After studying the guitar for more than 25 years D.J. Spoltore of West Windsor now has a regular gig — as a solo performer at Grover’s Mill Coffee House. A certified public accountant by day, and a musician at night, he enjoys it all.##M:[more]##
“Grover’s Mill has turned into a great outlet for showcasing local performers and it’s always a lot of fun,” he says. “Prior to playing at Grover’s Mill, I would occasionally play for family and friends at dinner parties. I can always count on my friends to show up at Grover’s Mill.”
Raised in Bridgeton, in Cumberland County, he graduated from York College of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1982 and received his MBA in finance from Seton Hall in 1985.
Always a sole practitioner, his business at 214 Carnegie Center focuses primarily on tax and accounting services for small businesses and individuals in the Mercer County area. After working for a CPA firm in Voorhees, NJ in the mid 1980s, he worked as a corporate accountant for two years in this area before starting his own CPA practice in 1992.
His wife, Judy, also a graduate of York College, was raised in Somerset County. She has worked with JP Morgan for more than 20 years and is a vice president in technology for JPMChase in New York.
“After college, tiring of the long-distance relationship, we decided to relocate to West Windsor, which was about halfway between us,” he says. “She was working in Manhattan and the Princeton Junction train station was convenient. We love West Windsor and have formed lasting relationships with many friends.”
Their sons are Ryan, 15, a rising sophomore at High School North, and Michael, 11, a rising sixth grade student at Community Middle School. Ryan played soccer, basketball, and baseball for the freshman teams, and has been playing guitar for close to two years. Michael, who is very artistic and loves reading, played trumpet in the fifth grade band and is about to embark on drum lessons.
Spoltore, who taught himself how to play guitar by studying chord changes from books of artists he liked, sang in a Bridgeton band during his college years.
When Ryan began studying guitar with Rick Babcock, who traveled close to an hour to West Windsor, Spoltore suggested that he also take lessons to make his commute more worthwhile. “I’ve learned more in the last two years than in 25 years of trying to teach myself,” he says. “I only play acoustic guitar and my main focus is strumming to accompany my singing.” He also plays harmonica for added accompaniment.
Spoltore, usually advertised as playing music from the 1960s and ‘70s, really plays music he grew up with from the 1950s to the present. “The heaviest concentration is probably from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s —but, if it’s a song that I like and one that I can arrange to be played with just acoustic guitar and vocals, I’ll play it.”
Some of his favorite artists include Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Hootie and the Blowfish, Jimmy Buffett, Credence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Cash from “back in the day.” He also plays tunes of newer artists Coldplay, Green Day, and Plain White T’s sprinkled with two or three original songs. His favorite artists growing up were Bruce Springsteen, CCR, and the Rolling Stones.
“Occasionally I’ll play a Rolling Stones song like ‘Wild Horses’ but the Stones are difficult to arrange for acoustic guitar because Keith Richards has such a distinct sound and often used non-standard tunings to get that sound,” he says. “My favorite new artist is a band called Kings of Leon and one of my favorite artists through the years has been a local artist named John Eddie, who had a top 40 hit in the mid ‘80s (‘Jungle Boy’) and has been playing clubs and bars for the past 20 years.” Spoltore had been following him all that time and as a result they became friendly. “Despite the fact that he never made it really big, he’s still plugging along with a great band and he never fails to deliver a fantastic show,” says Spoltore.
“I obviously have no delusions about getting a recording contract at my age, but when I see people tapping their feet or singing along to the music I’m playing, it’s a great feeling and it makes it all worthwhile,” he says.
D.J. Spoltore, Grover’s Mill Coffee House, 335 Princeton Hightstown Road, West Windsor, 609-716-8771. www.groversmillcoffee.com. Friday, June 26, 7:30 p.m.
