 On this day, I mourn the passing of my dear friend and most respected colleage, Josef Zawinul. Working with Joe and Weather Update(which consisted of Victor Bailey on bass; Peter Erskine on drums; and Robert Thomas, Jr. on percussion) was one of the great musical and personal experiences of my life. But also, one of the great, great disappointments! It all came and went during 1986, just after Weather Report, then really just after Wayne Shorter had finally decided to go it alone. Joe had recorded "DIALECTS" as a solo artist, and the last Weather Report CD, "THIS IS THIS" had just been released as well. I decided to join this group, and with great hopes. Hopes that we might actually be a band for many years to come. But our 7-week tour(four in Europe, and three across the U.S.) turned out to be our "maiden voyage" and our "swan song" all in one!!!The truth is, in my opinion, we were NOT a very good band. Fundamentally because we did not have a very good book of music to play then, and Joe insisted that we NOT do any of the 'old' Weather Report music. The rest of us wanted to do a lot of it because we knew that, what we did have, was not going to be truly competitive with the best music out there then. On the U.S. tour, where we shared the bill with an incarnation of John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra(then w/ Bill Evans on sax; Jim Beard on keyboards; Jonas Helborg on bass; and Danny Gottlieb on drums), we were pretty much blown off the stage each night because John's presentation was much more organized and together. The pace of their set was beautifully done, and we were a raggedy-ass mess by comparison. It was some sad shit believe me! Though in stark contrast to what I'm saying, I run into people here and in Europe who thought that the band was great! Go figure! Joe had come to hear "Eyewitness" when both groups were on tour in Japan during '83. That he was so knocked out by our group's music and approach was such a thrill I couldn't believe it. For him to sit there through two long sets of keyboardless music was amazing.  However, I don't think he wanted a "clean" guitar sound for HIS group.....and we had a lot of conceptual disagreements. In the end, Weather Update was SO loud that I found myself drifting back towards a sound and style of playing I had long since abandoned. Not long after the tour, as things turned out, when Joe disbanded Weather Update and started the Zawinul Syndicate, Scott Henderson was the guitarist, and I don't think that Joe could have made a better choice! Scott is one of the great guitar voices, and had just the right blend of grit and blues to go with his own jazz vocabulary. I think it also should be said that Joe initially wanted John Scofield for Weather Update, but, John wisely chose to stick with his own music, and to develop being a bandleader himself.But, and bless his heart, Joe is a most difficult man to work with.....and anyone who has "served time" with him would tell you the same. However, he is one of the most uniquely gifted musical minds ever and it was an honor to have worked with him. My best musical memories are simply jamming at the soundchecks.....and, at times, just standing next to him at soundcheck while he played duo with the great, Peter Erskine. Wow, the two of them sounded, to use some past contemporary horrifying slang, "stupid ridiculous good!" When Joe sits down at his keyboard rig, within a note or two, you know instantly WHO is playing and setting the mood and tone. I would not use this word without great care, but HE was truly a genius! One of the great things I learned from Joe comes from the following story. As our tour began in Europe, and remember this was just after the demise of Weather Report, there were actually some very serious "press conferences;" and, the jazz writers wanted to know everything. What happened to the "old" group, and what was to be the direction and purpose of this new group. Of course, Joe was asked some pretty ridiculous questions too. Here's a rough sample: Reporter: Mr. Zawinul, what do you think about "rock?" Joe: I don't think about it! Reporter: Well, who do you listen to? Joe: I listen to MYSELF! When I first heard this, I suppose I thought to myself, "geez, what an arrogant asshole!" But, believe it or not, I used to actually think about this response often. And, somewhere, during the middle of the tour, I realized: Wow, this is why he is who he is! Yes, it's a great thing to have an open mind, and to listen to all the music that's out there, BUT, in the final analysis, if you don't hear YOUR OWN MUSIC, the music which exists INSIDE OF YOU, then you will never "hear" a damn thing of substance.  And, you will never have a musical personality or style. When you look at Joe's body of work, it is rich with personality and style. So, the lesson is: LISTEN TO YOURSELF! HEAR YOUR OWN MUSIC!Beyond all the arguments, and there were many, we came away from it all with a deep and lasting warmth, and a great respect for one another. When my father died in '93, and I was away in California performing with one of my trios at the time, amongst the first messages of sympathy on my answering machine at home was Joe's voice saying beautiful things. For this, and many, many other moments, I will always love Joe, and treasure my times with him. Thanks to my dear friend, Peter Erskine, I can share with you all this shot of Joe and me playing Gin Rummy on our tour bus. You should know that I kicked his ass all over Europe, he wouldn't let me leave the table!!! And, we were obviously discussing my transcriptions of older Weather Report tunes which he refused to play!!! Rest in peace, Joe! I'm going to miss seeing you here in New York.  For those of us who had actually seen him play baseball as the shortstop on some of the greatest New York Yankees teams, for those of us who were lucky enough to have heard his calls on countless Yankees broadcasts, Tuesday, August 14th was a very, very sad day. I learned that Phil Rizzuto, "The Scooter" had passed away via an e-mail from my dear son, Heath. Phil Rizzuto was a one-of-a-kind broadcaster because he had played the game, but never lost that 'little boy' inside and he brought all that enthusiasm and spirit into 'the booth' with him. He never lost sight of the fact that baseball is, in the end, just a game, and the players and the fans should have fun. He made every game fun for those of us who had the pleasure to listen to him and his "huckleberry" of a colleague, the great Bill White. Rest in peace Scooter, since you left the Yankees booth, you have been missed every single game!!! For those of us who knew him, who were lucky enough to be counted amongst his friends, this was a day we all feared might come. And, on January 13th, 2007, I learned that Michael Brecker had passed away. He had lost his brave and courageous fight for life, in the end, to leukemia. It would be easy to sit and express just how much his playing and his music have meant to me since I first heard him play in the early '70s just after we had moved to New York, but, that would be the story for so many whose lives Michael touched. As a saxophonist, as a musician, he was a true master. And like all such masters, his greatness even served to torture him, as to be constantly dissatisfied with his efforts. However, I never saw anyone work harder at their craft than Michael did, and the results of all that hard work were always evident to the rest of us.He was such a great friend and bandmate. What most people wouldn't know, for the intense seriousness of his playing and music, was that he had an incredible sense of humor. He was very funny!!! And, he was a great practical joker. I can't tell you how many nights I would come on stage, as part of the early Brecker Bros. Band, and during the first tune, look down at my little pedals on the floor, step on one of them, and suddenly, I would hear the wrong sound coming back at me. A-ha! Of course, before the set, Mike had sneaked on stage, and changed all the knobs on every pedal. Wow, I wanted to kill him. After months of this, it inspired me to place little colored dots on my pedals so I could remember the settings. I still do it to this day!!! Another example of his rich sense of humor is the above photo that I've chosen to share here with everyone. It appears on the inside sleeve of an old B.J. Thomas album where all the players and production team were asked to submit a childhood photo. Of all things, Mike turned in a photo of himself as a Jr. High School Safety Patrol Guard. Can you believe that?!?!? And, if you want to see and be moved by a great, great photo tribute to Mike, please take a moment and visit Peter Erksine's site. The photos, which Pete shares there, truly capture everything that words will miss, especially the bond and love between two amazing brothers. Michael was also a really funny amateur cartoonist, sometimes in the style of Don Martin from MAD Magazine. In the infinite boredom, which sometimes surrounds the process of recording, Mike would sit at the console and doodle cartoons on any writing surface available.  Most of them were devilishly witty. I recall the cartoon he did of my "TIGHTROPE" LP cover, with me(as a Don Martin character) walking across the tightrope surrounded by lots of disgusting 'flies' everywhere. Of course, there were many other such cartoons, but the subject matter is not suitable for discussions here!Mike also had a wicked jump shot in the game of basketball! During a certain period of his return to a healthier lifestyle in the '80s, we used get together at the McBurney YMCA in lower Manhattan and steal a few moments to shoot some hoops. He had great form and a great touch. If he had a more aggressive personality on the court, he could have been quite a player. I realize that I haven't mentioned that Mike was also a great jazz drummer! In those days, everyone wanted to play like Elvin Jones. It was almost required because all the tenor players would get together and play duo: tenor sax and drums. So, one of them always had to be prepared to play drums, and you had to play well, and for a long, LONG time. Like 'Trane!!! Mike, as you would imagine, did a great Elvin. However, truth be told, brother Randy, even with his unorthodox left-handed, weird lookin' approach, did the best Elvin! Another humorous example of the battle between these two fantastic brothers!!! I'm not sure just why, but several weeks ago, Michael and I began corresponding again via e-mail, and those 'conversations' were warm and wonderful. He asked me how my son, Heath, was doing, and after sharing some thoughts with him, Michael wrote back with great sensitivity and care. It made me feel wonderful about the depth of this friendship, which had spanned over 35 years. As much as I, like everyone else, will miss his playing, his artistry, I will miss his friendship, and his great intelligence and sense of humor. He was a great, great artist, and his work will live on through his incredible body of work, but also through all those whose musical lives he has touched. That number would be inestimable. He fought these horrific battles towards the end of his life with great resolve and dignity, if only to try to be around longer for his beloved wife, Susan, and his two dear children, Jessica and Sam. My heart, my thoughts and my prayers go out to all of you. And, of course, to his dear brother Randy and sister Emily, I send out my love and those same thoughts. Rest easily and safely now Michael, you have been an inspiration in every regard. God bless you and keep you!  On this day, December 25th, 2006, I was saddened to learn that another one of my earliest musical heroes, the amazing, James Brown had passed away. Growing up in West Los Angeles, and listening to the radio, hit single/45 after hit single, "JB" became a legend to kids like me. I remember, after one of us could actually drive, going down to the Shrine Auditorium to see him perform with "The Famous Flames" including Bobby Byrd. It was incredible, an unforgettable night in my adolescence. And of course, "the cape"....that "cape." As he was introduced on his recording, "LIVE AT THE APOLLO" I like to remember him as "the hardest working man in show business!" Surely, he must have been!How does one begin to recount the memories of each single? Just look at all these great tunes: "Please, Please, Please"; "Try Me"; "I'll Go Crazy"; "Night Train"; "I Got You"; "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"; "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"; "Money Won't Change You"[a personal favorite!!!]; "Cold Sweat"; "Get It Together"; "I Got the Feelin'." How can one stop listing them all? One is greater than the next. How well I remember having to drive down to "Dolphin's of Hollywood" to buy each single, because they were not sold in my local record shop. But perhaps the big "crossover moment" happened when "JB" performed as part of the "T.A.M.I. Show" which reached young people of all ages and ethnicities.  If you've ever seen the Barry Levinson film, "LIBERTY HEIGHTS" in some ways, the story of the younger son mirrors my experience as a young person. As a musician, after failing at the drums, I remember spending hours trying to figure out all the various Jimmy Nolen guitar parts on those classic tunes. It was considered essential, and still should be. And what an education I received while trying to learn and imitate every word, every inflection, every mannerism, those screams. Most of the time, I had no clue as to just what he was really saying, but it didn't matter because, in some way, it simply reached me. His sense of time, just where he placed each shout and grunt within the beat. Impeccable! In his later years, I had the privilege to record with him a couple of times, nothing of great significance; and, to have appeared with him on "LATE NIGHT with David Letterman" during the '80s. That was incredible!These memories bring me back to time when everything seemed to be so much less complex, and perhaps the world did not seem to be such a dangerous and terrifying place. We have learned that this was never the truth anyway! Rest in Peace James Brown, you were really, seriously too much, way too funky, and way too soulful!!! I, for one, will never forget you and your recordings! You made this world a better place for us all and you helped to bring many of us together!!! Thank you so much!!! 
 Today, I mourn the passing of the great Arnold "Red" Auerbach(1917-2006), who was, at varying times, the coach, general manager, and the prime architect of the great Boston Celtics dynasty. Since I was little boy, growing-up in Los Angeles, California I have been Celtic fan, I loved their name, the uniforms, the little clover, etc., but mostly because, in those years, there were no professional teams in Los Angeles, except for the then Los Angeles Rams. So, the Lakers were still in Minneapolis then, and I have never in my life rooted for them! Never!!"Red" Auerbach was a real character, beloved by many, loathed by all non-Celtic fans. I loved the Celtics of the Cousy-Sharman era, but when Bill Russell arrived basketball teamwork went to an entirely new and higher level. I remember all the great players: Sam Jones; K.C. Jones; Tommy Heinsohn; John Havlicek; "Satch" Sanders; Paul Silas; Frank Ramsey; Larry Siegfried; "Jungle Jim" Loscutoff; and countless others. All these great individual talents aside, if you were in a Celtics' uniform, you understood that the 'team' came first. A lesson for everyone! When Michael Jordan retired after 3 championships and said that, there was 'nothing left to accomplish.' He only had to look to Bill Russell and the Celtics to have known that there was so much more to accomplish. And this why, to me, Bill Russell is the greatest champion of all-time. And, for having the courage and foresight to have been behind all this, I will never forget "Red" Auerbach, because he was such a fantastic and fun part of my childhood sports memories. Rest in peace Red, I guess it's time to light-up one last cigar?  To this day, Ray captures something in the lyrics that even Frank Sinatra could not claim. When I was finally lucky enough to record with him, I stole a moment to sit and talk with him, and to tell him how much his version of my father's song meant to me. I will never forget sharing that with him.As a teenager, how could I forget songs like: "What'd I Say?"; "Tell the Truth"(w/ the amazing Margie Hendrix); "You Are My Sunshine"; "I Gotta Woman"; "I Can't Stop Lovin' You"; "Georgia on My Mind"; "Hit the Road Jack!"; and "One Mint Julep."  How well I remember hearing, of all things, "Alabammy Bound" from "THE GENIUS HITS THE ROAD" during times spent at a vacation home in Palm Springs. They formed a vital part of the soundtrack of those years, and, in some unconscious way, made me aware that there was "another" America out there, an important America, and one I was determined to understand, and to grow closer to. Who will ever forget his interpretation of "America the Beautiful," made all the more moving because of the 'the two Americas!' Separate and unequal. During my college years, while lost in a "Purple Haze" of my own making, I can't begin to recall how much time I spent listening to and digesting every nuance of the LP, "CRYING TIME." I want to say for always and forever, and with reverance and respect, that I loved and adored the voice, and the style of Ray Charles. I feel so very lucky to have been alive during a time when he could have touched my life. Here's to you Brother Ray, peace eternal! "Sing the song children...." Like so many musicians of my generation, those before, and those yet to come, Elvin Jones has been a constant source of inspiration. The intense 'swing' he possessed was unrivaled by anyone, and his contributions to the incredible John Coltrane Quartet were incalculable. In 1988, I wrote a tune, a tribute to Elvin entitled, "Butane Elvin" and, what I wrote at the analysis page can also serve as a fitting homage to how I loved his playing. I only have to listen to: "A NIGHT AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD" by Sonny Rollins; Wayne Shorter's "SPEAK NO EVIL" or "JUJU"; to Joe Henderson's "INNER URGE"; to Larry Young's "UNITY"; to McCoy Tyner's "THE REAL McCOY"; or the unforgettable duet with 'Trane on the tune "Vigil" which appears on "TRANSITION," and I am immediately transported to a better place.As one grows up, and grows older, one would like to believe that our heroes are just going to be around forever, unchanged by the passage of time. Sadly, this is never so. With his passing, I just wanted to take a moment to again acknowledge all that this great master drummer has added to my life and my appreciation of what it takes to do something special in any area of life. How much I will miss the sound of that ride cymbal with the rivets!!! How many great artists ever rise to the level, where the simple mentioning of their first name alone, conjures up the immediate image of all that they are, and all that they've done? When you hear the name "Elvin" who do you think of? Rest in peace Elvin, we are all going to miss you so very much! |
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It is so very hard to express just how sad I am feeling about this great loss.
At that moment, I had no idea that this would develop into a wonderful friendship and countless collaborations that spanned nearly 30 years. Two years later, Paula sent the two of us to the studio of the great photographer, Jim Houghton, where we took countless portrait photos. I have always been grateful that I have retained the contact sheets and some prints of those sessions. How lucky can one man be? Folon's artwork now graces 12 of my LP/CD covers, and this is something I have always considered as one of the great, great honors of my life. His productivity, his output have always served as a great inspiration for me, and an ideal which I never believed that I could achieve with my own work.
His images often projected the sense of the very small individual lost in a sea of frantic activity, as the world went spinning on around them, out of control. How much I enjoyed watching his changes of style and technique, yet the themes remained familiar. Firstly, I was attracted to the bright colors of air-brushing, then water colors brought on a much softer sense. Aquatint etchings came, and suddenly there was a new character to his work. More recently, his work with sculptures gave us another view of his immense and prolific talents.
Though I hadn't seen nor spoken with "The Count" in years, he was always close to my heart, and a very, very special part of my musical memories, of my growth, both musically and personally.
