It was a beautiful evening in 1984 in Hyde Park, Tampa, and Jennifer and I decided to take a walk. We found ourselves on Kennedy Blvd where we ran into Rev. Ralph. He was hanging out with Steve and his wife Heather. They had just landed at Tampa International Airport from Ohio a couple of days prior. Ralph introduced Steve to me as the guy who had sung the 60's hit, Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke. Steve seemed displeased with the way he was introduced to me and reacted by saying, " Aw, Ralph, I told you not to tell anybody !" Steve seemed a bit anxious and he really wanted to smoke a joint.  I began selling books on the sidewalks of New York City in the Spring of 1990. When I was a sidewalk bookseller in NYC, sometimes I would get a 'real job' for awhile just to take a break. I didn't care if I quit or was fired. I would just go back to bookselling. I blew more money in two hours than any job could have paid me for a week of humiliation.   The Bookstore wa...

All my friends are far and few I won't be goin' to no barbecue Christmas trees are out of vogue Santa is a corporate rogue Mom has gone to be with God There won't be a Christmas card Trying to hold back the tears Grateful now for all the years I had with you I'm having hot dogs a...

 My blood pressures high my good cholesterol's too low                                                                             My heart beats too fast I gotta go slow                                                                                                     What the doctor don't know is that I just fell in love                                                              ...

 I don't perform anymore. I've never really enjoyed it. I am a songwriter who enjoys recording. The studio is my venue. I don't like to entertain people. I don't think I have the ability to energize or inspire my audience. I might remember a handful of times when anyone has ever expressed to me that they enjoyed my performance. 

This is the story of the song, 115 Hyde Park Avenue A card table covered with a clean white cloth in a storefront in Hyde Park where the great young minds of Tampa gathered to discuss Beethoven and Krishna Consciousness down the street from the university and about a mile across the bridge from the County Jail in downtown Tampa. Ybor City Piano Man, Rev Ralph, former Left Banke singer, Steve Martin-Caro, the surrealist painter, Raphael Diaz, Cosmic Dave who was just cosmic, the author of The Final Spin, the Great Waybon John Hearing and tunesmith Ray Galindo. poring over volumes of Machiavelli, Poe and the Life of Bach. Feasting on Greek Wine, goat cheese and Irish Soda Bread AND the Bösendorfer Baby Grand standing like a monument in the middle of the room. ...