Below is an email interview with Bon Ton Key Club. All interviews are published unedited.

I have to say that I was first inspired by Dave Brubeck when I was studying piano at a young age. When I was in the sixth grade, my parents gave me Paul Revere and the Raiders first album, which featured Paul playing an upright or studio piano doing these great boogie riffs like Beatnik Sticks and Like, Long Hair. Classic 60’s! I used to sit down at the piano trying to figure out how he was doing these great left hand walking bass riffs like Jerry Lee Lewis. Then came Jon Lord of Deep Purple, who I really connected with musically, as well as Greg Rollie of Santana, and Goldy McJohn of Steppenwolf. I was too young to see Goldy play when they came to Salem, but I did see Jon Lord when I was in high school, and man, I was speechless for days. That guy is still the most unique rock keyboard player I have seen or heard. What really made him unique was his classical training combined with his rock / blues riffs, which is true of Goldy as well. When I entered college, I became a huge fan of Jurgen Fritz of Triumvirat, Alan Lanier of Blue Oyster Cult, and then I discovered the great Greg Hawkes of The Cars. Then jazz grabbed me with Les McCann, Herbie Hancock, and other giants. When I started playing professionally, I listened to tons of Chick Corea, and then later, I took an EP home of Thomas Dolby’s material, and I loved the new wave groove he had going with sequenced keyboards. I thought to myself, “Man, I have got to learn how to do that MIDI thing and figure this out!” Recently over the past few years, I have really enjoyed what Jordan Rudess is doing, but the list is a mile long with influences. Too many to mention!

I started out playing for a Neil Diamond imitator for the Holiday Inn / Sheraton circuit that traveled around the western states, which finally became Small Wonder, consisting of the sidemen in the band. Next, I joined the new wave band, The Control Boys, where I was known as Doctor Polyester. It was such a great band, and we had incredible success, but teaching music at schools and playing music at night hours from home was getting to be too much. I then played in a Portland- based band with my cousin called Backlash!, which was a band that did originals and the classics. After that, I started my own project known as Bon Ton Key Club.

I think it is difficult to nail down as a genre or label, but it has a number of elements that make it unique. Most of my friends and other musicians on the music sites say that I have this electro / electronic / progressive thing going with jazz influences. I think that might be the most accurate, but I would guess that I just want it to be interesting and enjoyable for the listener.

My best live experience would have to have been with The Control Boys, as we played some great shows at the Roseland Theater in Portland, The Salem Armory in Salem, clubs in Spokane, etc. Playing for the fraternity at the University of Oregon where they filmed “Animal House” was an absolute riot. Those students just treated us like kings, and we left that gig feeling like we played our best ever. Other colleges like the Oregon State and Western Oregon University also had us back time and time again. They advertised for us, gathered tons of people, and really were involved with our shows. We loved the college students, and they were extremely good to us. We were treated with such respect.

I have a track coming out on a compilation CD that is soon to be released, and will be available on itunes, Rhapsody, Walmart, and radio stations across the nation. I am hoping to get a complete CD out along with that release, so I am reallly excited about getting that going. I am hoping to get some studio time with guest artists and other musician friends to come in a play or sing on some of the tracks. I also have some new material that I am preparing to record very soon, so that is really motivating as well.