(This is an expanding list - more to follow)

David Axelrod Howard Roberts Earl Palmer Carol Kaye Joe DiOrio Steve Trovato John Herron

David Axelrod David Axelrod Music.com Producer, Arranger, Composer, Director

No one has given my playing abilities more support and confidence than Dave Axelrod did in the late 60's. When he produced Hardwater on Capitol, I was a young hippie who thought he could play well on a local level, but had little confidence about competing with all the big name pickers of the time. He contracted me to play the solos on "Song of Innocence" with my idol, Howard Roberts playing behind me. That in itself was

Capitol Records session with David Axelrod and a young Pedro while recording Song Of Innocence 1968

enough to clear my doubts, but the encouragement that he gave me has kept me going all these years. The Lou Rawls dates, other odds and ends I did for him

were among the most treasured memories of my musical career. The top level musicians that I played with in those days gave me experience I'll never forget, I'll always owe a lot to David Axelrod.

Nadie me ha dado mis capacidades musicales mas apoyo y confianza como hacia Dave Axelrod in los 60. Cuando èl producia a Hardwater en Capitol, fui un joven hippie quien pensaba que puedo tocar bien en el nivel local, pero tuve poca confianzia que puedo igualar a Eric Clapton and los grandes guitaristas del tiempo. El me contracò para tocar los solos en "Song of Innocence" con mi idolo, Howard Roberts tocando el accompaniemento. Eso en si fue bastante para borrar mis dudas, pero el animo que me daba me ha inspirado todos estos años. Las fechas con Lou Rawls, los otros various grabaciones son de las memorias mas preciosas de mi carrera musical. Los musicos de lo mas alto nivel con quienes he tocado en aquellos dias me dieron las experiencias que nunca voy a olvidar, siempre deberé mucho a David Axelrod.

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Earl Palmer



EarlPalmerMemorial.com

Earl Palmer on Wikipedia

My relationship with Earl Palmer went way past the great musical memories I have from playing with the master, he was a friend.

His 2 sons Earl jr., Donald and I got an apartment in the Wilshire district with another buddy, Bat. One night Earl came to take us all to the annual football game between Alcorn State and Grambling. Earl apologized profoundly because he forgot to get a ticket for me, no big deal, I got drunk instead. The next thing I know Earl and the boys are frantically trying to wake me up and the apartment was full of dense smoke. I had left a cigarette burning in an ashtray on the sofa . The sofa was about to erupt in flames, if they wouldn’t have come when they did, I don’t know if I would be here to tell the story. I saw Earl at a session en Dimension recorders a few months later. “Pete, you cost me a lot of money”, he said, but he was LAUGHING about it. I begged him to tell me what this episode cost so I could pay him back but he would hear none of it. “Aw man, don’t worry about it, s’ nothin”. That’s the kind of guy he was.

One afternoon I was walking past the coffee shop at 3000 Sunset and I heard a rap at the window, it was Earl motioning me to come in and join him and his friend for coffee. I sat down, and the friend was none other than the legendary bassist Ray Brown, I was floored. We chatted for about an hour and a half about everything from Richard Nixon, to the Dodgers, to Howard Robert’s influence on young guitar players. I would be happy to have shook Ray’s hand, but to HANG with him was heaven.

The last time I saw Earl was at one of the Tuesday nights at Chadney's. I didn’t know it was a jam and Earl was bummed I didn’t bring my axe. We did a lot of catching up and told me that he was writing a book, and the sofa incident was to be included and to come back and see him before I moved to Mexico. I left the next week and just couldn’t make it to see him again so I wrote a letter and left it with a friend to deliver. Unfortunately , signals got crossed and it was never delivered, next thing I know, 10 years later he was gone.

I teach a history class on the beginnings of rock, 50’s & 60’S. One thing I overlooked, that Carol Kaye pointed out in an interview, is the influence of the studio musicians of the time. Earl. Don Randi, HowardRoberts, Carol, Tommy Tedesco etc. were all jazzers, making their living in the studios. The charts were never that specific, just chords and punches etc, and the musicians improvised and created their parts. These grooves became the basis for tons of tunes written afterwards and are STILL being used. The patterns for “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes for example, was used for “Don’t Worry Baby” by the Beach Boys, later for “Mr. Tambourine Man” by the Byrds and on and on. Earl’s grooves were the backbone for tons of these kinds of tunes. “The best damned session drummer of all time” said Carol , which is a lot considering the company of the time, Hal Blaine, Bernard Purdie. Jim Gordon etc. But I don’t see how one could disagree.

I think a lot about Earl still, he is in my daily prayers, and I thank God, AND Dave Axelrod for giving me the opportunity to know this grand gentleman.

Mi relación con Earl Palmer sobresalio, por mucho, las memorias musicales marivillosas que tengo por tocar con este gran maestro, fue compañero.

Sus 2 hijos, Earl hijo y Donald y yo, con otro cuate, Bat, tuvimos un departamento en el distrito Wilshire en LA. Una noche Earl vino para traernos al juego de fútbol Americano con Alcorn State y Grambling. Earl, profundamente ofreció desculpas porque se olvidó a conseguir un boleto para me, no gran cosa, me emborraché entonces. La próxima cosa que sabia, Earl y los chavos están frenéticamente tratando a despertarme y el departamento se llenaba con humo bien denso. Yo había dejado un cigaro prendido en el cenicero en la sofá. La sofa iba a eruptar en llamas, si no hubiesen llegado cuando hicieron, no sé si estaría aquí en hoy dia para contar la cuenta. Meses luego vi a Earl en un sesión en Dimension recorders. “Pete, me costaste mucho dinero”, dijo, pero ESTABA RIENDO de esto. Le rogaba a decirme cuando le costó mi tontería que le puedo pagar, pero el no escucharía nada de eso. “Mano, no pienses 2 veces en esto, es nada”. Esto fue la clase de hombre que fue.

Una tarde I estoy caminando por la restuarant en 3000 Sunset y escucho alquien tocando la ventana, fue Earl invitándome a unirme con él y su cuate para un cafecito. Me senté y su cuate fue el bajista legendario, Ray Brown, Sali assombrado. Charlabamos una hora y media sobre todo de Richard Nixon, Los Dodgers, y la influencia de HowardRoberts en los jóvenes guitarristas. Yo hubiese sido contento de estrechar manos con él, pero CONVIVIR con él fue padrísimo.

La ultima vez que vi a Earl fue en una de las noches de martes en Chadneys. No sabia que fue un jam y Earl salió desanimado que no trajé mi guitarra. Charlamos mucho, y me informó que esta escribiendo un libro y la incidente de la sofa seria incluido, y que yo regrese a verlo antes que cambio a Mexico. Deje la próxima semana y no pudo regresar por verlo, pero le escribí una carta y lo dejé con un amigo por entregar. Desafortunademente, por una razón u otra, el sobre nunca fue entregado, la próxima cosa que sabia, 10 años después, Earl ha ido.

Enseño una clase de la historia de los principios de rock, los 50 y 60. Una cosa que no me dio cuenta, que mencionó Carol Kaye en un entrevista, es la influencia de los músicos del estudio de esta época. Earl, Don Randi, Howard Roberts, Carol, Tommy Tedesco etc., eran jazzistas, ganando la vida por tocar en los estudios. Las cifradas nunca eran tan especificas, solo cambios de acordes y obligatorios etc., y los músicos improvisaron y crearon sus propios partes. Estes grooves salieron como el basis por toneladas de rolas después y están usados TODAVIA. Los patrones de “Be My Baby” por Las Ronettes por ejemplo, fueron usados por Dont Worry Baby” de Los Beach Boys, y luego por “Mr.Tambourine Man” de Los Byrds y continua y continua. Los ideas de Earl eran la espina de muchos be estas rolas.“El mejor maldito baterista de los estudios de todos los tiempos” dijo Carol. Considerando la compañía de la época, Hal Blaine, Bernard Purdie, Jim Gordon etc., esto dice mucho. Pero, no veo como uno puede dar argumento.

Todavia pienso mucho en Earl, todos los días en mis oraciones, y doy gracias a Dios, Y Dave Axelrod por darme la oportunidad de concocer este gran cabellero.

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Howard Roberts 1929-1992 - Howard Roberts on Wikipedia Howard Roberts (1929-1992) Musicians Institute (formerly known as the Guitar Institute) co-founder and inspiration Howard Roberts poses with his new Gibson Howard Roberts model guitar (c.1980). Throughout the 1950s, '60s and '70s, HR was one of the busiest guitarists in Los Angeles, appearing on hundreds of album, movie and TV dates, and his own LPs established him as one of the premier jazz guitar stylists of his generation. He applied a lifelong passion for learning theory to writing books and columns as well as conducting legendary seminars. His efforts raised the standards for guitar education and culminated in the establishment of GIT, the world's first full-time contemporary guitar program. When I started playing guitar, I heard "HR Is a Dirty Guitar RE-Released on CD - Color Him Funky & H.R. Is A Dirty Guitar Player. Music history was made in February 1963 at Capitol Records' Studio A in Hollywood. That's when Howard Roberts began recording a series of albums that would set the standard for compelling guitar-oriented arrangements. Player". I was floored, I bought it and learned everything I could from it. Later in the 60's, Dave Axelrod hired me to play to play along side of HR in " Song of Innocence", the 1st of several sessions I did with Howard. In 1980 I went to GIT, studied a year and became a teacher there. Howard has been with me almost my whole career. I owe him a lot as a mentor, musician and friend. Cuando empecé con la guitarra, escuché a "Howard Roberts is a Dirty Guitar Player" y me asombró, lo compré y aprendí todo que pueda. Luego en los 60, Dave Axelrod me contrató por tocar con HR en "Song of Innocence", el primer de algunas sessiones de grabaaciones que hice con Howard. En 1980, me fui a GIT, estudiaba un año y sali como maesto alla. Howard ha estado conmigo casi todo mi carrera. Le debo mucho como mentor, musico, y amigo. Top of Page Carol Kaye AllAboutJazz- Carol Kaye - She is a First Call L.A. Studio Bassist

Karol Kaye Website I had learned very early in my career to never underestimate the abilities of a woman playing music, but nothing prepared me for Carol Kaye. Axelrod and Earl Palmer had told me that the lady was incredible and I had no reason to doubt them. But I wasn't prepared to sit next to Carol in the studio. When she entered the studio, I immediately thought of my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Stone. When Don Radii gave the 1st countdown, I immediately lost my place in the chart, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It wasn't that I couldn't believe that a woman was playing like that, it was because I couldn't believe the bass could be played like that. Right off the bat, her and Earl Palmer connected and started ping-ponging the groove every which way, all I could do was listen in amazement. Luckily I could compose myself for the 2nd take and everything came out ok. At first, I was a little upset with some of the sexist comments that the musicians would throw at her, but she was used to it, she was just one of the boys and laughed, just Hollywood studio humor. They all respected her a lot. I think the next time I played with her was the "Release of an Oath" sessions for the Electric Prunes at the Sound Factory. We arrived at the same time and she wasn't feeling well so I carried her instruments in for her. "You may be the boogienest bass player in the world, but you are still a lady", I told her, and she was very charmed and appreciative, she was used to the comments of the other musicians. I believe that was the last session I did with her but I would see her from time to time and we had great little chats. The last time I saw her was early in the 80's when I was at MI. She came to do a seminar so I approached her when she was tuning up. I was flattered that she remembered me so well. I have never hesitated to use women in my bands thorough the years, if the best man available is a mamacita, then she would get my 1st call without any hesitation, and this has given me a lot of wonderful musical memories, and it all started with the best, Carol Kaye. He aprendido muy temprano en mi carrera que nunca subestimaré las capacidades de una mujer que toca la musica, pero nada me preparó por Carol Kaye. Axelrod y Earl Palmer me habian dicho que fue increible y tuve no razón ninguna para dudarles. Pero, no estuve preparado para sentarme junto a Carol en el estudio. Cuando ella entró el estudio, imediatemente pensé en mi maestra del kinder, Sra. Stone. Cuando Don Randi contó la velocidad de la primera rola, me perdí, al instante, mi lugar en la cifrada, no creia lo que escuchaba. No es como si fuera que no creia que una mujer esta tocando asi, fue porque no creia que el bajo puede ser tocado en esta manera. Del principio, ella y Earl Palmer se conectaron y jugaba con el ritmo en cualquiera manera posible, y todo que pude hacer fue a escuchar asombrado. De suerte, pude componerme por el segundo tomo y todo salió bien. Al principio, me descompuse algunas de los comentarios sexistos de los otros musicos, pero ella fue acostumbrada, fue uno de los chavos y reia, fue el humor de los estudios de Hollywood. Los musicos tuvieron mucho de respeto para ella. Pienso que la proxima vez que toqué con ella fue los sessiones de "Release of an Oath" de Los Electric Prunes en el Sound Factory. Nos llegamos al mismo tiempo y ella no se sentia muy bien, entonces llevé sus instrumentos al estudio para ella. "Puedes ser el bajista mas padre en el mundo, pero todavia eres una dama". le dije, y ella salio muy encantada y agredecida, ella se acostombraba a los comentarios de los otros musicos. Creo que esto fue la ultima session que hice con ella, pero la veia de vez en cuando y teniamos buenas charlitas. La ultima vez que la vi fue temprano en los 80 cuando estuve en MI. Habia venido por dar un seminario entonces me acercé a ella cuando afinaba. Me agredeció que ella se recordó bien de mi tanto. Nunca he hestitado de usar las mujeres en mis grupos atraves los años, si el mejor hombre disponible es mujer, ella rebibirá mi primera llamada sin hesitar, y esto me ha dado muchas memorias musicales marivillosas, y todo empezó con la mejor, Carol Kaye.

Steve Trovato SteveTrovato.com Steve Trovato should have his picture on the cover of Guitar Player magazine.........every month! The cat is absolutely amazing. Steve and I became friends in 1980 when we were students at GIT. Ever since then, we've learned a lot from each other. One day he heard me playing my steel guitar bends in the halls and he was amazed, "I've never heard the guitar played like that before," he said. I showed him the 8 or 9 licks that I knew and the boy took them and created a whole new way of playing country music. I still only play the 8 or 9 licks, but he'll stun you with what he did with them. We jammed and hung out all that year, and after graduation he joined me in Pedro and the Chinamen. A ton of musicians have played with me in that group, but nobody more than Steve. We had that group for ten years, mostly playing in Venice Beach, California. Steve was always good as a student, but when we got out, he just exploded. We'd be playing and he'd take a solo and my jaw would drop. "What has this boy been taking, and where can I get some"? Every gig he was twice as good as the last one. I almost became scared to be on the same stage. But the truth is that he made me better. I had to give everything or he'd make me look bad. So I practiced more and more and got better because of Steve. His chops are absolutely incredible, so percusive and in such perfect time. As the eighties went on, Steve developed more interest in blues. He learned alot about this music from me, but as always, he superceeded in this idiom. Although he can play Steve Vai fast, he now plays blues with frasing as sweet as the water in a Colorado mountain stream. He put in some good words for me at MI and helped me gain a teaching position there. He was also responsible for putting me on the MI Blues play along project. But more than anything, I owe him a lot for inspiring me and making me a better player. I've always felt that Steve didn't get the recognition that he deserves on a global level. Hes not really what you would call unknown, but the world should be cognitive of his amazing talents. Steve Trovato debe ser en la portada de la revista Guitar Player......... todos los meses. El tipo es absolutemente asombroso. Steve y yo salimos amigos en 1980 cuando eramos alumnos en GIT. Desde hace entonces, hemos aprendidos mucho uno a otro. Un dia, él me ecuchó tocando mis bends de steel guitar en los pasillos de la escuela y él salio asombrado. "Nunca escuché la guitarra tocado en esta manera" me dijo. Le enseñé mis 8 o 9 frases que sabia y el chavo las llevó and creaó una manera completemente nueva de tocar la musica country. Todavia toco los mismos 8 o 9 frases pero él te meta en schock con lo que hizo con ellas. Nos jamiamos y colgemos todo este año, y depspues de graduar, él me unió en Pedro and the Chinamen. Un montón de musicos tocaron conmigo en este grupo, pero nadie mas que Steve. Tuvimos ese grupo por 10 años, mas veces tocando en Venice Beach, Ca. Steve are muy bueno como alumno, pero cuando graduamos, él se explotó. Estabamos tocando, y cuando tocó un solo, sali assombrado. Digo, "Que esta tomando este chavo, y donde puedo consiguir algo"? Cada tocada, él tocó doble de lo que hizo antes. Casi temia subir el mismo escenario con él. Pero la verdad es que me hice mejor. Tuve que darlo todo o me haria parecer mal. Yo practicaba mas y mas y me mejoré por tocar con él. Sus habilidades son absolutemente increible. Tan percusivo y en ritmo perfecto. Atraves los 80, Steve desarolló mucho enteres en el blues. El aprendió mucho de esta musica de mi, pero de siempre, el sobresalió en este idioma. Puede tocar rapido a la Steve Vai, pero ya toca el blues con fraseo dulce como el aqua de un arroyo de Colorado. El me recomendió y me ayudó en conseguir un puesto de maestro en MI. Tambien fue responsable por metirme en el projecto de MI Play Along. Pero mas que nunca, le debo mucho por inspirarme y hacerme un mejor guitarrista. Yo siempre he pensado que Steve nunca recibió el reconiciemento que merece en un livel global. No es exactamente desconocido, pero el mundo debe ser cognitivo de sus grandes talentos.

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-NEWS Dec. 2011

Posted by Michalis Limnios BLUES @ GREECE on December 31, 2011


Article from Greece, content largely shared from MrPedro.com

Joe DiOrio

JoeDiOrio on
MySpace.com

Meet Joe Diorio
Article at
All AboutJazz.com

Joe DiOrio on Wikipedia

The best living guitar player in the world today is Joe DiOrio, end of argument.

I had graduated from the Univ. of Denver and was enthralled at the modern harmony that I heard from the school's orchestra and wind ensamble. I became a great fan of Stravinski, Charles Ives, Persricetti, Bartok, so many composers whose sense of harmony sent me to the moon.

I had heard about Joe but when I heard him play the same harmony on a guitar, my ears blew wide open. I never dreamed that it could be applied to the my instrument. In the old days, MI or GIT as it was known then, was so small that you could get a lot of individual attention and I followed Joe around like a lost puppy. His book, "INTERVALIC DESIGNS FOR THE GUITAR" is still on my coffee table. There is one lick that I've been working on since my GIT days that I can play only about half the time. Like my wayward friend Scott Henderson, Joe is one of the few musicians that has his technique so perfected, that he doesnt even think about the neck when he improvises. Its all ideas that just flow from his heart and mind and the technique is merely a vehicle to express them. About once every 2000 years I play like that with blues, but Joe does it when he's tuning up. He is so far ahead of his time that it will probably take a hundred years for the world to get a grip on him. Sometimes Ive heard my style as "Blues mixed with little side trips to Mars". Nope, it blues mixed with Joe.

El mejor guitarista que vive es Joe DiOrio, fin del argumento.
Yo habia graduado de la Universidad de Denver y sali encantado con la harmonia moderna que escuchaba de la orquesta y ensamble de los vientos. Me tranformé en gran fanatico de Stravinski, Charles Ives, Persicetti, Bartok, tantos compositores que me mandaron a la luna.
. En los dias previous, MI, o GIT como fue conocido en aqullos dias, fue tan pequeño que uno puede recibir mucha atención individual, y segia a Joe como un cachorro perdido. Su libro, "INTERVALIC DESIGNS FOR THE GUITAR", todavia permenence en my mesa del cafe. Hay un patron con que estoy trabajando hace mis dias en GIT, que puedo tocar la mitad del tiempo. Como mi cuate loco, Scott Henderson, Joe es uno de los que tiene su tecnica tan perfectada, que aun no piensa en el diapisón cuando improvise. Es puras ideas que simplemente flujan de su mente y corazón y la tecnica es unicamente un vehiculo para expresarles. Casi una vez cada 2000 años yo lo toco asi en blues, pero Joe lo hace cuando esta afinando. Joe esta tan adelanto de su tiempo que problemente va a tomar100 años antes que el mundo le entiende. A veces eschucho mi estilo decribido como "blues mezclado con pequeños viajes al Marte". Eso no es, es blues mezclado con JOE.

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John Herron

I had found my musical identity with the progressive avant guarde group “The Spinning Wheel” but when the group broke up, I knew it was time that I had to grow. I needed to be in a band where I was the weakest member.

I was playing with one of the various mutations of “The Moonrakers” when we started a tour of the southwest US in Colorado Springs by playing on a show with the “Young Rascals”, a popular group at the time. A band called the GNP opened the show. They were a little outdated, matching uniforms and doing steps but they were James Brown tight, and they had a Hammond organ player that was incredible, and he was on fire that night. I had adored Jimmy Smith and studied the playing of Kenny Burrell and had always dreamed of playing with someone with that concept.

When we got back from the tour, I had gotten a call from the GNP inviting me to join the band and play a club date in Honolulu for 3 months. It was 7 nites a week, from 7:30 to 3:30, a lot of playing. After thinking about it awhile, I accepted. Id never played with a band that was that well arranged and disciplined. So many hours a night would give me the experience that I needed, but most of all I was knocked out by the chance of playing in a band with a Hammond.

The organist, John Herron and I flew to Honolulu together and hit it off real well. We liked the same music, same artists, same career objectives and we both wanted to do original music. The year was 1967, “the summer of love”.

I got everything I needed from playing that gig, I had improved immensely, but most of all I had found a musical soulmate in John. When the gig ended, I joined

Hardwater - Capitol Records

Hardwater- CD ReReleased 2011 in England

the Astronauts. I loved the group in their surf days, but now they were just playing gigs. The reason I joined is that they were going to LA, change the name to Hardwater and record for Capitol Records. Musically the group was pretty unexciting after playing with the Spinning Wheel and GNP, but I looked at it as a stepping stone to get involved with the recording industry. I always knew that John and I would play together again.

Our manager was also the manager of the Stevie Winwood, 10 Years After, and the Electric Prunes a musically terrible group that had a couple of hits, but were all basket cases. The manager asked

John Herron front center

us if we knew a group that could replace them, continuing with name. John had a group with Richard Whetstone called "Climax” and they became the Prunes. They recorded an two albums for Warners-Reprise and Richard did the superb vocals for Dave Axelrod’s “Release of an Oath”. Meanwhile, the Astronauts, which had become “Hardwater” had recorded an album that went nowhere but I had become tight with Dave Axelrod. I decided that Id gotten all I could from that situation and quit. Meanwhile, Axelrod wanted to continue with me and offered me a contract with Capitol Records and asked me to put a group together. John was disillusioned with being a Prune so he joined me with Rob McLerran who had been the bassist with The Spinning Wheel and Hardwater, and Earl Palmer’s son Donald on drums.

John had met Juddy Phillips, Sam’s nephew and wanted to start a production company. The idea was to be Stax west. He wanted the band to be the house band and persuaded me to leave Axelrod which was probably the worst career move Ive ever made. Dave wanted to go all out with my album but I loved working with John so much that I told Dave I was leaving, he never forgave me for that.

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We did a lot of projects. We placed a group from Interlochen Arts Academy led by Chris Brubeck, Daves 2nd son, did a soundtrack for an unsuccessful movie called “Last of the American Hoboes”, a soul singer named Al Johnson, recorded some demos with Dr. John, (then known as the Night Tripper), and we had our own project called “Demon Rum”. I learned lot about the music business from our inexperience. Joe Sutton, who was Neil Diamonds’s mgr. made us believe that we were going to get $100,000 from A&M records. We were so young and stupid that we fell for it. We had received an offer of $11,000 from Mercury, and a separate offer from A&M for $10,000 which we rejected. We ended up with nothing and the whole project fell apart.

John had started writing tunes at that time, all instrumentals but had teamed with Rob who was a fine lyricist. They later formed a group that recorded an album for Uni Records

Boondoggle & Balderdash John Herron & Rob McLerran

John and I had been the best of buddies all these years, but the musical directions were starting to get very opposite. We never were together again in any serious musical projects.

I had moved back to Colorado and returned in 1980. I stayed with John until I found my own place and we hung out a lot, went to 30 Dodger games that summer. But John was a changed man. He was very critical of my musical ambitions. “Where do you think THAT will get you” he would say anytime I mentioned playing jazz. I just about couldn’t talk with him about music anymore without this kind of pummeling. And he was obsessed with “making it.”

After I had graduated from GIT, I started playing jazz and country and the Sunset Saloon in Venice Beach. One Friday afternoon I walked into the club and they asked me to throw a band together for that night. I called Keith Moret, an Afro-Cajun bassist with a tremendous voice and called John who said he would dig up a drummer. He showed up with Jim Gordon. No rehearsal but we played like wildfire. It was one of the most unforgettable nights of my career. The audience was going absolutely nuts with every tune and we were stoked. We played for 3 hours before it dawned on us to take a break. Although John and I were going opposite ways, the magic on stage was stronger than ever. This was the 1st version of Pedro and the Chinamen.

We played together quite a bit during that decade but John had become too involved with his songwriting career and didn’t want to do the clubs much anymore. Playing together was a musical orgasmic expierence, but we both got involved with other things, John had found other guitarists that he used for his studio projects and the next thing I knew we had just stopped seeing each other. I don’t think we talked once in the 90’s.

I had moved to Mexico and one night I had got a call from Rob McLerran who told me of John’s accident and that he was in a coma and not given any chance to survive. He gave it a good fight, just like always but the injuries were too grave. A few months later, my friend Greg Kacheoff called me and informed me that we had lost John.

I felt so bad that I couldn’t do anything to help, that I would never play music with him again...I would never see him again.

Years later the sadness has diminished but not the frustration about the way our friendship ended. But he was a prince. Once in a lifetime person who I had the priviledge of knowing, playing with, and loved as a friend.

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