David Mello and Friends

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  1. 1
    Never Make Your Move Too Soon 5:27
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    Deep River Blues 4:22
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    She Caught the Katy 4:28
    Info
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    Can You Feel It (S1) 4:24
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    Your Cheatin' Heart 3:33
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    Boogie On Reggae Woman 5:01
    Info
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    Ready for the Times to Get Better 4:58
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    I Got You (I Feel Good) 2:24
    Info
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  9. 9
    Cakewalk In To Town 4:41
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    Good Man Good Woman - live 3:32
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    Summertime 7:14
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When I think about how I met David Mello, I am always struck by how unlikely it was.  Numerous completely unrelated events conspired to bring us together in the winter of 1969/70.

David was the leader of a Long Island based power rock trio named “Wilkinson Tri-cycle”.  They had been signed by Columbia Records and had released an album the previous year.  I was in an acoustic band from Morristown, New Jersey..  We played mostly covers of  “The Holy Modal Rounders,  Jim Kweskin and The Incredible String Band.”  We were a hundred miles apart, both physically and artistically.  It was extremely unlikely that our paths would have crossed.  But cross they did.

In the summer of 1968, my family moved from Morristown to Lebanon, New Jersey.  My sister Pamela and I were still in high school.  Because of this move, my sister became friends with Maggie, a girl in our new school.  And it so happened that Maggie had met Wilkinson Try-cycle when they played a gig near us.   At some point, David and Michael Clemens (drummer) decided to move to the town of Flemington, just a hoot and a holler down the road.  And then one day, Maggie said to my sister, “You should get your brother and his jug band buddies to come down and meet these guys.”  And so we did.

And that was one of those moments that very specifically changed the course of my life.  If not for this seemingly random encounter, I would never have met my beautiful wife Gloria.  I would not have my three amazing children and my eight incredible grandchildren!

The first time I heard David play and sing, I knew immediately that he was one of the best musicians I would ever meet.  I did not know at that time that within a year our two bands would join forces and continue to chase the dream.

By playing in a band with David Mello, I learned how to really be part of an ensemble, how to listen and play in a complementary way, and most importantly, to never phone it in.

If you are lucky enough to have played with David Mello, then you know.  I have also had the good fortune to have made numerous recordings with him.  This page contains some of my most treasured examples.  Enjoy!