Musicians: Rhodes: Flip Nunez; Bass: Heshima Mark Williams; Drums: Eddie Marshall; Guitar: Makoto Horiuchi; Percussion: Doug Santos; Tenor Sax: Ron Stallings; Trumpet: John Wilmeth; Fue: Russel Baba (Sun Poem) Vocals: Ota Pierce, Ron Stallings.
This was a recording that was done in a small 4 track studio (remember 4tracks?) in the Sunset district in San Francisco. We couldn’t afford the big studios that charged exorbitant prices like the one I used back in the day that cost $640hr. We were always looking for gigs and this was put together as a demo to get gigs. The quality of the recording is not good, but the spirit of the music makes up for the quality. The music also gives you a sense and feel of the times. The country was in upheaval with the Vietnam War going on and the movement of Love Children in the Haight Ashbury. Music was bubbling up all over the place at the time from Rock, Folk, R&B, to Jazz. If we had any business sense at the time we should have started the next Motown with this congregation of musicians.
We eventually ended up doing a gig for a year or so in Chinatown in a small dive down a steep set of stairs into a dark basement club. The club was patronized by locals who came to sample the brews and shots, and talk about the happenings of the day in the neighborhood. Chinatown was the home to Chinese immigrants, gangs, the Red Guard, all mixed in a area that has one of the densest populations in the country. The bar clientele was a very interesting mix of characters from writers, serious drinkers, to workers in the area who came in for a drink or to and listen to the music.
Your all I need, What’s Goin On, and Livin in the City were Motown hits from the day that you probably are familiar with. Don’t Ask Me Why was a Flip Nunez tune that we threw into the mix. Sun Poem was a collaboration by Ota Pierce and myself, and I’m not sure if Ota wrote the poem or not, but it is a beautiful ballad. Russel Baba is playing the Japanese Fue. Ron Stallings sang on All You Need and Rock Bottom. I loved Ron’s singing and wished that he would have concentrated on his singing. Rock Bottom was written by Ron. Back in the day he use to sing the blues and a lot of Otis Redding songs and sound great!! But then again when you heard him playing saxes and flute his playing radiated like the sun!!! Lastly, Samba de Orpheus was in the air after the movie Black Orpheus came out. The movie introduced us to the music of Brazil! And I stuck a little jam that happened in the studio. Hope you enjoy it!
Again for the Audiogeeks
I converted the files to 24bit 44.1 audio files, but the software used for the internet is only compatible with the 16bit mp3 format so the sound is a little compressed. This session was transferred from a 1/4″ master that luckily hadn’t crumbled, but the tape emulsion was dusting off. You will notice in the vocal in the tune All I need the begining is very undefined. I tried to everything to pull it out, but to no avail. I felt that the performance needed to be heard by those who would be interested. For myself even given all these limitations the spirit of the performance and the aura of the times comes through the recording. I hope you enjoy it.