This picture was taken in 1984 when I was a horn player in a high energy R&B/Rock band playing in clubs from NYC to New Paltz NY. That’s me in the back. I was carefully positioned to conceal the idea that I do not own a black leather jacket which was mandatory for the photo shoot.
In the picture, front row, left to right is Lawrence Cimino (Drums), Tony Cambria (Guitar/Vocals), (Wild) Bill Acosta (Bass), Tony Quinto (Vocals). In the back, myself (Trumpet/Flugelhorn) and Tommy Porto (Tenor Sax). We played our own cover arrangements of traditional R&B tunes like "Hold on", “Heard it thru the grapevine”, “Rock steady”, “I feel good”, etc. If you know these songs and their artists, you get the idea. These individuals who accepted me were true professional musicians.
I was introduced to Majesty through association with the Hudson Valley NY Musician’s Union Local 238. Other memorable jobs (or should I say gigs) were to fill in for trumpet players in the Catskills. To keep pace with them I would attend jazz clinics and summer programs at the Univ of Mass at Amherst where studio musicians and jazz legends (Ray Copland, Billy Taylor, Stanton Davis, etc.) would critique my playing. I was given ample positive encouragement and instruction as well as humbling comments such as “work on intonation” and “technique needs practice”.
Someone once said to me “You would do better spending your evenings making wooden horse bookends and selling them”. My answer was, "sounds interesting but, I don’t enjoy making wooden bookends. Right now, I am happy playing and performing."
Below are some demo tracks of our playing from nearly 40 years ago. Other musicians on the tracks are Alice Troncone (lead vocals on the first two tracks) and David Lax on Tenor Sax. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did helping create them.
