In 1976 I moved to Hollywood, and my next door neighbor turned out to be Mel Wiggins, now a leading congero in the L.A. area. Mel was the perfect songwriting partner for my music, and over the next ten years we composed the bulk of my original repertoire. We also co-led a series of combos which played coffeeshops and small jazz clubs in Hollywood, culminating in a 14 month engagement at Shakey's Pizza on Sunset Boulevard (with a very live audience of studio musicians, extended Hispanic American families, street people, and film studio personnel). We also appeared for numerous live broadcasts on KPFK-FM, and recorded the theme song for one of their shows ("I am - are you?").

     The two major versions of Creation City were both trios: the first (1978-1981) featured Leigh Garner on flute ("Terry" and "Morocco" clips); the second (1986-7) featured David Gaines on saxophone ("Angel Blues", "Ocean in the Middle of the World").

     MEL WIGGINS (congas), a native of Boston, first came to Los Angeles to get away from the Boston school riots. He has worked 'day gigs' as a chef and in construction while pursuing a music career that has led to his becoming a very 'in-demand' percussionist in Southern California. Groups he has worked with after I moved to Seattle include the reggae-rock group Oxymoron and a guitar-led trio that plays Catalina Island every summer.

     LEIGH GARNER, a native Angeleno, was a prize winning classical flautist in her teens. She has been living and teaching flute in the San Fernando Valley from the time we met until now. For ten years she managed to combine her strong feminist views with being music director for a fundamentalist church - she now fills the same post for a Unitarian church.

     DAVID GAINES (sax), also a native Angeleno, moved to Las Vegas after participating in these recordings, where he performed in casino and lounge bands.