With the Wes Houston Band, 1979. I clearly remember jumping at the opportunity to play with the band then known as "Wes Houston and the All-Star Space Band" during the summer of 1979. The band was huge! It was all over the Island! This was gonna be the Big Time! Soon after joining, we recorded a single on our own label ("Wanderin'" b/w "Too Long A Day" on Vector Records. We also did a radio spot for "Made in Paradise" jeans. Hoo weee! We had a manager, a huge P.A., a truck, three or four gigs a week... Hooo WHEE! Left to right: George Christ (harmonica), Marc Jay (keyboards), Bob "Dee" D'Andrade (bass), Wes Houston (guitar, vocals), Douglas baldwin (guitar), Joey Piazza (drums).

Playing my skinny little butt off with Wes, 1979. Wes wrote great songs, George Christ could blow the bejeebies out of a harp, and Joey P. was one of the best drummers I ever played with. The band had a killer mix of Queens street-tough attitude, songs much like early Bruce Springsteen, and jams that leaned towards an Allmans-style flow. I remember practicing like mad to catch up with the rest of these guys.

The Wes Houston band, about 1980. Wes must have a lyric somewhere about a cold wind blowing through, 'cause that's what happened to the band. Wes fired the manager, the drinking age went up from 18 to 21 (which emptied out the bars we played in virtually overnight), disco and punk transformed the musical landscape, the economy went into a serious recession, and the band's bass chair became a revolving door. Note the radical change in looks, particularly Joey and I sporting short hair and skinny ties. Hoo wee, indeed. Left to right: Larry Sheeba (bass), Douglas baldwin (guitar), Joey Piazza (drums), Wes Houston (guitar, vocals), George Christ (harmonica), Marc Jay (keyboards).

The Kim Strongin Band at Garvin's in Huntington, about 1982. This was a stripped down outfit, originally a band for backing up Kim's singer/songwriter stylings, but we soon became a basic bar cover band to make money. Two guitars, bass, and drums - a tight little equipment lineup, and a peppering of original songs to keep it interesting. left to right: Douglas Baldwin (guitar, vocals), Mike Guido (bass), Kim Strongin (guitar, vocals). Paul Shields can be seen on the right, sitting in on harmonica. to Kim's left. Keith Hurrell is in the back on drums.

The Kim Strongin Band Official 8x10 glossy. Left to right: Keith Hurrell, drums; Mike Guido, bass; Kim Strongin, guitar,vocals; Douglas Baldwin, guitar, vocals. In the background, reading the book on Ancient Egypt: Paul Shields.

The Kim Strongin Band Unofficial Artistic Portrait. Drawn by yours truly, probably from a collage of photos. I don't think this ever got reproduced, but it's a nice bit of inking, innit?

With the Kim Strongin Band at the Hobbit Hole in Selden, about 1982. Keith Hurrell can be seen on the drums, far right. We first met when Keith was playing with M.C. Osso and I was with Wes Houston. Keith made quite a difference in my life at this time. His technical skills caused me to reevaluate mine and inspired me to find Carmine D'Amico, the instructor/professional connection who introduced me to the wild and wicked world of weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, country club dances. corporate presentations, etc. (a.k.a. "club dates" in the New York area).

Being "the rock guitar guy" at a wedding, about 1985. Part of my schtick was to play some anthemic and appropriate rock song and rock out with the bride on the dance floor. Springsteen's "Glory Days" was the usual song. This became quite the event at an already huge event - you can see the photographers circlingwith their lights, capturing the bride's ability to get wild on her big day.

More club dating, about 1985. The rest of the band is on a break and I'm playing a ten-to-fifteen-minute set to keep the continuous music happening. Behind me is Ed Silver, who should be taking a break with the rest of the band. Instead, he's sitting in on drums. Ed normally played sax and clarinet and also hauled a Casio keyboard around to play on the rock tunes. As a drummer, he was a pretty good sax player.

The Jerry White Band in New York magazine, September 1986. The magazine did a piece on the Steven Scott Orchestras and used us for the photo. We're at the Fountainhead catering hall in New Rochelle. Left to right: Douglas Baldwin (guitar), Al Geller (keyboards), Denice Lopez (vocals, also my first wife), Jerry White (trumpet, vocals), Ed Silver (sax, clarinet, Casio keyboard, vocals), Bob Allen (drums, vocals). Missing in action: Richie Acciavettio on bass and vocals. Oh, the tales I could tell of these days...