Featured Drummer “Tony Carbone” with Tommy Cashwell - Orlando - The C Room - James Brown - Booker T - Stax - 1967
In this episode I feature Orlando drummer Tony Carbone. I heard him with the great Tommy Cashwell in 1967.
Notes From An Old Drummer
(Featured Drummer-Tony Carbone / Tommy Cashwell)
(Notes # 6)
(1967-Summer of Love-Cork Room-Gig-Jimmy Head-Jam Session-C Room-Tommy Cashwell-Orlando-60s-House Band-Top40-Ray Charles-Little Richard-Otis Redding- Sam and Dave-Sam Cook-Jerry Lee Lewis-Wilson Picket-Eddie Floyd-Rufus Thomas- Johnny Taylor-Stax-Booker T-Ron Hobbs-Bill Champion-Gibson SG-The M.G.s-Steve Cropper-Hammond-Wurlitzer-Ludwig-Acrolite-Al Jackson Jr.-Naugahyde-National Shirt Shop-Speed King-1969-Bobby Caldwell-Gig-British Invasion-Geneva-Celebrity Room-Ronnie’s-Colonial Plaza-Godfather of Soul-Sharkskin Suit-Shure-Professional Musician-Florida-Rhythm and Blues-Crowd Pleaser-Bass Drum-Live
When my 1967 [Summer of Love]...gig at the Cork Room ended...I experienced the real world as a struggling...starving artist / musician. Weeks and months passed with few paying gigs. I disappointedly made my way back to my home...Geneva, Florida.
I had experienced the world as a professional musician. I wasn’t giving up. I would continue to hang out at Jimmy Head’s music store. I also went to Orlando Jam Sessions and clubs to seek out a gig. I still had a dream to join a band with players my age...it just didn’t happen.
One of the Orlando clubs I attended was called The C-Room...or Celebrity Room. This was in a location called Colonial town. There was a popular mall with a Jordan Marsh. A well-known delicatessen was called Ronnie’s. It was open late and served great food. The Colonial Lanes was located in that plaza. It was a bowling alley and lounge.
Tommy Cashwell was the bandleader at the C-Room. I attended several Jam Sessions there to seek out a gig. Most of the sessions were on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
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That club was like many 60’s bowling alley lounge venues. The lounge was usually rectangle and ran parallel to the length of the bowling lanes. The bar did also. The floor behind the bar was sunken...the bartenders were visually eye-to-eye with the seated bar customers. Behind the bar were retractable curtains that could open up. Through the windows you could watch and see the bowlers...in the bowling alley. You could also hear the sound of balls rolling...pins dropping.
The drummer in Tommy Cashwell’s band was “Tony Carbone”
I’d been in a few adult lounges and bars with house bands. Tommy’s band was different than the typical Top40 group. Still 18-years-old...I was intrigued by the adult audiences in these establishments. The crowd in this club was older and seemed to be more local...familiar with Tommy...his music...and his [jousting communication with audience members] Tommy wasn’t just a musician/singer/bandleader. He was a personality. His stage presence and charisma was dynamic.
___Tommy Cashwell was originally from Augusta, Georgia___ Home of “The Godfather of Soul” --- James Brown
Tommy’s style and repertoire reflected that Rhythm and Blues heritage. His best musical renditions were Ray Charles, Little Richard, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Sam Cook, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wilson Picket, Eddie Floyd, Rufus Thomas and Johnny Taylor.
[Stax...Recording Artist...] were his forte...He would cover a popular [Top 40___Tune]...because it was a crowd pleaser and made the cash register ring.
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Tommy was a soulful singer and played funky keyboards like Booker T, Little Richard and Jerry Lee. His stage rig included a Hammond M100...with an original brown...Wurlitzer piano...on top of the organ.
The sound of the band in that room was great...very dry and dead. Tommy’s voice and band vocals were amplified through as couple short Shure Pa speakers...hung on the walls. It was a great sound.
In Tommy’s band...playing bass was Ron Hobbs. He also sang ...played trumpet and keyboards when Tommy was off the bandstand. Bill Champion played trumpet and telecaster electric guitar.
The band wore occasional sharkskin suits purchased from a musician’s clothes store called National Shirt Shop. This is where musicians and hipsters went for band and stage-wear.
When the band played...it sounded like the notes and music hung in space---dry---heavy---dark and clean. Bill Champion on guitar sounded like Steve Cropper. The group sounded like The M.G’s. Hobbs played a solid Gibson SG bass. It produced a fat warm---tone. [I’ve always liked that sound]
Tony Carbone was a great drummer...for this music. He stood up in this band and played. He also sang. (He was older) [Everyone was older than me] “They were all in their mid 20s...I guess”
Tony’s [bass drum] and toms were single headed. He had stripped them down and recovered them in some type of [silver-sparkle] ___naugahyde___ wrap. That could have contributed to their dry warm sound.
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He played a Ludwig Acrolite snare drum. That model drum was introduced in 1963 as a student drum. Tony had it nicely tuned tight and it cracked. Tony Carbone sounded a bit like Al Jackson Jr.
I remember sitting in and playing his kit standing up. It was odd. He used a Ludwig Speed King pedal, but he had a glass coffee cup under the heel hinge to lift it off the floor. His high hat was raised to maximum height with the cymbals closed and locked down. It was a full time closed high hat effect. Much of that music from Stax was played like that.
That’s the first and only time I ever saw Tony Carbone play.
I’ve heard from a reliable source that Tony Carbone was one of Orlando’s best...[Pre-1967...When he sat down and played traditional.
I love and appreciate the 60s Stax...RnB...music and style more than ever.
At 18 in 1967...I was still overwhelmed with British Invasion and popular radio hits. Hearing that music “LIVE” was educational and important in my vocabulary. I would eventually be in groups playing that style.
Seeing and hearing...Tony Carbone was a fantastic drum lesson. That gig was the only time...I’d catch him play. In a few years (1969) I would be playing for Tommy Cashwell.
___I believe, Tony Carbone left that gig... joined the military and became an attorney___
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I saw Tony Carbone again in 2001. I sat next to him...and introduced myself while we listened to Bobby Caldwell play. This was a rare event. Bobby was playing a local club / restaurant. It was great to see both of those influential musicians.
Notes From An Old Drummer
Michael Welch – Michael Welch Publications
(Notes # 6)
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