Pete grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended college in the Chicago area, receiving a degree in music education from Northwestern University. Following college, Pete free-lanced in Chicago with a variety of jazz, Latin, society, and musical theater groups. After an eight-year break from playing trumpet while living in Florida, Pete moved to the Twin Cities in 1995 and began performing again. Pete has backed artists such as Clark Terry, Eric Miyashiro, the James Walsh Gypsy Band, Vic Damone, Bobby Rydell, and the Lettermen. He also privileged to perform on the original "Chase Revisited" concert in 2007 in St. Paul, featuring alumni of the original Chase band. He can be seen regularly in the Twin Cities with the ACME Jazz Company big band, Bellagala Big Band, Nova Jazz Orchestra, Plymouth Concert Band, Soul Tight Committee, Free & Easy, Emerson Ave., R-Factor, Belladiva, Tropical Zone Orchestra, Encore Wind Ensemble, and most of the big bands in the Twin Cities.
Pete joined GBF as lead trumpet in 2005, and considers it the best gig in town!
Pete performs on Harrelson and Schilke trumpets, a Scodwell flugelhorn and GR mouthpieces.
Favorite Albums:
Clifford Brown: The Beginning and The End, The Quintet
Clark Terry: Clark After Dark
Tower of Power: 40th Anniversary, Tower of Power, Soul Vaccination Live, Live And In Living Color, Bump City, Back To Oakland
Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows: Live from Chicago!
Frank Sinatra/Count Basie: Live At The Sands
Chicago: Chicago Transit Authority
Chase: Chase
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band
Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic
Favorite Artists:
Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Clark Terry, Maynard Ferguson, Bill Chase, John Audino, Al Porcino, Snooky Young, Doc Severinson, Wayne Bergeron, Chet Baker...
Tower of Power, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, Earth Wind and Fire, Jerry Hey, Chicago, Stevie Wonder, Kook and the Gang, The O'Jays, The Temptations, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Huey Lewis & The News, Aretha Franklin, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra.
