Huey Lewis of clients Huey Lewis & The News: Around 1984 our tour was sold out. The agent said, "Who do you want to open?"
I said, "Stevie Ray Vaughan." He said, "Who's that?" I said, "Check the record out." I sent him the record. He said, "It's great. Let me check into it." Stevie Ray's manager at the time asked for more money than they were worth. My agent said, "This is ridiculous. We can't pay them this kind of money. They're not worth anything. We're just helping them by putting them on the tour. They should be paying us. Blah, blah, blah." I said, "Forget about it. Just pay him. Trust me. You'll be glad you did." The first show was in Oklahoma City. I showed up early and went straight to the wings of the stage. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble with Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton. They were just killing it. Then the song ended and there was a moment of dead silence. Then the audience started chanting, “Huey, Huey, Huey, Huey." I thought, "Oh my gosh. That's horrible. These people don't get this." I couldn't believe it. Double Trouble finished their set. They were put off by the reaction and went into their bus. I went onto their bus and told them, "Look, fellas, you're tremendous. Here's the thing, the audience is invested in us. They know our music. They play the record on the way to the venue. No matter how good you are, they're bound to think that we're going to be much, much better. There's no way you're going to score here. "What's going to happen is, when they go home tonight, they're going to say, 'Hey, you know what? That first band was pretty good.'" I said, "Just relax. Have a great time. Believe me, this will be good for you guys." They did and we had a wonderful tour. Stevie Ray got on stage and played “Bad Is Bad” with us every single night. We just were inseparable for the whole tour. Cris Cohen: You seem like someone who is never done, never satisfied. Over the years, you made some big changes to your drumming technique. For instance, in recent years, you learned how to play using traditional grip.
Ben Sesar, drummer for Brad Paisley: It is all about trying to make the gig easier. Because with Brad, it is very demanding musically. There is a lot going on and the intensity is high. And there is something magical about having more at your disposal than you actually need, so that when you are cruising along, it is that much easier. Cris Cohen: In other words, learning to play fast improves your ability to play slowly as well. Ben Sesar: Yes. It is like an Aston Martin versus a Volkswagen Bug from the 60s. Both can go 70 miles an hour. But one is doing it easily and one is doing it at the top of its range. That is the purpose: To increase your headroom so that everything you do just rolls off. That is how I look at it. Cris Cohen: Did this whole process [recording a concert with a symphony] change how you viewed any particular song of yours?
Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls: That's a really good question. Gosh, I'll have to think about that for a second. I just have to say that the arrangements, they bring the songs to life in a way that I didn't experience before then. And so now, even when Amy and I are playing as a duo, I hear those arrangements in my head. You know how orchestral arrangements can be. They get used in movies all the time because they evoke emotion. They can make you feel things in a very big way, when the orchestra kicks in. I think it's the same way with these songs. To have that beautiful sound, now, as part of the landscape of the song, is profound. What I end up feeling is, those arrangements really bring the messages of the songs home. I'll pick a song like “Mystery.” It's about a relationship, but it also describes the end of summer and what it feels like outside in the weather. It's describing these two people and the mystery of what's going on, both in the physical world and in their relationship. The strings just make that like a movie inside my head. So I think the arrangements just bring the songs to life in a new way. But I wouldn't say that they make me stop and think about the lyrics in a different way. They just sort of heighten the experience. Cris Cohen: When you join an existing band, how do you honor what came before -- in terms of the drummers who sat in that throne before -- but also make space to express yourself and show what you have to offer?
Mike Vanderhule of Y&T: Good question. First thing I do is learn everything the way it was done originally, so I can sound like the record first and foremost. And then as you get to know them, they'll let you know where you have freedom to play other parts. As a kid coming up, any band I was into, you go to a concert and you want to hear songs played the way we knew it. So those are the key parts, the sound you want it to have. But we have a lot of places where we stretch out and I can't help but sound like myself. Scott from clients Red Wanting Blue: If you're a music listener that's listening for flawless perfection, I don't know if we'll ever be the band for you. We're always looking to find a moment, coddle it, and turn it into something that can really be remembered. For me, that's the best thing in the world.
Cris Cohen: What's the key to learning how to play well with others on an album? To play well with the percussionist? To play well with the programmed drums?
Chris Fryar of the Zac Brown Band: The most helpful thing you can keep in mind is to listen, to be aware. For example, when Daniel (de los Reyes) is playing, sometimes he'll play a part, and that part will just catch the ear of whoever's in the booth and he will go, "Oh yeah, why don't we make that into a loop?" In that kind of context, you want to just listen and give space to those ideas as they come up in a live context. And so from my perspective, my job is to hit the high points, the strong beats, embellish where I can, but pretty much be aware and be open to what's happening musically with the electronic end of things. And what's happening with Daniel's end of things. So if he picks up a shaker and starts playing an intricate pattern, then I am more than likely going to lessen what I do on the hi-hat, since they are similar sounds. I defer to him. It's out of love for the music and out of love for him, because he's an incredible player and masterful musician in his own. I don't want to detract from what he's doing. I finally got to do an in-person interview with bassist John Pierce of Toto. We discussed:
- How learning to play the drums has influenced his bass playing - Playing with Toto drummer Shannon Forrest - His quest to play less and make each note more meaningful - Sessions with Huey Lewis, Mick Jagger, and Tom Petty - Toto's "With A Little Help From My Friends" album - And more Cris Cohen: Joan Jett said at your audition for her band, “Everything you play sounds like a hit record.” 1) Is that the best compliment you have ever received? 2) How does one achieve that?
Drummer Sandy Gennaro: That is one of the best compliments I have ever been given by an artist that I have worked for. And Cyndi (Lauper) also said to me – paraphrasing -- “When you are behind me playing drums, I never have to worry about you.” In other words, “I totally trust you in terms of performance.” I think Cyndi said something like, “When you are playing behind me and I am singing, you are totally with me. I never feel any tug tempo-wise in one way or another.” And the fact that the word “trust” was used by both of those artists… I think that is really what I strive for when I play behind an artist: For them to trust what I am doing and playing. What Joan said about the hit record and your question, “How do you achieve that?”, it is a feel thing. It is something unspoken. You cannot describe it in words. Cris Cohen: One thing I found interesting when I was reading up about the making of “Lagoon” is that it was recorded in multiple cities. You had Memphis. You had Brooklyn. You had Nashville. So first off, does the location influence the feel of a song?
John Brodeur of Bird Streets: You know, I didn't think it would so much until listening back to the collected works here, and you really can sense the individual rooms and players and vibes. Like the first stuff I did was in Nashville with Pat Sansone, and one of the first things we did was call in a pedal steel player, like you do in Nashville. Those songs have a little bit of that country weepiness to them. And then the stuff we did in Memphis, we did in the home of Big Star at Ardent. So it's got that feel and that sound. I don't know that the Brooklyn stuff has a specific feel, other than it's just some Brooklyn guys. But yeah, I guess it kind of does. At least to me. I know, when I'm listening to it, I'm hearing all the things that went into it and it feels kind of like a travel log to me. Chris Kimmerer, drummer for Thomas Rhett: Finding ways to sort of glue everyone together is really important. And it's so much easier when you've got guys who are actively listening to take care of their role in that equation. I'm always looking for ways to sort of glue my own body to what's happening rhythmically. Maybe that left foot splash that's going on the upbeats doesn't punch you in the face when you're sitting up front, but you kind of know it's there, you know? And maybe you know it's there because of how it tied into the guy doing the thing on the upbeats on the chorus of the guitar.
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April 2024
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