Boy, it’s been a week of much variety! Last Friday we had a great night of Jazz and R&B with the Jeff Robinson band at Pip’s on LaBrea. From Miles Davis to Johnny Guitar Watson, P-Funk to Jeff’s awesome original tunes, his gigs are the best kind of workout, the kind I moved to the US for. Saturday, Santa Monica was the place for a session with Ukrainian producer Sasha. He needed some bass on a couple of tracks and put me to work. The music was real raw and punky, Sergio Gonzalez on drums, and he wanted lots of fret noise and really sloppy but groovy stuff. Not exactly easy for someone who’s spent his whole life trying to improve his technique and sound! But, it’s a state of mind and with the right abandon on my behalf, we found it.
On Sunday, I played piano for the first time at the afternoon service at St. Paul The Apostle’s in Westwood. Chris Haller had asked me to sub for him on bass a number of times last year, but the regular pianist moved to Arizona so they needed someone and gave me the gig 3 times a month. Of course there can hardly be more contrast with the shredding from the night before! The church has an old but nice Steinway and there’s not even a drummer in the band. Musically it’s quite enjoyable though: Peter Torsiello, the musical director, is an excellent musician, Chris a fine bassist, and the singing is always inspired and on point.
Next up, on Tuesday, it was time for some EDM believe it or not. Sergio had told Sasha that I’m a ‘mad professor’ with synths and such, so he came over to check out the studio. He liked what he heard and came back on Wednesday for a 6 hour session. The result is pretty cool actually! Next week we should be able to finish the track, after which the vocals will be recorded back in the Ukraine. I’m talking Swedish House Mafia type of stuff, tight beat, super funky electro basslines, “huge” lead synths. But Wednesday wasn’t done yet! Next up: Mouse’s studio for a session with Natasha Wood. We recorded a floor tom for her song “Part Of Me” and then a violinist named Miguel showed up to play some really beautiful stuff! Actually he played the Viola and he brought it! Otherwise this particular track consists of piano, bass, guitar, percussion and 3 glockenspiel tracks. Nice stuff….
Afterwards, I called Johnny G and we went for a night cap at the Federal in North Hollywood, where bass phenom Hadrien Feraud was hosting a jam night. Add in the one and only Chris Coleman on drums, and you can have a band of plumbers playing the chicken dance and it would still groove. Boy, what a blessing it is to be able to live in this neck of the woods……
