on DRUMS, with John Simeone

Send us Fan Mail He didn’t grow up with a band room, a stack of records, or a family cheering him on. Willie Steele grew up hearing “get a job,” drove lumber trucks, and only started taking guitar lessons at 30. Somehow, that late start turns into a lifelong working career where his name becomes shorthand around Long Island for a guy who can show up, make the music feel good, and tell the kind of...

Send us Fan Mail Music careers rarely move in a straight line, and Willie Pollock is proof. We talk about how a junior high knee injury took him out of sports and pushed him into a music store, where a rented guitar and Mel Bay books started a chain reaction that never really stopped. From learning solos off vinyl and chasing Duane Allman’s slide sound to hearing Robben Ford on Long Island radio a...

Send us Fan Mail A packed ballroom. A tired drummer. A stranger rolls down his window and asks if he’s leaving. That quick parking-lot chat sends Eric Haft—lifelong musician, jazz obsessive, student of Al Miller, Jim Chapin, and Keith Copeland—onto a stage with nothing but a mic and a pulse. What follows is a rare, unfiltered look at how rhythm shapes far more than music, and why the first laugh c...

Send us Fan Mail A guest mic at her brother’s wedding turned into a career. That’s the spark Pamela Lewis chases across this fast, funny, and deeply honest conversation about craft, persistence, and finding meaning on and off the bandstand. We go from the Floral Terrace first-dance rehearsal where she landed a job offer, to years of calling bandleaders until a spot opened, to the reality of singin...

Send us Fan Mail A name with three versions, a yellow Corolla packed with dreams, and a pocket full of maps: that’s how Shell left Miami for Queens and built a life equal parts hustle and heart. We go deep into his winding path from singing with his brothers to turning a mall menswear store into a profit machine, from Broadway auditions and Stephen Scott’s A-list bands to a chance encounter that o...

Send us Fan Mail A twenty-year reunion turns into a masterclass on survival, adaptation, and the art of playing for keeps. We sit down with guitarist, writer, and singer George Cintron to trace a line from a Puerto Rican household in Bayshore—where top 40 radio was the cultural gateway—to roaring Long Island clubs, studio sessions with heavy hitters, and a phone call that vaulted him onto arena st...

Send us Fan Mail Reuniting with my old friend Matt Miller after over two decades was like stepping back into our shared musical past. Matt, son of the legendary drummer Al Miller, shares his journey from a childhood immersed in rhythm to navigating the vibrant music scenes of North Texas and New York. We explore whether musical talent truly runs in the family and how the pressures of performing yo...

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Send us Fan Mail Join us for a nostalgic journey through the decades with Ken Talve, a gifted guitarist and my bandmate in the Ken Talve Trio. Ken opens up about his musical evolution, starting from his high school days when he was mesmerized by the blues and iconic bands like the Allman Brothers. Together, we reminisce about our days in the city lofts, endless rehearsals, and unforgettable club g...

Send us Fan Mail Reconnecting with an old friend can be a heartwarming and enlightening experience. Imagine being separated for 15 years and then finding yourselves together again, not just as friends but as musicians who once shared the stage. This episode brings you the remarkable story of how I, John Simeone, reunited with the talented Al Quinn, our keyboard player from the band Street Life. Li...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a love for music meets the classroom? Join me and my longtime friend, Joel Levy, as we reminisce about our musical adventures from the 1980s and dive into Joel's incredible journey from Syracuse to the stage. You'll hear about Joel's early days playing the clarinet in fourth grade, his switch to the saxophone, and the unforgettable moment at the Ea...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a high school jazz band drummer from Vermont decides to take a spontaneous leap of faith and move to New York City? Join us as we chat with Sam Merrick, the talented drummer for the Broadway show "And Juliet," who shares his incredible journey. From local gigs in Boston while pursuing a communications degree at Boston University to a serendipitous barte...

Send us Fan Mail They say time flies when you're having fun, but never so quickly as when you're jamming with an old friend like Mark Newman. Our laughter echoed through the studio as Mark recanted the time he salvaged a guitar from the trash—a fitting prelude to his remarkable journey from a wide-eyed kid enthralled by '50s rock 'n' roll, to the seasoned guitarist we know...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever found yourself caught between the steady beat of work life and the syncopated rhythms of a musical passion? My friend Don Olsen, a savvy electronics manufacturing business owner, joins me for a stroll down memory lane to chat about our earlier days, the laugh-filled experiences with jazz musicians, and the art of juggling careers with the melodies that truly make our...

Send us Fan Mail When Lee Finkelstein lays down a beat, it's not just rhythm—he's telling a story, painting a landscape. It's a philosophy I, John Simeone, share wholeheartedly. Our recent conversation took us on a tour through the world of drumming, where we unpacked the essence of what it means to truly play for the music. Lee, with his wealth of experience across genres, emphasiz...

Send us Fan Mail As a young drummer, tapping rhythms on school desks and dreaming of the big stage, I never imagined I'd be trading stories with a Broadway legend like Bill Lanham. Yet, here we are in a heart-to-heart, delving into the thrills and spills of his career, from the electrifying beats of Les Misérables to the high-stakes world of live theatre drumming. Billy's family tapestry...

Send us Fan Mail Embark on an auditory expedition with me, John Simeone, as I sit down with the inimitable saxophonist Jeff Lange, whose musical tales are as rich and varied as the notes that flow from his sax. Picture, if you will, a young Jeff grappling with the strings of a guitar and the keys of an accordion before the saxophone’s siren call captured his soul. Our conversation dances around th...

Send us Fan Mail Remember the time our mate Chris snuck in a shrimp cocktail on stage, despite explicit instructions to the contrary? Yep, that’s the kind of deliciously eccentric characters you’ll meet as we take a nostalgic journey down music industry memory lane. Join us and our special guest, Ben Phillip, as we reminisce about our band days, our beloved band leader Gus, and our encounters with...

Send us Fan Mail Ever dreamed of jamming with some of the music industry’s most celebrated icons? Picture yourself backing up the likes of Chaka Khan and Patty LaBelle? Brian Dunne, a renowned drummer, is living that dream, and he's here to share his incredible journey. As he walks us through his early days of jamming with his brother to his experiences with world-famous artists, Brian’s tale...

Send us Fan Mail Fasten your seatbelts as we embark on a journey into the past with Sal Randazzo, a renowned trombone player who shares with us not only the nostalgia of the early days in an assortment of bands, but also his sage insights and hilarious tales from a fulfilling career in the music industry. We present you with an episode that promises you laughter, learning, and some good old music...

Send us Fan Mail Catching up with Ozzie Melendez, our second trombone player, is like being teleported into the heart of the music industry. From his musical beginnings in fourth grade to landing the big gig with Willie Colon's band, Ozzie shares the essence of a musician's journey, and why it’s crucial to seize every opportunity to prove oneself. We swap hilarious anecdotes featuring fe...

Send us Fan Mail Ready to step into the life of a professional musician? This episode with Terry Nigrelli , a trombone player with Broadway experience, brings you right into the heart of the music world. We journey through Terry's musical upbringing and his dedication to the trombone, a passion that took him from private lessons and music summer camps to eventual professional gigs in diverse...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode me and one of my longtime musician friends, Dave Clark, discuss the triumphs and hardships of the music industry. Dave is a well known keyboard player/Singer/writer from the Long Island area originally, where he became the replacement for Billy Joel on the "Lords of 52nd Street" band. That band featured all the original members if Billy Joels band at its...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode I talk with my old friend John Scarpulla. John has done extensive touring with many well known artists, Tower of Power and Diana Ross to name a few! I've done many gigs with John and he always brings professionalism and integrity to each one, big or small - a talented seasoned musician for sure. This was my first "zoom" interview, so we get cut off b...