"And all of that for tips!"
The CRB played a show at the world famous Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown last week but we had a day off the day before, so I decided to head out to the high desert of Yucca Valley to see if I couldn't gain some perspective on the world and such. As much fun as it is, touring life can often take a toll on your body, mind and spirit, so if the opportunity is there, it's good to take some time to yourself every once in a while. I had a great time, hung out with old friends, played music, ate righteously and was able to sit quietly with my thoughts, although the altitude and dry air really messed with my sinuses quite a bit. Starry skies, Joshua trees and many lizards I saw, but didn't get much sleep, that is, until I paid a visit to the pharmacy for some vitamins and meds. That helped me out a lot.One thing I will say about people of the desert, they often have unique personalities and (some) see the world through a very different lens. Many folks I met seemed totally confused that I was a touring musician from Memphis and couldn't believe I was visiting the desert alone. Trying on their best southern accent, "Really? Wow, Memphis. You kn0w I have a friend in Nashville. Maybe you know him?" Of course, what they don't realize is that Nashville is roughly three hours away from Memphis and is a pretty big town. Funny.A friend of mine introduced me to a lady he was dating and she immediately wanted to know how I was able to travel as much as I do and be away from home all the time, or in my case, no home at all. I told her I loved traveling and everything that comes with it, but when I described to her the rigors of the road, right away she seemed turned off by the idea. Waking up in a different city every morning, searching for good food in unfamiliar surroundings, working until very late at night then repeating everything the very next day. It's a pretty good life, I said with a smile and I've gotten to see a lot of the world. But to my complete surprise and amazement, she looked at me without batting an eye and said, "And all of that for tips!"It took me a second to realize what she was saying.What do you mean, I asked?"Well, you play for tips, right?" Really...are you serious? You think that I play music for tips? I'm a little insulted, I said."I'm sorry. I just wasn't sure that anyone could really make a living playing music. You mean, this is your job?"Of course, I won't bore you with the rest, but it was one of the most interesting conversations I've had in a very long time and I realized she was (in no way) trying to hurt my feelings at all, just terribly misinformed. I went on to tell her that as a salaried employee, things were good and although I wasn't getting rich or anything, my life was full and my bills (for the most part) were being paid. Later, I discovered she was quite wealthy herself and thought that music was something that people did for fun, on the side as a hobby. I guess there are those who do.Lord, have mercy.
Like A Glove
There's nothing quite like the feeling of walking into a vintage shop, seeing a gorgeous Stetson hanging on the wall, trying it on and having it actually fit. It's a rare occasion, indeed. Although an avid fan and owner of many, I'm usually not very lucky when it comes to vintage hats due the size of my noggin, but two days ago I happened upon this lovely right here and my name was written all over it.
Nothing fits like a Stetson.
I'm blushing a little...
Many thanks to my pal Katie Jackson for these amazing words. You're a doll.http://kjselfindulgence.blogspot.com/2011/04/hippie-shake-revised.html?spref=fb
Bicoastal
Getting settled in LA has proven easier and much more productive than I'd imagined it would be this time around. After nearly fifteen years of West Coast living, I thought I was finished out there, but it turns out I was quite mistaken. Maybe things are going so well because I'm in a much different place in my life than before, or that I've got a pretty good job, not really sure. All I know is that I'm happy and there's a lightness to my environment I haven't noticed in a while. No expectations. That's the key. Go with it and take each day as new.A couple of days off from the CRB afforded me the chance for another trip home this weekend, which I look forward to each time, as it helps me to keep things in perspective and I'm grateful for my hometown family. Three gigs with the Champs, lots of hang time with my bro's, some good southern cooking (thanks, Camille!) then it's right back to work. Exhausting, yes but incredibly rewarding and fun. To be honest, I'd like to try and make this into a regular thing. Maybe a house in Memphis and an apartment in LA. Not a bad way to live, right?
Thanks to Neal Casal for this wonderful image. You're a master of the lens.
Double Digits!
The CRB has played nine shows and things have certainly begun to gel with this group of cats. The songs are stronger, groovier and the playing is more relaxed and patient given the short amount of time we've been on this journey together. Tonight we'll be back at the Echoplex in LA, rocking out for only the 10th time.Here's a sampling of a recent show at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma, CA. Enjoy.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSQ-EGSFtkc&feature=related]
First Run, Killer...
After two long weeks of intense rehearsals, the Brotherhood embarked on the first leg of the two-month California residential tour/experiment and the results were fantastic, as was the response from friends and fans. Two of our first four shows were sold-out and ticket sales for the rest of the tour are very good. Here's a video someone posted from our first night in LA at the Echoplex...[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-u23-HmA00]There's a feeling of genuine hope that we will continue this pursuit together. This week we hit Santa Cruz, San Fran, Sacramento and Petaluma. Tonight, Moe's Alley...
More to come...
Busy Time
I have over 70 pieces of music, instructions, chatter and noodling recorded on my little Olympus hand-held doohickey, all in the space of a week, which means there's a ton of stuff, many hours to sift through to get to the good takes of each tune..roughly 25 songs. We've all been busy working hard to get this band to sound as good as possible, rehearsals have been quite productive and spirits are definitely up. Seems like everyone is ready to get the show on the road.
It's an honor to play with these cats and a wonderful opportunity for me to be in an entirely new and different musical situation than what I'm used to. I'm a bit frazzled, but I know that once we get out and start playing in front of people, things will mellow out. That's my hope, anyway. One more rehearsal to go, then I've got a few days to myself, which I'm very much looking forward to. At midnight, I'm boarding a red-eye for a quick jaunt back to Memphis for the weekend to finish recording my good friend Billy Seward's album and playing a gig with my trio, then right back to LA to continue with this chapter here. As crazy as all that sounds, it's gonna be nice to be home for a couple of days, slow down the pace, eat some bbq and be with my close friends again.
CRB
Gettin' psyched about this new gig... we rehearsed roughly 25 tunes in four days and the vibes are really good between everyone. The sound is very 70's, funky, rocking, soul music with extremely good, well thought-out lyrics and melodies.
Neal Casal & Chris Robinson working out an arrangement. Cool dudes.
Memphis, keep the light on for me...
...cause I sure am gonna miss you while I'm gone.
This is my last day in town, my stuff is put away in storage and my apartment is almost empty. I'm ready to go. Tomorrow morning, my best friend Joe and I are hittin' the road, straight across I-40, heading westward to Cal-ee-forn-eye-aye. Should normally only take about 3 days, but we have plans on stopping in Arizona to see the Grand Canyon...don't think my buddy has ever seen it and I've only been once, so it's a must for us. For the past several weeks, I've been hanging with close friends and soaking up as much of this city's goodness as possible, in order to fill my being to the absolute brim with Memphis soul. Trips to my favorite BBQ spots, soul food restaurants, dive bars and late night joints have taken up the majority of my time and my plate is certainly full. Stay tuned...
A Return To Little Rock
Need a place to do some voice-over work? Got a commercial to finish? Scoring a film? Or do you wanna track a full band with guitars, bass, drums, keys & vocals using the best gear on the planet, while a great engineer sits at a bitchin digital console and handles all your sonic needs? Well, if you're in or around the Little Rock, Arkansas area then you're sure to know about this place already, but if not and you're willing to make the drive, then look no further than this amazing studio. Lucky Dog Audio Post. I've worked here several times before, but this weekend was definitely a memorable one for me. I spent three days there tracking for two separate recordings and had a blast. Trust me when I say that you should go here and be impressed. 'Nuff said on that.
Now, if you're a band, traveling around and want to play in a great little bar, this is it. The White Water Tavern. Cool, laid back locals, national and regional acts playing nightly and good sounding room with stage and full, working PA system.
Like po'boys? This is the place, no question...Capital Bar & Grill, inside the world famous Capital Hotel. Shrimp, catfish, or roast beef, their po'boys are killin and definitely try the homemade potato chips...plain or spicy. Wow.
Plain & simple, Little Rock rocks!
Grimey's, the Basement & Nashville Comes Alive
Last night's gig in Nashville was so much fun and a little sad for me, as we'll be taking a bit of break while I'm on the west coast with my new gig, but what a time we had. The Basement is a fantastic club and this was our second time playing there. We opened for a great local funk band called, The Coolin' System and the house was packed with a lot of cool folks and lover's of instrumental music.
The locals seemed enthusiastic during our show and afterward were extremely complimentary of our sound. They flocked to the merch table and bought our records from us, which was a pleasant and welcome surprise, as Nashville can be a tough town for newbies. There were several good friends of mine in attendance, too and that made the night even more special for me. We may not be around here for a while, but we can't wait to come back.
If you get to Nashville any time soon, you must go and visit the fantastic record store upstairs from the club called, Grimey's. One of the best in the world, with a wonderful selection of vinyl, great staff and they are such huge promoters of our music, playing our record in the store and spreading the word.
Some time during the night, I was introduced to a sweet young gal who was helping sell the merchandise for both bands and found out she was a DJ on a local college radio station, Vanderbilt University's own 91.1 WRVU. Originally from Memphis, Miss Lauren (as she's known on the air) hosts a fantastic show called, The Delta Groove, playing soul, blues and roots rock of the southeast. As Joe and I were driving home after the gig, we tuned-in and for about an hour, the ride was full of soul. Thanks Lauren. And to Mike Grimes, Grimey's, the Basement, all the amazing staff, The Coolin' System (killer band) and the fine folks in Music City USA...The Champs say thank you and we love you!
The Vinyl District
This is a great, fresh new blog site and I was asked by my friend Rachel Hurley to write a story about my earliest memory of vinyl. Check it out here... and since we're on the subject of vinyl, watch this cool video that we posted last year of Larry "The Master" Nix as he's mastering The City Champs first recording on the original Neumann vinyl lathe that was used at Stax Records back in the 70's.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9xzK_THzE8]
24 Hours
A few weeks ago, I received a phone call that was totally out of the blue and took me by such surprise that I'm still trying to process that it really happened. "Hello George. This is Chris Robinson." Those of you in the know, will understand my excitement cause this dude not only has one of the best voices in rock-n-roll as the Black Crowes frontman, but he can have his pick of just about any drummer he wants. Since the Crowes' are going on a hiatus, the fact that he called me tells me that (whatever it is he's got up his sleeve) he's either exhausted himself trying to find the right person in his own city, or that he wants to go in a completely different direction. Whatever the reason, I was elated and honored to speak with him and couldn't wait to hear what he had to say.He informed me that our mutual friend, Crowes' guitarist and local hero, Luther Dickinson, had recently given him a copy of my trio's latest release on vinyl, to which he was totally floored by and asked if I wouldn't mind coming out to LA for what he referred to as a "jam session". The Crowes' would be taking a bit of a break and he wanted to showcase his latest endeavor, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Are you kidding me? Hell yes, I said and so the ball was immediately set in motion. He didn't want me to learn anything from his extensive catalog and rather preferred that we just get together and see what transpired between us musically. How effin cool is that? The flight was booked and all I had to do was wait.Fast forward to this past weekend, I'm gearing up for this big audition and one of the craziest 24 hour periods I've ever had. Thursday night The City Champs opened for the legendary Huey Lewis and the News to roughly one thousand peeps at our newest local hot spot, Minglewood Hall...it was a rousing show and thanks to our good friend and brilliant photog, Josh Mintz, you may view the visual results of our performance here. We had an amazing time and could not have been more humbled at the reception from Huey, his band, the crew, the venue staff and the beautiful Memphians who came out in support. There was a decent little after party giong on backstage, but yours truly had an early flight to catch and needed sleep something awful. Sadly, I had to bail. Unfortunately, with so much excitement on my mind, there was no way to get a good nights rest, so I just went ahead and got myself together around 5:30 AM and headed over to the airport.Once I made it to LA, everything suddenly went into fast motion. CR's personal assistant and Brotherhood tour manager, Brian, picked me up, took me to my hotel where we checked in real fast, then stopped at a great Mexican restaurant for a quick lunch (which I immediately threw up, due to an upset stomach, terrible migraine and case of the "nerves"...the total trifecta!) then onto the rehearsal space. We got there around 1:30, I sat up the drums they'd brought for me (gorgeous 70's Slingerland's, 22, 13 & 16) along with some nice Agop pies and a 1930's Ludwig nickel over brass snare drum that was total money. Chris showed up half an hour later, band in tow and after some initial greetings, plugged in his guitar and we commenced to getting our groove on.Roughly four hours and many new songs later, a smiling Chris Robinson told me that if I didn't mind getting in a van with him and the other cats, he would be happy to have me on board. Damn. That was it. We shook hands to seal the deal and within 90 mins, it was as if all of Los Angeles County had been notified about this development, as my phone started to blow up with phone calls, texts and emails from friends of mine offering congratulations. I said to myself, holy shit, word travels fast out here. Well, that's how it goes sometimes and this looks like it's gonna be a great opportunity to play with another really amazing group of musicians. How lucky I feel right now. I'm gonna need to take Luther D out for drinks or something to say thank you. We'll be hitting the road in late March and you can view the tour schedule here. Stay tuned!
Whatever Happened To...
...the days when someone jumping onstage in the middle of a performance would warrant an ass whoopin? Just wondering. I can remember my father telling me that if someone ever does this to you, it's the ultimate sign of disrespect and should not be tolerated. Well, in today's society, it's a behavior I'm seeing more and more of. This weekend's show marks the third time in the past six months this particular thing has occurred while I was in mid-set with a group and it has me totally perplexed. I just don't get it and this time the culprit was (apparently) a musician himself or rather, a rapper who is known for this sort of rude behavior. So much so, that audience members and folks throwing the party were used to his antics and showed no look of surprise when he completely took over during our last song of the night, grabbing the mic in the middle of the tune, shouting expletives in a drunken, garbled voice. When asked nicely, "Hey man, can you please let us finish our song?" his reply was, "Naw, it's cool!"Hmm, really? Well, how about a kick to the balls...would that be cool?
It's Never Too Late
So, I was in the studio this past weekend, not only drumming but producing as well. A good friend of mine from my days out in Cali, Billy Seward, asked me to help him with his first solo record. He's 56. I was floored. Not only is this brother one of the most soulful cats I've ever met, he's a helluva singer, guitarist and songwriter, too. Having his own record has been a dream of his forever, but life can get in your way, or rather, we will often blame life as the culprit for never fully reaching our goals, when really it's just an excuse. Am I making any sense? Well, let me just say this dude can sing his butt off and writes a damn good song, so all I really had to do was find the right group of guys, studio and engineer and we were in business. It's been a little more than two months in the making, with this weekend's session being the second of two that he's done for this record. We did six tunes in four days...that's six tunes, with 7 people all in the same room at the same time, recorded, overdubs, edited and mixed in four days. We were moving and the results are so good that Billy was actually brought to tears during the listening party. I'm so happy to have been a part of it, but more so that my good friend has decided that his dream has been put on-hold for long enough and it's time to see it through.
Congratulations, good buddy and may your gigs be plenty and your worries few.
2011
Hope this year has a little more to offer up than the last cause 2010 wasn't much fun. I lost two of my uncles, my girlfriend/fiancee and I split, my car broke down three times, which cost way too much to fix, I got a pinched nerve in my neck and gigs were in very short supply. All of which sucked ass. But with that said the year wasn't a total loss...the Champs put out a second record, we toured a little bit, received rave reviews, Huey Lewis became a fan of our music and I acquired some new gear...two more vintage Rogers kits, a Craviotto snare that I'd previously owned and sold, and a 1966 Gibson ES-125, gifted to me from Dad. I am betting that things are on the upswing cause I'm ready to rock.Here's a pic from last night's new year's eve gig, at Itta Bena here in town. The lighting in this place is really phenomenal, but I took this with my phone right before our afternoon sound check and I wish I'd gotten a better shot. Later that night, I came back and brought my camera and let our organ player's wife shoot the band while we were playing, but she must've been a little tipsy cause all 25 pics are blurry! Someone was having a good time. Anyway, much love to y'all and happy new year. Let's try and make it a good one. I know I plan to.
A Word About Boogaloo
Without saying too much, I'll can honestly tell y'all that this music, which I like to refer to as boogaloo (call it soul jazz, dance jazz, funky jazz, Latin funk, jazz funk or what have you), changed my life completely. I had grown up listening to early rock-n-roll, the blues, rhythm & blues, country and most definitely funk...James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Rufus Thomas, etc. As I got a little older, I started to get into jazz some time in the late 80s, early 90s, when a friend turned me on to boogaloo, and more specifically, a Lou Donaldson record, Alligator Bogaloo. From that moment, I was hooked. The drummer on this album, listed as Leo Morris, converted to Islam and changed his name to Idris Muhammad (which he is now known) is one of the baddest cats I've ever heard and when I started to study what he was doing, how he was phrasing underneath these solos, his swing...everything just clicked, right down to the very tones of his drums. I felt like I'd finally found something that was going to help guide me and put me on the path to discovering my own sound. Listen to this...[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85Uv0pCvvSI&feature=fvsr]Anyhow, I said I wouldn't talk too much, so here is a quick video (my first attempt with my new Flip camera!) showing you a basic boogaloo pattern... [very] loosely based on Idris' groove on the title track of this album. Hope you like it and stay tuned for more to come. Peace.http://vimeo.com/18129553
Howard Grimes
Who's he, you ask? Well, look him up...or better yet, open up your itunes or go look at your music collection and you're bound to have a record he's playing on. He's is one of the most soulful drummers ever. Don't you love the groove on Al Green's Love And Happiness? Howard Grimes. 'Nuff said. He's still here, still kickin ass and is definitely, without a doubt one of the nicest, most down to Earth and humble folks you'll ever wanna meet. I'm lucky enough to know him.
I found this great blog that has an interview with him, if you wanna read about how he got his start...http://memphissound.blogspot.com/2007/05/howard-grimes_20.html
Time Heals
It's true. Many years ago I was in a terrible quandary and wasn't sure what to do or how to make the right decision. I had just been accepted into a music school out in Los Angeles and for a young man of 23, the west coast sure did seem like a wonderful and enchanting place. As the saying goes, when it came to the idea of living in Hollywood, I had stars in my eyes. This was my second attempt at getting into this school and the second time I'd been accepted. My first try was a few years prior and even after I received my acceptance letter, I chickened out and never left town. Time went on, but something kept gnawing at me to go for it one more time, so I did and I got in, but this time I was leaving and nothing was gonna keep me from it. The trouble was, I'd been playing drums with a band called Big Fish for almost three years and things were going pretty well for us. We'd just signed a development deal with a production company in Nashville and were in the middle of working on a demo to shop to record companies, when I just up and split town, leaving no word to the guys in the band as to what my plans were. It was a stupid, cowardly act and I knew it, but somehow I feared that if I didn't leave right then, I would never make it out of Memphis and I was willing to take the risk of burning a few bridges to see my dream fulfilled.
I'd felt that same fear grip me several times in my past. I remember once my dad took me to Sears for a new pair of cowboy boots and I was too excited. I'd been watching a lot of old westerns with him and we were both big fans of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and all the great cowboys. My personal favorite was Lee Van Cleef. He just had that look that said, I will kill you and that's what I dug about him. Total baddass. Anyhow, Dad and I made it over to the shoe department and right away he found just what I'd told him I wanted...brown leather with a square toe, just like they wore in the movies. He told the clerk my size, but Dad hadn't realized that I'd grown a couple of inches since my last pair of shoes, so when the guy came back with my size, I tried them on and they didn't fit. But I didn't say a word even though my toes were getting squished in the top of that boot. Something came over me right then and I just knew that if I told them that those boots didn't fit, then I wasn't going to ever get a pair. It was like they were the last ones in the world and they were gonna be mine whether they fit or not. "How do they feel, son", Dad asked? Great, I said! And that was that. A few weeks later, my dad noticed I hadn't been wearing my new boots and asked me where they were and when I told him that they didn't fit, he just about lost his mind.Kids.It's funny to me that after traipsing the U.S. for more than 15 years, taking up numerous residences in San Diego, LA, NYC, Jacksonville, New Orleans and Austin, I end up right back where I started from all those years ago and it makes me wonder about my life, how it's mapped out. It's so crazy. Anyway, upon my return home, I was surprised and happy to learn that my friend Andy still had the band going and had made quite a name for himself in the Mississippi casino circuit. When he found out that I was back, he quickly made his way out to one of my gigs and we were reunited once again. He said he liked my trio very much and couldn't believe how much I'd changed from that skinny little kid he knew so many years earlier. Smiling, he embraced me and I was so glad he'd forgiven me. A few months passed and one day he called to see if I might be interested in coming to play with them and I was overjoyed.
Although the members may have changed some, the music is still very much the same and we've now shared the stage together dozens of times. I feel lucky to know these guys and have them as my peers. My motto is, don't beat yourself up about the decisions you make. Just make 'em and keep moving on, even if you feel you're being selfish. Time will take care of the rest. Take it from me.
How Lucky We Are In Our Friends
Nearly one year ago, my girlfriend and I broke-off our five year relationship and it was a painful time, to say the very least. We'd been planning on getting married and had been engaged for almost two years, but somehow things just didn't work out for us and that's how life goes. It's taken me a while to come to a good place with it all and I can honestly say that I feel okay with my decision to leave her. She and I had gone through a tremendous amount of life, given our short time together... a year of flirting, a move to New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina, ten months in Austin, three homes in three different cities...all in the space of five years. Pretty remarkable and yet, even though our paths forced us to separate, I feel good with having only memories of my time with her. I am finally at peace with it all and I know my old friend is living her life on her own.During our breakup, my mind was all over the place and seeing as I was having to find a new place to live and money was very tight, the first thing to go was my gear and any extra I had lying around. It proved to be a good decision in most cases and I was able to put together enough for a deposit, as well as first and last months rent to help me get the new digs. No big deal. I still had plenty of drums to go around and nothing was important enough that I was sad to see it go...that is, except for one item in particular...a Craviotto snare. The day I let this one out of my hands was a very melancholy afternoon and I felt awful the moment it left the room. The person who purchased it from me however, is a very close friend and made the promise that should I ever want or need this drum back, he'd happily return to me at the same price he paid. Of course, at the time I said NO! that is silly and it's your drum now, don't worry about it, etc, etc. Well, to be honest, I have missed that drum like you wouldn't believe and even tried to buy an identical one recently but ended up returning it cause the sound just wasn't the same. This drum, call me crazy, is special and has an amazing vibe to it. I've never heard another one like it in all my years of playing and I've owned quite a few snares.Anyhow, the other day I asked my good friend if it might be possible to borrow the drum for a couple of days cause I had a recording session and he happily obliged, no questions asked. I went and picked it up, brought it into the studio and WHAM! Immediately, everything lit up...my Rogers, my Agop cymbals, the other cats in the band, everyone was suddenly aware that things were different. Even the producer came walking in the room inquiring about the drum cause he could hear how differently it sounded than my other one and I knew that I somehow needed to get this snare back into my arsenal, but it wouldn't be easy. He and I have given away and traded things to one another for years, but I knew how happy he was when he bought that drum from me.I rely on my friends a lot and if anyone ever needs anything, I try my best to be there for them. But lately it seems as though my buddies have been showing up at my side just when I need them the most. As difficult as it was, I figured there wasn't any other way around it that was gonna be easier than just asking him for it. When I made the call, he happily relented with a smile on his face.
Sometimes we make mistakes and sometimes things come back to us.