{"id":1492,"date":"2018-11-22T00:30:05","date_gmt":"2018-11-22T00:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/littlevillagefoundation.com\/?p=1492"},"modified":"2020-11-20T18:07:09","modified_gmt":"2020-11-20T18:07:09","slug":"grateful-for-the-people-ive-worked-with","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/littlevillagefoundation.com\/lv2021\/grateful-for-the-people-ive-worked-with\/","title":{"rendered":"GRATEFUL FOR THE PEOPLE I’VE WORKED WITH"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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I\u2019d been at Kenney\u2019s house the day before.\u00a0 Back then we had lived near each other out in The Richmond. He knew a secretary at Warner\u2019s that would send him new releases every month. Like clock work. Kinda pissed me off but we would sit and listen to some stuff while we talked and drank coffee. I tried to smile and appreciate his good fortune. He\u2019s a lucky guy.<\/p>\n

There was a new Rodney Crowell recording that piqued my curiosity. A piano solo I assumed was Glenn D Hardin but mildly surprised to read that it was Barry Beckett. It was really good but I didn\u2019t think too much about it.<\/p>\n

The next day I flew to Detroit to do a gig with Etta James. Playing with her was always an adventure and at the same time nostalgic in it\u2019s way. It was that old time thing where she didn\u2019t tell anybody anything more than what you needed to know.<\/p>\n

There was one week where I played with Etta at The Stud on Folsom Street in San Francisco- truly an icon of the slap and tickle South of Market scene- then flew to Nashville and played at a country showcase club, then rode the tour bus to St Louis and played The Coliseum, even back then it was an amazing chitlin circuit return to 1965, back again on the bus to Minneapolis to play for the swells at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

Diversity?<\/p>\n

She was the embodiment of diversity. Everybody loved her.<\/p>\n

Etta had been trying to get the record company to let me record with her. Typically producers use their own people. I get that but she was insistent. Her first record in years, \u201cher comeback\u201d record was Seven Year Itch for Island Records. I was shocked one day to open the mail and find an itinerary and a round trip ticket to Compass Point. A phone call to her manager, Lupe DeLeon, what the hell Lupe? Sure enough she\u2019d convinced the powers that be for me to fly with her to the Bahamas and record with a band comprised of Keith Richards, Art\u00a0Neville and Roger Hawkins. \u201cJust be ready Jim\u201d.<\/p>\n

Got it.<\/p>\n

Day before I was to leave it all came unraveled and they ended up doing it Nashville with a whole different bunch of folks. A year or so later it\u2019s time for her to make another record for Island. I wasn\u2019t pushing her to do it but she insisted again. This time their response was a solid \u201cNo\u201d.<\/p>\n

So here we are in Detroit and we get to the sound check at the Silver Dome.\u00a0 There\u2019s Etta\u2019s producer- Barry Beckett- sitting on stage, seated at the organ. \u201cWould you mind if I played organ with you guys?\u201d He asked me. Sure! We sat together, he at the organ and me at the piano sharing a bench. I was a little nervous because he was one of my idols. Nice guy but kinda gruff or so I thought.<\/p>\n

After a while I said, \u201cI really like your solo on that new Rodney Crowell record.\u201d He looked surprised, \u201cThanks man that\u2019s the first piano solo I\u2019ve ever done on a record.\u201d Right then Etta walks by and says, \u201cHey Barry would you mind if Jimmy came to Nashville on Monday and recorded with us?\u201d. \u201cWell no I don\u2019t\u2026.\u201d Looking at me now considering things, \u201cJim I play all the keyboards on records I produce but\u2026.\u201d He paused considering things,\u00a0 \u201cwhat the hell, Ok\u201d.<\/p>\n

I had been to Kenney\u2019s house and heard his solo on that Rodney Crowell record, flown to Detroit and shared an organ bench with him, mentioned in passing his solo right before Etta passed by and asked him to let me record with her. I\u2019m not saying that my compliment influenced his decision but it didn\u2019t hurt. More than anything it was serendipitous. Most serendipitous.<\/p>\n

Monday morning, \u201cOh that\u2019s right. Look you can play piano but if you make a mistake raise your hand, I ain\u2019t got time to check it. If I find any mistakes I\u2019ll redo the whole damn thing myself\u201d.<\/p>\n

Yikes.<\/p>\n

The band:<\/p>\n

Roger Hawkins\u00a0 – Drums<\/p>\n

Barry Beckett – Hammond B3<\/p>\n

Reggie Young- Guitar<\/p>\n

Mabon \u201cTeenie\u201d Hodges – Guitar<\/p>\n

Michael Rhodes – Bass<\/p>\n

Me- Piano<\/p>\n

Etta James- Vocals<\/p>\n

Yikes again.<\/p>\n

10:00 am to 1:00 pm, then 2:00pm to 5:00 pm we recorded for three days at Digital Studio on Music Row in Nashville.<\/p>\n

The first song was a classic Memphis way behind the beat, butt drag, Otis like ballad that in places required that I play eighth note chords right along with Roger Hawkins. After the first take Barry frowned and looked up at me, \u201cTry to be musical son.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he was right and so I did the age old \u201cThink about all the things you want to play and then forget about it and just play\u201d trick with varying degrees of success but slowly I was able to be musical in a situation that was frankly really stressful for me. Stress and playing behind the beat with Roger Hawkins don\u2019t go together too well but it got better as we went along. Not great but better. I really tried to take in as much as I could. It was a defining learning moment in my career.<\/p>\n

Barry was a tremendous musician in that he played simple yet unique parts with so much clarity and soul that I think it revised everything in my approach to not just studio keyboard playing but in all aspects of my playing.<\/p>\n

We ate lunch a couple times and talked a little but not much. Just sat and ate.\u00a0After those three days I never saw Barry Beckett again and few years later I had heard that he passed.<\/p>\n

When it comes to in the pocket, simple yet interesting piano and organ playing I\u2019ve never heard anybody better.<\/p>\n

He was the best.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Happy Thanksgiving!<\/h1>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019d been at Kenney\u2019s house the day before.\u00a0 Back then we had lived near each other out in The Richmond. He knew a secretary at Warner\u2019s that would send him new releases every month. Like clock work. 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