And So On...
Top 10: Guitarists with whom I have performed and/or recorded
In alphabetical order:
Laurindo Almeida: recording session @ Kendun Recorders in Burbank, California.Brazilian-born Almeida was the first guitarist to receive Grammy Awards in both Classical and Jazz categories and it was an honor to make a record with him on April 6, 1977. Unfortunately, the album, recorded direct-to-disc, was never released, although two of the tracks were included on his 1990 "Virtuoso Guitar" album for Laser Light records. In addition to the opportunity in playing music with Laurindo Almeida, another of my personal musical heroes was on that 1977 recording date, Victor Feldman on Fender Rhodes piano.
Ry Cooder: Several recording sessions for Cooder's 1978 "Jazz" album on Warner Brothers records. Ry was an interesting person as well as a fabulous blues and rock guitarist with several important musical contributions for artists such as the Rolling Stones, John Lee Hooker, Taj Mahal, Captain Beefheart, Neil Young, just to name a few. Always willing to try new genres, the "Jazz" album proved to be a real challenge for him, and in the end, he wasn't completely happy with the record. I thought he handled the music on a very high level, especially when he invited the legendary jazz pianist, Earl "Fatha" Hines to play on one of the tracks. That was a thrill for me, playing with someone who really established the scope of modern jazz piano playing in the 1920's. My association with Cooder continued beyond the February 1978 recording sessions with album promotion concerts at Carnegie Hall on June 19th and a Soundstage PBS television show at WTTW studios in Chicago on June 22nd.
Larry Coryell: In high scholl, I knew that Larry Coryell was the lead guitarist for one of Seattle's iconic mid-1960's rock bands, The Dynamics. He was also playing various jazz and pop gigs with older musicians around town and taking classes at the University of Washington. Suddenly, he disappeared and I was caught off guard when I picked up a copy of vibraphonist Gary Burton's genre-bending 1967 album, "Duster". There was Larry Coryell, the Seattle rock & roller, on a New York-recorded jazz record for RCA Victor. It turns out that Burton and Coryell were changing jazz by incorporating rock elements into bop-influenced lines, a style that was first decribed as jazz/rock, but later on in the 1970's as fusion jazz. Jump ahead to 2000 when Coryell, now crowned the "Godfather of Fusion", was invited to the University of Washington for a week's residency in the School of Music. One of the tunes Coryell composed and recorded with Burton was a duet entitled "Lines". I learned "Lines" for my undergraduate Senior Recital in 1971 (with Dan Dean on guitar), and continued playing it throughout the 1980's and 1990's. I suggested that Larry and I play the tune on his UW Showcase recital in Meany Hall on April 10th, 2000. What a rush for me to be playing that tune with him after all those years from the first time I heard the Coryell/Burton recording. Not only did I have the opportinity to play with him on my 60 Years Behind Bars concert in 2024, but he also recorded several tracks on my 2015 album for Origin records, "Across The Bridge". The music world lost a giant two years later when he passed suddenly after playing a gig in New York, and I lost a good friend.
Dan Dean: too many gigs and recording sessions to mention between 1965-present day. Dan was a young 13 year-old kid in 1965 who played guitar with fabulous phrasing and a real ear for harmonic and melodic sensitivity. Although he prefered to concentrate on the electric bass, he can still knock out some great lines on guitar as evidenced on several tracks on my 2015 Across The Bridge album.
Herb Ellis: December 11, 1984 through January 6, 1985. I began the holiday gig at the University Jazz Alley location in Seattle playing drums with Herb Ellis, and ended up on vibrsphone when he "requested" a different drummer after a few nights. Although he was past his prime as a great guitarist, Ellis was still a top tier jazz artist at age 64.
Bill Frisell: I had the opportunity to have Bill Frisell record on two of my Origin albums, Across The Bridge (2015), and Impulsive Illuminations (2016). Frisell is one of the 20th century's iconic guitarists having recorded with such diverse artists as Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Rickie Lee Jones, and Dave Holland, not to mention his own albums for Nonesuch, Okeh and Savoy labels.
John Hanford: Dr. John Hanford, PhD, is a renowned northwest guitarist, most known as a rock and blues musician with many bands including the famouse Tacoma group, The Wailers. I played several gigs with his band, The Silver Tongue Devils between 2016 and 2020, as well as several duo and quartet dates with my groups in the Seattle area. John knows how to "fit-in" musically in a variety of musical genres, and he is a solid, valuable, steadfast member any band with whom he plays.
Howard Roberts: I was Howard Roberts drummer between 1978-1980, performing many times with his quartet featuring Bill Mays on piano and Dan Dean on electric bass. Howard's group performed at several jazz clubs and other venues during my tenure on drum set including Donte's in North Hollywood, Parnell's in Seattle, Disneyland Hotel in Anahelm, and the Port Townsend Jazz Festival. We recorded an album for the Discovery label on November, 1979 at T.T.G. Recording Studio in Hollywood, titled after one of my original compositions on the record, "Turning To Spring". I played vibes with Howard only once at the Port Townsend Jazz Festival on August 2, 1985. I would have enjoyed more vibraphone dates with one of the greatest jazz guitarists of all time.
Frank Zappa: although it was a brief encounter, I was a "sub" percussionist for Emil Richards at a couple of rehearsals at Zappa's Hollywood recording studio in July, 1975 for his upcoming "classical" concerts at Royce Hall on the U.C.L.A. campus. I then subbed for an ailing John Bergamo on one of the two Zappa classical concerts in September. Two years later 1977 and again in 1979, Zappa contacted me to join his touring band. I had too many other "irons in the fire" to accept his inviation and had to decline his offer.
Barry Zweig: One of the first call Hollywood studio guitarists, Barry Zweig was a talented jazz musician who fronted several quintets between 1975-1978 in which I played vibes. At first, Dan Dean was Zweig's bassist, but was replaced by Dave Parlato when Dan moved back to Seattle. Parlato was later replaced by Abraham Laboriel. Zweig's original quintet drummer was Steve Schaffer, but was replaced by Peter Donald. While trumpeter Bobby Shew played most of the jazz gigs at the Baked Potato in Studio City and Donte's in North Hollywood, Gene Goe occasional sat in for Bobby. The Barry Zerig Quintet recorded one album in 1978 for Jazz Chronicles, "Desert Vision" featuring one of my original compositions, "Hopscotch".
: One of the first call Hollywood studio guitarists, Barry Zweig was a talented jazz musician who fronted several quintets between 1975-1978 in which I played vibes. At first, Dan Dean was Zweig's bassist, but was replaced by Dave Parlato when Dan moved back to Seattle. Parlato was later replaced by Abraham Laboriel. Zweig's original quintet drummer was Steve Schaffer, but was replaced by Peter Donald. While trumpeter Bobby Shew played most of the jazz gigs at the Baked Potato in Studio City and Donte's in North Hollywood, Gene Goe occasional sat in for Bobby. The Barry Zerig Quintet recorded one album in 1978 azz hronicles, "Desert Vision" featuring one of my original compositions, "Hops