About

The 80’s were a wonderful time in Syracuse NY. I left with an art degree and high hopes. Some would say that I must have been high to graduate with an art degree and think there was any hope.

Here we are, many greeting cards, illustrations, and children’s books later. On the wrong end of 44, I found that I get a great deal of satisfaction from blogging – usually about power pop music and The Flashcubes (Syracuse’s brightest stars). The time seemed right to share my interests and experiences with others of similar mind. Hey, I’ve suffered for my art. Now it’s your turn.

I owe an eternal debt of gratitude to John Wicks of The Records. His friendship, guidance and loyalty made it possible for me to pursue something that will keep me motivated for the rest of my days. He made everyone around him feel special. God rest his soul.

Consider listening to the songs John and I wrote together or those written with others such as Dave Nachmanoff (Al Stewart) or Jamie Hoover (The Spongetones). My sincere thanks to those who do. On the other hand, if you would prefer to leave flaming poop on my digital doorstep, you can do that as well. In that event, you can use this email address: (4tfourblogATgmail.com)

Here are just a few of the projects I’ve been a part of:

FOR THE RECORD: A Tribute to John Wicks (2020)

Unlike most tribute albums, this one consists of John’s final compositions. None of the 12 tracks had previously been released, making this tribute album truly unique. I had the opportunity to co-write several of these compositions with him before his death in 2018. Vocalists include: Al Stewart, Peter Case (Plimsouls, Nerves), Chris Thompson (Manfred Mann), Carla Olson, Don Dixon and producer Jamie Hoover.

Rumble Strip – Let’s Roll! (2022)

How could anyone pass up the chance to work with former Al Stewart collaborator Dave Nachmanoff? Certainly not me! I gave Dave a hand full of lyrics and a few ideas and asked him to run with it. The resulting EP entitled Let’s Roll! runs the stylistic gamut from power pop to rockabilly, all with a sense of humor.

Jamie Hoover – Top Banana (2023)

Jamie Hoover and I worked together on the John Wicks tribute mentioned above with Jamie as producer. He did a masterful job and so I wanted to work with him again. He and I came up with a half dozen new tunes that I’m quite proud of. “Bourbon Understands” was the album’s single and received some significant airplay as did “Repo Man”, a tune featured on Little Steven’s Underground Garage.

Glenn Erb – Category Four (2024)

Glenn and I spent some time at a songwriting retreat. During that time I discovered how very talented he is. Not only does he write great music but he’s got some serious vocal chops. Category Four is a collection of a dozen songs, the lion’s share of which we wrote together. Thanks to extensive radio play, Glenn is now officially “big in New Zealand”. Pretty frickin’ cool.