I’m a poet and songwriter, and I like to mix the two genres. I write music to fit the beat of a poem, and sometimes I write a poem from a melody or a chord progression. Occasionally, the poem belongs to somebody else, like Shakespeare or Caedmon or Emily Dickinson or Leigh Hunt—if it has the right beat, I’ll borrow it.

That’s my bag—that beat thing wherever I find it.

Let me introduce you to the Slithey Toves, or just The Toves, if you prefer. I’ve hooked back up with bassist Rick Eckberg to explore things sonically, if not thematically, in simpler terms. We do poems—my own and others’—in jazz, blues, pop, and just plain experimental signatures. We also do some covers—in our unique way. Speaking of, our name comes from a line in the great Lewis Carroll poem, “Jabberwocky,” which should give you an idea how we like to do things. Check the calendar for gigs & show dates.