For Drew Verbis, Westview High School graduate and West Valley resident, this is work. It's not twiddling the knobs or playing the discs, although that is part of it, it's the knowing and loving of blues music that's his job. If his mentor, Bob Corritore, Grammy-nominated producer, is the master, then Verbis, a young man with an agile musical mind and a unique hunger, is the apprentice fast becoming a force of his own.
After High School, Drew moved to Los Angeles and attended Otis Institute of Parsons School of Design in downtown Los Angeles. He worked for several major music retailers, Virgin Megastore and Blockbuster Music, a now defunct listen-before-you-buy music store, and became an award winning expert in planning and running special events such as in-store concerts, signings, and meet 'n greets with major music artists.
Before returning to Phoenix, he became a well traveled concert photographer, nearly took a job at the punk music label Epitaph Records, appeared in two episodes of VH1's Vinyl Justice, appeared as an extra in Beverly Hills 90210, worked an internship with Rick Dee's KISS FM, and tempted death in a desert rollover, which he survived thanks to a seatbelt.
In addition to heavy soul musical influences of his childhood, Drew also brings to the show his many years of experience working with such blues artists as Louisiana Red, R. L. Burnside, Elmo Williams, George "Mojo" Buford, Chico Chism, Bob Margolin, and others.
(Bio information in part excerpted from an article by Michael Clawson). For more information on Drew, log on to his website at www.verbis.org
