1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: Podcast play God. 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 2: On this episode of the Taking a Walk Podcast, music 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 2: History on Foot, join host Buzz Night with a musician 4 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 2: whose career defines longevity and excellence. Mark Rivera is the 5 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 2: author of a new book, Sideman in Pursuit of the 6 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 2: Next Gig, the story behind his amazing career, which has 7 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 2: included a forty year run as a sax player for 8 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 2: Billy Joel. You'll hear amazing stories and inspiration from Mark 9 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 2: Rivera next on Taking a Walk. 10 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 3: Well, Mark Rivera, it's so great to have you on 11 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:43,840 Speaker 3: the Taking a Walk Podcast. 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: Even though we're virtual. 13 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 3: I feel like we're taking a walk somewhere in your backyard. 14 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 4: I wish we could be telling the truth, especially after 15 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 4: last week you couldn't breathe in my backyard. 16 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 5: But we're past that, Thank goodness, right, I hope? So? 17 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, Well, congratulations on the great book side Man 18 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 3: in Pursuit of the Next Gig. I love the book, 19 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 3: and I love the themes of the book, in particular, gratitude. 20 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 3: Can you talk about what gratitude means to you? 21 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 5: Yeah? 22 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 4: Well, the most important thing in our lifetime is that 23 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 4: we realize how great, how blessed we are. I so wonderful. 24 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 4: I think it was CBS Sunday Morning with Michael J. 25 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 4: Fox and here's the man writhing with Parkinson's disease, and 26 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 4: Jane Police said something to the effective, so what do 27 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 4: you have? 28 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 5: I mean, how could you keep so positive? 29 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 4: And he said, if we have something to look forward to, 30 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 4: we have something to be grateful for. And I have 31 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 4: so much to be grateful for, because, first of all, 32 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 4: I have the greatest, in my opinion, I had the 33 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 4: greatest gig Atty Saxophone play I could expect to have, 34 00:01:53,960 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 4: also Ringo's musical director. I have all these wonderful friends 35 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 4: in this business, and most importantly, I have my family. 36 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 4: That's the main thing I'm grateful for. Gratitude to me 37 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 4: is just stopping, instead of getting on your knees and saying, 38 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 4: oh please give me, give me or I need I 39 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 4: need it, saying thank you. That's this moment right now. 40 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 4: There's so much to say thank you for, and so 41 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 4: many of us have hung up on getting the next 42 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 4: big house, the next tesla, the next boat. I'm just 43 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 4: I'm just happy to clamp to have my gigs and 44 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 4: my family well around me, and make new friends like yourself. 45 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 3: Buzz well, you're very kind. Another theme in the book 46 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 3: is longevity. I think it's marvelous the longevity in your career. 47 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,920 Speaker 1: What do you think the key to longevity is getting along? 48 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 5: Just getting along. 49 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 4: I always make my position, especially as a musical director, 50 00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 4: make the analogy with a coach on a basketball team. 51 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 5: I would say they have five guys on a basketball team. 52 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 5: If I'm coaching five guys, I could go to one 53 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 5: and say. 54 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 4: Hey, come on, man, Buzz, get get it together, shakey 55 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 4: a little bit where someone else needs to be cold. 56 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 5: Hey, Buzz, you know you missed that layup. 57 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 4: You know we'll get in other words, everybody is an individual, 58 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 4: and how you get along with each person is a 59 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 4: separate entity. It's not like there's no cookie cutter that's 60 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 4: going to fix relationships. As far as longevity, I mean, 61 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 4: I just try to do what I do. I try 62 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 4: to lift people up. My father, who's basically mentioned so 63 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 4: many times in the book, he'd always say, never look down. 64 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 5: On anyone unless you're helping them up. 65 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 4: And I try to live by that because you you know, 66 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 4: everybody thinks that they're better than or they're trying to 67 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 4: achieve to get as good as we're always comparing. I 68 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 4: think longevity comes with your acceptance of your position. 69 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 5: And what was it. Who's a great coach? 70 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 4: Well to you'll say he's a great coach because he's 71 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 4: your boy from the Patriots, Bill Belichick. 72 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 5: Belichick, do your job three words. 73 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 4: Do your job and if you think about it, if 74 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 4: I go into a gig or any situation, do your job. 75 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 4: Just do what's expected of you, which usually means be 76 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 4: courteous to people. 77 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 5: Self respect. I think that's what is a great deal 78 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 5: of it. 79 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,919 Speaker 4: People don't respect themselves and they just come out with, 80 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 4: you know, guns flying. So many times people have the 81 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 4: answer to what they think is your question before they've 82 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 4: actually listened, you know. And longevity to me, do your 83 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 4: job and be conscientious of the people around you. That's 84 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 4: pretty much it. Don't take anyone off if you could 85 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 4: help it. 86 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 3: Another theme in the book that's quite obvious is your 87 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 3: tremendous storyteller. 88 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: Who did you learn your storytelling from? 89 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 4: That's a I don't know. All I know is I've 90 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 4: been told that I have an incredible memory. I remember 91 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 4: people's names for some reason, and when people ask me, 92 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 4: how do you do that? I have no idea, but 93 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 4: God forbid. If the day ever comes, I don't remember, 94 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,840 Speaker 4: and I start to freak out. I remember instances, I 95 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 4: remember particular environments. I attribute a lot of that to 96 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 4: I'm mildly dyslexic. Okay, so I don't read very well. 97 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,359 Speaker 4: In fact, they just did my audio book, which was 98 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 4: a real feat for me. I attribute a lot of 99 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 4: my storytelling to my memory. I just if I hear something, 100 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 4: if you remember of the line in when Paul Simon 101 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 4: asked about the charts, I said, well, I think they're 102 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 4: kind of lame, So I just came up with a line. 103 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 5: I remember. 104 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 4: I could play those horn parts today because I remember them. 105 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 4: If I hear it, I remember it. So my recall 106 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 4: is quite strong. I remember stuff, and it didn't infect 107 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 4: friends of mine from Brooklyn and. 108 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 5: Say, hey, man, how do you remember that stuff? I 109 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 5: don't know. Just you know. 110 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 4: We were on thirty ninth Street, we were in a 111 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:11,159 Speaker 4: bowling alley, we played, we did our gigs. I remember 112 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 4: what guys wore the times, how they affected us. 113 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:19,239 Speaker 5: It's funny you asked that, Buzz. 114 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 4: No one has ever asked me that, and I really 115 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 4: don't obviously don't have a real good answer, except that 116 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:27,039 Speaker 4: I seem to have pretty good recall and that makes 117 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 4: me and for that matter, well, let the truth get 118 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:35,919 Speaker 4: in the away of a great story, right, So. 119 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 3: We'll go back to that moment in the bowling alley. Okay, 120 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 3: I'm sure you could remember as if it was yesterday. Yes, 121 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 3: did you have tremendous butterflies at that moment? And do 122 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 3: you still to this day have butterflies when you perform? 123 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 4: At the time, I was excuse we were thirteen of 124 00:06:54,320 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 4: nineteen sixty six, No, yeah, nineteen six the Beatles A 125 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 4: Run sixty four. 126 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 5: I was thirteen, and. 127 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 4: We were getting you know, the drummer Daryl and his 128 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 4: brother Joel, and my cousin Vinny, who was like, you know, 129 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 4: unfortunately Vinni's passed away. But we would practice and practice 130 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 4: and we get to the gig and it was just 131 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 4: a bunch of a bunch of knuckleeas for four teenage 132 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 4: boys wanting to play and it was just a bless 133 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 4: And was I nervous? Heck, yeah, mildly terrified at the 134 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 4: time because the first time we played it for you know, 135 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 4: up until that point, what we're doing playing, Ah, I'm 136 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 4: not to step in stille like you know, like a 137 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 4: thousand times just for the four of us. Finally there's like, 138 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 4: maybe it might have been a dozen people, but it 139 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 4: might as well have been Shay Stadium for all I knew. 140 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 4: And so that was that was unnerving. But to this 141 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 4: day people ask two questions, said, do you get nervous 142 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:55,680 Speaker 4: before you go on? So I don't think it's nerves 143 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 4: as much as it's excitement. It's it's adrenaline. And then 144 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 4: other people ask the other question, does it ever get 145 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 4: to be like a matter of fact, on the side 146 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 4: of the stage. 147 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 5: Of Madison Square Garden. 148 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,280 Speaker 4: I say, dude, if you're on the side of Madison 149 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 4: Square Garden and you look around at twenty thousand people 150 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 4: and the buzz that's going on, if you don't get, if. 151 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 5: Your heart doesn't get pumped up, check it. 152 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 4: Because you're not a white you're not conscious. It's true 153 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 4: that the adrenaline, the high of performing is tremendous, but 154 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 4: I don't call it nerves anymore because we don't even 155 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 4: rehearse with Billy at this point. In fact, I do 156 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 4: a bunch of corporate dates and a bunch of gigs 157 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 4: that just did something for Breakfast with the Beatles yesterday. 158 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:38,839 Speaker 4: We got maybe twenty minutes to rehearse barely, and it's 159 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 4: five guys, but it's five guys who come in prepared, 160 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 4: and it's like anything again, any great organization is run 161 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,840 Speaker 4: by somebody who knows to delegate to great people. 162 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 5: Otherwise you're going to find the weakest link in that 163 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 5: chain of break. So it's pretty interesting how how you go. 164 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 4: I just think it's a matter of how much I 165 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 4: love what I do and I'm gonna make it the 166 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 4: best it could possibly be. And you never take it 167 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 4: for granted. Oh no, no, well that's again you cannot 168 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,080 Speaker 4: do anything. I always say I have never phoned in 169 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 4: a gig. In fact, there was a club called Tracks 170 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 4: in the city and it was a great rhythm section. 171 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,599 Speaker 4: A dear friend who passed away, Yogi Horton, was the 172 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 4: drummer Bet Sussman, tremendous talent, Whitney Houston, and she was 173 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 4: Whitney's musical director, tremendous talent. Jimmy RiPP who's Mick jaggers End. 174 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 4: We had this band and we back up all these 175 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 4: different performers, and as it turns out, one night this 176 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 4: guy comes up to me and says, hey, I want 177 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 4: to take your numbers. 178 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 5: Someday I'll be doing something. I say short, didn't think 179 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 5: about it. 180 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:55,719 Speaker 4: Four or five years later, I get a call from 181 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 4: this guy, Jimmy Falen, and he says, I want you 182 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,160 Speaker 4: to come to a recording session. I'm thinking and I 183 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 4: hope it's not your wife because she was not that good. 184 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 4: And it turns out because of that gig at tracks 185 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 4: and the guy hearing that. You know again, it was 186 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 4: a small club and it was his wife or girlfriend 187 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,080 Speaker 4: at the time wasn't great. But we played really well 188 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 4: because that's how that's how you do it. You don't 189 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 4: phone it in. And because of that tenacity or because 190 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 4: of the pride they taken my playing, the guy called 191 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 4: me up and that's how I got Peter Gabriel Sledgehammer. 192 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 4: I got to play on Sledgehammer because of a gig 193 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,640 Speaker 4: that I did. And this I won't call it a 194 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 4: dive bar, but it was it sure Zach wasn't the 195 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 4: Madison Square Gardens. But that's again the approach. It has 196 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 4: to mean something. If it doesn't mean something to you, Geez, 197 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 4: do something else. 198 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 3: You've talked about your formative years that really influenced you 199 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:57,319 Speaker 3: musically as being that year nineteen sixty seven in. 200 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,439 Speaker 1: Articular, right, tell me about. 201 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 3: You know, the vibe and the music that was bouncing 202 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 3: around on your head. 203 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 4: In sixty seven, she's I'll give you a couple of examples, 204 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 4: and I think you'll understand. In nineteen sixty seven, the 205 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,559 Speaker 4: Beatles put out Sergeant Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour. Jimmy 206 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 4: Hendricks put out Are You Experienced? And Axes Polder's Love 207 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 4: Cream put out Fresh Cream and Israeli Gear. The Rascals 208 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 4: put out the collections album The Doors Janis Joplin. It 209 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 4: was all coming in and it was at the time 210 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 4: when DJ's were allowed to play whatever they thought was 211 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 4: cool because a DJ they were getting records all the 212 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 4: time and they play what they liked. It wasn't like 213 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 4: it wasn't the and not to knock programming now, but geez, 214 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 4: they it's kind of like, well, this is what you're 215 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:53,199 Speaker 4: going to play today. 216 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,959 Speaker 5: You have a list of songs and stick. 217 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 4: To the program, which is all well and good for 218 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 4: the monetary side of it, but as far as getting 219 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 4: people to experience music, it doesn't happen. And in nineteen 220 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 4: sixty seven, look, there were so many things going on. 221 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 5: I'll go back a few years before that. 222 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 4: In nineteen sixty four, when the Beatles came out to 223 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 4: the States in February, the preceding November, we lost Robert 224 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 4: John F. 225 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 5: Kennedy. 226 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 4: It was such a tomorrow. There was all this turmoil, 227 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 4: and it was so much hate, and there was so 228 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:34,480 Speaker 4: much young people were really disheartened. I mean I remember 229 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,439 Speaker 4: my father practically in tears because of that. And then 230 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 4: soon in sixty seven we lost Robert Kennedy, we lost 231 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 4: Martin Luther King. 232 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 5: So the music was a way that healed us. 233 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 4: I was in sixty seven, I was fourteen years old, 234 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 4: if I may say, so, we're getting smoke of them, 235 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:55,679 Speaker 4: bit the pot we were finding, engaging in sex and 236 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 4: having all these things. It was a great time, and 237 00:12:58,679 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 4: the music reflected that. A band called the Mobi Grape 238 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 4: unfortunately put their record out the same day that Sogian 239 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 4: Pepper came out, and they had no chance, but they 240 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 4: were still one of my favorite bands. I went to 241 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 4: see the movie Grape, but the guy skips fence had 242 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 4: a bad experience with some drugs, so he had to cancel. 243 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,320 Speaker 4: And I got to see Cream their first show at 244 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 4: the Fillmore East. I got and you saw you saw 245 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 4: the picture of the Jimmy Hendricks ticket. That's for real. 246 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 4: I still have the ticket in my in my uh, 247 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 4: in my wallet. That's uh. There was so much going 248 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 4: on because that I was able to take a train 249 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 4: from Manhattan. From Brooklyn, mother into Manhattan, it might as 250 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:42,679 Speaker 4: well have been going like to Oz because kidding Brooklyn. 251 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 4: You know, you have your friends, you have you you know, 252 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 4: you play your games, You're playing stickball. 253 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:47,839 Speaker 5: All of a sudden you get on the f train. 254 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 5: You end up in Second Avenue in. 255 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 4: The East Village's like wow, It's like it's like remember 256 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 4: uh when when in that part and the Wizard of 257 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 4: Oz when they all of a sudden she went except 258 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,839 Speaker 4: and it's in Technicolor's It. 259 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 5: Was a whole different world. Sixty seven. 260 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 4: I will say to this day it was the most 261 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:10,839 Speaker 4: fertile time in rock and roll music. I think it 262 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:16,079 Speaker 4: popped music in general. And we had just tremendous influences. 263 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 4: Had you had Richie Havens singing protest songs, you had 264 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 4: folk songs, you had Joe Baiez. He had Bob Dylan 265 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 4: sixty three sixty four, whom my mom turned me on too. 266 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 4: At the same time, you had the other spectrum. At 267 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 4: the other end of the spectrum, you had psychedelia. 268 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: You had. 269 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 4: Santana, you had all these great rhythm and blues and 270 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 4: sly the family Stone, of course, was one of my favorite. 271 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 4: And you had and I'm not even talking about all 272 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 4: the great R and B the black sounds out of 273 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 4: Detroit and out of Memphis, out of muscle shows and 274 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 4: again muscle shows. 275 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 5: I shouldn't say that because it wasn't the black. They 276 00:14:55,040 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 5: were all white. 277 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 4: But they played like in that swamp. I think you're 278 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 4: familiar with that, right, So I could go on forever. 279 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 4: But the short answer is it was an unbelievable time. 280 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,239 Speaker 4: All you have to do is get a list of 281 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 4: the Billboard Top one hundred of nineteen sixty seven and 282 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 4: you say, wow, it was like a single week in 283 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 4: nineteen sixty seven. It clips what went on what would 284 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 4: go on in a year at this point. In my opinion, again, 285 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 4: this great songwriter still, but there's not the performers I 286 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 4: don't think that we had then. 287 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 5: You had to be able. Some of these recordings were 288 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 5: recorded with one microphone in a room, capturing eight ten musicians, 289 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 5: and if the trouble was allowed to say what do 290 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 5: you get to measure sixty three tourney? 291 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 4: Trump had face away from I'm sorry, face away from 292 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 4: the microphone. You had to play with dynamics. You had 293 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 4: to be able to have this cohesive group, and unfortunately, 294 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 4: that's what I missed most of um. I was playing 295 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 4: with a group of four or five guys in a 296 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:00,040 Speaker 4: room and just you know, getting into it. 297 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 5: So I'm sorry that took a long time to explain, but. 298 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: It was an amazing time for sure. 299 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 3: I grew up in Stanford, Connecticut, so I would take 300 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 3: the train as well and head to the village. And 301 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 3: I was influenced greatly by the radio. That's why I 302 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 3: got into radio listening to WNWFM. I was fortunate to 303 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 3: get to work there at a point in my career 304 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:38,160 Speaker 3: as well. And you're right, it had tremendous influence on 305 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 3: how it curated for fans in a much different way. 306 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 4: Absolutely. In fact, he's mentioned WNW. I just I'm good 307 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 4: friends with Dennis Elza still and Ken Dashau. I mean, 308 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 4: I'll tell you we named dog Roscoe because I remember 309 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 4: Roscoe's tag, remember I do love you so And he 310 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 4: was a cool DJ. Had my headphones and radio radio 311 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:10,639 Speaker 4: just transported me. It was so tremendous to have. It 312 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:14,400 Speaker 4: was such a vital part of my life. I mean, 313 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 4: and FM was happening. You know, you were getting album cuts. 314 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,479 Speaker 4: You weren't just getting like you are, just getting the 315 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 4: top forty singles. 316 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 5: It was exploding. It was very sous, you know. 317 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 3: You know, I have a listener who of the podcast 318 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 3: who wanted to ask a question, a gentleman by the 319 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 3: name of Tom, who lives in the Philadelphia area, and 320 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 3: he wanted me to ask you, what do you think 321 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 3: was the early fascination that the Philadelphia market had before 322 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 3: really many other places had it with the song Captain. 323 00:17:54,760 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 5: Jack that I'd be at shocky Do you remember ed? 324 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 1: Yes, I do so. 325 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 5: I mean, you. 326 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:08,440 Speaker 4: Can't you can't even imagine how much of an how 327 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 4: much of an impact one person could have. Here we 328 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 4: are again, we're talking about what a DJ is allowed 329 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,160 Speaker 4: to do. Try to get somebody to play Captain Jack 330 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 4: twelve times in a row, and if he didn't get fired, 331 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 4: I don't know what the heck was going on at 332 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 4: Shockey took it took Billy on his shoulders. You know 333 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 4: the thing about Philadelphia because people ask me, like you know, 334 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 4: other than you know, Madison Square Garden, all these exotic places. 335 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:33,120 Speaker 5: Where's your favorite city to play? 336 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 4: See Philadelphia, they say, why Philly and Philly got sold. 337 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:43,400 Speaker 4: Philly's always had soul. Philadelphia to me, two things, they 338 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:45,199 Speaker 4: love you, they love you, but if they don't love you, 339 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 4: they hate you. And it's like sports like the Rangers 340 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:52,879 Speaker 4: and the Flyers or the or any any rivalry with Philadelphia. 341 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 4: You had this insane sense. But Captain Jack almost couldn't 342 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:03,120 Speaker 4: fail because that shocky You remember Ed? Of course, right, 343 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 4: I do? 344 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:09,439 Speaker 3: Yes, I know Ed was an amazing trail blazer. And 345 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 3: also one thing I always loved about Ed was Ed 346 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:19,920 Speaker 3: never saw a free hospitality platter backstage that he could 347 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 3: never have. 348 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 1: His way with. 349 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:28,400 Speaker 4: I did see. You're absolutely right. Ed enjoyed the backstage, 350 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 4: the fair, old backstage fair. I'm also do you remember 351 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 4: Mark Goodman? Yes, Okay, Mark and I have very good friends. 352 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 4: In fact, I just did a Q and A that 353 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 4: Mark hosted because Mark's out of Philly, right or just 354 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 4: outside of Philadelphia. Yeah, I'm telling you there's so much 355 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 4: connection to this. I call it the Asella line from Boston. 356 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:53,680 Speaker 4: I mean, I'll go up as high as Maine because 357 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 4: I love Maine, but from Boston through Connecticut, through New 358 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 4: York to New Jersey, Philadelphia and Washington, that whole carrador 359 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 4: right there, it's uh, it's something might it must be 360 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 4: something in the water because it's how it's how we 361 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 4: connect to things. 362 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,360 Speaker 5: But yeah, I remember when Ed used to come backstage, 363 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 5: you'd always have you know, there'd be some mayonaises. Oh no, 364 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:17,919 Speaker 5: we all go, you know, got to get this. 365 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:21,360 Speaker 4: But he was such a sweet, sweet man and he 366 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:27,119 Speaker 4: gave his passion was boundless. He just he exuded like 367 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,919 Speaker 4: the enthusiasm and and he'd be talked yeah yeah, and 368 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 4: he said, well you make your point that, but but 369 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:34,919 Speaker 4: he was so into it. I can't remember his wife's 370 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 4: name there, but she was always there with him always, 371 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 4: And uh that's the reason, Captain Jack. I think that's 372 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 4: the reason that Billy sustained because they were ready to 373 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,880 Speaker 4: I think they're ready to pass. I think Columbia or CBS, 374 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 4: whatever they were, they were close to like, hey we 375 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 4: got nothing. And at Shockey's I believe uh pretty much 376 00:20:56,840 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 4: single handedly turned Billy's career around. 377 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 1: Well yeah, Judy, shocky, that's right? 378 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 5: Was it Judy right? 379 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: And I think if I'm not mistaken too. 380 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 3: There was also a pivotal moment with a Sigma Sound 381 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 3: session live session that w MMR would would play. 382 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,680 Speaker 5: MMR right right right, yeah. Yeah. Again, I wasn't in 383 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:20,120 Speaker 5: that band. 384 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 4: I wasn't in the band at the time, but I 385 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:23,639 Speaker 4: know that I know what you're talking about, and it 386 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 4: was that that time, because I think that was like 387 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 4: seventy eight. 388 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 5: Maybe some are there about is that is that close 389 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 5: to right? That'sry the band? Yeah, yeah. The main thing 390 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 5: is it's when you believe in something. 391 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:40,920 Speaker 4: And you you when you hear something and it connects 392 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 4: with you. 393 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:43,880 Speaker 5: It's this innate thing. 394 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 4: It's visceral because it's like I always say about people say, 395 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 4: what is it about the sacophone? 396 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 5: I said, it's like it's the closest thing to a 397 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 5: human voice because it's in you. 398 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 4: And when a song comes into your your your psyche, 399 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 4: into your being. People talking about like being Billy Joel 400 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,480 Speaker 4: fans and Billy Joel's song is a three minute snapshot 401 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 4: of my life. 402 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 5: Well, I go back a lot further than that. 403 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 4: I go to Beatles songs, beat Beatle lyric I remember, look, 404 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 4: I want to hold your hand. 405 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 5: The first you won't be long. 406 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:15,040 Speaker 4: Yeah. The first time I heard it won't be Long, 407 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:18,119 Speaker 4: I freaked out. My Aunt Dires brought me the record. 408 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 4: It was just like it was a game changer and 409 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:24,000 Speaker 4: I could hear some Beatle lyric. I remember being on 410 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:26,679 Speaker 4: the train on the bus ride with my friend John Grado. 411 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 4: We cut out of school and I had my father's 412 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:34,360 Speaker 4: Toshiba transistor radio with the one earbuddon listening in. 413 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 5: And we can work it out came on. I'm like, 414 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 5: this is great. 415 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 4: First of all, the song was tremendous because you had 416 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 4: the perfect balance of Paul's optimism. Try to see it 417 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 4: my way, we can work it out. Life is very sure. 418 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 4: There's no type of fuss, and that's John John said, 419 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,919 Speaker 4: this is not what is Stop puts it around and 420 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 4: get hit to it. 421 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 5: But Paul, their balance of the lyric was tremendous. 422 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 4: So once something comes into you it makes that kind 423 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 4: of or has that kind of effect, it's tremendous. It's 424 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:07,199 Speaker 4: just tremendous because I mean, there are moments in my 425 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 4: life that I'll never forget the first time in my 426 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 4: well my grandmother's living room, listening to Meet the Beatles, 427 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 4: and then watching the Ed Sullivan show. That is a pivotal, 428 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:26,439 Speaker 4: pivotal moment in my life, not unlike when I was 429 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 4: accepted at the high school performing Arts. 430 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 5: These are things that you know, changed my life. 431 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 4: I was fourteen or yeah, fourteen, I was going to 432 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:37,920 Speaker 4: high school to and there was music, dancing, drama. There 433 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 4: wasn't even a gymnasium in the school. It was that 434 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 4: you went there to hone your craft. And those things 435 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:50,680 Speaker 4: were just just tremendous, just tremendous to have that opportunity. 436 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 1: Tell me how you got connected with John Lennon. 437 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 4: I was in a band called Bump it was it 438 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 4: was actually called Community Apple No no, I'm sorry. Before 439 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 4: it was called Dog Soldier after a John Lennon lyric. 440 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 4: My dear friend John Colbert was in a band it 441 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,400 Speaker 4: Keeps Cycling back and back and back. I met John Colbert, 442 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 4: the keyboard player. We did a jam session in Brooklyn, 443 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 4: a bunch of friends, but my cousin Vinny, which is 444 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:28,120 Speaker 4: how the book starts. My dear cousin Viny drove up 445 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 4: to the Catskills and I had already been you know, 446 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 4: I was with Sam and Dave and I thought I 447 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 4: made it, and. 448 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 5: Then I found and I was with the clips. 449 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 4: We were with this band that, and I thought I 450 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 4: was a rock star because we were managed by Blood, 451 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 4: Sweat and Tears, his manager, and then that went the crap. 452 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 4: So finally I'm playing in his Latin band. Playing bass 453 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,439 Speaker 4: in a Latin band. No place you want to be, 454 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 4: especially after you thought you would be a rock star. 455 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 4: And we go upstate and I'm playing boom boom, bored 456 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,919 Speaker 4: to tears, freaking out, said this this is what my 457 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:06,239 Speaker 4: life has become. And I had a saxophone and I 458 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 4: got to sit in with this little combo. And the 459 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:12,160 Speaker 4: night before I met this trumpet player, Bob living Goood 460 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 4: also may he rest in pieces so many say that's 461 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:18,479 Speaker 4: too often, and he heard me play and he was 462 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:21,119 Speaker 4: impressed with my sound, so he said, you got to 463 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 4: come down to the record plant. I'm in a ten 464 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,479 Speaker 4: piece band, and I think you would dig it. So 465 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 4: I'm like, yeah, okay. I didn't think much of it, 466 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 4: but I got to play a little bit, so it 467 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,919 Speaker 4: took me out of the doldrums of them. So I 468 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 4: finally got that. Fast forward maybe a half a year, 469 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,640 Speaker 4: Bob living Good calls my cousin Vinnie, says, hey, tell 470 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 4: Mark if he wants to come up to the record play. 471 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 4: I'm like, yeah, cool. So we go there and it 472 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 4: was a tremendous band, ten piece band. Vinnie Appissy carminn 473 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:49,880 Speaker 4: Apissi's brother played drums. 474 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 5: It was just a powerhouse. 475 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 4: Four horns, two trumpets, trombone, and the saxophone. And it 476 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,439 Speaker 4: turns out there we're going to replace the saxophone player. 477 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 4: And the only one who had hurt me to that 478 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:05,359 Speaker 4: point was Bob Livingood, the trumpet player, and of course 479 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 4: John Colbert. So I get in the band. Time goes on, 480 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 4: and little by little I knew John Lennon was recording 481 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:18,399 Speaker 4: in the studio because the guys in the band had 482 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:21,439 Speaker 4: already doesn't handclaps, I think on walls and bridges. And 483 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:26,920 Speaker 4: my friend Jimmy Ivan from Interscope Records and a couple 484 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 4: of other small endeavors in his life. 485 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:31,119 Speaker 5: He and I grew up in rival bands. 486 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 4: So he said one day he and Roy Sicala, who 487 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,359 Speaker 4: were the owners of the Record Plan, said come inside. 488 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,360 Speaker 4: Ou't do something. And I was literally cleaning the garbage. 489 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 4: I was living at the Record Plan, and they invited 490 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:47,160 Speaker 4: me in, little by little, by little, and finally John 491 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 4: was about to do this tribute to Sir Lou Gray 492 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 4: and the band backed him. 493 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:52,919 Speaker 5: We did a couple of tracks. 494 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 4: Most of it was lift sync, but but we did 495 00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 4: get to play a couple of things with them, but 496 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 4: it was just again, it was another one of those 497 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:05,440 Speaker 4: OZ moments. I think I said in the book something 498 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:06,919 Speaker 4: to be afficed. If I told you, when you go 499 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 4: through those doors you're going to meet John Lennon first three, 500 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 4: you say, yeah, sure, sure, But once you do, there's 501 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 4: no turning back. And what would you say, how would 502 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 4: you act? It's like one of those Haminahamanahameda moments that 503 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 4: you just don't know. He's trying not to step on 504 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 4: your tongue and he tried to be cool, which is 505 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 4: again part of longevity. 506 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 5: Just be cool. 507 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 4: That's I don't I don't know what else to say, 508 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:32,720 Speaker 4: but that's how we got to work with John. 509 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:39,359 Speaker 3: So tell me some horn players that really influenced you 510 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 3: from the past, and any horn players of the present 511 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:44,240 Speaker 3: that influence you. 512 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 4: The horned players in the past would have to be 513 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 4: Junior Walker, King Curtis. You know, I'm not a real 514 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 4: jazz guy. I mean I listened to my dad took 515 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 4: me to see Sonny Ronalds. When I was like seven 516 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:01,240 Speaker 4: or eight or maybe maybe I'm sorry, I was about ten. 517 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 4: He took me to see Coleman Hawkins last performance. So 518 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,439 Speaker 4: those are tremendous sax players. And he'd have, you know, 519 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 4: just jazz with that beach. There was a radio station 520 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 4: he used to listen to wrv R Riverside Radio. Okay, 521 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 4: there you go, so and so my father used to 522 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 4: take this stuff really slowly and it would last like 523 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 4: the full full hour on each side of the tape. 524 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:26,360 Speaker 5: So those are the guys. I would have to say, 525 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 5: Bobby Keys. 526 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 4: Bobby Keys was a big influence because he was a 527 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 4: soulful rock sax player. 528 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 5: I'm not like a real chops guy. I'm not like him. 529 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 4: But the guys who really impressed me with techniques, of course, 530 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 4: Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, Ronnie Cooper, Barry Sacks player. But 531 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 4: there's a gentleman who's playing now with Dave Matthews, Jeff 532 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:53,920 Speaker 4: Coffin who used to play with Bella Fleck and the 533 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 4: Fleck Tones. 534 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 5: I don't know if you hit that, but he's just 535 00:28:57,560 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 5: a tremendous player. 536 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 4: And there are young players they get I just sat in, 537 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 4: I just did a gig over the last weekend and 538 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 4: this young kid, it's like thirty five half my age, 539 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 4: which is crazy with a tremendous tone and the great attitude. 540 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 4: Kid Steven South say though, just a wonderful young play 541 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 4: vibrant and I'd hear him playing and I turned and 542 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 4: I said, that's great stuff, and he'd look over and 543 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:21,920 Speaker 4: goes just trying to be like you, Mark, I'm just 544 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 4: trying to be like and think, wow, what this this, 545 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 4: this so this, this wheel keeps turning. 546 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 5: But those are those are the guys I'd have to say. 547 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 5: There'd be more R and B. 548 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 4: The guy I can't remember, the saxophone player who played 549 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 4: on the Pink Panther that sound on the Henry med CD. 550 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 4: In fact, the saxophone player I think got a piece 551 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 4: of a royalty they gave him on that, which is 552 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 4: tremendous to think about a guy who sound was so 553 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 4: so influential, so so much a part of the song. 554 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:49,960 Speaker 5: Mark. 555 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: I think of you. 556 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 3: Like an entrepreneur in how you sort of not only 557 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 3: have your Billy Joel, you know, gig that you're so 558 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:02,400 Speaker 3: grateful for, but you have the other work. 559 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 1: You know, with Ringo, you have the work you do 560 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: on the. 561 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 3: Corporate side, you know, to really sort of round out 562 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 3: your work. 563 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: Where did you get this entrepreneurial spirit. 564 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 5: In pursuit of the next gig? 565 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 4: I guess it's really it's funny because people say, now, 566 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 4: how could you possibly be in pursuit of the next gig? 567 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:26,640 Speaker 4: This has been going on for fifty years. From the 568 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 4: time I was thirteen. It was my first year, but 569 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 4: from the time I was like eighteen all the way through, 570 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 4: which is fifty two years, I've been gigging, and I've 571 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 4: been playing with different bands, and you go through different 572 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 4: cycles and you try not to just stay stagnant. Playing 573 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 4: with different people, to me is the greatest thing. It's 574 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 4: the greatest communication. It's entrepreneurially speak as that's a word. 575 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:56,959 Speaker 4: I was always trying to create a situation for myself. 576 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 4: I mean there was obviously times when there was no work. 577 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 4: Billy we take on for three years, and I had 578 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 4: a hustle. I had a hustle. I was selling life insurance, 579 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 4: I was cutting trees down and I did. 580 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 5: Look. 581 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:12,840 Speaker 4: I think the main thing is that I learned from 582 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 4: my father to never be above any situation. If your 583 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 4: family needs to be fed, if you have people that 584 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:21,120 Speaker 4: you have to take care of. 585 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:23,640 Speaker 5: Nothing should ever be below you. 586 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 4: You should be happy to have the opportunity to provide, 587 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 4: so that necessity being the mother of invention, you come 588 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,760 Speaker 4: out of that. I needed to do certain things and 589 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 4: I was not going to be let down. I was 590 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 4: not going to let them down. It's pretty much how 591 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:40,040 Speaker 4: it went, and to this day, I don't think about 592 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 4: it as an entrepreneur, but I guess, of course you're right, Buzz. 593 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 5: It's what I do. I go out in a hustle. 594 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 3: So let's play some word association or words association with 595 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 3: some Billy Joel songs, if it's okay with you, of course, 596 00:31:56,000 --> 00:31:59,280 Speaker 3: scenes from an Italian restaurant the word association. 597 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 4: There is a bunch of guys we used to play myself, 598 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 4: Liberty Russell and David Brown used to sit and back. Well. 599 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:10,520 Speaker 4: Billy would start the beginning a piano of Italian restaurant. 600 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 4: The scenes are like you know, it's it's it's like 601 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 4: a it's a it's a proper piece of music with 602 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 4: like a beginning, an intro, a release of prelude, and 603 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 4: then each one is a section. So these are different scenes. 604 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:27,360 Speaker 4: You could it's almost like you could be sitting in 605 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:31,120 Speaker 4: Brooklyn outside and you're looking around. You're sitting having a 606 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 4: bottle of wine or some positives and friends. 607 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 5: Oh that's going on. Oh think, goes Brendon Edti. 608 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 4: You know, twenty years later, these are the scenes that 609 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:42,160 Speaker 4: I think that Billy was evoking. At least that's what 610 00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 4: I get out of it. Summer Highland Falls, that's that's 611 00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 4: just him. He loves that area, holand Falls. It's just 612 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 4: he just Uh. The song itself is beautiful because it 613 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:57,320 Speaker 4: is about manic depressants. It's just it's just high as 614 00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:00,640 Speaker 4: a kite and lows, lows of the low'ss you could 615 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 4: think of. It's the and but most importantly is the 616 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:07,280 Speaker 4: ability to lift yourself out of those out of that depression. 617 00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 4: The Reasons covers this with aar and Sandy. Uh, it's 618 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 4: just he writes, he's such a word smith. It's just 619 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,640 Speaker 4: it's just his battle with it, probably his own. 620 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 3: Uh. 621 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:23,120 Speaker 4: I won't say it's just depression. But we're all manic. 622 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 4: We're all manic. We're all, hey, this is great. It's 623 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 4: great until it's not, and then this sucks. It sucks 624 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:35,200 Speaker 4: until it's not and it changes. So we constantly go 625 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:37,640 Speaker 4: through changes, and we evolve, and I think the. 626 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 5: Most important thing is how do you cope? How do 627 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 5: you get by day to day? What do you do? What? 628 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 5: What are you going to do? Now? How are you 629 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 5: going to? 630 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 4: Remember the great Mike Tyson line, everybody's got a plan 631 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 4: that they get punched. 632 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 5: In the face, you know, So we're all going to 633 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:56,239 Speaker 5: get punched in the face. So somehow. On FO one 634 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 5: of my favorite songs. 635 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:01,560 Speaker 4: One More here, Uh, this is the time, my favorite 636 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:06,440 Speaker 4: Billy Joelson, my singular favorite Billy Joel song, because it says, 637 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,759 Speaker 4: these are the times to hold on to. So many 638 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 4: people look back on that past or live for what 639 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:16,360 Speaker 4: might come in the future. This is the only time presence, 640 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 4: and your presence in the present moment is the most 641 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,319 Speaker 4: important thing. It might have been Michael J. Fox again 642 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:27,399 Speaker 4: that said this, you can change your future by your 643 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 4: perception of your past. In other words, your attitude at 644 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:35,799 Speaker 4: this present moment. Reflecting on the past and accepting that 645 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:40,399 Speaker 4: will change your attitude now, which says will change what 646 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:44,480 Speaker 4: you feel going forward. But this is the time holding 647 00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 4: you closes like holding the summer sun. It's like I 648 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 4: told I was, I guess DJ On serious radio, and 649 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,239 Speaker 4: I picked different songs and that was that was I said, 650 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 4: this is my favorite song, I said, And if I 651 00:34:57,280 --> 00:35:00,959 Speaker 4: wrote the line about this, the beach is so cold 652 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:03,440 Speaker 4: on winter afternoon, but holding you closes like holding the 653 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:06,440 Speaker 4: summer sun. I said, if I wrote that line, I 654 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:09,000 Speaker 4: would have been done as a songwriter. And that's just 655 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 4: one of the thousands of lines that Billy wrote. Uh, 656 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:18,760 Speaker 4: it just means so much, such a beautiful song. This 657 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 4: this is the time, not that in the past and 658 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:24,520 Speaker 4: that way you're thinking about going forward. This is the 659 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:28,960 Speaker 4: time to hold on to. It's the constant. He's always 660 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 4: doing that. He's got this amazing ability to really play 661 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:35,920 Speaker 4: with you with the words. But the song is beautiful, 662 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:37,960 Speaker 4: and David Brown played such a beautiful solo on that. 663 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:40,640 Speaker 4: It's like Hendricks. In fact, the end of it is 664 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,880 Speaker 4: like the end of Jimmy Hendrix song. He'll say it, 665 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:47,759 Speaker 4: you know that one. And easy Money, Easy Money is 666 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:49,320 Speaker 4: the end of Axes, bold as Love. 667 00:35:52,520 --> 00:36:01,759 Speaker 5: Easy bo Billy steals from the best. They'll tell you. 668 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:06,880 Speaker 3: So, allow me to play word association right now, and 669 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:10,560 Speaker 3: I'm going to say Mark Rivera and my word would 670 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 3: be amazing. 671 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 5: Well, you're so very kind Buzz that's incredibly kind of you. 672 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,920 Speaker 3: Thank you for being on my podcast, and thank you 673 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:25,320 Speaker 3: for all the joy you continue to give me and others. 674 00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:27,359 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. 675 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:31,560 Speaker 4: Buzz, thank you, Thank you for the opportunity, and God willing, 676 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:33,000 Speaker 4: we'll keep moving forward. 677 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:33,880 Speaker 5: That's what we can do. 678 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:40,920 Speaker 2: Taking a Walk with Buzznight is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 679 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:44,200 Speaker 2: or wherever you get your podcasts.