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Mr. Magic

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:32 pm
by Planetguy
so, i got a call for a pickup gig this weekend. straight up 3 pc blues gig. i got the song list and it's all the typical blues fare you'd expect. then i niotice the old Grover Washington tune "Mr. Magic" on the list!

wow, hadn't played or even heard that tune in yrs so off to youtube i go to find a version so i can try to jog my addled brain.

found this one w a stellar backup band...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIRstLa1 ... re=related

love eric gale's (usual) stinging tone. i was quite surprised back in the day when i finally saw him play and learned he wasn't playing a strat or tele but was in fact getting that tone from a big ol' jazz box!

and steve gadd....man, that guy is (and always has been) in a league of his own!

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 5:24 pm
by J-HALEY
Sweet, that drummer is a phukin MONSTER! You think he was inspired by Buddy Rich? :shock: Also you give a black musician a cowbell and he will make sounds with that thing you couldn't have imagined! Thanks for posting I REALLY enjoyed that! :D

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 5:56 pm
by Planetguy
J-HALEY wrote:Sweet, that drummer is a phukin MONSTER! You think he was inspired by Buddy Rich? :shock:


aren't ALL the great drummers???!!! :wink:

Thanks for posting I REALLY enjoyed that! :D


you're most welcome. have you seen any of the Paul Simon in Central Park video from a few yrs back? great, great stuff w a huge band of 3 or 4 gtr players, horns, keys, and 3 or 4 percussionists w Steve Gadd anchoring it. oh, man...he just kills on that. not many drummers can play w even one percussionist and make it work but he always seems to play just the perfect parts w that super phat groove of his.

they play a lot of PS's african stuff and also some brazilian stuff (love gadd on the brazilian stuff) and they dress up a few of PS's older tunes in some new clothes too.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 6:16 pm
by J-HALEY
Planetguy wrote:
J-HALEY wrote:Sweet, that drummer is a phukin MONSTER! You think he was inspired by Buddy Rich? :shock:


aren't ALL the great drummers???!!! :wink:

Thanks for posting I REALLY enjoyed that! :D


you're most welcome. have you seen any of the Paul Simon in Central Park video from a few yrs back? great, great stuff w a huge band of 3 or 4 gtr players, horns, keys, and 3 or 4 percussionists w Steve Gadd anchoring it. oh, man...he just kills on that. not many drummers can play w even one percussionist and make it work but he always seems to play just the perfect parts w that super phat groove of his.

they play a lot of PS's african stuff and also some brazilian stuff (love gadd on the brazilian stuff) and they dress up a few of PS's older tunes in some new clothes too.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


I have seen bits of it but not the complete compilation. I think I'll see if best Buy has it! Actually I am thinking of Simon and Garfunkle in Central park. I'll definately have to check into this I have always been a S&G fan!

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 6:22 pm
by Planetguy
no artie on this concert from '91.

here's one of several tunes from it that are up youtube....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDfT8tUt ... re=related

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 6:32 pm
by J-HALEY
Did you notice Gale was playing through a musicman amp on Mr. Magic? I used to love those old Music man amps!

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 6:40 pm
by Planetguy
J-HALEY wrote:Did you notice Gale was playing through a musicman amp on Mr. Magic? I used to love those old Music man amps!


good catch! no i hadn't caught that. i still can't believe the tone he gets out of that L5...(at least it looks like an L5 to me) and on the neck pickup no less!!!


i never owned a Mauicman amp but used to play w a badass gtrst that had a little MM combo w one 12" spkr in it. he'd hook up a Bandmaster 2x12 closed back cab to it and w his aluminum neck Kramer.....man, did that guy have tone for days! one of THE best tones i've ever heard, but then frank could make anything sound great.

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 7:06 pm
by Paleopete
Sweet, that drummer is a phukin MONSTER! You think he was inspired by Buddy Rich?


I'd almost bet on it. Gadd is one of the best. First time I ever heard of him was in the band Charlie from the mid 70's.

No Second Chance - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPHi5D2H990

Look down the list, a couple other songs from the No Second Chance album there, all worth checking out. One of my favorite bands from that period. Johnny Hold Back and Guitar Hero are both great. Great harmonies on No Second Chance. (listening as I type) Love the slide work too. Terry Thomas on guitar, he's also lead singer and songwriter. I had to dig up my old album and look at the liner notes...

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 7:55 pm
by jw123
Eric Gale, I bought one of my Dual Recs from Eugene Gales a few years ago.

PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:58 am
by RhythmMan-2
I do "Mr. Magic," on my looper, vocally . . . about 8 part harmony or there-abouts . . . call n response and stuff . . .
.
I always liked that song.

Re: Mr. Magic

PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 10:33 pm
by JCP61
Planetguy wrote:so, i got a call for a pickup gig this weekend. straight up 3 pc blues gig. i got the song list and it's all the typical blues fare you'd expect. then i niotice the old Grover Washington tune "Mr. Magic" on the list!

wow, hadn't played or even heard that tune in yrs so off to youtube i go to find a version so i can try to jog my addled brain.

found this one w a stellar backup band...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIRstLa1 ... re=related

love eric gale's (usual) stinging tone. i was quite surprised back in the day when i finally saw him play and learned he wasn't playing a strat or tele but was in fact getting that tone from a big ol' jazz box!

and steve gadd....man, that guy is (and always has been) in a league of his own!


not trying to rain on your parade,
but the guitar player is really struggling in that vid,
the drummer stepping all over him isn't helping anything.
decent sax player though

Re: Mr. Magic

PostPosted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 12:52 am
by Planetguy
JCP61 wrote:
Planetguy wrote:so, i got a call for a pickup gig this weekend. straight up 3 pc blues gig. i got the song list and it's all the typical blues fare you'd expect. then i niotice the old Grover Washington tune "Mr. Magic" on the list!

wow, hadn't played or even heard that tune in yrs so off to youtube i go to find a version so i can try to jog my addled brain.

found this one w a stellar backup band...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIRstLa1 ... re=related

love eric gale's (usual) stinging tone. i was quite surprised back in the day when i finally saw him play and learned he wasn't playing a strat or tele but was in fact getting that tone from a big ol' jazz box!

and steve gadd....man, that guy is (and always has been) in a league of his own!


not trying to rain on your parade,
but the guitar player is really struggling in that vid,
the drummer stepping all over him isn't helping anything.
decent sax player though


s'ok...that's what they make umbrellas for. :wink:

hey, i wouldn't mind "stuggling" like that at all. and steve gadd could "step all over me" anytime!

PostPosted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 4:24 pm
by VinnyViolin
Great clip! With a player as good as Gale, 90% of his tone comes from his touch rather than the guitar.

If he wasn't able to play guitar with such nuanced expressiveness, he probably could have been a great plumber.

Gadd ain't steppin on anybody ... he's dancing!

Steve Gadd and Buddy Rich were both tap dancers as kids ... nothing like pounding in the rhythm from the bottom up to make a great drummer.

PostPosted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:53 pm
by JCP61
that certainly puts an end to the illusion of your musical arrangement abilities.

PostPosted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:08 pm
by Planetguy
VinnyViolin wrote:Great clip! With a player as good as Gale, 90% of his tone comes from his touch rather than the guitar.

If he wasn't able to play guitar with such nuanced expressiveness, he probably could have been a great plumber.

Gadd ain't steppin on anybody ... he's dancing!

Steve Gadd and Buddy Rich were both tap dancers as kids ... nothing like pounding in the rhythm from the bottom up to make a great drummer.



well, well..i knew buddy was a tap dancer (like many of the great drummers from that era) including one my musical heroes....vibist cal tjader, but i had no idea mr. gadd also included that on his resume!