His path to music began by playing low brass instruments in his New York suburban hometown where Ed Sullivan resided, Janis Joplin composed “Mercedes Benz” on a napkin in a bar down the road from the Capitol Theater, his dad owned and operated “Bandstand Records”, and he and his classmates dreamed of donning goofy-looking uniforms with pith helmets while playing for their high school’s renowned marching band.

Through the years Jack wrote and played his own songs and eventually picked up his old Baritone Horn and realized he needed more brass in his life again.

Some of the musicians Jack played with over the years include long-time friend and musician Ken Brown plus players Jack met through playing Trombone with Richard Garvey’s band. The Spare Hearts features Ken Brown on bass, Robert Reid on guitar, Steve Aylward on drums, and Kim Regimbal on every woodwind imaginable. Jack handles vocals while alternating between guitar and low brass (mostly valve trombone).

With a vibe borrowing bits from Stax, Motown, 70’s R&B revisionists, and some Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe thrown in for good measure, this unit provides the ideal flexibility to suit his body of incisive, passionate, and often bitter and sardonic original songs. The band has emerged from its one-year incubation period and is ready to play.