honored to be a part of "the band". I was in church one Sunday and approached the director, Mari Reyes (from one of the most talented families on the planet) offering to substitute for the current bass player (who occasionally was a no show). She sounded interested and took my name and number...but I didn't hear from her for about a year. I happened to walk by - she grabbed my arm and said that she had lost my number and wanted me to be in the group as a regular. As it turned out, the guy I was to replace was primarily a sax player (who is also the leader of a bigband - the Nightlights - do you see where this is leading...?) So I started with the choir and then was asked to audition for the Nightlights (playing in a big band was always a dream of mine but not very practical when you are a hungry, gigging musician (you don't join a 17 piece group to make money!).

The Jagged Edge (Revived) - After 30 years in hiding, the band miraculously got back together (all of the known warrants were believed to have expired) for a recording session. The original Jagged Edge masters were destroyed in a studio fire so we thought that it would be fun to duplicate that session. Little did we know that there would be such an interest in the old Grande Ballroom Bands. We have been playing for packed houses (standing room - sold out at The Magic Bag) and the response has been incredible! See our info & schedule.

Stoney Mazur Jazz Quartet - We had so much fun reviving the rock band that Stoney and I decided to put a combo of our own together. We get to play some really great (and fun) songs and  have "stacked" the deck with some really outstanding musicians (Mark Bolton and Kevin Darnall share keyboard responsibilities, Dan Dailey and Jim Demers trade off on drums. - Ira Pack, Ray Goodman and John Telford will occasionally sit in on guitar and there is sure to be a guest appearance now and then by George Sinnott on sax).  You can sample some of our songs here.

The Pat Cooper Band - An Irish band that performs around St. Patty's Day - a few times each year. My wife, Deb sings and plays violin and percussion. Pat sings, plays guitar and banjo, Sandy sings and plays percussion, hammer dulcimer and some kind of electric flute. This band has a rehearsal to performance ratio of about 15 to 1 (or so my wife tells me).

I used to play with:

(forgot the name) Dixieland band - Ken Bochenek, Terry Cotter, Ray "Lemon-lips"  Lewendowski, and myself. Chris Dixon eventually joined (I think he saw an opportunity with the ladies - girls from St. Al's elementary really thought Dixieland was cool) and Ken moved from piano to drums

Euphonic Aggregation - Ken Bochenek, Ron Jesse, Randy Koelb, and myself - East meets West (Dearborn, MI - that is). We had some really good vocals (4 part harmony). Ron played bass and had a great style - even back then. (I think the band broke up after our voices changed)

The Poorboys  - your classic basement band. Eddie Miller, Lenny Kirschner, Chris Dixon, myself (my debut on bass) and "Mulatto Dave" as our equipment manager.

Crystal Maze (three piece - organ, bass & drums - rumor has it that we inspired Emerson Lake & Palmer...  - nahhhh!). Basically, this was an evolution of the Poorboys minus Eddie. We were always a three piece band no matter what guys like "Denny Halfmind" (he had a car) or Russ (he had a Gretsch) thought. We were managed by the Frigid Pink's manager Clyde Stevers. Rick Stevers was the drummer in the 'Pink. Guess who got the best gigs. We didn't share the stage too often with them (we always upstaged them) but when we did, Kelly and Gary ALWAYS wanted to join our group.

The Jagged Edge (the ULTIMATE Rock band) In the '60's, this band shared prominence with Seager (the Lost Heard), Nugent (Amboy Dukes) and Ryder (Detroit Wheels). The Jagged Edge was the unofficial house band at the Grande Ballroom and being a member was my rock era "magnum opus". The band did all original material (Stoney's) except for 1 tune where everyone did their solo's. I recently ran into Stoney who is still going strong with "Stoney and the Westsiders" - a blues band. We had the distinction of being the last act ever to play at the Grande (Catfish opened for us that night) and we brought back the mirrored globe so that it could spin one last time in front of the stage. I wonder whatever happened to it??????????? The Jagged Edge has reformed and is touring again to capacity crowds. Follow the tour here.

Vineyard (show band - Detroit) Joe Rosanova - that dirtbag - still owes me one year's withholding tax which he withheld - PERMANENTLY. He was a real trip. He had polio as a child and it left him somewhat crippled although you really couldn't tell. He was the band leader and also the drummer. When he would have a bad day and his legs hurt he would yell furiously at the bass player - blaming him (me at that time) for the "feel" not being there ( I've got his feel - right here !!!) It was driving me nuts. And then there was his gun...

Jamie Coe and the Gigolos (Lounge Lizards - a few top 40 records in the early '60's) I never EVER want to play in a bar again!!!!! For one 5 year stretch we were working 6-7 nights a week in the SAME TWO BARS with the SAME CLIENTELE!! Yikes!

Sky High (7 piece disco band) A very heavy, funky band with some great players: Dale Gucciardi, Tim Hitchcock (except for those occasional squeeks), and Paul Raab (where'd those ballet slippers come from?)

Polynesia '77- Paul Sills on drums and my brother, Don on keyboards - I was the musical director for this "country club circuit" show band with all the trimmings - fire-knife dancers, showgirls (hula, etc.) , jazzy cocktail sets - the perfect gig.

The Nightlights Big Band - 17 piece swing band with 2 vocalists. After a lonnnng hiatus from site reading, I was asked to audition for this swinging band (read about it here). 

Our dad never imagined where that first guitar would lead... I'm sure with the long hair, late nights, and total focus on music, it terrified him that we "wouldn't amount to anything" (which he would constantly vocalize). On October 7, 1977 our father passed away. We had booked a wedding for the following Saturday and felt that we had to honor our commitment. After the last song of the night, my brother called for one more tune. We played "Song for my Father" and neither of us played again for many years - for me it was 17 years until I joined the Christ the Redeemer Choir. Don went on to get his PhD and is a professor at the University of Connecticut. I became a journeyman toolmaker and went on to get degrees in general science, mathematics, and computer science. My brother has recently purchased an electric piano and seems to have most of his chops back so I think he might gig again. For me, the chops will never be 100% (it sure isn't like riding a bicycle) - time and the elements have ensured that - so I won't quit my day job!