1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: On this episode of the Taking a Walk Podcast, music 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,799 Speaker 1: History on Foot, join host Buzz Night with a musician 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: whose career defines longevity and excellence. Mark Rivera is the 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: author of a new book, Side Man in Pursuit of 5 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:20,479 Speaker 1: the Next Gig, the story behind his amazing career, which 6 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: has included a forty year run as a sax player 7 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: for Billy Joel. You'll hear amazing stories and inspiration from 8 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: Mark Rivera next on Taking a Walk. 9 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 2: Well, Mark Rivera, it's so great to have you on 10 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 2: the Taking a Walk Podcast. Even though we're virtual, I 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 2: feel like we're taking a walk somewhere in your backyard. 12 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 3: I wish we could be telling the truth, especially after 13 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 3: last week you couldn't breathe in my backyard. 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 4: But we're past that, Thank goodness. 15 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 5: Right, I hope? 16 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: So? 17 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, Well, congratulations on the great book, Side Man 18 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 2: in Pursuit of the Next Gig. I love the book, 19 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 2: and I love the themes of the book, in particular gratitude. 20 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 2: Can you talk about what gratitude means to you? 21 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 4: Yeah? 22 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 3: Well, the most important thing in our lifetime is that 23 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 3: we realize how great, how blessed we are. I saw 24 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 3: a wonderful I think. It was CBS Sunday Morning with 25 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 3: Michael J. Fox and he's the man writhing with Parkinson's disease, 26 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 3: and Jane Police said something to the effective, so what 27 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 3: do you have? 28 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 4: I mean, how could you keep so positive? 29 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 3: And he said, if we have something to look forward to, 30 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 3: we have something to be grateful for. And I have 31 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 3: so much to be grateful for, because, first of all, 32 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 3: I have the greatest in my opinion, I had the 33 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 3: greatest gig, Eddy saxophone play I could expect to have, 34 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 3: also Ringo's musical director. I have all these wonderful friends 35 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 3: in this business, and most importantly, I have my family. 36 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 3: That's the main thing I'm grateful for. Gratitude to me 37 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 3: is just stopping, instead of getting on your knees and saying, 38 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 3: oh please give me, give me or I need it, 39 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 3: I need to it, saying thank you. That's this moment 40 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 3: right now. There's so much to say thank you for, 41 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 3: and so many of us have hung up on getting 42 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 3: the next big house, the next tesla, the next boat. 43 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 3: I'm just I'm just happy to clamp to have my 44 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 3: gigs and my family well around me, and make new 45 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 3: friends like yourself. 46 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 2: Buzz Well, you're very kind. Another theme in the book 47 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 2: is longevity. I think it's marvelous the longevity in your career. 48 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 2: What do you think the key to longevity is getting along? 49 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 4: Just getting along. 50 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 3: I always make my position, especially as a musical director, 51 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 3: make the analogy with a coach on a basketball team. 52 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:53,839 Speaker 3: I would say, they have five guys on a basketball team, 53 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 3: and if I'm coaching five guys, I could go to 54 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 3: one and say, hey, come on, man, Buzz, get it together, 55 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 3: shakey a little bit, where someone else needs to be called, hey, Buzz, 56 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 3: you know you missed that layup. 57 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 4: You know we'll get In other words, everybody is. 58 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 3: An individual, and how you get along with each person 59 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 3: is a separate entity. It's not like there's no cookie 60 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 3: cutter that's going to fix relationships. As far as longevity, 61 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 3: I mean, I just try to do what I do. 62 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 3: I try to lift people up. My father, who's basically 63 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,959 Speaker 3: mentioned so many times in the book, he'd always say, 64 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 3: never look down on anyone unless you're helping them up. 65 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 4: And I try to live by that because you you. 66 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 3: Know, everybody thinks that they're better than or they're trying 67 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 3: to achieve to get as good as we're always comparing 68 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 3: I think longevity comes with your acceptance of your position. 69 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 3: And who was it who's a great coach? Well, the parent, 70 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 3: but you you'll say it's he's a great coach because 71 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 3: he's your boy from from the Patriots, Bill Belichick. 72 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 4: Belichick, do your job three words. 73 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 3: Do your job and if you think about it, if 74 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 3: I go into a gig or any situation, do your job. 75 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 3: Just do what's expected of you, which usually means be 76 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 3: courteous to people. Self respect. I think that's what is 77 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 3: a great deal of it. People don't respect themselves and 78 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 3: they just come out with, you know, guns flying. So 79 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 3: many times people have the answer to what they think 80 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 3: is your question before they've actually listened, you know. And 81 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 3: longevity to me, do your job and be conscientious of 82 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 3: the people around you. That's pretty much it. Don't take 83 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 3: anyone off if you could help it. 84 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 2: Another theme in the book that's quite obvious is your 85 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 2: tremendous storyteller. 86 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 5: Who did you learn your storytelling from? 87 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 3: That's a I don't know. All I know is I've 88 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 3: been told that I have an incredible memory. I remember 89 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 3: people's names for some reason, and when people ask me, 90 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:06,039 Speaker 3: how do you do that? 91 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:07,119 Speaker 4: I have no idea. 92 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 3: But if God forbid, if the day ever come, I 93 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 3: don't remember, and I start to freak out. I remember instances, 94 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 3: I remember particular environments. I attribute a lot of that 95 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 3: to I'm mildly dyslexic. Okay, so I don't read very well. 96 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 3: In fact, they just did my audio book, which was 97 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 3: a real feat for me. I attribute a lot of 98 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 3: my storytelling to my memory. I just if I hear something, 99 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 3: If you remember the line in when Paul Simon asked 100 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 3: about the charts, I said, well, I think they're kind 101 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 3: of lame. 102 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 4: So I just came up with a line. I remember. 103 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 3: I could play those horn parts today because I remember them. 104 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 3: If I hear it, I remember it. So my recall 105 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 3: is quite strong. So I remember stuff and I did. 106 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 3: In fact, friends of mine from Brooklyn and say, hey, man, 107 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 3: how do you remember that stuff? 108 00:05:58,560 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 4: I don't know. Just you know. 109 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 3: We're on thirty ninth Street, we were in a bowling alley, 110 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 3: we played, we did our gigs. I remember what guys wore, 111 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 3: the times, how they affected us. 112 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 4: It's funny you asked that, Buzz. 113 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 3: No one has ever asked me that, And I really 114 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 3: don't obviously don't have a real good answer except that 115 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 3: I seem to have pretty good recall and that makes 116 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,599 Speaker 3: me and for that matter, well I let the truth 117 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:28,760 Speaker 3: get in away of a great story, right, So. 118 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 5: We'll go back to that moment in the bowling alley. 119 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 2: Okay, I'm sure you could remember as if it was yesterday. Yes, 120 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 2: did you have tremendous butterflies at that moment? And do 121 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 2: you still to this day have butterflies when you perform? 122 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 3: At the time, I was excuse we were thirteen of 123 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:49,040 Speaker 3: nineteen sixty six. 124 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 4: No, yeah, nineteen sixty six. The Beatles were on sixty four. 125 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:59,560 Speaker 3: I was thirteen, and we were getting you know, the 126 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 3: drummer Darryl and his brother Joel, and my cousin Vinny, 127 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:04,840 Speaker 3: who was like, you know, unfortunately Vinnie has passed away. 128 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 3: But we would practice and practice and we get to 129 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:12,080 Speaker 3: the gig and it was just a bunch of a 130 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 3: bunch of knuckleheads for four teenage boys wanting to. 131 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 4: Play and it was just a blessed And was. 132 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 3: I nervous Heck, yeah, mildly terrified at the time because 133 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 3: the first time we played it for you know, up 134 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 3: until that point, what we're doing playing, Ah, I'm not 135 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 3: to step in Stille, like, you know, like a thousand 136 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 3: times just for the four of us. Finally there's like 137 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 3: maybe it might have been a dozen people, but it 138 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 3: might as well have been Shay Stadium for all I knew. 139 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 3: And uh so that was that was unnerving. But to 140 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 3: this day people ask two questions, say do you get 141 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 3: nervous before you go on? So I don't think it's 142 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 3: nerves as much as it's excitement. It's it's adrenaline. And 143 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 3: then other people ask the other question, does it ever 144 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 3: get to be like a matter of fact, on the 145 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 3: side of the stage in Madison Square Garden. I say, dude, 146 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 3: if you're on the side of Madison Square Garden and 147 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 3: you look around at twenty thousand people and the buzz 148 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 3: that's going on, if you don't get, if your heart 149 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 3: doesn't get pumped up, check it because you're not a whit, 150 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 3: You're not conscious. It's true that the adrenaline, the high 151 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 3: of performing is tremendous, but I don't call it nerves 152 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 3: anymore because we don't even rehearse with Billy at this point. 153 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 3: In fact, I do a bunch of corporate dates and 154 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 3: a bunch of gigs. I just did something for Breakfast 155 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,520 Speaker 3: with the Beatles yesterday. We got maybe twenty minutes to 156 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 3: rehearse barely, and it's five guys, but it's five guys 157 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:34,199 Speaker 3: who come. 158 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 4: In prepared, and it's like anything again. 159 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 3: Any great organization is run by somebody who knows to 160 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 3: delegate to great people. Otherwise you're going to find the 161 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 3: weakest link in that chain of break So it's pretty interesting. 162 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 4: How how you go. 163 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 3: I just think it's a matter of how much I 164 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:54,319 Speaker 3: love what I do, and I'm gonna make it the 165 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 3: best it could possibly be. 166 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 5: And you never take it for granted. 167 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 3: Oh no, no, well that's again when you cannot do anything. 168 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 3: I always say I have never phoned in a gig. 169 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 3: In fact, there was a club called Tracks in the 170 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 3: city and it was a great rhythm section. A dear 171 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:19,559 Speaker 3: friend who passed away, Yogi Horton, was the drummer Bet Sussman, 172 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 3: tremendous talent, Whitney Houston, and she was Whitney's musical director, 173 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 3: tremendous talent. Jimmy rip who's Mick Jagger's end. We had 174 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 3: this band and we back up all these different performers, 175 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 3: and as it turns out, one night, this guy comes 176 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 3: up to me and says, hey, I want to take 177 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 3: your numbers. 178 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:45,559 Speaker 4: Someday I'll be doing something. I say short, didn't think 179 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 4: about it. 180 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,559 Speaker 3: Four or five years later, I get a call from 181 00:09:48,559 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 3: this guy, Jimmy Falon, and he says, I want you 182 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 3: to come to a recording session. I'm thinking, I hope 183 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:54,839 Speaker 3: it's not your wife because she was not that good. 184 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 3: And it turns out because of that gig at tracks 185 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 3: and the guy hearing that. You know again, it was 186 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 3: a small club and it was his wife or girlfriend 187 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 3: at the time wasn't great. But we played really well 188 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 3: because that's how that's how you do it. You don't 189 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 3: phone it in. And because of that tenacity or because 190 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 3: of the pride they taken my playing. The guy called 191 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 3: me up and that's how I got Peter Gabriel Sledgehammer. 192 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,839 Speaker 3: I got to play on Sledgehammer because of a gig 193 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 3: that I did. And this I won't call it a 194 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 3: dive bar, but it was it sure Zach wasn't the 195 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 3: Madison Square Gardens. So but that's again the approach. It 196 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 3: has to mean something. If it doesn't mean something to you, jeez, 197 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:38,839 Speaker 3: do something else. 198 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 2: You've talked about your formative years that really influenced you 199 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 2: musically as being that year nineteen sixty seven. 200 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 5: In articularly right tell me about. 201 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 2: You know, the vibe and the music that was bouncing 202 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,199 Speaker 2: around on your head in sixty. 203 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 3: Seven, she's I'll give you a couple of examples, and 204 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 3: I think you'll understand. In nineteen sixty seven, the Beatles 205 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 3: put out Sergeant Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour. Jimmy Hendricks 206 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 3: put out Are You Experienced? And Axes Polder's Love Cream 207 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 3: put out Fresh Cream and Israeli Gear. The Rascals put 208 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 3: out the collections album The Doors Janis Joplin. It was 209 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 3: all coming in and it was at the time when 210 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 3: DJ's were allowed to play whatever they thought was cool 211 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 3: because a DJ they were getting records all the time 212 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,679 Speaker 3: and they play what they liked. It wasn't like it 213 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 3: wasn't the and not to knock programming now, but jeez, 214 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,079 Speaker 3: they it's kind of like, well, this is what you're 215 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 3: going to play today. 216 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 4: You have a list of songs and. 217 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 3: Stick to the program, which is all well and good 218 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 3: for the monetary side of it, but as far as 219 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 3: getting people to experience music, it doesn't happen. And in 220 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 3: nineteen sixty seven, look, there were so many things going on. 221 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 3: I'll go back a few years before that, in nineteen 222 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:09,839 Speaker 3: sixty four, when the Beatles came out to the States 223 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 3: in February, the preceding November, we lost Robert John F. 224 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,440 Speaker 4: Kennedy. It was such a tomorrow. 225 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 3: There was all this turmoil, and was so much hate, 226 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:25,960 Speaker 3: and there was so much young people were really disheartened. 227 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 3: I mean I remember my father practically in tears because 228 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 3: of that. And then soon in sixty seven we lost 229 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 3: Robert Kennedy, we lost Martin Luther King. 230 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:38,640 Speaker 4: So the music was a way that healed us. 231 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 3: I was in sixty seven, I was fourteen years old, 232 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 3: if I may say so, We're getting smoke of little 233 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 3: bit pot. We were finding engaging in sex and having 234 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 3: all these things. It was a great time, and the 235 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 3: music reflected that. A band called the Mobi Grape unfortunately 236 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 3: put their record out the same day that Sergeant Pepper 237 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 3: came out, and they had no chance, but they were 238 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,839 Speaker 3: still one of my favorite bands. I went to see 239 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 3: them Will be Great, but the guy skips Fence had 240 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 3: a bad experience with some drugs, so he had to 241 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,559 Speaker 3: cancel and I got to see Cream, their first show 242 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 3: at the Fillmore East. I got and you you saw 243 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 3: the picture of the Jimmy Hendricks ticket. That's for real. 244 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:19,840 Speaker 4: I still have that ticket in my in my uh 245 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:21,719 Speaker 4: in my wallet. That's ah. 246 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 3: There was so much going on buzz that I was 247 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 3: able to take a train from Manhattan, from Brooklyn, mother 248 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,080 Speaker 3: into Manhattan. It might as well have been going like 249 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 3: to Oz because kidding Brooklyn. You know, you have your friends, 250 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 3: you have you you know, you play your games, You're 251 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 3: playing stickball. All of a sudden you get on the 252 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:41,839 Speaker 3: f train. You end up in Second Avenue in the 253 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 3: East Village's like wow, It's like it's like remember when 254 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:51,559 Speaker 3: when in that part and the Wizard of Oz when 255 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 3: they all of a sudden she wakes up and it's 256 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:57,199 Speaker 3: in technicolor. It's it was a whole different world. Sixty seven, 257 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 3: I will say to this day was the most fertile 258 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:03,839 Speaker 3: time in rock and roll music. I think it popped 259 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 3: music in general. And we had just tremendous influences. You 260 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 3: had you had Richie Havens singing protest songs, you had 261 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,560 Speaker 3: folk songs. You had Joe Baiez. He had Bob Dylan 262 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 3: sixty three sixty four, whom my mom turned me on 263 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 3: to At the same time, you had the other spectrum, 264 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 3: at the other end of the spectrum. You had psychedelia, 265 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 3: you had santana, you had all these great uh rhythm 266 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 3: and blues and sly the family Stone, of course. 267 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 4: Was one of my favorite. 268 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 3: And you had and I'm not even talking about all 269 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 3: the great R and B the black sounds out of 270 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 3: Detroit and out of Memphis, out of muscle shows and 271 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 3: again muscle shows. 272 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 4: I shouldn't say that because it wasn't the black. They 273 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 4: were all white. 274 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 3: But they played like in that swamp. I think you're 275 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 3: familiar with that, right. So I could go on forever. 276 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 3: But the short answer is it was an unbelieve aivable time. 277 00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 3: All you have to do is get a list of 278 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 3: the Billboard Top one hundred of nineteen sixty seven and 279 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 3: you say, wow, it was like a single week in 280 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 3: nineteen sixty seven. It clips what went on what would 281 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 3: go on in a year at this point. In my opinion, again, 282 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 3: this great songwriter still, but there's not the performers I 283 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 3: don't think that we had then. 284 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 4: You had to be able. Some of these recordings were 285 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 4: recorded with one microphone in a room. 286 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 3: Capturing eight ten musicians, and if the trouble was allowed 287 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 3: to say, what do you get to measure sixty three? 288 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 3: Tourney Trump had face away from I'm sorry, face away 289 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 3: from the microphone. You had to play with dynamics. You 290 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 3: had to be able to have this cohesive group, and unfortunately, 291 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 3: that's what I missed most of um. I was playing 292 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 3: with a group of four or five guys in a 293 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 3: room and just you know, getting into it. So I'm 294 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 3: sorry if that took a long time to explain. 295 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 4: But. 296 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 5: It was a amazing time for sure. 297 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 2: I grew up in Stanford, Connecticut, so okay, I would 298 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 2: take the train as well and head to the village. 299 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 2: And I was influenced greatly by the radio. That's why 300 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 2: I got into radio, listening to wn WFM. I was 301 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 2: fortunate to get to work there at a point in 302 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 2: my career as well. And you're right, it had tremendous 303 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 2: influence on how it curated for fans in a much 304 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 2: different way. 305 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 4: Absolutely. In fact, he's mentioned WNW. 306 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 3: I just I'm good friends with Dennis Elza still and 307 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 3: Ken dash Out. I mean, I'll tell you we named 308 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 3: dog Roscoe because I remember Rosco's teg remember I do 309 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 3: love you so and he was the coolest DJ and 310 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 3: had my headphones and radio radio just transported me. It 311 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 3: was so tremendous to have. It was such a vital 312 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:09,200 Speaker 3: part of my life. I mean, and FM was happening. 313 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:11,439 Speaker 3: You know, you were getting album cuts. You weren't just 314 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 3: getting like you are just getting the top forty singles. 315 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,639 Speaker 4: It was exploding. It was very as you know. 316 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 2: You know, I have a listener who of the podcast 317 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,639 Speaker 2: who wanted to ask a question, a gentleman by the 318 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:31,560 Speaker 2: name of Tom, who lives in the Philadelphia area, and 319 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 2: he wanted me to ask you, what do you think 320 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 2: was the early fascination that the Philadelphia market had before 321 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 2: really many other places had it with the song Captain. 322 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 4: Jack that I'd be at shocky Do you remember Ed? Yes? 323 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 4: I do so. 324 00:17:55,920 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 3: I mean, you can't you can't even imagine how much 325 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 3: of an how much of an impact one person could have. 326 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:05,040 Speaker 3: Here we are again, we're talking about what a DJ 327 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 3: is allowed to do. Try to get somebody to play 328 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 3: Captain Jack twelve times in a row, and if he 329 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:10,679 Speaker 3: didn't get fired, I don't know what the heck was 330 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 3: going on. Ed Shockey took it, took Billy on his shoulders. 331 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 3: You know the thing about Philadelphia because people ask me, like, 332 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:22,880 Speaker 3: you know, other than you know, Madison Square Garden, all 333 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,640 Speaker 3: these exotic places, where's your favorite city to play? See Philadelphia? 334 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,679 Speaker 3: They say, why Philly and Philly got sold? Philly's always 335 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 3: had sold Philadelphia to me, two things, they love you, 336 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 3: they love you, but if they don't love you, they 337 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:40,639 Speaker 3: hate you. And it's like sports like the Rangers and 338 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 3: the Flyers or the or any any rivalry with Philadelphia. 339 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 3: You had this insane sense. But Captain Jack almost couldn't 340 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 3: fail because of that SHOCKI you remember edam of course right? 341 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 2: I do, Yes, I know Ed was a trailblazer. And 342 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:06,040 Speaker 2: also one thing I always loved about Ed was Ed 343 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 2: never saw a free hospitality platter backstage that he could 344 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:13,480 Speaker 2: never have his way with. 345 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 3: I see, You're absolutely right. Ed enjoyed the backstage, the fair, 346 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:27,159 Speaker 3: old backstage fair. I'm also do you remember Mark Goodman? Yes, okay, 347 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 3: Mark and I have very good friends. In fact, I 348 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 3: just did a Q and A that Mark hosted. Because 349 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,920 Speaker 3: Mark's out of Philly, right or just outside of Philadelphia. Yeah, 350 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 3: I'm telling you there's so much connection to this. I 351 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:45,160 Speaker 3: call it the Asella line from Boston I mean, I'll 352 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:46,959 Speaker 3: go up as high as Maine, because I love Maine. 353 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 3: But from Boston through Connecticut, through New York to New Jersey, 354 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 3: Philadelphia and Washington, that whole corridor right there, it's it's 355 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 3: something might it must be something in the water because 356 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 3: it's how it's how we connect to things. 357 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:05,960 Speaker 4: But yeah, I remember when Ed used to come backstage, 358 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 4: you'd always have you know, there'd be some mayonaises. Oh no, 359 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 4: we all go, you know, got to get this. 360 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 3: But he was such a sweet, sweet man and he 361 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:19,720 Speaker 3: gave His passion was boundless. He just he exuded like 362 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 3: the enthusiasm and he'd be talked yeah yeah, and he said, 363 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 3: well you make your point that. 364 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 4: But but he was so into it. 365 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:28,280 Speaker 3: I can't remember his wife's name that, but she was 366 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:33,359 Speaker 3: always there with him always, And uh that's the reason, 367 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 3: Captain Jack. I think that's the reason that Billy sustained 368 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:38,679 Speaker 3: because they were ready to I think they're ready to pass. 369 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 3: I think Columbia or CBS, whatever they were, they were 370 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 3: close to like, hey, we got nothing. And at Shaky 371 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:52,399 Speaker 3: I believe pretty much single handedly turned Billy's career around. 372 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 2: Well yeah, Judy Shocky, that's right. Was Judy right, and 373 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 2: I think if I'm not mistaken too. There was also 374 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 2: a pivotal moment with a Sigma Sound session live session 375 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 2: that WMMR would would play. 376 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 4: Mr right right right. Yeah. Yeah. Again, I wasn't in 377 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 4: that band. 378 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 3: I wasn't in the band at the time, but I 379 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:16,239 Speaker 3: know that I know what you're talking about, and it 380 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,679 Speaker 3: was that that time, because I think that was like 381 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 3: seventy eight. 382 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 4: Maybe some are there about that. Is that close to right? Yeah, 383 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 4: that's try the band. Yeah. Yeah. The main thing is 384 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 4: it's when you believe in something and. 385 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 3: You you when you hear something and it connects with you. 386 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 4: It's this innate thing. 387 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,640 Speaker 3: It's visceral because it's like I always say about people say, 388 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,199 Speaker 3: what is it about the sacrisphone. I said, it's like 389 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 3: it's the closest thing to a human voice because it's 390 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:48,200 Speaker 3: in you. And when a song comes into your your 391 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 3: your psyche, into your being. People talk about like being 392 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:56,160 Speaker 3: Billy Joel fans and Billy Joel's song is a three 393 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:57,640 Speaker 3: minute snapshot of my life. 394 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,119 Speaker 4: Well, I go back a lot further that. 395 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 3: I go to Beatles songs, beat Beatle lyric I remember, look, 396 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 3: I want to hold your hand the. 397 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:06,360 Speaker 4: Front you won't be long. Yeah. 398 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 3: The first time I heard it Won't be Long, I 399 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 3: freaked out. My Aunt Dires brought me the record. It 400 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,639 Speaker 3: was just like it was a game changer and I 401 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 3: could hear some Beatle lyric. I remember being on the 402 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 3: train on the bus ride with my friend John Grado, 403 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 3: we cut out of school and my father's Toshiba transistor 404 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,920 Speaker 3: radio with the one earbuddon listening in and we can 405 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:28,879 Speaker 3: work it Out came on. 406 00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 4: I'm like, this is great. 407 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 3: First of all, the song was tremendous because you had 408 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 3: the perfect balance of Paul's optimism. Try to see it 409 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:38,560 Speaker 3: my way, we can work it out. Life is very sure. 410 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 3: There's no type of fuss, and that's John John said, 411 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 3: this is not what is Stop puts it around and 412 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:44,360 Speaker 3: get hit to it. 413 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 4: But Paul, their balance of the lyric was tremendous. So 414 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 4: once something comes into you it makes that kind of 415 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,160 Speaker 4: has that kind of effect, it's tremendous. It's just tremendous 416 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,199 Speaker 4: because I mean, there are moments in my life that 417 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 4: I'll never forget the first time in my well my 418 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 4: grandmother's living room, listening to Meet the Beatles, and then 419 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 4: watching the ed Sullivan Show. That is a. 420 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 3: Pivotal, pivotal moment in my life, not unlike when I 421 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:21,159 Speaker 3: was accepted at the high school performing Arts. These are 422 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 3: things that you know, changed my life. I was fourteen 423 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 3: or yeah, fourteen, I was going to high school to 424 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:31,000 Speaker 3: and there was music, dancing, drama. There wasn't even a 425 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,159 Speaker 3: gymnasium in the school. It was that you went there 426 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 3: to hone your craft, and those things were just just tremendous, 427 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 3: just tremendous to have that opportunity. 428 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 5: Tell me how you got connected with John Lennon. 429 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:50,479 Speaker 3: I was in a band called Bump it was it 430 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:56,920 Speaker 3: was actually called Community Apple No no, I'm sorry. Before 431 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 3: it was called Dog Soldier after a John Lennon lyric. 432 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:06,080 Speaker 3: My dear friend John Colbert was in a band it 433 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:08,919 Speaker 3: Keeps Cycling back and back and back. I met John Colbert, 434 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:12,200 Speaker 3: the keyboard player. We did a jam session in Brooklyn, 435 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,879 Speaker 3: a bunch of friends, but my cousin Vinny, which is 436 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:20,720 Speaker 3: how the book starts. My dear cousin Viny drove up 437 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:23,399 Speaker 3: to the Catskills and I had already been you know, 438 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 3: I was with Sam and Dave, and I thought I 439 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 3: made it, And then I found and I was with Eclips. 440 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 3: We were with this band that, and I thought I 441 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:33,160 Speaker 3: was a rock star because we were managed by Blood, 442 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,160 Speaker 3: Sweat and Tears, his manager, and then that went the crap. 443 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,440 Speaker 3: So finally I'm playing in his Latin band. Playing bass 444 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 3: in a Latin band. No place you want to be, 445 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:45,400 Speaker 3: especially after you thought you would be a rock star. 446 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 3: And we go upstate and up playing. 447 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 4: Boom boom, bored to tears and freaking out, said this 448 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 4: this is what my life has become. 449 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 3: And I had a saxophone and I got to sit 450 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 3: in with this little combo. And the night before I 451 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 3: met this trumpet player, Bob living Goood also may he 452 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:09,679 Speaker 3: rest in pieces, so many say that's too often, and 453 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 3: he heard me play and he was impressed with my sound. 454 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 3: So he said, you got to come down to the 455 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 3: record plant. I'm in a ten piece band, and I 456 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 3: think you would dig it. So I'm like, yeah, okay. 457 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:21,639 Speaker 3: I didn't think much of it, but I got to 458 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 3: play a little bit, so it took me out of 459 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:27,080 Speaker 3: the dolgrums of the So I finally got that. Fast 460 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 3: forward maybe a half a year. Bob living Goood calls 461 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:31,880 Speaker 3: my cousin Vinnie says, hey, tell Mark if he wants 462 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 3: to come up to the Record Plan. I'm like, yeah, cool. 463 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 3: So we go there and it was a tremendous band. 464 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 3: Ten piece band. Vinnie Appissi, carmin Apissi's brother played drums. 465 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 3: It was just a powerhouse. Four horns, two trumpets, trombone, 466 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 3: and the saxophone. And it turns out there we're going 467 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 3: to replace the saxophone player. And the only one who 468 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:55,840 Speaker 3: had hurt me to that to that point was Bob 469 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 3: living Goood, the trumpet player, and of course John Colbert. 470 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 4: So I get in the band. Time goes on, and 471 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 4: little by. 472 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:09,120 Speaker 3: Little I knew John Lennon was recording in the studio 473 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:11,440 Speaker 3: because the guys in the band had already does some 474 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 3: handclaps I think on walls and bridges. 475 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:16,160 Speaker 4: And my friend Jimmy Ivan. 476 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 3: From Interscope Records and a couple of other small endeavors 477 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 3: in his life. 478 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:23,719 Speaker 4: He and I grew up in rival bands. 479 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:27,119 Speaker 3: So he said one day he and Roy Sicala, who 480 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:28,960 Speaker 3: are the owners of the Record Plan, said come inside. 481 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 3: I'd do something. And I was literally cleaning the garbage. 482 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 3: I was living at the record Plant, and they invited 483 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 3: me in. Little by little, by little, and finally John 484 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:42,680 Speaker 3: was about to do this tribute to Sir Lou Gray 485 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 3: and the band backed him. We did a couple of tracks, 486 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 3: most of it was lift sync, but we did get 487 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 3: to play a couple of things with them, but it 488 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:55,880 Speaker 3: was just again, it was another one of those OZ moments. 489 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 3: I think I said in the book something to be affaked. 490 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 3: If I told you when you go through those who 491 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 3: you're going to meet John Lennon first three said yeah, sure, sure, 492 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 3: but once you do, there's no turning back. And what 493 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:09,439 Speaker 3: would you say? How would you act? It's like one 494 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,800 Speaker 3: of those Hama hamahameda moments that you just don't know. 495 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 3: He's trying not to step on your tongue and he 496 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 3: tried to be cool, which is again part of longevity. 497 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 4: Just be cool. 498 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 3: That's I don't I don't know what else to say, 499 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 3: but that's how we got to work with John. 500 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:31,679 Speaker 2: So tell me some horn players that really influenced you 501 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:35,560 Speaker 2: from the past, and any horn players of the present 502 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 2: that influence you. 503 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 3: The horned players in the past would have to be 504 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 3: Junior Walker, King Curtis. 505 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 4: You know, I'm not a real jazz guy. 506 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:48,399 Speaker 3: I mean, I listened to my dad took me to 507 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 3: see Sonny Ronalds when I was like seven or eight 508 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 3: or maybe maybe ten, I'm sorry, I was about ten. 509 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,880 Speaker 3: He took me to see Coleman Hawkins last performance. So 510 00:27:56,920 --> 00:28:00,760 Speaker 3: those are tremendous acts players. And he'd have, you know, 511 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 3: just jazz with that beach. That was a radio station. 512 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:08,159 Speaker 3: He used to listen to wrv R Riverside Radio. Okay, 513 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:11,399 Speaker 3: there you go. So and so my father used to 514 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 3: take this stuff really slowly and it would last like 515 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 3: the full full hour on each side of the tape. 516 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:18,720 Speaker 3: So those are the guys I would have to say, 517 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 3: Bobby Keys. Bobby Keys was a big influence because he 518 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,320 Speaker 3: was a soulful rock sax player. 519 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 4: I'm not like a real chops guy. I'm not like them. 520 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:30,919 Speaker 3: But the guys who really impressed me with technique is 521 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:35,640 Speaker 3: of course Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, Ronnie Cooper. 522 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 4: Barry Sacks player. 523 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:40,920 Speaker 3: But there's a gentleman who's playing now with Dave Matthews, 524 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:46,160 Speaker 3: Jeff Coffin who used to play with Bella Fleck and 525 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 3: the Flecktones. I don't know if you hit that, but 526 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 3: he's just a tremendous player. And there were young players 527 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 3: I get. I just sat in, I just did a 528 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 3: gig over the last weekend, and this young kid, it's 529 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:00,920 Speaker 3: like thirty five half my age, which is crazy with 530 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 3: a tremendous tone and the great attitude. Kid Steven South 531 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 3: say though, just a wonderful young play vibrant and I'd 532 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 3: hear him playing and I turned and said that's great stuff, 533 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 3: and he'd look over and goes just trying to be 534 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 3: like you, Mark, I'm just trying to be like and think, wow, 535 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,120 Speaker 3: what this this this so this, this wheel keeps turning. 536 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 3: But those are those are the guys I'd have to say. 537 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:22,720 Speaker 4: There'd be more R and B. 538 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 3: The guy I can't remember, the saxophone player who played 539 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 3: on the Pink Panther that sound on the Hendry Mad CD. 540 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:32,800 Speaker 3: In fact, the saxophone player I think got a piece 541 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 3: of a royalty they gave him on that, which is 542 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 3: tremendous to think about a guy who sound was so 543 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 3: so influential, so so much a part of the song. 544 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 5: Mark. 545 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 4: I think of you. 546 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 2: Like an entrepreneur in how you sort of not only 547 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 2: have your Billy Joel, you know, gig that you're so 548 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:55,280 Speaker 2: grateful for, but you have the other work, you know, 549 00:29:55,520 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 2: with Ringo you have the work you do on the 550 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 2: corporate side, you know, to really sort of round. 551 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 5: Out your work. Where did you get this entrepreneurial spirit. 552 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 4: In pursuit of the next gig? 553 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:13,240 Speaker 3: I guess it's really it's funny because people say, now, 554 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,040 Speaker 3: how could you possibly be in pursuit of the next gig? 555 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 3: This has been going on for fifty years. From the 556 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 3: time I was thirteen. It was my first year, but 557 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:24,040 Speaker 3: from the time I was like eighteen all the way through, 558 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 3: which is fifty two years, I've been gigging, and I've 559 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:29,560 Speaker 3: been playing with different bands, and you go through different 560 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 3: cycles and you try not to just stay stagnant. Playing 561 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 3: with different people, to me is the greatest thing. It's 562 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:44,720 Speaker 3: the greatest communication. It's entrepreneurially speak as that's a word. 563 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 3: I was always trying to create a situation for myself. 564 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 3: I mean there was obviously times when there was no work. 565 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 3: Billy we take off for three years and I had 566 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 3: a hustle. I had a hustle. I was selling life insurance, 567 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 3: I was cutting trees down, and I did it. 568 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 4: Look. I think the main. 569 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 3: Thing is that I learned from my father to never 570 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 3: be above any situation. 571 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 4: If your family needs to be fed. 572 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:13,479 Speaker 3: If you have people that you have to take care of, 573 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 3: nothing should ever be below you. You should be happy 574 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 3: to have the opportunity to provide. So that necessity being 575 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 3: the mother of invention, you come out of that. I 576 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 3: needed to do certain things and I was not going 577 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 3: to be let down. I was not going to let 578 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:31,239 Speaker 3: them down. It's pretty much how it went, and to 579 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 3: this day, I don't think about it as an entrepreneur, 580 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 3: but I guess, of course, you're right, Buzz. 581 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 4: It's what I do. I go out in a hustle. 582 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 2: So let's play some word association or words association with 583 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 2: some Billy Joel songs if it's okay with you, of course, 584 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 2: scenes from an Italian restaurant. 585 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 4: The word association. There is a bunch of guys we used. 586 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 3: To play myself, Liberty Russell and David Brown used to 587 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:00,400 Speaker 3: sit and back while Billy would start to be getting 588 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 3: a piano of Italian restaurant. The scenes are like you know, 589 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 3: it's it's it's like a it's a it's a proper 590 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 3: piece of music with like a beginning, an intro, a release, 591 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 3: a prelude, and then each one is a section. So 592 00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:17,240 Speaker 3: these are different scenes. 593 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:17,560 Speaker 4: You could. 594 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:21,920 Speaker 3: It's almost like you could be sitting in Brooklyn outside 595 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 3: and you're looking around. You're sitting having a bottle of 596 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:26,719 Speaker 3: wine or some positives and friends. Oh that's going on, oh, think, 597 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 3: goes Brendon Edti. Oh. Twenty years later. These are the 598 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 3: scenes that I think that Billy was evoking. At least 599 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:37,560 Speaker 3: that's what I get out of it. Summer Highland Falls, 600 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 3: that's that's just him. He loves that area, holand Falls. 601 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,400 Speaker 3: It's just he just Uh. The song itself is beautiful 602 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 3: because it is about manic depresses. It's just it's just 603 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 3: high as a kite and lows loads of the low's 604 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,000 Speaker 3: doulgens you could think of. It's the and but most 605 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 3: important is the ability to lift yourself out of those 606 00:32:58,640 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 3: out of that depression. 607 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 4: The Reasons covers this with aar and samity. Uh. 608 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 3: It's just he writes his he's such a wordsmith. It's 609 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 3: just it's just his battle with it, probably his own. 610 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 4: Uh. 611 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:15,479 Speaker 3: I won't say it's just depression. But we're all manic. 612 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 3: We're all manic. We're all, hey, this is great. It's 613 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 3: great until it's not. And then this sucks. It sucks 614 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 3: until it's not and it changes. So we constantly go 615 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 3: through changes and we evolve, and I think the most 616 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 3: important thing is how do you cope? How do you 617 00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 3: get by day to day? 618 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:37,160 Speaker 4: What do you do? What? What are you going to do? 619 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:37,480 Speaker 5: Now? 620 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:38,560 Speaker 4: How are you going to? 621 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:41,840 Speaker 3: Remember the great Mike Tyson line, everybody's got a plant 622 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:44,200 Speaker 3: that they get punched in the face, you know, So 623 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:46,520 Speaker 3: we're all gonna get punched in the face. 624 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:49,720 Speaker 6: So somehow on fold one of one of my favorite songs, 625 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 6: one more here, Uh, this is the time my favorite 626 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 6: Billy joelso my sing singular favorite Billy Joel song, because 627 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 6: it says these are the time to hold on to 628 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 6: So many people look back on that past or live 629 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 6: for what might come in the future. 630 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:08,280 Speaker 4: This is the only time. 631 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:11,640 Speaker 3: Presence you and your presence in the present moment is 632 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:12,840 Speaker 3: the most important thing. 633 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 4: It might have been Michael J. 634 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:18,320 Speaker 3: Fox again that said this, you can change your future 635 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:23,520 Speaker 3: by your perception of your past. In other words, your 636 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 3: attitude at this present moment. Reflecting on the past and 637 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:31,320 Speaker 3: accepting that will change your attitude now, which says will 638 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:35,640 Speaker 3: change what you feel going forward. But this is the 639 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 3: time holding you closes like holding the summer sun. 640 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:39,879 Speaker 4: It's like I. 641 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:45,279 Speaker 3: Told I was I guess DJ on serious radio, and 642 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 3: I picked different songs and that was that was I said, 643 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 3: this is my favorite song, I said. And if I 644 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 3: wrote the line about this beach is so cold on 645 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:56,359 Speaker 3: winter afternoon, but holding you closes like holding the summer sun, 646 00:34:56,680 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 3: I said, if I wrote that line, I would have 647 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 3: been done as a song, right. And that's just one 648 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:06,400 Speaker 3: of the thousands of lines that Billy wrote. Uh, it 649 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:11,319 Speaker 3: just means so much, such a beautiful song. This this 650 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 3: is the time, not that in the past and that 651 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 3: way you're thinking about going forward. This is the time 652 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:21,680 Speaker 3: to hold on to. It's the constant. He's always doing that. 653 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:25,160 Speaker 3: He's got this amazing ability to really play with you 654 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 3: with the words. But the song is beautiful, and David 655 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 3: Brown played such a beautiful solo on that. It's like Hendricks. 656 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:33,560 Speaker 3: In fact, the end of it is like the end 657 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 3: of Jimmy Hendricks song. He'll say it, you know that one. 658 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:40,880 Speaker 3: And easy Money, Easy Money is the end of AXS's 659 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:53,279 Speaker 3: Bold as Love. Easy Billy steals from the best and 660 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:54,200 Speaker 3: they'll tell you so. 661 00:35:55,840 --> 00:36:00,200 Speaker 2: Allow me to play word association right now, and I'm 662 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:03,840 Speaker 2: going to say Mark Rivera and my word would be amazing. 663 00:36:04,440 --> 00:36:09,000 Speaker 4: Well, you're so very kind, Buzz. That's incredibly kind of you. 664 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:13,279 Speaker 2: Thank you for being on my podcast, and thank you 665 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:17,680 Speaker 2: for all the joy you continue to give me and others. 666 00:36:18,239 --> 00:36:19,720 Speaker 5: I appreciate it. 667 00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:23,879 Speaker 3: Buzz, Thank you, Thank you for the opportunity, and God willing, 668 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:26,200 Speaker 3: we'll keep moving forward so that we could do. 669 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk with Buzz Night is available on Spotify, 670 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:35,920 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.