Chuck Greenberg (1950-1995): woodwind player and composer with a highly personal
style, pioneer of the Lyricon (first electronic saxophone), leader of the Grammy
Award winning group Shadowfax.
Thanks to Joy Horner-Greenberg for your book on his life and our dear communication.
Judee
Sill (1944-1979): despite her lack of commercial success, considered
one of the greatest female singer-songwriters of the 70s, an immensely talented
and spiritual woman with a most tragic life.
Michael Hedges (1953-1997): one of the most influential acoustic guitarists
of all time (listen to his 1983 recording ‘Aerial Boundaries’),
a consummate performer who later added other instruments and vocals to some
of his material, thus expanding his range. Hedges was also an avid yoga-practitioner
and spiritual seeker, clearly audible on his last record ‘Torched’,
released after his death. He died in a tragic car accident near his home in
California.
George Jinda (1941-2002): eccentric percussionist for the global fusion band
Special EFX, which he co-lead with guitarist Chieli Minucci from 1983 until
1996. Jinda started as a jazz drummer in his native Hungary and played all over
Europe before permanently moving to the States in the 70s, focusing on ethnic
percussion. George Jinda is the reason I started playing percussion.
Billy Higgins (1936-2001): one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time,
a polyrhythmic genius and deeply religious man who studied Buddhism for years.
Jerry Garcia (1942-1995): frontman of the legendary Grateful Dead (the mother
of all jambands), great guitar-soloist and songwriter (together with his lyric
partner Robert Hunter). When Garcia was on fire, he could transport an audience
to other places.
Michael Houser (1962-2002): guitarist and co-founder of popular Georgia based
jamband Widespread Panic, known for his fluid lead lines and songwriting abilities
(listen to ‘Airplane’ and ‘The Waker’). After his death
(caused by cancer), two solo-albums were released: Doorharp (instrumental) and
Sandbox (vocal).
Don
Alias (1939-2006): percussion legend from NYC, after his studies in medicine
he decided to pursue a musical career. Starting with Miles Davis’ legendary
Bitches Brew sessions of 1968, he went on to play on numerous albums like
Joni Mitchell’s Shadows And Light.
Jeff Porcaro (1954-1992): one of the grooviest drummers ever to walk the earth,
highly influential studio-legend who played more than 1500 sessions with pure
style, master of the shuffle.
Carlos Vega (1957-1998): just like Jeff Porcaro Vega was one of the first-call
studiodrummers in LA for many years, a ridiculously great sense of time, feel
and groove. For examples of his superb, tasty playing listen to James Taylor’s
Live and Hourglass. Tragically Vega committed suicide.
Collin Walcott (1945-1984): percussionist, sitar-player and composer, founding
member of the group Oregon, ECM-recording artist who released two solo albums,
he also made three records with Don Cherry and Nana Vasconcelos as Codona.
Jim Pepper (1941–1992): saxophonist, singer and composer who combined
his Native American roots with jazz. Melodic and powerful soloist. His composition
Witchi Tai To is still played by Jan Garbarek and Oregon, among others.
Brent Myland (1952-1990): keyboardist-vocalist for the Grateful Dead from
1979 until his untimely dead of an overdose in 1990. Garcia said Myland was
the best vocalist of them all, clearly audible in the harmonies heard on many
live recordings and on a few songs in which he sang lead.
Vince Welnick (1951-2006): keyboardist-vocalist who replaced Mydland in 1990
and played with the band until Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. Former member
of The Tubes, Welnick led his own band Missing Man Formation, for which he wrote
most of the material.
Stan Getz (1927-1991): saxophone legend and superb soloist with an instantly
recognizable sound. Getz had an unstoppable melodic flow of ideas.
Keith
Knudsen (1948-2005): one of the drummers for the Doobie Brothers. Groove
maestro on such legendary songs as ‘Takin’ It To The Streets' and ‘What
A Fool Believes’.
Knudsen also played in country band Southern Pacific in the 80s.
I will never forget meeting the band in 2004 and playing percussion during ‘Listen
To The Music’, the last song of their concert. The Doobies are among the
nicest people I have ever met in the music business; the band is clearly
their life.
Bobby LaKind (1945-1992): percussionist for the Doobie Brothers, originally
a crew member, the band discovered his ability on congas and his steady groove-feel.
Armed with his caracteristic three white Gon Bops congas, LaKind added zest
to lots of Doobie songs ever since.
Mark
Ledford (1960-2004): vocalist, trumpet player and multi-instrumentalist,
most famous for his work with the Pat Metheny Group, Mark also played with
numerous others and was (not many people know this) the first lead singer for
Living Colour (before they started making records).
An unforgettable moment was a late night concert in Amsterdam in 1992 of
the group Special EFX. Afterwards I met the bandmembers including Mark Ledford.
When talking to him, a very tall and fat security guard of the venue approached
us and asked me to leave. Then Mark, a very thin and small man, cried out: “no
man, he’s my friend!”. So I could stay.
Joe Zawinul (1932-2007): ‘Papa Joe’, genius syntheziser wizard,
pianist and composer, sideman for Cannonball Adderly, Miles Davis and others
before forming his own legendary group Weather Report which he co-lead with
the equally impressive Wayne Shorter.
Kevin Gilbert (1967-1996): one of the most talented songwriters of the last
20 years. Singer and multi-instrumentalist, workaholic, prolific and visionary
writer of many gems. Heavily influenced by the 60s melodic pop of The Beatles
and the 70s symphonic rock of Gentle Giant and Genesis, Gilbert created his
own style and wrote complete rock-operas by age 17. Discover his concerns in
beautiful lyrics like World Just Gets Smaller, Progress and The Way Back Home.