The thing is I LOVE PLAYING MUSIC always have, always will (particularly original –ask for an original). When I’m playing my guitar the world changes. All the edges smooth out and all is good. I have always loved to play without plan, to pick up the guitar and just see where it goes. It is sometimes fluid and warm and easy and sometimes I break out in a sweat and love the challenge. I did it in my bedroom growing up (and still), with Ami, with INHOUSE, in solo shows and occasionally with Acoustic Remedy at our shows. It has its own sound that those that have known me say they can identify from around the corner and across the country. The greatest compliment I have been paid, many times, is “I knew it was you” or “that sounds like you”. Sounding like me is what I’ve always aspired to rather than to sound like some other artist (regardless of how wonderful I think they are). I just finished and released my own CD “Strings of Consciousness”. It is truly a labor of love. An all instrumental and improvisational CD recorded with various musicians at different studios. I recorded two tracks in New York City with my friend and phenomenal guitarist Fred Shehadi at his Crystal Clear Music Studios. Ex-INHOUSE band mates Steve (the Stu) Williams on drums and Mike Hill on bass joined me for a session at Adrian Montijo’s studio in Lake Worth , FL and one of those tracks appears on the CD. I had wanted to try recording my guitar with just two percussionists, a different challenge so I called Bill Meredith who I played and built a rapport with in several bands including INHOUSE, Jason Colannino, Acoustic Remedy as well as at my original shows and asked him and also called Steve Kornicks, a percussionist from Miami, who I had the fortune to play with a number of times to come to the studio and record a few takes. I was able coerce my friend Steve Jones (guitar) into trying something improvisational and was excited by the results so I asked both he and Stephanie Krowka (bass) of Acoustic Remedy to also come to the studio and record. Corey Dwyer (of the band Crazy Fingers) got a great sound for both these groupings at his Dream Factory Studios in Boynton Beach, FL. Since then I’ve set up my website andystein.net and have begun recording my next project. I really hope to hear from you at my website. Let me know how you like the music or just stop by, breathe, listen and say hello. The next project is a set of ten songs ( all with vocals) that I’ve written over the last few years, including a couple written for INHOUSE that I hope to get the original members to play on. I hope to get this finished by the end of 2008 (the wheels turn slowly) and really look forward to you hearing it. OK – now here’s some background stuff - As a teen I played from the Jersey shore to New York City in assorted bands, like Ami, Rabbit Ears and The Dan Bruder Band. We had some success; opening for Huey Lewis and the News and Nils Lofgrin, having Bruce Springsteen (who also gave us some studio time in NYC) come and see us play at Clarence Clemons club in Red Bank on his birthday, having Max Weinberg come sit in with us at our local bar, playing CBGB’s, The Bitter End, Folk City, Max’s Kansas City and so many others. It was a lot of fun and all the troubles that come along with it. When I moved to Florida I stopped playing publicly for 1-2 years and when I started playing out again it was sitting in with a friend, Steve Jones at a local restaurant/bar. While sitting in a fan/friend of Steve’s who had been enjoying our playing together (Frank) told me of a new band looking for a guitarist. That band was called INHOUSE. I was asked to join and Gin and Evi Weintraub, Phil Kalasz, Steve Williams and I spent the next five years playing all over, putting out 3 CD’s, Five Wooden Chairs, The Beautiful Soup and Waking Juliet. Record labels, managers, opening shows for acts like Ziggy Marley, Peter Frampton, Pat Benetar, Widespread Panic, Ani DiFranco, The Neville Brothers, Fleetwood Mac and many others including Rob Thomas, while still in Tabitha’s Secret, who we were nominated with for the Florida Jammy awards. We played Palm Beach County’s SunFest for 3 years which included being the first local act asked to play on the main stage, We also played a Warped tour show and a Lilith Fair show as well as college circuit shows. We were recorded live by musical ‘legend’ Tom Dowd. We did radio interviews, got a little radio airplay, had big fun, big stress and not enough money. During this time I met and played with Bill Meredith who took over on drums after Steve Williams, when he and Cliff Wallach on bass became the bands last rhythm section. While that ride ended I started playing duos with Jason Colannino (who I met while with the band and who had been playing shows around South Florida for years). We played local duo shows, worked on our original music and it also evolved into some full band shows (again with Bill) including another SunFest show. I played guitar on Jason’s wonderful CD, A Piece Of The Sun. While Jason and I continued playing shows I reconnected with an old friend, Steve Jones and started playing shows together with him as well. The three of us played a St Patrick’s Day show at Paddy Mac’s and Acoustic Remedy was born. We played successfully around south Florida for more than a year. Jason left to follow his own path doing solo, duo and full band shows (I join him from time to time). Steve and I have since been joined by Stephanie Krowka who plays bass and has a great voice. We have continued to play for the past couple of years around the area to great audiences in many different venues. You can find our calendar at andystein.net or at acousticremedy.com. Come see us. Better still come listen to us. Lots of classic tunes, great music, great vocals and don’t forget to ask for an original (we all have some). As I said quite a while ago I love to play without plan. Look for some shows on my calendar that are that style as well and be supportive of the original music I love so much. I know it’s not familiar but that is the blessing not the curse. Be open to that as well as to the wonderful familiar songs I also get great joy playing and we all love to hear and hum to. Alright, I’ll shut up now but the thing is I LOVE PLAYING MUSIC always have, always will.