Illegal Radio - Elvin - Fantasy Follies - Music Business - Miami Grand Prix
1984
#1 &&& (1983) Illegal Radio - LP Record - out of print / audio excerpts/ In 1983, I was working at Walt Disney World, EPCOT and running my Miami Herald paper route 7-nights-a-week. I formulated a plan to produce my first music project. I had been working out material and rehearsing in the living room of my rented house. Sometimes the neighbors called my music jams The Big Noise.
I negotiated an hourly rate at Lone Pine Productions Recording Studio. It had a Tascam 16 Track Analog Machine. I liked the room’s acoustics. There was a nice Yamaha Acoustic Piano. The money was in the bank to finance it. I was reading several books about being successful in the music business. Everything with the recording and mixing went well. I paced myself and did the project over a period of several months. I listened to rough mixes on my Epcot Germany gig. I had rough daily mixes from each session. I limited the takes of each tune.
There were zero alternate takes. Maybe that was because it was analog tape. I had x amount of time on each reel. Glenn Lee assisted most of the sessions.
The first tune I recorded was Phone Home. I alternated in and out of the drum booth, depending on the track. I used several drumsets and my battery of percussion. I rented a very popular Sequential Circuits synthesizer for a couple of Glenn’s solos.
Lone Pine studio had a classic spring reverb built in the wall
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390### Phone Home - 1983 - Mandolin Roll/ Illegal Radio is my first record as a leader. I recorded a song called Phone Home. Glenn Lee and myself composed it in the early 80s. I still love this recording and the tune. I used (3) three sticks. Two sticks playing the continuous up and down 16th/32nd note high hat pattern with a mandolin roll. I used one stick to play the two and four backbeat on the snare drum. This was very early in my Q4T playing. I was happy to pull it off.
391### More Gigs – Epcot/ With EPCOT opened I played in the Fife and Drum group and Dixieland Jazz Street Band. Sub gigs when they needed someone. All of that financed my first 1984 LP record “Illegal Radio”
392### 1983 Nashville Records/ with my final mix onto edited reels I was ready to have it mastered for vinyl. I drove my 1971 VW Camper to a reputable Nashville Record mastering and pressing plant. I sat through the session and observed the process of creating the lacquer master.
They did a great job. I wasn’t prepared with artwork and created it on the spot. In a few weeks a truck would deliver my 1000 records.
393### Success in the Music Business/ now came my marketing plan. I had paid for and acquired a mailing list of radio stations from the United States. I proceeded to pack my albums in cardboard mailers and take them to the Orlando Post Office.
In March of 1984 I started getting playlist in the mail with my record listed. I was happy and excited but unprepared with the next step. There wasn’t a global marketing plan in my playbook. I did a few local promotions and gigs. That was the extent of my taking it to the next level. I was working regularly at EPCOT and Disney making money. I wasn’t aggressive enough to work it on the phone. If I were more prepared, I could have approached booking agents to promote a tour. I received a phone call from a prominent music industry person that offered me a deal to work the record. I didn’t have a full time group and declined.
My first attempt as an independent music artist was a radio play success. I wasn’t prepared and didn’t capitalize on it. My first record ‘Illegal Radio’ sounds as good to me today as it did in 1983. I learned from my mistakes and created a record that I’m proud of
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394### 1983 – Breakdown/ My Miami Herald route became a routine. I challenged myself to run it against the clock. I arrived for the delivery truck with my papers each evening at midnight. (Occasionally the truck broke down on the Florida Turnpike coming from Miami) I would wait till the truck arrived. It could be 2am or 6am. On Thursday and Saturday night there were coupon sales extras that needed to be inserted into each paper. This took more time. My route was geographically a square of approximately 50 miles.
On a good night I could run my route in 3 hours. I had a few Dunkin Donut coffee stops along the way. My VW Camper Van never broke down or left me stranded.
395### Larry King – Poncho – WLOQ/ Orlando has always been a prime market for talk radio. Several well-known personalities broadcast from Orlando. Each night I tuned in to the Larry King Show. It was great entertainment and social media company as I ran my route.
When Larry’s show ended, the Radio Station had a local host named Poncho. He was very funny and entertaining. I never called into shows. Because he was a news guy I delivered a free Miami Herald paper to the radio station a few times. Driving around in my VW Camper Van, I also listened to the Winter Park radio station WLOQ.
WLOQ was just becoming popular for playing smooth jazz. Bob James, Kenny G, The Crusaders that type of thing. I knew the early Midnight AM radio-host. He played trumpet in the SCC Jazz band at one time. When my Illegal Radio record was pressed, I dropped one off at the station. While driving my Miami Herald route, I heard one of my tunes on the radio. It was very cool to hear my music on public radio. It’s been awhile since that’s happened.
#71 $$$ Gig - 1984 - Fantasy Follies Trio Walt Disney World/ I must have been a good boy. I got another call to join a 2-day band performing at Magic Kingdom. I had subbed on the Fantasy Follies band. The leader liked the way I played. Maybe he recommended me for the gig. It was a keyboard, electric bass, drum-set trio. We performed with a recorded track as the Disney characters performed their show. Fantasy Follies was Goofy, Donald Duck, Pluto, Bears, Minnie, Mickey and others. There were also lead boy/girl singers, MC’s. It was my favorite Disney gig.
Of coarse, it didn’t last very long, go figure. During my breaks I would ride Space Mountain. It was more fun than I remembered from 1971. (You didn’t need an E ticket) As an employee I would occasionally walk around Magic Kingdom before the gates opened. I had my camera with me creating images. Playing that show was a fun challenge. It was with a click track.
Some of the pre-recorded music and effects were in odd places. The music was a variety of styles. With my 2 days in the German Show Band I became a full time employee. A great pianist Connie Faye and Win Hinkle were part of our 2 day trio. There are a couple videos on Youtube of this show from the 80s. I’m not in them. They’re from the Disneyland Show.
396### Atlantic Center for the Arts – 1984/ ACA was founded in 1977 by Doris Leeper, an internationally known sculptor, painter and visionary environmentalist. The complex sits on 69+ acres with preserved land. Comprised of six buildings connected to exhisting structures by raised walkways, it includes a library and studios for painting, sculpture, dance, music/recording and theatre. The residency program was designed to bring together (internationally-acclaimed) mentoring artist from different disciplines with talented artist selected by the masters. ACA officially opened in 1982 for the first residency with author James Dickey – sculptor Duane Hanson and composer David Del Tredici.
Prior to my residency at Atlantic Center for the Arts in 1984, I bought my first 35 mm Nikon Camera and assortment of lenses. After my Elvin Jones residency, I attended several events at ACA. Charlie Haden, Don Cherry, Matt Shipp, Roscoe Mitchell, Spaulding Grey.
397### 1984 - Miami Grand Prix Nikon Detroit F1 Indy Nascar Trans-Am/ When I got my Nikon 35, I started shooting street and auto racing photos. Events included the Detroit F1, IMSA Daytona, Nascar, Trans Am and Indy car.
I was in Miami at the season ending Indy Car race and got recruited by the Owner Race Director. Ralph Sanchez saw me walking around in the pits and ask if I would shoot photos for him.
It was a spontaneous meeting. He told me to go to his helicopter and get some air shots of the start and during the race. When I had the film developed I drove to Miami and gave it to him. All of my film and slides have been terminated with extreme prejudice. I had a decent collection of race photos from different series including Miami Indy, Detroit F1, Nascar Daytona, Sebring IMSA, SCCA Road Atlanta and Trans Am. I sold a few of my prints in Orlando area custom auto stores. I was a serious follower of the sport.
When I bought my first camera it became an alternative hobby. One camera multiplied into several bodies, lenses, filters, Projector, Motor drives, tripods. It was an expensive hobby. I became a regular customer at Orlando Photo and Hobby. I was paying to have dozens of rolls of film developed each week.
To get a better shot I was able to jive my way into several races as a photographer for Auto Week Magazine. They needed coverage of events and gave me clearance to represent them at the tracks. I was very close on many occasions, arms length away from drivers sitting behind the wheel.
398### 1984 - Elvin Jones (1927-2004)/ in 1984, I was accepted into the residency at Atlantic Center for the Arts to study with Elvin Jones. I was one of ten international drummers to be approved by audition and resume. The program was 3-weeks. Allen Ginsberg and Robert Frank were the other 2 Masters to mentor within their field. Words cannot describe the experience of those 3-weeks to be in the presence of Elvin.
The first time I heard Elvin play was in our music cottage. I was sitting 3 feet away from his floor tom side. I watched as he played with mallets on the drumset. His white loafer drove the red wooden beater into the bass drum head like exploding bombs. He quickly broke into a sweat. I heard the grunts for the first time. ‘Amazing’ that was day one.
I had private lessons with him as he heard me play and gave me tips on form, style, dynamics and listening. I heard his stories about playing with Monk, Trane, Duke, Miles and Bill Evans. He talked about the Detroit Jam Sessions where he would play for dozens of horn players taking chorus after chorus. He talked about the first time John Coltrane had McCoy and Jimmy Garrison drop out. It was Saxophone and Drums only. We listened to the Quartet LP Record from Paris. They played Cousin Mary. Elvin called John ‘The Preacher’ as he was playing. Elvin started crying upon hearing the music.
Each day was like heaven. Not just hearing him play but his positive energy and sharing. I saw an individual that didn’t just play drums.
Elvin played music that he held to be sacred. When he sat behind the drumset, it was a spiritual experience. For those 3-weeks, I had group and private lessons with Elvin. I never showed him my Quadragrip concept. I was still getting confident with it. Elvin was very open to improvisation and new ideas. I didn’t talk about Quadragrip or have the courage to play with 4-sticks or show him my concept.
Getting to know Elvin, I know he was very open. He wouldn’t use 4 sticks. If I’d shown him my own unique, approach with it, he would have respected it. I’m sure of that. For me to play and have a sound like Elvin’s, it would take 4 arms. I couldn’t grow 2 more arms but I could add 2 more sticks. Imitating Elvin is impossible.
29*** Elvin/ Elvin had me play 12 bars over and over, that’s where he started. It was about form, time, groove there was no talk of the triplet, no tricky stuff. It was about the ding ding a ding. The articulation of that rhythm the accent, the motion, the triplet was later. Then the double stroke he learned it in the army, played it like a double triplet. LL RR LL Tri-pe-let. Jungle like, such power. Not anything like traditional rudiments. With soul and passion Spirit and dedication.
30*** 3 feet away/ I first heard Elvin 3 feet away sitting on his right side by the floor tom, I watched as his sock less loafer drove the red wooden beater to the head, mallets in hand I’ve never heard that sound, he began to grunt, triplets loud and clear precise. Grunts and sweat. Master Drummer of Sound
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