Tim Price guest @Mann w/RATDOG; 8/30

[Tim Price]

As per the invitation of my bro' Kenny Brooks sax artist per'badnuss plus'
(and of course Bob Weir :) )
I'll be Guesting on Tuesday August 30th at the MANN in Philly
with Bob Weir & RATDOG.

Bruce Hornsby is on first...then... RATDOG.

Then Kenny & I will be blowin' our brains out!! Kennys words :D

SO,,If your around hit the gig and listen. IT WILL BE A TRIP!!! :hippy2:

[jazzbluescat]

Like, cool, Man.

Don't hurt nobody. ;)

[Tim Price]

Like, cool, Man.
Don't hurt nobody. ;)

Right on JazzBlues- Everyone had a ball- we got into a two tenor thing on " eyes of the world" that took the sax into " Deadsville" big time. Very enjoyable and a ball.
I was in heaven playing alongside of my bro' Kenny Brooks ( sax) and Bob Weir and the other RATDOG musicians.
Weir actually gave me & Kenny the stage 3/4 thru and we went crazy playing some free space rock. ;)
What a beautiful human being Bob Weir is.I really dug his vibe musically and the energy he performs with.After the gig I informed him that Charles Lloyd sent his reguards, and Bob started talking about " the day" in SanFran when " The Dead" was on the same bill with Charles Lloyd at places like the Rock Garden, UC Berkeley, Greek theater, fillmore, the Avalon their own ballroom. weir spoke of Charles Lloyd as a leader in the forward thinking movement. Very cool rap we had 8-)

I also found out the RATDOG bassist Robin Sylvester, an English bassist who I really loved playing with, had produced THE TRIO with my fav Bari player John Surman back in the 60s. THE TRIO was like a early day free trio that later Charlie Mariano joined when Surman split.

Keeny Brooks is expanding the SAX language by doing these DEAD things and _adding_a sax voice to this libary of music in rock. VERY COOL.

BTW- Bruce Hornsby opened for us- and Bobby Reed, played saxes and wind synth. COOL- player and ya gotta hear how he used the wind synth in Bruces context. VERY HIP. A very unsung killin player Bobby Reed is.

ALL IN ALL...a groove. Big fun. 8-)

[jazzbluescat]

Cool. Lloyd was a crossover jazzer and quite popular with the hip hippies. I remember him playing at the Fillmore, SF, back in the psychedelic days...seems Jarrett was doing piano at the time. Wanna kick myself in the butt for not going to hear him, and the Dead for that matter, because I had met Jarrett in Boston. I was out of music, and most everything else ;) in the latter 60s.
Thats great you're jamming with the 'jam-band' rockers; maybe you can lead them and some of their posse :D to the dark side.
BTW, I did get to see Janis Joplin back then.

[Tim Price]

Cool. Lloyd was a crossover jazzer and quite popular with the hip hippies. I remember him playing at the Fillmore, SF, back in the psychedelic days...seems Jarrett was doing piano at the time. Wanna kick myself in the butt for not going to hear him, and the Dead for that matter, because I had met Jarrett in Boston. I was out of music, and most everything else ;) in the latter 60s.
Thats great you're jamming with the 'jam-band' rockers; maybe you can lead them and some of their posse :D to the dark side.
BTW, I did get to see Janis Joplin back then.

COOL JAZZBLUES :)

That era was great. Charles was like a mentor to the rock people.
Even Bob Weir said Tuesday nite how MUCH he learned from Charles and Charles insights into life/music.
Lloyd was a real forward thinker- and the Dead knew it and they were diggin his message.As a person Charles has helped me a lot. As a player-his influence and blues playing opened doors in my mind and ears for years.

The dark side? lol :shock: Trust me I'm doing a lot of stuff within
the JAM band stuff. Lastyear I used Stanton Moore on a Trane tribute in N.O w/me and Tony Dagradi. Stanton plays w/Galactic.
Skerik is a very good friend & bro' w/me. Jeff Coffin- wants to come up and do a concert with me, I just can't get the venue/funds to work within the promoters/bookers...as they are cheap and lack insight.Jeff & I could do damage. :shock:
Its all good/its ALL Music.
I'm trying. 8-)

[JL]

I kinda grew up in the Fillmore West and that's where I first heard some great jazz and blues players (Bill Graham gets a lot of credit bringing these guys in to where us kids could be exposed to the "real deal"). Here's a partial list of players I saw there in '69: Herbie Hancock (with Joe Henderson), Yusef Lateef, Albert King, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Mike Bloomfield, James Cotton, and the list goes on........Unfortunately I missed Charles Lloyd at the time. But this was what started me on the path, so to speak. I had just started on the sax, so was pretty responsive to the blues & jazz cats.

[Tim Price]

fwiw~There's a pic of me and Kenny here;
http://www.ratdog.org/photos/photo.php?directory=05-08-30b&photo=kenny1_8_30_05.jpg

The other cool thing is RATDOGS drummer Jay used to play with Primus.
Amazing guy and killin drumer.
http://www.ratdog.org/photos/photo.php?directory=05-08-30b&photo=jay2_8_30_05.jpg
Gotta do more with him.

[jac2384]

Playing with Bob Weir? That's amazing, the dead have been my favorite band since I was 10 and I would sell my sole to play with Bobby. Bruce Hornsby and His band are killer, I just picked up his album from last year with Clapton. That must have been one sweet gig.

[Tim Price]

Playing with Bob Weir? That's amazing, the dead have been my favorite band since I was 10 and I would sell my sole to play with Bobby. Bruce Hornsby and His band are killer, I just picked up his album from last year with Clapton. That must have been one sweet gig.


jac2384...thanks. Yes, I really respect and appreciate Bob Weir.I love his playing and the tunes he writes..plus..how he uses what is around him.
Bob Weir signifies. His human curiosity takes on significance, very inspiring. I've been signified by him. He is one unique human being. Like I said, I had a very heavy conversation with him about Charles Lloyds inspiration to the
" Dead " and all of the bands within that scene. Charles stature musically and personally was of paramount importance to many of the rock people. In talking to Charles about it, it sounds like one great era that is still growing within its members. Though Charles has said more often that " his song is a song of freedom and wonder " ...as well as " his music dances on many shores ". That's my inspiration in those words, ya know. To play the saxophone you can go anywhere with it musically. Having an open mind and ears is the ticket to some great travels with the horn.

Weir loves Charles Lloyd. I can see just by knowing Charles the impact he had on those guys.Charles is one fantastic hombre.
One of my fav Grateful Dead records is " Blues For Allah". To play rock out of the box like this is total freedom for a sax player. I used to jam along with tunes like " Franklins Tower" or " Slip Knot" to try to play something within the music. I've always liked " Dark Star " as a tune for bass clarinet too.Its so beautiful in the way you can personally shape the melody. Being a saxophone player is one thing, but being a musician is the ultimate adventure.

In closing I'll relay one other thing Charles has said to me that has really beeg inspiring.. he said " my dreams are still bigger than my memories. "
That is so cool considering, what he's accomplished in life. WAY COOL!!!
Anyhow, I appreciate your words. I need to go practice some bassoon stuff before it gets to late.
Be well. 8-)

[wersax]

"One of my fav Grateful Dead records is " Blues For Allah". To play rock out of the box like this is total freedom for a sax player. I used to jam along with tunes like " Franklins Tower" or " Slip Knot" to try to play something within the music. I've always liked " Dark Star " as a tune for bass clarinet too.Its so beautiful in the way you can personally shape the melody. Being a saxophone player is one thing, but being a musician is the ultimate adventure."
Yeah man!.......... 8-)

[geo@loyola.edu]

Don't mean to hijack Tim's thread (Hi, Tim!), but.... There's quite a story behind Bob's telecaster. See this site (http://dozin.com/bobs/tele.htm).

[Zoot Horn]

This was an amazing show, but it didn't start out amazing. Bruce Hornsby put everyone to sleep. But after the first Ratdog song and Bruce left the stage, it turned into a really good Ratdog show, with all new arrangements pretty much featuring Kenny doing some real fundamental stuff on baritone. 2/3s of the way through Tim came running out, kicking the energy level way up before anyone played anything. Then he and Kenny started two tenors on Eyes Of the World going into a great jam. There was the band, doing what they do, right up front. But then there was Tim, and he was right in your face, with an amazing sound that just energized the place. The crowd was electrified with something new and different and unexpected. If the Manne had a back wall, Tim would have blown it down! They like to have visitors play with them on Eyes, and most everyone remembers Branford Marsalis playing Eyes with them on Without a Net. But this was no Marsalis doodling on a soprano trying to sound like Jerry, this was more like Jr Walker crossed with a chainsaw. This was one of the 5 or 6 most memorable bits I have ever seen in my life -- and I've seen some stuff.

[wersax]

Don't mean to hijack Tim's thread (Hi, Tim!), but.... There's quite a story behind Bob's telecaster. See this site (http://dozin.com/bobs/tele.htm).
Great story!!!!!!

[Tim Price]

This was an amazing show, but it didn't start out amazing. Bruce Hornsby put everyone to sleep. But after the first Ratdog song and Bruce left the stage, it turned into a really good Ratdog show, with all new arrangements pretty much featuring Kenny doing some real fundamental stuff on baritone. 2/3s of the way through Tim came running out, kicking the energy level way up before anyone played anything. Then he and Kenny started two tenors on Eyes Of the World going into a great jam. There was the band, doing what they do, right up front. But then there was Tim, and he was right in your face, with an amazing sound that just energized the place. The crowd was electrified with something new and different and unexpected. If the Manne had a back wall, Tim would have blown it down! They like to have visitors play with them on Eyes, and most everyone remembers Branford Marsalis playing Eyes with them on Without a Net. But this was no Marsalis doodling on a soprano trying to sound like Jerry, this was more like Jr Walker crossed with a chainsaw. This was one of the 5 or 6 most memorable bits I have ever seen in my life -- and I've seen some stuff.


First off~ I really appreciate Zoot Horn relating his experiences at the concert. I really appreciate the kind words and the manner and seriousness in which they were said. Since I know you've been to many shows and concerts. Thank you.

Again, I am still struck by what a cool person Bob Weir is. Right after we played "Eyes"...he left me and Kenny alone in front of the band to blow our brains out. That was an easy 15-20 minutes of 2 saxophone interplay. And we did take advantage of the availability of such a great band behind us.

A word on something I've been feeling for years about playing in different genres...a saxophone player, as Steve Lacy says, has to lift the bandstand.
With that in mind, it shouldn't matter if you're playing standards, Monk tunes, R&B, or Grateful Dead jams, the saxophone always had the role of the maverick instrument since its conception onward. So, really what I'm getting at, it's where your influences are and what you listen to. In 1969 I was listening to a Raga Rock band in Boston that Charlie Mariano led called Osmosis. Charlie fronted this band and it was definitely an original band, rock-based with 2 drummers. Upon hearing people like Charlie live wailing and screaming on the alto over this band was quite and inspiration to an 18-year old guy like myself at that point in time. At the same time, I played in a rock/jazz ensemble with John LaPorta at Berklee. The band again had 2 drummers and 2 of everything. John was running his clarinet through a Mastro effects unit. At that point I played some derivitive stuff one day in the ensemble. John called me on the carpet about it. His point was to create an environment for yourself as you play. Have roots, but don't be a slave to them. He wanted people to totally immerse themselves in personal expression in this ensemble. At the same time, the late 60's early 70's rock movement was happening all around us. There were no custom mouthpieces then. Not even Java reeds. What you had to learn to do was PROJECT. If you weren't shedding your long tones... and checking out the history of the tenor you were in trouble. I was very lucky that I came from a background on the East Coast of knowing who Jr. Walker was, seeing King Curtis on TV, being influenced by guys that were going for the jugular when they played. Players like Jim Pepper, Pharoah Sanders, Prez, Hawk, Jimmy Forrest, Red Prysock, as well as many rock guys that were around me like Edgar Winter and Jon Smith. Joe Farrell was a big influence as was my teacher Charlie Mariano.

Had I not been around that era, being able to play in the Combat Zone in Boston as a teenager, being able to hear guys that were just a little older than me that were blowing the walls down like David Woodford, my mindset might be a little different. So that's what I mean when I talk constantly about listening and having a conception. It's very important and an asset to your growth if you're going to be playing out in front of people on a daily basis.

The other cool thing that is still in my mind via Bob Weir is...his conversation about Jerry Garcia's dad being a musician that played swing music on saxophone and clarinet. And that Jerry had heard this music as a young guy and had been around this music from his saxophone playing father. That's what I mean when I say this music really is infinite. That kind of stuff I find inspiring to know-and it makes me want to practice even harder.

Sorry for the long-winded post but I was inspired to relate this information.

[Zoot Horn]

"... live life with a sense of wonderment."

[Tim Price]

"... live life with a sense of wonderment."


Exactly...

But let us also remember this;

You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only ones who do what you do.
Jerry Garcia

[Kritavi]

Hey Tim, was Osmosisi the band Charlie used to play with wearing a mask? Seems I saw them back then too but I was a bit younger then you.

[Tim Price]

Hey Tim, was Osmosis the band Charlie used to play with wearing a mask? Seems I saw them back then too but I was a bit younger then you.

kRITAVI- A MASK!!!! HAAHHAHAHA~ :alien: :albino:

Ok, you must of seen the TV show right? LOL- :D

Yes- Charlie was wearing a mask on TV. It was some kinda mask he got in India.
Actually, it was a bag-mask to be exact.:D
< Gary...I know your lovin' this- hahahaha >

Like, this bag kinda mask that you put over your head.:shock: :!:
I was at my girlfriends place watching this on TV, as I never had a TV in Boston ever...or even in the Bronx, I wasn't a television guy...non the less tho'...so Osmossis comes on TV. The band is screaming, the soprano was just THERE. Right on top of the mix. And my chick sais...look Charlie is wearing a mask!!! < unlimited laughter:roll: > IT WAS WILD. He wore it the entire show with the band. Without a doubt....the band sounded as good as anything ever. ( When they played the " Boston Tea Party"..a spot like a Filmore East etc in Boston, both Zappa and Miles were impressed cuz' Osmosis opened for them )

SO,, the next day I had a lesson with Charlie. I asked him about the mask/bag. His comment was....and I just never forgot it
" I just had this bag-mask laying around that I got in India....and I figured TV was a perfect place to wear it". :shock: :D :!:

That had to be 1971 the winter. Because shortly there after at the end of that semester Charlie took John Surmans place in " The Trio" with Barre Phillips & drummer Stu Martin.

OK-...now are ya ready for this?????

The guy....that produced that record..." The Trio" ...is the bassist in RATDOG !!! ROBIN SYLVESTER... FAR OUT YES?:!:
So...here it goes FULL CIRCLE........When Kenny Brooks and I were on the Ratdog band bus rappin' about the music...I somehow started to tell him he oughta hear THE TRIO with Surman. etc etc and Robin
almost fell off his seat#$@#$@@#$!! Robin said " I don't think anyone ever heard that band in the States. LOL~ and was really touched I knew about it.
It was pretty darm cosmic to be honest.
I mean...what are the chances??? It's wild and far out.

So- there it is...OSMOSIS/THE TRIO / RATDOG.
IT'S A SMALL WORLD.:)

But- OSMOSIS was something else.
I even have a small article on my website about them.

http://www.timpricejazz.com/lessons/CMOsmosisArticle.html

That band needed a Bill Graham or something big.Osmosis...had 2drummers, like the " Dead" tho'...there was a different thing going on " rock" wise than any other band. BTW-after..Osmosis...Mariano also had, before he went to Europe, a band called " Laugh and Cry". With guys like Mick Goodrick-guitar, Abe Laboriel-bass, and a horn section of Bari Sax who doubled French Horn and Vibes ;; Tenor Sax who played Flute and Trombone and Mariano...plus piano and drums and a girl vocalist.No trumpet by the way..which led to some fresh voicings in the horns. The tenor player was Gary Anderson...who later played with Woody, them Mingus and now currently writes ALL the music for CNN. The band was also strong. I recently spoke to Gary A. about this, and SOMEWHERE there are tapes sitting. Somewhere.
At the same time period, I had a jazz-rock band doing all kinds of stuff, with a fender rhodes piano player named JEFF LORBER. :) Another heavy band from that era was SWALLOW- with David Woodford...a HUGE influence on me in the early 70s. HUGE. Because _we all_were looking to go past the norm. Expand the rock boundarys....with sophisticated rhythm sections and more modern horn concepts. Woodford, later had a band with blind singer George Leh. ANY..of these units COULD OF become a major act. ALL of this...was pre-Brecker -Sanborn stuff. Sanborn THEN was still with Butterfield and Brecker had just started to surface with DREAMS.Woodford later left town with Aerosmith. I was still a Berklee student working in the " Combat Zone"
as well...with organ band playing bump n' grind funky jazz for professional strippers for $37.50 a night!!! ( NOT bad $$$ for 5 sets work in early 70s)
There WAS a tremendous amount of CREATIVITY in the air then. Gigs to be played, with GREAT money, bands trying to get the THING going originality wise. And STILL everyone playing stock mouthpieces.Links/Meyers etc.
Mariano was playing a 10 star metal link off that rock band. Woodford played a 12 star link. Matter of fact I think BEFORE the 1969 period Mariano DID record a thing with Arif Mardin, called" Glass Onion" where he played with King Curtis. It WAS a time-period to remember- I bought a Buescher bari to low Bb from Emilio ( cash ) for 65 dollars, and he gave me a link 7star mouthpiece with it. I think by then that was 1972, and I was going to replace
Woodford in Swallow but the band folded. But the bari came in handy as well.
I bought my first Selmer soprano from Emilio at same time for around 250 or less. Cash.
We lived on Tang and Pizza. Somewhere there are TAPES of a very historical period. As a student, this time period, was very inspirational and even tho I was no where near Woodford or guys like that...there was work & experience to get me on the track. When your working AND shedding evolution and resuts
DO happen in a faster way. IMHO.
Mariano was_ OUR TEACHER_ the propigator and inspiration to ALL of us.

So- it WAS a bag/mask. Something from India.That was the year
I turned 19...and Charlie sold me one of his Nagaswarams for my 19th birthday. Which is an Indian double reed instrument. That tunes an Augmented 4th from concert. I studied the nagaswaram with Charlie too.
That was fun cuz' to get the nagaswaram reed prep'd we'd chew these beetlenuts from India, also found on Solomon Island. Its a nut like fruit growing on palmtrees_and_ even more popular than alcohol or other things.:D The nut is wrapped in the leaf of the betel pepper and sprinkled with burnt lime, catechu gum from the Malayan acacia tree.This is placed in your mouth and sucked on like candy. Arecoline, a system stimulant, is released from the nut by the action of saliva and lime. It increases respiration and has stimulating properties.It preserves the reeds of the nagaswaram and made the reed ( which is a double reed ) much more flexiable. Charlie learned all this in India.
Those were some crazy times.
We'd be playing Nagaswaram stuff for hours man,,,,,there was an India food spot near Berklee so we had plenty.Also- beetle nuts stains mouth, gums, and teeth deep red. So I'm sure after a few beetle nuts that BAG seemed " just the thing". You dig? < hahahaha>


Mariano & I are both Scorpios....and check this out....KENNY BROOKS
the sax dude with RATDOG has his birthday on the same day as Mariano!

Without a doubt....theres a reason for all this I think.
THINGS ARE CONNECTED. In the grand sceme of things.
There's a reason WHY I play.

So now ya know. :)
Pretty far out.