Born in Washington DC, Jerome would listen to his dad, a jazz saxophonist, practice to the likes of Miles, Coltrane, Bird, Sergio Mendes, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. Later Jerome would discovered Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Carlos Santana. Later artists like Chick Corea, Al Dimeola, John McLaughlin and Weather Report would expand his range of interests.
Oddly enough, as a youngster Jerome's first music teacher was Roberta Flack (of "Killing Me Softly" fame) who taught him withi...