"I’ve called it a couple different things. I’ll call it rock ‘n’ roll with horns, I’ll call it Prima Music, or I’ll call it a good time. It’s music that makes you smile and makes you want to get up and dance and makes you want to tap your foot. We are a little bit loud and boisterous. But it’s not just about the sound; it’s about the show as well. It’s good time music; it’s what my father would be doing if he was alive today." - client Louis Prima Jr and the Witnesses
"I think that picking music that I love, music that resonates with me, will resonate with other people. I just have to be true to myself, true to my art, and not worry about the competition or all that. It doesn't serve you as an artist. You just have to do what you think you do best." - client Laura Tate
"I’m a very talented slob. Oscar the Grouch was a major influence. I wish I was kidding." - Fred from clients Cowboy Mouth
"Music is alive and it's breathing. Our heartbeats and breathing patterns are in constant change, whether you are relaxed, anxious, sleeping, etc. There are so many different factors in every day. And to share that with three or four other guys – however many you have in the band – and they have their own breaths and heartbeats that make up their lives - when you put it all together, you never know what you’re gonna get. That’s what makes live music so special." - client John Papa Gros
Cris: What's been the most challenging aspect of your current rise in your career?
Jimmy Elcock: I've been lucky in my young career to have a lot of work. Playing for both Logan Mize and Jamie Lynn Spears, both signed acts, you have to make sure each is getting your A-game. There was one weekend last summer Logan played Saturday night in Nebraska. I had a cousin come from Colorado to pick me up in western Nebraska and drive me seven hours to the Denver airport to catch a 5:00 am flight to California to make a load in with Jamie Lynn. Then I flew back to South Dakota for a show with Logan that night. So that's the grind that nobody sees. But I need to be there. I can't be like, “Oh my night was so awful I'm going to play this gig pretty terribly because I didn't sleep at all in the last 36 hours ...” No. You have to be there with a smile on your face and be energetic, making sure you are giving everybody your best product. Cris: What inspires you?
Troy Luccketta: I am passionate about everything I do. The other day somebody asked, “Where do you get your energy?” I don't know. I just feel like I'm twelve years old. I'm just very much in awe of some of the things I get to do. The project I did with Keith Emerson, that was an awe factor for me. I can't believe to this day that I did it. I just have a lot of passion. I'm very passionate about people and life… the ultimate optimist. Cris: Do you practice the sax? If so, how often and what do you work on?
Johnny Colla of Huey Lewis & The News: I don't practice much. Why? Does it show? Seriously, I don't sit around and practice much any more because my interests lie more in songwriting, recording and producing. On the other hand I have been playing more just to keep the embouchure in shape and the motor skills alive. Huey once posed the same question to Stan Getz. Getz said, "No man, I never practice any more; three months later I pick the horn up and fall in love all over again!" I guess I have a little of that going as well . . . A great post by The Middle Finger Project - "There are two options: Make your own rules, or make your own grave." "Everybody’s so busy peeking at their neighbor’s paper, trying to figure out the “correct” way to do everything."
This is why so many talented musicians just end up posting pictures of their lunch or asking trivia questions they don't care about. Something to consider: While everyone else is chasing perfection, imperfection might be how you stand out from the crowd. - Cris
One of the big trends in social media right now is live video. Mainly this has enabled a number of people to bore their followers in real time. "Yesterday we live streamed these drapes for two hours."
The world is filled with interesting bands, businesses, and individuals. But when you give them the ability to broadcast to the entire world, all most of them can think to say is, "There's Carl. He has trouble digesting dairy." Live video can be great, but first make sure you have something worth broadcasting. - Cris |
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June 2024
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