Mike here, bandleader for The Stompers.

When I was a kid, my father, who was and is a blue collar, “working man” kind of a fellow, told me that he had only one wish for me as I grew up – he wished for me to find something that I loved and turn it into my occupation. You see, he was the type of guy that put in 60 hours a week regularly at a job that he didn’t particularly like. However, he never missed a baseball game, school band concert, etc. He was and is the stereotypical Super-Dad.

Now that I’m “grown”, I look at where I’m at and I realize that his words way back when pushed me to keep at this dream of making music for people. Now that I’m in a comfortable place, regularly performing for enthusiastic audiences, I can’t help but thank him for his valuable insight.

Playing jazz music for a living in NYC is a dream come true. Whether it be a NYC wedding, a birthday party in the East Village or an Anniversary Party in Sleepy Hollow, I count my blessings that I’m asked to perform during someone’s special day. For The Lowdown Stompers, that’s what it’s all about – making people’s special days even greater.