Steve

Well, I was trained from on early age to play classical piano. Reached a pretty good standard too. On the one hand this solid background did enable me to pick up playing again after many years of inactivity. On the other hand, the music that we play in The Shotgun Ragtime Band is just so different that I wonder whether my prior training actually works against doing what is needed.

The only improvisation I knew was Boogie Woogie. Oh, and I was into Ragtime. I played an impromptu "12th Street Rag" at a Classical Concert :) A mixed reaction if I remember correctly...

My first show was in 1981 at the Rainbow. I knew little of the music then, but there was enough of an interest that I bought a few albums. The key moment for me was when I heard two very different versions of Franklin's Tower. I began searching for variations in other songs too and well...

In 1986, I was in the first incarnation of what was to become The Cosmic Charlies. This was my first experience in a band. I think we rehearsed for about 15 months before we got our second gig (our first was a private party). For much of that period we hadn't even decided upon a name

This is the time when Richard, Ian, Bob and I first met - and here we are still playing together in the year 2000