Sammy Free

     I HAVE BEEN PERFORMING ON STAGES SINCE I WAS 5 YEARS OLD.  MY FIRST GIG WAS PLAYING A UKULELE IN FRONT OF A 250 SEAT THEATRE IN ARIZONA (NO MOSH PIT) AND AT 7  YEARS OLD I HAD MY FIRST ELECTRIC 6 STRING GUITAR.  (KINGSTON WITH A FENDER VIBRO CHAMP AMP FOR THE GEARHEADS).  YES, I STILL HAVE THAT AMP.   FROM THAT POINT ON I WORKED VERY HARD TO DEVELOP MY MUSICAL SKILLS.  I STUDIED GUITAR WITH RON JANKOWSKI & NORM STRAKA, VIOLIN WITH ART SARININ, DRUMS WITH KEN WISE, AND PIANO AT THE CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC.  I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND LEARN FROM SOME OF THE LEGENDS IN THE BUSINESS.  STAN KENTON, CHUCK BERRY, LITTLE RICHARD, JAMES BROWN, MAYNARD FERGUSON, TINA TURNER, AND SAMMY DAVIS JR.  I HAVE WORKED WITH A NUMBER OF BANDS AND PERFORMED/JAMMED ON STAGES WITH A MULTITUDE OF GREAT ARTISTS LIKE:  MICHAEL STANLEY, JONAH KOSLEN, X-IT THE BAND, THE GADGET BAND,  ROCK CITY, RENDEZVOUS, SLAMINA Y TRAP, CRUSIN, JEFF VARGA, ROCK SHOP, TOMMY DOBECK & CY SULAK (THE MICHAEL STANLEY BAND/THE DYNASOARS), TOMMY RICH (DONNIE IRIS), GEORGE SIPL (AMERICAN NOISE/THE ERIC CARMEN BAND), BUTCH ARMSTRONG, BILLY SULLIVAN & RICH SPINA (GARY LEWIS & THE PLAYBOYS), THE BUZZ BAND FEATURING ED SARLEY & TOMMY VARGA, ACE MOLAR FEATURING FOX 8 TV PERSONALITY TODD MEANY,  SCOTT SAVOL OF AMERICAN IDOL FAME,  THE MIDLIFE CHRYSLERS & THE BROTHERS BLUES BAND. 

      I AM ORIGINALY FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO.  I HAVE ALSO LIVED IN FLORIDA AND ARIZONA.   I SPENT A NUMBER OF YEARS DOING ROAD GIGS AND TOURS IN THE SOUTH VIA CHUCK IRWIN OF FLORIDA ATTRACTIONS.  (WEST PALM BEACH)

MY BIGGEST MUSICAL INFLUENCE TO DATE:

VICTOR WOOTEN !

     SOME BUT NOT ALL OF MY INFLUENCES: VICTOR WOOTEN, JACO, GERALD VEASLEY, MICHAEL MANRING, GARY WILLIS, STANLEY CLARKE, JOHN PATITUCCI, TONY LEVIN, LARRY GRAHAM, DOUG JOHNS, CHRIS SQUIRE, GREG LAKE, JACK BRUCE, JAMES JAMERSON, STU HAMM, BILLY SHEEHAN, FIELDY, MARCUS MILLER, FLEA, PAUL MC CARTNEY, STING, JEFF BERLIN, GEDDY LEE, LES CLAYPOOL, DAVE LARUE, AND OF COURSE MR. DEREK SMALLS OF THE LEGENDARY SPINAL TAP.

     MY GEAR:  I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME PLAYING A 5-STRING ERNIE BALL STINGRAY & MODULUS QUANTUM 5,   2 IBANEZ 4 STRING CUSTOM SG’S MODLE 1300.  ONE SET UP FOR SLAP AND ONE SET FOR FLAT FINGER STYLES.  I USE A WASHBURN 1989 AB-20 ELECTRIC ACOUSTIC AND A GUILD PILOT TO VERY MY SOUNDS.  I RUN DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF AMPS, PREAMPS AND SPEAKER CABS BASED ON THE GIG CONSISTING OF:  MESA BOOGIE M-600 AMP, SWR 6-10 GOLIATH CAB (PRE FENDER), SWR WORKINGMANS 15, SWR 2004 AMP, AMPEG SVT 2 PREAMP, MACKIE 1400I AMP, MESA BOOGIE 1980’S 5 WAY CAB, FURMAN POWER CONDITIONER, KORG DTR-1000 TUNER, BOSS GT-10B , BOSS RC – 50 LOOP STATION, ELECTRO- HARMONIX POG FOR LIVE AND STUDIO PROCESSING. 

     THE TWO RULES I USE AS A BASS PLAYER:  LESS IS MORE & LISTEN !

     I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL THE FANS THAT HAVE JOINED ME ON THIS MUSICAL ADVENTURE.  I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MY LOVE OF LIFE & MUSIC WITH YOU AT FUTURE PERFORMANCES.  

     CATCH YOU AT THE NEXT SHOW !