on DRUMS, with John Simeone
This is a local Long Island Podcast given by a veteran drummer on the Long Island music scene. We have a variety of local professional musicians as participants. We joke, give insights and share stories about our over 4 decades of experience in the music profession.
Episodes
32 episodes
Willie Steele, a Late Start Becomes A Lifelong Music Career
He didn’t grow up with a band room, a stack of records, or a family cheering him on. Willie Steele grew up hearing “get a job,” drove lumber trucks, and only started taking guitar lessons at 30. Somehow, that late start turns into a lifelong wo...
Willie Pollock On Blues Roots, Berklee Lessons and The Long Island Scene
Music careers rarely move in a straight line, and Willie Pollock is proof. We talk about how a junior high knee injury took him out of sports and pushed him into a music store, where a rented guitar and Mel Bay books started a chain reaction th...
From Jazz Basements To Stand-Up Stages: A Drummer’s Journey Into Comedy And Craft with Eric Haft
A packed ballroom. A tired drummer. A stranger rolls down his window and asks if he’s leaving. That quick parking-lot chat sends Eric Haft—lifelong musician, jazz obsessive, student of Al Miller, Jim Chapin, and Keith Copeland—onto a stage with...
Pamela Lewis On Craft, Grit, And Gig Life
A guest mic at her brother’s wedding turned into a career. That’s the spark Pamela Lewis chases across this fast, funny, and deeply honest conversation about craft, persistence, and finding meaning on and off the bandstand. We go from the Flora...
A Singer, A Stockbroker, And The Price Of Live Music with Shell Lynch
A name with three versions, a yellow Corolla packed with dreams, and a pocket full of maps: that’s how Shell left Miami for Queens and built a life equal parts hustle and heart. We go deep into his winding path from singing with his brothers to...
From Bar Bands To Arenas with George Cintron
A twenty-year reunion turns into a masterclass on survival, adaptation, and the art of playing for keeps. We sit down with guitarist, writer, and singer George Cintron to trace a line from a Puerto Rican household in Bayshore—where top 40 radio...
Revisiting Rhythms: Matt Miller's Drumming Journey from Family Legacy to Modern Melodies
Reuniting with my old friend Matt Miller after over two decades was like stepping back into our shared musical past. Matt, son of the legendary drummer Al Miller, shares his journey from a childhood immersed in rhythm to navigating the vibrant ...
Trumpet Tales and Teaching Triumphs: Ron Fox's Dual Journey in Music and Education
Harmonizing Decades: Ken Talve’s Guitar Journey and Family's Musical Triumphs
Join us for a nostalgic journey through the decades with Ken Talve, a gifted guitarist and my bandmate in the Ken Talve Trio. Ken opens up about his musical evolution, starting from his high school days when he was mesmerized by the blues and i...
Rekindling Melodies: John Simeone and Al Quinn's Musical Reunion and Shared Journeys
Reconnecting with an old friend can be a heartwarming and enlightening experience. Imagine being separated for 15 years and then finding yourselves together again, not just as friends but as musicians who once shared the stage. This episode bri...
Bandstand to Classroom: Joel Levy’s Harmonious Journey Through Music and Education
What happens when a love for music meets the classroom? Join me and my longtime friend, Joel Levy, as we reminisce about our musical adventures from the 1980s and dive into Joel's incredible journey from Syracuse to the stage. You'll hear about...
From Local Gigs to Broadway Bliss: Sam Merrick’s High-Energy Drumming Journey
What happens when a high school jazz band drummer from Vermont decides to take a spontaneous leap of faith and move to New York City? Join us as we chat with Sam Merrick, the talented drummer for the Broadway show "And Juliet," who shares his i...
Navigating the Riffs of Life: Mark Newman's Journey from Trash-Picked Guitars to Industry Grooves
They say time flies when you're having fun, but never so quickly as when you're jamming with an old friend like Mark Newman. Our laughter echoed through the studio as Mark recanted the time he salvaged a guitar from the trash—a fitting prelude ...
Life in Tune: Syncopating Careers with Musical Passions alongside Don Olsen
Have you ever found yourself caught between the steady beat of work life and the syncopated rhythms of a musical passion? My friend Don Olsen, a savvy electronics manufacturing business owner, joins me for a stroll down memory lane to chat abou...
Beating to the Rhythm of the Song: Lee Finkelstein and John Simeone Drumming Deep Dive
When Lee Finkelstein lays down a beat, it's not just rhythm—he's telling a story, painting a landscape. It's a philosophy I, John Simeone, share wholeheartedly. Our recent conversation took us on a tour through the world of drumming, where we u...
Broadway Beats and Drummer's Tales: A Heartbeat with Legend Billy Lanham
As a young drummer, tapping rhythms on school desks and dreaming of the big stage, I never imagined I'd be trading stories with a Broadway legend like Bill Lanham. Yet, here we are in a heart-to-heart, delving into the thrills and spills of his...
Soundwaves of a Lifetime: The Jeff Lange Saxophone Saga from Clubs to Classrooms
Embark on an auditory expedition with me, John Simeone, as I sit down with the inimitable saxophonist Jeff Lange, whose musical tales are as rich and varied as the notes that flow from his sax. Picture, if you will, a young Jeff grappling with ...
Behind the Notes: A Rollercoaster Through the Music Industry with Ben Phillip
Remember the time our mate Chris snuck in a shrimp cocktail on stage, despite explicit instructions to the contrary? Yep, that’s the kind of deliciously eccentric characters you’ll meet as we take a nostalgic journey down music industry memory ...
From Backyards to Big Stages: Brian Dunne's Drumming Legacy
Ever dreamed of jamming with some of the music industry’s most celebrated icons? Picture yourself backing up the likes of Chaka Khan and Patty LaBelle? Brian Dunne, a renowned drummer, is living that dream, and he's here to share his incredible...
"Off Road" with Renowned Trombonist Sal Randazzo
Fasten your seatbelts as we embark on a journey into the past with Sal Randazzo, a renowned trombone player who shares with us not only the nostalgia of the early days in an assortment of bands, but also his sage insights and hilarious tales fr...
Backstage Pass: Conversations with Trombonist Ozzie Melendez
Catching up with Ozzie Melendez, our second trombone player, is like being teleported into the heart of the music industry. From his musical beginnings in fourth grade to landing the big gig with Willie Colon's band, Ozzie shares the essence of...
Navigating the Highs and Lows of Professional Musicianship with Terry Nigrelli
Ready to step into the life of a professional musician? This episode with Terry Nigrelli , a trombone player with Broadway experience, brings you right into the heart of the music world. We journey through Terry's musical upbringing and his ded...
Billy Joel cover bands and more with Dave Clark
In this episode me and one of my longtime musician friends, Dave Clark, discuss the triumphs and hardships of the music industry. Dave is a well known keyboard player/Singer/writer from the Long Island area originally, where he became the repla...
Being on the road with Diana Ross and many more with John Scarpulla
In this episode I talk with my old friend John Scarpulla. John has done extensive touring with many well known artists, Tower of Power and Diana Ross to name a few! I've done many gigs with John and he always brings professionalism and integrit...
