My career as a NYC recording studio musician began in 1971 when I was fifteen years old. Songwriters Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson were looking for a fresh new rhythm section to kick off their production of Valerie Simpson’s second solo album when a close friend of theirs raved “about these teenagers from the high school of Music and Art” who were rehearsing upstairs from his apartment on west 87th street. The band was called Natural Essence and the rhythm section was composed of myself on bass, Nat Adderley jr. on keyboards and Buddy Williams on drums. After a brief audition, not only did we get the gig but I went on to work with Nick and Val (later known as Ashford & Simpson) for decades and was subsequently thrust into the NYC recording musicians scene. I owe my big break to them and I will always be so truly grateful to Nick & Val.