By DELL (12.14.39.66) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 12:45 pm:

WE ALL HEARD ABOUT THE FUNK BROTHERS, BUT DOES ANYONE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER GREAT MUSICIANS WHO PLAYED WITH OTHER LABELS, ATLANTIC, BRUNSWICK, etc.. AND OTHER EARLY ARTIST, OTIS REDDING, BARBARA ACKLIN, etc...AND OTHER CITIES BESIDES DETROIT, NEW YORK, PHILLY, L.A......etc.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 01:38 pm:

Dell:
For Philly, I would ask our own Bobby Eli the question - he was one of the main guitarists in MFSB.

As for Brunswick, it depends on which artist and session. For example, James Jamerson and Richard "Pistol" Allen of Motown's Funk Brothers played on Jackie Wilson's "Higher & Higher" (this according to label VP and producer Carl Davis) while later sessions with the Chi-lites included musicians such as drummer Quinton Joseph and arranger/keyboardist Thomas "Tom Tom" Washington.

Atlantic had sooooo many session players in different cities it ain't funny (Miami, Muscle Shoals, Memphis, Atlanta, NYC). Session musicians included legendary bassist Ron Carter (NYC), the late Duane Allman on guitar (Muscle Shoals/Atlanta) as well as the crew at Criteria Studios in Miami.

Memphis had a few crews - Stax/Volt's Booker T. & the MGs (Steve Cropper/Donald "Duck" Dunn/Booker T. Jones/Al Jackson, Jr.), Willie Mitchell's Hi Records Band (which also included Al Jackson) and the folks at American Group Prod. led by Chips Moman (Tommy Cogbill & Spooner Oldham were two of the leading musicians).

The Big Apple has had more than its share - drummers Bernard "Pretty" Purdie & (my hometown hero) Steve Gadd, the late keyboardist Richard Tee, bassists Chuck Rainey and Ron Carter, pianist Bob James, guitarists Eric Gale & Cornell Dupree, trumpeter Marvin Stamm & horn player Lew Soloff (of Blood Sweat & Tears fame). Even the late George "Paco" Patterson (saxophone) led many sessions with his studio/live cadre the Midnight Movers, Unltd.

LA - Hal Blaine, Jim Gordon & Earl Palmer (drums), Joe Osborne & Carol Cole (bass), Larry Knechtel (keyboards), Tommy Tedesco & Glenn Campbell (guitar), Tom Scott (saxophone), Clark Terry (trumpet). Also gotta mention my arranging hero the late Oliver Nelson (saxophone).

Hope this helps,
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By DELL (12.14.39.66) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 01:41 pm:

KevGo:
HOW ABOUT DRUMMER EARL YOUNG ?

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 01:45 pm:

Dell:
As for Chicago in general, the players included Phil Upchurch (guitar), Bernard Reed (bass), Maurice White (drums - yes, THAT Maurice White!), Floyd Morris(?) (piano), Johnny Griffith (piano), Louis Satterfield (bass, later trombone), Cleveland Eaton (bass), Gerald Sims (guitar), Willie Henderson (saxophone) & Johnny Pate (bass). Curtis Mayfield played guitar on all the sessions he led & produced from the 1960s work with the Impressions to his productions with the Five Stairsteps.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 01:50 pm:

Dell:
Earl Young was with MFSB in Philly as well as leading the Trammps (which he still does). The players in Philly included Earl, the late Norman Harris (guitar), Bobby Eli (guitar), Vince Montana (vibes), Ronnie Baker (bass), Roland Chambers (guitar), Lenny Paluka (keyboards) and the Don Renaldo Strings - to name a few.

Mr. Eli can fill in the rest...

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By STUBASS (205.188.209.109) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 02:03 pm:

KEVGO: YOU HAVE MENTIONED A LITANY OF GREAT NAMES IN THE FIELD OF MUSIC...ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE YOUR MENTION OF THE GREAT OLIVER NELSON!!!...I THINK THE THING THAT SEPERATES THE "FUNK BROTHERS" FROM MOST OF THE OTHER NAMES YOU'VE MENTIONED IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "CONTRACT MUSICIANS" (MUSICAL GYPSY'S) AND THE SELF CONTAINED ASPECT OF THE "FUNKS"!!!...MOST CERTAINLY...THERE IS A MYRIAD OF MUSICIANS WHO NEVER GOT THE RECOGNITION THAT THEY IN MANY CASES...RICHLY DESERVE...BUT TO QUOTE A LINE FROM THE GODFATHER 2..."THIS IS THE LIFE WE'VE CHOSEN"...AND SOME OF THOSE MENTIONED WHEN ON TO SOLO CAREERS...OR ENHANCED THEIR CAREERS IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER...OR TOTALLY LEFT THE MUSIC BUSINESS FOR GREENER PASTURES!!!...THE FUNKS...ON THE OTHER HAND...WITH JUST A FEW REPLACEMENTS AND CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS...WERE "LOCKED" IN TO THE MOTOWN STUDIO SCENE...AND THE FACT THAT THEY PLAYED TOGETHER WITH A LEVEL OF EXCLUSIVITY...ALLOWED THEM TO FLOURISH BOTH AS INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS...AND IN THE GROUP SETTING!!!...SO YES...THERE WERE MANY GREAT MUSICIANS THAT FEW OF US EVER HEARD OF...BUT MUSIC IS NOT THE ONLY FIELD OF ENDEAVOR THAT THIS HAPPENS...SO TO QUOTE THE TITLE FROM A FAMOUS SINATRA SONG..."THATS LIFE"!!!...STUBASS

By Emmett (209.215.117.4) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 02:22 pm:

New Orleans had many wonderful session players:
drummers Earl Palmer, Charles "Hungry" Williams, Smokey Johnson; guitarists Billy Tate, Earl King and Deacon John Moore; sax men Alvin "Red" Tyler, Lee Allen, Robert "Barefootin'" Parker; bassist Frank Fields; piano player Huey Smith; the Meters; and many more.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 03:00 pm:

In addition to New Orleans' session men, let's also mention keyboardist/singer Eddie Bo (who also A&R'ed the Scram label and owned Bo-Sound), the late, great James Booker (The Piano Prince of New Orleans), drummer Albert "June" Gardner, guitarist George Davis (who also wrote "Tell It Like It Is") and pianist/singer Willie Tee.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Eli (205.188.209.109) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 03:54 pm:

As an addendum to the American Sound guys,
the drummer was Gene Chrisman, Reggie Young and Chips Moman on guitars.
I played on several sessions there in the early seventies as well. It was a "crude" operation but it sounded great.

In Chicago on the later seventies Curtom sessions ie Linda Clifford, Leroy Hutson, Gavin Christopher, Ava Cherry and Curtis, it was Keni Burke on bass, Ross Traut and myself on guitars, Dean Gant on pianos, Chester Thompson on drums and Henry Gibson on percussion.

Some of the other Philly cats were
Charles Collins and Quinton Joseph, Jerry Jones and for a while Andrew Smith on drums,
Jimmy Williams, Anthony Jackson, Michael Forman and Bob Babbitt on bass, Larry Washington, David Cruse and James Walker, percussion,
Ron Kersey, Cotton Kent, T. Conway, Bruce Gray, Bunny Sigler, Leon Huff keyboards.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 05:30 pm:

Thanks, Bobby! I knew you would come through in a crunch!
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 05:33 pm:

By the way, Bobby - what city did you NOT play in?!?
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 05:40 pm:

Stu:
Thanks for the insight. If I was a more disciplined musician growing up (alto & tenox sax were my instruments) I probably would've gone the route of my heroes and became a session player myself. Yet, fate had other plans for me...

As for Oliver Nelson, I've been an admirer of his music and arrangements since I was young. His work on Wes Montgomery's "Goin' Out Of My Head" and his own "Blues & the Abstract Truth" are among my favorite albums as well as his arrangement of Miles Davis' "Milestones" from his Live In Los Angeles LP [Impulse Records - sadly out of print] and the CD "Further Adventures Of Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery".

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Soul Sister (65.43.150.250) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 05:52 pm:

Bobby;
Don't forget our old dear friend the late & great "Fat Larry"James of Philly.
S.S.

By douglasm (68.113.13.31) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 06:59 pm:

Kevin....
....you mentioned Tom Scott. The same as in Pat Sajak's band leader and SITSOM?
You also mentioned drummer Hal Blane. Could you identify the Wrecking Crew for me?
Thanks in advance.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 08:04 pm:

Doug:
The Wrecking Crew included the following:
Hal Blaine, Earl Palmer & Sandy Nelson - drums
Joe Osborne - bass
Mike Deasy, Tommy Tedesco, Tony Mottola & Glen Campbell - guitars
Larry Knechtel, Leon Russell - piano/organ
Nino Tempo - saxophone, guitar & keyboards
Gary Coleman - percussion
Al DeLory - keyboards
...and many more too numerous to mention but these were the main players...(okay, I'll throw in Sonny Bono, who played percussion but was really Phil's "assistant").

The Tom Scott I mentioned is the same one from SITSOM & Pat Sajak's Show. Tom was a teen prodigy during the 1960s whose mentors included the late Oliver Nelson (Tom played in Oliver's orchestra during the 1960s).

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By medusa9e (66.73.7.244) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 08:35 pm:

Now, U guys have named everyone except the wonderful people I've met on-line, on a Forum called SoulfulDetroit.com. DO U know how very special U all R??? Anytime people from around the world got 2gether N a small Cafe on Cass N Detroit, celebrated and enjoyed eachother, NOw that's special. I've only been here 4 a couple of months, and U made me feel like I've known U a life time..and U continue 2 celebrate good times and good music, maybe we should let the world know, "Soul Music"and 60's music is still alive, and well and not only N Detroit. (Some U R DJ's, Producers, Musicians etc)...and we all R glad about it!

By Eli (152.163.252.68) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 08:46 pm:

Kev..
I never did a session in Boise Idaho!!!

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 09:04 pm:

Eli...you probably passed out cards like Paladin...."Have strings...will travel !" LOL

By Eli (172.201.188.142) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 09:16 pm:

I sure did get around.
As far as I can remember I have recorded in:
Philly,NYC,L.A.,Seattle,Memphis,Nashville,Detroit,
Minneapolis,Chicago,New Haven, Boston,San Francisco, East OrangeLas Vegas, New Orleans, London, Munich, Kingston.
Probably more, but my memory doesnt allow me to remember right at this senior moment.

By Your Soul Sister (65.43.150.250) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 09:43 pm:

Kingston! Yah Mon Bobby, may Jah be wit you mon!
Vonnie & I would like to go to Jamaica mon and we don't mean N.Y.!!! No Problem.

By douglasm (68.113.13.31) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 09:58 pm:

Thanks, Kevin....
.....ye gawd, what a lineup. No wonder Gary Lewis sounded so good.....

By Beebopman (68.73.29.163) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 11:21 pm:

Eli...I have witnesses that swear you were in Boise in the late 70's. (....just kidding). You are one hell of a talent Eli! By the way, I spoke with Joe Weaver at the Cass Cafe and while reminising I mentioned a couple guitarist that I played with who like so many others never got recognition. Rabbitt for one was one hell of a rythumn guitarist, Man could he play. Known to play with his feet. Another who went on to gain some recognition is Leroy Emmanuel of the Fabulous Counts. He did a lot of session work in the Detroit area in the 60's.

Beebopman