You are probably wondering where the name Beaux Jaxon comes from.

I was recording at Chung King Studios in NYC and my good friend Dave LaBarba, who also happens to be an outstanding keyboard player, was there laying down some Hammond tracks for my record. As a joke, when I entered, Dave said "Hey, its Bo Jackson" (my name is Bob Jackson) and my producer overheard it and started using it. The engineers, assistants and receptionists started writing it on my tapes, track sheets and session logs and it kind of just stuck. I attribute the spelling to record producer Rob Provitera, owner of Tera Studios.

I grew up all over the US but spent most of my childhood in Northern New Jersey; a stone throw from the New York State border and a 1/2 hour drive from NYC. Because of my close proximity to the Big Apple, I was very lucky to have access to and be a part of the New York music scene for virtually all of my musical life.

I have several older siblings who love music and a father who was a professional singer at one time in his younger days, so really from birth I was surrounded by many types of music from Nat King Cole, Frank and Tony, to the Beatles, Bob Marley and everything else. My brother Bill is a guitarist as well so we grew up playing music and mercilessly making up songs about anything and everything. As far as my own personal taste in music is concerned, I like anything as long as the songwriting and melodies are solid.

My own music relies heavily on melody. I try to create good solid hooks and cycle my melodies throughout the song. I don't follow trends in my songwriting, so the results of my writing are what come out naturally. I think it was John Lennon who said, "If a song takes more than five minutes to write, it probably isn't very good" or something along those lines; the point being you can't force it. I write prolifically but like most writers, much of it ends up on shelves or in the garbage. I only present the songs that I like to the band and we usually do the arrangements on the fly at rehearsals.

The band I have now is really my dream band. This set up; acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keys, bass and drums, is best for this type of music. These guys are all pros and very open-minded when it comes to interpreting the songs I write. I try not to give too much direction as to what they should or should not play which allows them to put their own personal touch on the music. I have my own vision of what my songs should sound like but always remain open to good ideas and suggestions. My band-mates are great guys, a pleasure to work with and I'm lucky to have them.

I'm a decent guitarist. I have played lead guitar for several bands, Dalton Clay and The Plainhealers are two notables, but in the band's current configuration I play acoustic guitar. Frankly, Zoltan is a better guitarist than me so it's nice to just sit back and watch him go. I have had many guitars over the years; , Les Pauls, Strats, Telecasters, a National Steel Dobro, Guilds and many others I can't remember. I currently play a Martin D1R, a Yamaha APX 6A and a re-issued 1957 Les Paul Special, which I purchased some years back from the Gibson Vintage Shop. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to sound so I prefer vintage tube amps and vintage instruments.

Beaux Jaxon is endorsed by John Pearse strings.

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An invitation to play with a new band has always been a pleasure for me as a musician. You can get lot of new experience and aside from that, I enjoy playing different types of music. I have always been a big fan of traditional American Rock because it is colorful, solid music. It is not easy for a Hungarian guy to adapt to music from a different continent. Fortunately, in the case of the Beaux Jaxon Band there have been no problems bringing the proper voicing and authenticity to the songs.

I try many different instruments during a recording session; each song requires a different sound. Gibson Les Paul Custom, Fernandez Sustainer, Fernandez Telecaster, Ibanez Artist and Ovation acoustic are a few of the instruments I play during sessions.

I use an ART tube pre-amp with a Hughes & Kettner VS250 amplifier connected to either Hughes & Kettner or Marshall cabinets. If there is no room to use the "big stacks", I use a Berhinger V-Amp2 to play through the mixing board.

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I was very pleased when I was invited to join the Beaux Jaxon Band in the spring of 2003. Despite my 23 years, I have played with many different bands. Lately, I have been testing my abilities in different genres of music and this band certainly opens a new chapter in my musical life.

I was about 7 or 8 years old when I had my first contact with the piano. In the beginning, I just broke some hammers and very quickly became a rock fan. Later, I slowly changed direction to jazz and during this period, finished the Musical Instruments Maker's course at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest. I have been studying pop music for 6 years, the last 2 years at the Kőbánya Music School where Zoltan Marothy is an instructor.

These days jazz is my biggest inspiration. Names like Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarret come to mind but I also listen to the big R'n'B stars like Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. The Beaux Jaxon Band has been a real purification process for me because there is less emphasis on pointless self-serving exhibitionism, and this allows me to take a seat with the group as if in a comfortable chair.

Like most keyboard players, I have an ever-expanding collection of instruments. My main keyboard is an Alesis QS8 that I use that with an E-mu Vintage keys module; which is an old piece but still sounds incredible, and finally there is my "darling", the 1978 Wurlitzer EP 200 Electronic Piano; a love that will last forever.

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I first met Beaux Jaxon in 2001 when he was playing in the heart of Budapest at Old Mans Music Club , where I had organised a gig for his band. I really liked the way his music came accross. I was asked to join the band as the bass player in late 2002 and it has been quite an educational experience for me. I find that his music is inspirational and he writes nice melodic songs. Quite simply, it is a pleasure to be a member of this band.

I like to listen to many different types of music especially when I feel there is something I can learn from it. It doesn't really matter what the musical style or genre is, and as a result it is sometimes difficult for me to list my musical influences or favorites, ...however, I would have to say that it was probably Led Zeppelin that first inspired me to pick up the bass guitar and to eventually become a professional musician.

My main instrument is a 1969 Fender Jazz Bass. I also play a Warwick Thumb 90, Aria Pro II solo guitar and a Yamaha 12 string acoustic guitar. For effects I use a Trace Elliot chorus, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Digitech Synth Wah, Dunlop Cry Baby Wah Pedal and an Ibanez Flanger. I use aTrace Elliot tube pre-amp, and a 2x150 W Trace Elliot head, Trace Elliot with 4 x10"s cabinet 2x300 w.

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I'm a typical Central-European guy, with a colorful heritage; I was born in Slovakia, but I'm mostly Hungarian, a little bit German and Serb as well. This multi cultural background has had a great influence on my life as a musician. Although I'm a big fan of periferal or alternative art, I've always had great respect for the classics and the mainstream. You can find valuable things everywhere if you just stay open minded. I try to apply this kind of view to drumming, so I'm not afraid of mixing different techniques in different musical environments. What's more, being an artist (I believe drumming is an art) shouldn't prevent you from being interested in Mathematics, Information Technology or Web Design, all of which I study in my free time.

In 1999, after many years of playing with bands of various genres in Slovakia, I decided to settle down in Budapest and play in the local music scene. One year later I met Beaux Jaxon in a rehearsal studio and was invited to join his band. I like his music. It's simple yet challenging for skilled musicians although it remains very listenable. We've become very good friends and that's a key element in the success of any good band.

Finally a few words about my instruments for my fellow drummers; I play Pearl and Tama drums, Sabian cymbals (mostly HH and AAX series), and use artbeat drumsticks, Tama hardware and pedals - here's my usual setup:

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