|
Like most natural musicians, Sonny began his musical journey at a very early age. Around age 7, he received a guitar from his grandfather for Christmas. He began to teach himself the guitar through books as well as trial and error, breaking a lot of B and E strings in the process. With these higher strings gone, he was left with only the low ones – creating an "instant" bass instrument. He played with his first trio around age 11, and learned by observing local Latin musicians in his native Brooklyn. Sonny and some friends formed a quartet called The Splenders, playing in backyards, school yards, abandoned buildings, basements and, if they were lucky, in a music studio. This lead to gigs at weddings, birthday parties, motorcycle club parties, street dances, Sweet 16s and talent shows.
|
Through the years, Sonny played with a
variety of musical groups in styles ranging from Latin to jazz, rock & roll and folk.
An innate musician, he mostly played by ear, listening to recordings and memorizing
melodies and styles. Occasionally he would take courses to improve his technique and
musicianship, studying guitar technique at the Third Street Settlement in Manhattan and
ear training at the Muse School of Music in Brooklyn. Sonny has played in rock or jazz
ensembles continuously for most of his life, perfecting his style and technique, and has
never lost his passion and love for making music. Locally, he is well known for his lively
upright bass style with the Sonny Feliciano Trio, Janice Edwards Trio, the Jaywalkin Jazz
Quintet, and the Swunk Brothers. Most recently, he has taken up his vintage Fender bass
and appears regularly with the rock band Friday’s Alibi.