Born: 31-Jul-1959 in Chicago, IL. Initially started playing piano aged six but having been influenced by Jimi Hendrix, he took up the guitar aged 11. Developed a two handed "Touch-Technique" which allowed him to play the strings on the fretboard of the guitar much like a keyboard with "hammer-ons" and "pull-offs". Achieved notoriety with this technique when he won the soloist competition at the Reno International Jazz Festival aged 17. Released Touch Sensitive in 1982 on Tangent Records and followed this with a series of studio albums on Blue Note; Magic Touch (1985), Standards (1986), Flying Home (1988), Cornucopia (1990).