Born as the son of Joe and Virginia Catalina who lived in Mohawk, NY. I have six brothers and one sister, making eight of us in all. I was number four. My father was a musician and while he played guitar and banjo, mandolin was his main instrument. So all of us were exposed to music from the time we entered the world. The first instrument I learned to play and sing along with was the tenor guitar (four strings tuned like the first four strings of a six string guitar). I’m not sure exactly when I started playing around with it, but it was sometime before the fifth grade, when I was able to take music lessons at school. I wanted to play the trumpet, but because my family could not afford to either rent or buy an instrument for me I was depending on getting a school instrument, but there wasn’t a trumpet available. The music teacher, Laurel Snyder, came to
my class one day and said he had an alto saxophone for me to take lessons. I did not know what a saxophone was, but I said OK and started with the lessons. Unlike learning guitar “by ear”, I began to learn to read music in a group lesson including four us; me, Leah Carter, Ted Tolpa, and Mike McKenna.
By the time I was in Junior High School, the four of us saxophone players became a saxophone quartet, playing in concerts and competing in ensemble competitions. I continued with the guitar, graduating from a four string to a six string guitar playing chords while my dad played the mandolin. I remember hearing my father stop to yell to me “espeta” way too many times while I was learning to follow by ear (which means “pay attention” in Italian, I have no idea of the correct spelling). I also sang in the school choir.
By ninth grade, in addition to the sax quartet, I competed as a vocal and sax soloist as well as playing in the HS Dance Band with the alto saxophone, and started considering music as a career. At about the same time I began taking piano lessons, and singing in a select group called the “Sixteen Teens”, directed by Don Reardon. By the time I graduated from HS, I excelled with the sax, making Area All State my sophomore year, made All County vocally all four years, had already played three years with the Utica Symphony Band during the summers, was a member of a Band called the “Ben Franklin Stove Company”, a four piece pop-jazz group, and auditioned for and was accepted by the Navy School of Music.
I decided to keep music as a hobby instead of a career, and went to school for a career in civil engineering and construction, but kept playing with the Ben Franklin Stove Company Band (BFSC) and the Utica Symphony Band for another five year or so while going to college and building my daytime career. The BFSC was the Friday-Saturday entertainment for a long period at the Top Hot Inn in Fort Herkimer, NY, besides playing for party’s and special occasions. I played both lead on the Alto and Tenor saxophones. Members of the BFSC were Peter Eramo (guitar & vocals), Joe Congilaro ( trumpet), Joe Cerillo (drums) , and for a short time earlier in a three piece jazz group with …Chuck Anthony (stand up bass) and Dave Spencer (drum set).
There was a period time, approximately nine years, where my time was focused on my chosen career, and family. My music hobby took a back seat and during this period of time I was content in jamming with Joe Cocker CD’s whenever I got a chance with the sax, and continued jamming with my Dad. This was the rule of thumb until I met Dean Bogardus of Oneida, NY at a dance recital of both our kids. He and another musician were having a conversation of getting together to jam at Deans’ house, as I was ear dropping. I introduced myself and was able to get into the conversation and inquired about maybe jamming with them with my sax. Dean was all for it, and the following Wednesday night I found myself jamming with Dean, Larry Trexler, Jimmy S., and Randy Woodcock. Approximately 6 weeks later I found myself playing our first job as the “Off Hour Rockers” in a small bar in Duram, playing keys, sax and some vocals. We played together with a variety of members in and out until I got tired of the typical gig at bars, including the work of set-up haul and
break-down, not to mention the smoke from a non-smoker. After eight years, I decided to try something different, a one man act that I call “just me”.
I started building up a new repertoire of music focusing on slow rock and easy listening type music, including some dance music as well. I’ve done this now for over two decades up to over 250 tunes and keep adding songs as I go. I’ve probably added more new country songs in recent years than any other types as
it’s more like the old rock’n roll of the60-70’s.
While continuing with the“just me”; back in around 1998 or so I joined an Oldies Band called “Conerstone” from
the Madison County area, lead by Paul Murray of Chittenango. Paul was a Health Teacher at VVS and Paul and bass player, Ron Centnor were the original members of Cornerstone since their HS years. I played rhythm guitar, sax and vocals with them for around five years, until Pauls’ health was an issue. I joined the band
because they played mainly for NYS and Community Parks in the summer-time, and parties during the winter, bar gigs were far and between.
Since starting work At C&S Companies in Syracuse in 1998, I started playing with fellow workers and we formed a band called the CSB. In April of 2006 as CSB, we competed in a Battle of the Corporate Bands, raising money for the Red Cross in Syracuse NY a very competitive competition. We won that competition the first year and have participated every year since under that name and later "Critical Path" and changing some of the band members along the way. My brother Mike (Lead guitar), and my Daughter Sarah (Alto Sax) were part of the Critical Path Band.
I have a daughter, Jennifer Fisher, that is a jazz pianist and vocalists that is in three bands in the Pittsburgh area, Salina Catalina, Aviation Blondes, and Rich Mahogany and the Leather Bound Books where, unlike CNY, playing originals is the thing to do. Recently I added the sax to a tune on the Aviations Blondes latest CD to the
tune “Don’t Look Down” which has been released on the “Get Hip” label, and since have performed live with the band in Pittsburgh at the Hard Rock Café.
Also in the past few years I’ve done a lot of community service type gigs at the local coffee house, and food pantries downtown Syracuse to get back into it, and starting to book and perform at some family parties and some restaurant bars. It’s been good to be back. My day time career continues to be good and challenging, but does not fulfill my music desires, so I’m looking to do a little more music as “just me”.Recently I did a job for the American Society of Interior Designers Conference held at the Turning Stone. While I was contracted as a “piano man act” I shared a generous fee with a friend Martin Canney playing bass, and my son Rob playing an electronic drum set. We performed as the “just me trio”.
Working in the building construction industry makes it difficult to find time, but I've managed to keep my chops up with playing whenever I can including out-door summer concerts at ZEMS in Canastota, NY, NYS State Parks, the Luppino Annual Winter Outing, Erie Canal-Canal Days, Annual Dolgeville Violet Festival, occasional private parties, and from fall to spring with the Cazenovia Community Band.
my class one day and said he had an alto saxophone for me to take lessons. I did not know what a saxophone was, but I said OK and started with the lessons. Unlike learning guitar “by ear”, I began to learn to read music in a group lesson including four us; me, Leah Carter, Ted Tolpa, and Mike McKenna.
By the time I was in Junior High School, the four of us saxophone players became a saxophone quartet, playing in concerts and competing in ensemble competitions. I continued with the guitar, graduating from a four string to a six string guitar playing chords while my dad played the mandolin. I remember hearing my father stop to yell to me “espeta” way too many times while I was learning to follow by ear (which means “pay attention” in Italian, I have no idea of the correct spelling). I also sang in the school choir.
By ninth grade, in addition to the sax quartet, I competed as a vocal and sax soloist as well as playing in the HS Dance Band with the alto saxophone, and started considering music as a career. At about the same time I began taking piano lessons, and singing in a select group called the “Sixteen Teens”, directed by Don Reardon. By the time I graduated from HS, I excelled with the sax, making Area All State my sophomore year, made All County vocally all four years, had already played three years with the Utica Symphony Band during the summers, was a member of a Band called the “Ben Franklin Stove Company”, a four piece pop-jazz group, and auditioned for and was accepted by the Navy School of Music.
I decided to keep music as a hobby instead of a career, and went to school for a career in civil engineering and construction, but kept playing with the Ben Franklin Stove Company Band (BFSC) and the Utica Symphony Band for another five year or so while going to college and building my daytime career. The BFSC was the Friday-Saturday entertainment for a long period at the Top Hot Inn in Fort Herkimer, NY, besides playing for party’s and special occasions. I played both lead on the Alto and Tenor saxophones. Members of the BFSC were Peter Eramo (guitar & vocals), Joe Congilaro ( trumpet), Joe Cerillo (drums) , and for a short time earlier in a three piece jazz group with …Chuck Anthony (stand up bass) and Dave Spencer (drum set).
There was a period time, approximately nine years, where my time was focused on my chosen career, and family. My music hobby took a back seat and during this period of time I was content in jamming with Joe Cocker CD’s whenever I got a chance with the sax, and continued jamming with my Dad. This was the rule of thumb until I met Dean Bogardus of Oneida, NY at a dance recital of both our kids. He and another musician were having a conversation of getting together to jam at Deans’ house, as I was ear dropping. I introduced myself and was able to get into the conversation and inquired about maybe jamming with them with my sax. Dean was all for it, and the following Wednesday night I found myself jamming with Dean, Larry Trexler, Jimmy S., and Randy Woodcock. Approximately 6 weeks later I found myself playing our first job as the “Off Hour Rockers” in a small bar in Duram, playing keys, sax and some vocals. We played together with a variety of members in and out until I got tired of the typical gig at bars, including the work of set-up haul and
break-down, not to mention the smoke from a non-smoker. After eight years, I decided to try something different, a one man act that I call “just me”.
I started building up a new repertoire of music focusing on slow rock and easy listening type music, including some dance music as well. I’ve done this now for over two decades up to over 250 tunes and keep adding songs as I go. I’ve probably added more new country songs in recent years than any other types as
it’s more like the old rock’n roll of the60-70’s.
While continuing with the“just me”; back in around 1998 or so I joined an Oldies Band called “Conerstone” from
the Madison County area, lead by Paul Murray of Chittenango. Paul was a Health Teacher at VVS and Paul and bass player, Ron Centnor were the original members of Cornerstone since their HS years. I played rhythm guitar, sax and vocals with them for around five years, until Pauls’ health was an issue. I joined the band
because they played mainly for NYS and Community Parks in the summer-time, and parties during the winter, bar gigs were far and between.
Since starting work At C&S Companies in Syracuse in 1998, I started playing with fellow workers and we formed a band called the CSB. In April of 2006 as CSB, we competed in a Battle of the Corporate Bands, raising money for the Red Cross in Syracuse NY a very competitive competition. We won that competition the first year and have participated every year since under that name and later "Critical Path" and changing some of the band members along the way. My brother Mike (Lead guitar), and my Daughter Sarah (Alto Sax) were part of the Critical Path Band.
I have a daughter, Jennifer Fisher, that is a jazz pianist and vocalists that is in three bands in the Pittsburgh area, Salina Catalina, Aviation Blondes, and Rich Mahogany and the Leather Bound Books where, unlike CNY, playing originals is the thing to do. Recently I added the sax to a tune on the Aviations Blondes latest CD to the
tune “Don’t Look Down” which has been released on the “Get Hip” label, and since have performed live with the band in Pittsburgh at the Hard Rock Café.
Also in the past few years I’ve done a lot of community service type gigs at the local coffee house, and food pantries downtown Syracuse to get back into it, and starting to book and perform at some family parties and some restaurant bars. It’s been good to be back. My day time career continues to be good and challenging, but does not fulfill my music desires, so I’m looking to do a little more music as “just me”.Recently I did a job for the American Society of Interior Designers Conference held at the Turning Stone. While I was contracted as a “piano man act” I shared a generous fee with a friend Martin Canney playing bass, and my son Rob playing an electronic drum set. We performed as the “just me trio”.
Working in the building construction industry makes it difficult to find time, but I've managed to keep my chops up with playing whenever I can including out-door summer concerts at ZEMS in Canastota, NY, NYS State Parks, the Luppino Annual Winter Outing, Erie Canal-Canal Days, Annual Dolgeville Violet Festival, occasional private parties, and from fall to spring with the Cazenovia Community Band.