Great story @tablejockey! If I had been at the Bar-B-Q, Harold and I would have been discussing Earl Palmer, the New Orleans drummer whom I and others credit with creating Rock ’n Roll drumming (okay, D.J. Fontana deserves some credit too ;-).
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Harold had gone to Chadney’s Restaurant in Burbank in the 1990’s to hear Earl’s jazz band, as I and many other drummers did. Living, breathing Rock ’n’ Roll history, right there in front of me onstage. It was surreal!
I took an old friend of mine from San Jose (now making a living playing bass in Los Straitjackets, his first instrument was drums) to hear Earl, and he later brought him in to his studio (16-track analog) to record with a Rockabilly singer he was producing. Earl had not received a demo tape of the material, just came to the session "cold". All three songs, first takes, perfect.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Harold had gone to Chadney’s Restaurant in Burbank in the 1990’s to hear Earl’s jazz band, as I and many other drummers did. Living, breathing Rock ’n’ Roll history, right there in front of me onstage. It was surreal!
I took an old friend of mine from San Jose (now making a living playing bass in Los Straitjackets, his first instrument was drums) to hear Earl, and he later brought him in to his studio (16-track analog) to record with a Rockabilly singer he was producing. Earl had not received a demo tape of the material, just came to the session "cold". All three songs, first takes, perfect.