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learned a lot more about the whole recording process, which was really, really cool and I loved,

absolutely.

BiTS: Let’s take a step back. On your website, it says something which indicates coming from a
background of music, particularly maybe boogie-woogie. Is that accurate? Where does it come
from?

VL: Well, I started listening to all kinds of music a lot when I was really young - five or six years

old, and I just found blues and boogie-woogie and roots rock and roll. My grandfather and I really
connected through music. He lost his sight when he was 15 years old, so he never saw me or anyone
and really how we connected
was through music. He
definitely instilled in me a love
for finding music that I was
passionate about and excited

about and definitely there was a
few CDs and videos that I found
when I was really young that
just blew my mind and
completely began this passion

that I have for this kind of
music. I think one of the first
CDs and albums I listened to
was piano blues and boogie-
woogie classic compilation CDs
from back in the 90s, maybe. One of the songs on there was a Katie Webster song. ‘Katie’s Boogie
Woogie’. I must have listened to that song like a thousand times [laughing]. I deeply connected with

this music, and I guess it just found me, but I’ve just grown to love it even more every day
[laughing].

BiTS: That’s absolutely wonderful. Tell me something about your current situation. You’ve got a
band together, I think, and Monster Mike Welch included now. Is he a permanent fixture?

VL: Not yet, but I do have a drummer and a saxophone player that I kind of play around with as a

trio, and yes, I had Monster Mike Welch join me as a guest for a recent show and that was amazing.
That was the first time we had played together, and I hope to do more shows with him soon and
again because it was really incredible, and he knew just how to fit into the sound, and it really was
a fun time [chuckles].

BiTS: Have you been badly affected by COVID, I mean, as far as gigs are concerned?

VL: Yes. I just this summer started doing a few outdoor festivals and shows, but definitely, I hadn’t
played anything since February 2020. All the shows stopped, and even now, I’m just focusing on

outdoor festivals and things that are more predictable, just because everything is still really crazy
here in the United States and abroad. I have some shows lined up for this fall in New England, and
hopefully, by next year, more shows and touring will start back up and maybe I can even come over
and play internationally.

BiTS: I think you’ve got a gig with Popa Chubby coming up fairly shortly. Is that right?