Apr 06, 2009 01:10 pm Hahaha, that is funny stuff :)
Had to share a good story.
Posted on Apr 06, 2009 12:57 pm
Rob Stemple
The Czar of BS
Member Since: Dec 31, 2007
We just finished this years Berks Jazz Fest. And had a good time this year with the artist. I was doing monitors so I got a chance to actually talk with them this time.
The first night was with Jason Miles who is a studio guy, that is large in the NYC Jazz group.
He brings along a whole host of studio guys that have been around for years.
One of which was Steve Ferrone. Steve has played with Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, and tons of others.
He told me this story for when we was working with Ray Charles.
It seems that Ray was a little tough on drummers. And had a habit of tearing into them for not keeping the beat the Ray wanted.
Steve figured out that when Ray drops his shoulder, then he should drop the down beat. And that seemed to keep Ray from jumping down his throat.
Steve was saying that all was good, until they went to D.C.
In D.C., they has a hydraulic lifts that put Ray out of Steve's view. Steve could only see Ray's feet. Which seemed to just move around everywhere.
Steve went over to the piano to talk to Ray.
Steve: Ray.. It's Steve.
Ray: Heeey Steve, How ya doing to night?
Steve: Not so good Ray. I can't see you.
Ray: Well I can't see you either Mother F'er!
Not that you would expect Ray to over state the obvious. But just the way that he did so, I thought was very funny.
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Apr 06, 2009 01:10 pm Hahaha, that is funny stuff :)
Apr 06, 2009 02:03 pm I've read a few stories about how Charles would tear drummers apart. That's a good one..
Ferrone is a solid groove monsta. Remember The Average White Band? Well, all except for Steve. You couldn't find a white drummer who could play funk back in the '70s.
Apr 06, 2009 05:46 pm Indeed, good story as well as funny.
Agree on Ferrone being one of only a few back then that could do funk the right way.
Apr 06, 2009 10:23 pm A monster player, and a hell of a nice guy.
The thing that really surprised me was the fact that he recognized me before I recognized him. And I only worked with him once before. And that was two years ago.
If any of you get a chance to run into him, you will find that he is one of the greats for a reason.
I only hope that I get the chance to do monitors for him again.
Apr 06, 2009 10:54 pm That really is a great story. I really laughed out loud when I read that. I've already had to share it with a couple of people today.
Apr 07, 2009 09:15 am I got the AWB album (Cut the Cake I think it was), and took lots of heat from my hard rock buddies swearing that it was a disco record.
I knew from that instant that my hard rock buddies didn't know the difference or just didn't give a funk.
Of course this was in the 70s.
Apr 07, 2009 05:37 pm Yep, AWB was a staple for me. Even during the more rock oriented days it was still a must listen record.
For me, I never cared what someone thought of the things I listened to. In the end, they saw the light.
Apr 07, 2009 07:31 pm Herb, you should have left the pic up.
Although some may be offended I found it entirely funny, and more then likely true.
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