1. At what age did you decide to become a professional musician?
19
2. Who were your earliest influences?
Being the youngest of 6 children, I had a wide variety of early musical influences stemming from both my parents’ and older siblings’ varying taste in music. These ranged from rock to jazz to classical and church music. (I was raised in Catholic School.) Some of these early influences include Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gene Harris, George Winston, Jack McDuff, Glenn Miller, Stan Getz, Dave Brubeck, The Allman Brothers, Chuck Leavell, Keith Emerson, Ray Manzarek, Gregg Rolie, Rick Wakeman, Led Zeppelin, Dire Straits, Bach, Beethoven, Gregorian Chant and traditional Choir and Pipe Organ music for mass, my brother Paul (also a musician), and the Nun who played Pipe Organ in our church, Sister Cidella.
3. If you couldn’t have been a musician, what else would you have become?
An Athlete, an Actor, or a Writer…or perhaps I would have investigated an academic field having something to do with philosophy, such as the philosophy of science, time or consciousness.
4. What do you like to do outside of making music?
Learning about science and its philosophical implications, as well the history of things ranging from music to the monetary system. Watching MMA, working out, hiking, biking, taking care of my pets and rescuing cats and dogs. I’d also love to eventually set up a charity for burn survivors.
5. What equipment do you use?
Hammond B3 (1960)
Leslie 122 (1973)
Moog Voyager
Yamaha Motif
My pedal board for the Hammond, and extras, consists of:
Akai MPX16 Sampler
Boss FS 5L Latching Foot Switch
Boss RC-20 Loop Station
DigiTech Whammy
Moog EP-3 Expression Pedal
Moogerfooger
Morley Wah
MXR Carbon Copy Delay
MXR EQ Pedal – 10 Band
MXR Phase 90
Trek II UC-1A
6. If you could do a collaboration album with anyone living or dead who would that be?
Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Ray Vaughan
7. You live in L.A. If you were going to get a second house where would that be?
Maui
8. Who would you like to see Heaven & Earth tour with?
Aerosmith or Guns N’ Roses
9. What is the best concert that you’ve ever seen?
B.B. King
10. Do you have a favorite song on the new album “Hard to Kill”?
Hellfire or Hard To Kill
11. Please come up with a short description of your band mates.
Joe Retta:
An artistic soul with a hell of a voice.
Stuart Smith:
Passionate guitarist, relentless musician, and a jolly good chap.
Steve Wilson:
Wisecracking clown combined with maniac drummer. (Perhaps if George Carlin and John Bonham had a baby?)
Lynn Sorensen:
No BS, salt of the earth groovemaster.
12. Do you prefer the recording or touring experience?
To me they are so different, with different goals in mind, that I cannot really compare the two. It’s apples and oranges. I love them both. Recording allows you to manifest original compositions and performances from your mind’s eye which can then be presented to the world and preserved and circulated for many years. Touring allows you to see and experience different places on this planet, which I very much enjoy. And playing live is a visceral, goose-bump raising, in the moment spiritual experience that allows you to deeply connect with your bandmates and the audience.
13. What is your favorite part of the world that you’ve visited?
Japan or Maui
14. What would be your advice to someone starting out in the music business?
To thine own self be true
15. What’s the best advice you’ve been given and who was it by?
“To thine own self be true.” Polonius (Shakespeare)