|
|
|
|
|
ABOVE the Wailers Original Bubbler and Foundation Organist, Earl "Wya" Lindo. As I told Al, "The whole
world imitates what Wya Lindo has been doing for thirty years" Massive Raspect to this Reggae Legend.
BELOW View from the mixing board at Fitzgeralds, as the digital tape is being made. We got the whole show
on DAT. Call me for copies. 281 537 6527 or 713 961 8431
One Love, One Heart, One Aim, One Destiny
|
ABOVE Soundcheck at Antones, Austin Texas
L2R Drummy Zeb, Al Anderson, Sterling keyboards, Cornel drums
BELOW Fluteman John and Al Anderson Wailin' at Fitzgeralds, Houston Texas "Oh What A Feelin"
Thank you Wailers for you trust and friendship
|
|
|
|
|
BELOW Aston "Familyman" Barrett, Foundation Bass Guitar Player and Bob Marley's musical director.
Nuff Raspect Every Time to the real roots musicians.
Long live the spirit and the music and the message of
the Honorable Robert Nesta Marley O.M. 1945-1981 Jah Bless
|
BELOW Drummy Zeb, Familyman, the Fried Fifer,
and One Good Spliff
|
|
|
|
|
REGGAE MUSIC
WORD SOUND & POWER
BIG UP TO POSITIVITY
AND ALL WHO STRUGGLE
|
Why boasteth thyself O evil man? Playing smart but not being clever.
I said you work in iniquity to achieve vanity,
but the goodness of Jah Jah I-dureth for I-ver.
And if you are the big tree, we have a small axe.
Sharpened to cut you down, well sharp, to cut you down.
These are the words of my master: No weak heart shall prosper.
And whosoever diggeth the pit shall fall in it.
And whosoever diggeth the pit shall bury in it.
Bob Marley, from "Small Axe"
|
|
Just after rehearsal I strolled to the front of the dance floor, licking on my little wooden flute, and a roadie leaned over
a mike stand, sending my notes over the house sound system for a few seconds. Al Anderson the lead guitarist said, "Hey, I'll
call you up tonight". Shocked, I said I had a silver flute, also. He said "Great" or something to that effect. However, that
night it was so packed that I could not get close enough to side-stage to be called up (I figured it a real long shot at the
time, anyway). The third day, I again crept in early and rehearsed from the side of the stage, with my silver flute this time.
When the place was ram packed for the final show, I saw Al making his way to the dressing room. As he passed in the crowd
I said "Hey Al, you won't believe this, but I worked out with your horn section today." He said again, "Great, I'll call you
up." A house-security guy happened to be close enough in the crowd to witness the exchange, and came up to me saying, "I've
seen you hanging around for three days now, but this time I heard Al invite you up to play. When the show starts, I will show
you where to stand, by the stairs to the stage." Unbelieving that such a thing could actually occur, I stood by the stairs
all night and witnessed an incredible live show, with the spirit of the Natural Mystic flowing through the air. I was jammin
and skankin, scatting along on my silver fife from off-stage, loving the music, and thoroughly enjoying the vibes. The Wailers
played their finale Marley song and said good night. The prior two nights had been packed, but there had been no encores.
But the third night, tonight, with a capacity crowd roaring for more, the Wailers returned from the dressing rooms to the
stage. As they got set in place, ready to start the encore, Al signaled me to join him on stage. I joined the horn section
as the 4th horn, and Nambo (Bob's trombone player) generously turned his mike to me and said
|
|
Take it, mon. My trombone is plenty loud enough. Familyman kicked it off, and we wailed through Bend Down Low, a song on which
Bob played flute (!) on the album CD Talkin' Blues. We WAILED!! At the end of the first encore song, I felt two hands gripping
each of my upper arms, and heard the security guys say "You are off this stage right now. I smiled and said Okay, thinking
that it didn't really matter what happened now, I just played a song on flute live on stage with the Wailers, to a wildly
enthusiastic crowd of around a thousand people. I could die a happy man. The security guy who had let me go up had been out-ranked
by a road manager, or the like, who didn't know or believe that I had been invited. They escorted me halfway down the stairs,
until the lead guitar player, Al Anderson, got on his mike and said, Bring him back. He's with us. They let me go, and still
in a daze I sidled back to my spot with the horn section. Familyman kicked off the next song, and we wailed again, through
the entire encore, on classic Marley hits like "No Woman No Cry", and "Exodus", a powerful and driving song that Bob often
ended concerts with. I was doubling horn parts, harmonizing with Marcia, taking improvised and soul-sourced solos, and having
the time of my life. Backstage after the big show, Al said to me Fluteman, you played just right. Your are on our next CD.
|
|
Nearly speechless, all I could say was Thanks, Al. You are incredible. After pix, autographs, and giving many raspectful thanks
and praises, I drove home alone to Houston, with a dumb smile on my face, the stage show still ringing in my ears, and the
insistent pulse of the reggae one-drop still pounding in my brain, occasionally laughing out loud, baffled by my luck, and
stunned by the magnitude of the Wailers kindness, trust, and generosity. I figured it was a once in a lifetime experience,
so I went home, with nothing to prove the stage-show had really happened. No tape or CD, no pictures of me up there with the
band. One year went by, and Bob's birthday approached again...
Mid January 2001 I saw that the Wailers were coming to Houston for one night at Fitzgeralds, and three days later to Austin
for their two-night return to Antones, where I had played the encore with them a year ago. I got tickets for the Fitzgeralds
show, and took my flutes and ratchet-stick just for luck. Trevor and I were hanging out at the nearly empty bar when the Wailers
Greyhound land-yacht pulled up in front, with the entire entourage. The first inside the club was the Wailers main sound mixer,
Vince. First word out of his mouth was Fluteman, having remembered me on sight from a year ago. Al Anderson came in, and he
also remembered me, asked me if I brought my flute, and invited me to play with them tonight, all in the space of about ten
seconds. Lightning was striking twice in the same spot. Trevor and I took Al around town looking for vintage electric guitars,
amps, and pedals. We went straight to Rockin Robin, where we saw Little Screamin Kenny of the Hightailers, and Adam of Snits
Dog and Pony Show, both great local 6-string players. After hitting a few music stores and pawnshops, and the best Tai food
restaurant in town, we scrambled back to Fitzgeralds for sound check.
|
|
Al ran the sound check, working with a stand-in drummer from Jamaica, as the regular drummer had experienced some small trouble
at US Customs a short while ago, and was not allowed in. (The foundation drummer, Familyman Barretts brother, Carleton Barrett,
passed away a few years back. Carly and Familyman, had been a seminal influence on early reggae in Jamaica, forming the riddum
section (drum and bass) of the house band the Upsetters, at Lee Scratch Perry studio, where Bob did some of his greatest early
recording.)
The opening act Monday night was billed as Cosmic Force, a hard-driving local reggae band, with a host of friends on stage,
in the form of singers, chanters, and DJs. Hey, the Wailers are in the house. Come on down. I had invited a few people myself.
When I realized I would be playing tonight, a good friend and I conspired to get his taper friend to show up with his equipment,
tie in to the soundboard, and record the evening in digital stereo. With a little fancy dancin, I set it up with Al Anderson,
the Wailers soundman Vince, and the house sound man, so the taper got a live stereo feed from the board. The only kicker was,
the Wailers wanted the original digital tape. No worries mate. We have the technology. Forewarned, our taper friend brought
a double DAT recorder stack, hooked up, and captured the Wailers show on two parallel machines at once. We handed one to the
Wailers soundman right after the show, and he walked it over to Familyman on stage, said something incomprehensible in Jamaican
patois, and Family took the tape, got a big smile on his face, and slipped it into his pocket. I later gave Vince and Al each
a copy of the 2 CD set that had been mastered from the DAT (with nice photo-art from the show, by my friends). Everybody seemed
"Well Pleased". Give thanks and raspect, all round.
Just before the show, Al said he would call me up to his vocal mike around the middle of the set sometime.
|
|
The Wailers show kicked off with two instrumentals written by Familyman, namely Cobra Style and Well Pleased, mellow but moving
airs, rich with clean sax lines and dreamy chorused guitar chord work, and of course the smoothest bass guitar in the world.
I played on the first song, in the back line with sax-man Everton Gale. (I had no mike, and was mostly obscured by a wing
wall, but who cares, here I was back a year later jammin with the Wailers for the second time, an extreme honor, and mucho
fun. Normally at this point, Marcia Griffith would be introduced, and sing several classic Marcia songs, as well as works
by Bunny and Bob. Because she was not on this leg of the tour, they went right to the lead singer, dreadlock chanter Gary
Nesta Pine. He sang a beautiful set of vintage and famous Bob Marley songs: Natural Mystic, Roots Rock Reggae, I Shot the
Sheriff, Rebel Music, Ain't No Use, Lively Up Yourself, and Keep On Moving. At this point, lead guitarist Al Anderson motioned
me to his mike, where I played flute on several tunes to the end of the show, including Bend Down Low / Kaya, Running Away,
No Woman No Cry, and Jammin. It was bliss for me, and the crowd did't seem to mind too much. Houston was falling in love with
the Wailers all over again. Other songs on the night included Rat Race, Pimper's Paradise, Heathen, Stir It Up, Want More,
War / No More Trouble, and the two encore songs Rastaman Vibration and Get Up Stand Up. This time I played hand percussion
on the encore, and had a blast hangin and bangin with hand-drummer Drummy Zeb. Original Marley organist Earl Wya Lindo (the
inventor of the reggae bubbling organ and the offbeat back-chop which combines so well with the electric guitar chuckin to
define the reggae sound) was fairly vibrating with the riddum. He is a musical monster, and all raspect is due. All reggae
keyboard players
|
|
in the world imitate Wya's early rhythmic innovations. Wya is indeed the Champion Bubbler. Original Wailer Al Anderson on
lead guitar was superb as usual, with creative leads and dreamy chord structures. An historic printed quote from Bob describes
Al as "a f---ing good guitar player; believe it. He has proved to be a good friend, and was instrumental in all my appearances
with the Wailers. Deep honor and humble thanks. Leader and foundation bassist Familyman deftly ran the show and held down
the bottom in a commanding but playful manner, as usual. Family wrote/arranged much of Bob's most famous music. The female
Jamaican sisters (Denise and Kali) on backing vocals were beautiful, and were quite reminiscent of the sweet harmonies of
the original I Three singers. Expert Jamaican keyboardist Sterling, main drummer Cornel, and the great saxman Everton Gale
completed the 10-piece combo. The audience was highly participative, and seemed to never become tired of the righteous reggae
one-drop, the melodic bass line, and the eternal lyrics, music, and philosophy of Bob Marley. The CD has all 22 songs, the
entire Wailers show, start to finish, a reasonable mix, and is my prized possession. (Call me for a copy.) With the help of
friends, I also secured visual proof of the event, as they took digital and analog photos from high and low. Some of this
photo-art work can be seen on my website and on the jacket of the CD from that incredible night. After a short photo session
on the stage during teardown, Trevor and I split the scene, dropped Al off, and ended my second close encounter of the musical
kind with the fabulous Wailers, but not before Al extended an open invitation to me, to come play flute with the Wailers any
time I could catch up with them. But the week was young, and there was one more gig; Austin, and the triumphant return of
the Wailers to Antone's...
|
|
Trevor and I got to Antones very early, hoping to snag a sound check or rehearsal. The club folks were nice, as usual. The
Wailers showed up in force, for their final night in Austin. Security was tight, but Trevor and I were friends of the band
by this time, so no problem. We hung with the band and the entourage a little back stage before the show, but the better party
is always after the show, when everyone can relax. The monitor-gal set me up in the back row with Everton again, and this
time I had my own mike. I hopped up for the first song, the instrumental "Well Pleased", very happy to be by saxman Everton
Gale's side once again, in the horn section. This was my third time playing with Everton and the band, and Everton, like all
the Wailers, had been very warm and friendly every time. Tonight, he and I were the only horns, as at Fitzgeralds four days
earlier. What a pleasure, to follow his lead, hit the harmonies and unisons, and blend our sound together. I jumped off stage
after the first song of the night, and grooved on the sidelines, grabbing a few choice snapshots. Nearing the midpoint of
the show, Al Anderson motioned me to join him, and use his vocal mike to play my flute through. Four days prior at Fitzgeralds
in Houston, we had the same arrangement, but the stage had been very cramped at Fitzgeralds, and Al has ten pedals and stomp
boxes (I counted) arrayed in an arc on the floor before him. As I stretched to reach his vocal mike and he stretched to reach
his pedals below it, we had often struck some very wierd poses, like playing Twister while trying to perform in the big stage
show. Tonight at Antones in Austin, however, the stage was ample; spacious, low and wide, and very near the audience. I handed
my camera to a young lady in the front row as I went for the mike. She got the idea, and took some nice shots up close. Fun.
The show proceeded much like the last, same song list, rapt audience, and the original rootsmen wailing away for two hours.
|
|
The entire experience was exhilarating, exhausting, exciting, and I hope entertaining. After the show, I got some more great
pictures backstage. I plan, in the very near future, to put the best pix on my homesite home.earthlink.net/~flutemanjohn so
stop on by.
The Wailers, and especially Al Anderson lead guitarist, have truly proven their friendship and trust, as well as their generosity,
three times now. I have the greatest respect and humble admiration for these giants, and their mission; to continue to spread
the word and music of the greatest reggae Legend of all time, the Honorable Robert Nesta Marley, O.M. Give all due Thanks
and Praises to the Head Creator, Earths Rightful ruler, Jah Rastafari. One Love, One Destiny. Big UP to positivity and to
all those who struggle.
Peace.
Fluteman John, the Fried Piper, Wailer 2000-2001
|
flutemanjohn@earthlink.net
|
