Playing the saxophone What is or isn’t rock and roll?

[JSL]

Yes but that was at least 3 decades later (in case anyone thought I was that old). I also played with Bill Haley but the bigger deal for me was with Fats because of the experience of playing with the horn section - some of whom were from back in the day, notably Lee Allen, Herb Hardesty, Dave Bartholomew. Not to mention Roy Montrell on guitar.

Yeah Pete. Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you were that old! Just making the point that you had direct experience playing & listening to top quality blues/R&R, live.

 

[JSL]

Plus clubs like the Star Club (I once had to do an encore at gun point but that is a different story)

Man, I 'd love to hear that story!

 

[JayeNM]

There was a huge audience in Germany, groups like the Beatles were touring there for years before they became famous or decided to invade America.

Someone may correct me on this but post WW2 there were a lot of US army and airforce bases. Plus clubs like the Star Club (I once had to do an encore at gun point but that is a different story)

Huh...they don't point a gun at me unless I TRY to play an Encore....

 

[JayeNM]

The Beatles in Hamburg - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Yes, I understand that...Brit rock bands gigged in Germany...this I was aware of....
....more wondering if there were any German genre/musical influences which fed Brit rock....or other European influences.....that American rock would not have crossed paths with....

Or rather was Germany just the sorta 'cut your teeth, live' destination ?

 

[Targa]

Yes, I understand that...Brit rock bands gigged in Germany...this I was aware of....
....more wondering if there were any German genre/musical influences which fed Brit rock....or other European influences.....that American rock would not have crossed paths with....

Or rather was Germany just the sorta 'cut your teeth, live' destination ?

The latter. They learned the hard way before becoming, as the media liked to present them, all those nice young boys from England playing little pop songs to screaming girls.

 

[thomsax]

Rock & Roll was much more than just the music ..... how could a Rock & Roll star go to Germany .... while another Rock & Roll star was put to jail. Both playing thier roles in Rock & Roll !?!?!

 

[turf3]

Well, Elvis was drafted, and instead of weaseling out of his required military service, he did the honorable thing and reported for duty.

 

[Targa]

Rock & Roll was much more than just the music ..... how could a Rock & Roll star go to Germany .... while another Rock & Roll star was put to jail. Both playing thier roles in Rock & Roll !?!?!View attachment 34281

When they went to Germany they weren’t stars, only quite well known in the local clubs.
Then we didn’t even have to pay much to see them all, legged it out of school at lunch time, into the cavern for as long as we could then legged back again.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

"Plus clubs like the Star Club (I once had to do an encore at gun point but that is a different story)"

That's one way to demand a high caliber performance. 😵‍💫

Playing in a very Italian restaurant/club, a waiter dropped a large tray of dishes.
At the moment of the crash, the band were the only ones, that didn't drop to the floor, with pistols in hand.
When we got paid in cash, as told, we each gave 10%, to a big guy, at the end of the bar.

 

[JayeNM]

The latter. They learned the hard way before becoming, as the media liked to present them, all those nice young boys from England playing little pop songs to screaming girls.

Payin' Dues....something most recording stars no longer do in the music industry

 

[JayeNM]

Well, Elvis was drafted, and instead of weaseling out of his required military service, he did the honorable thing and reported for duty.

Not sure refusing to enlist for unjust wars is 'weaseling out', tho...

 

[turf3]

Not sure refusing to enlist for unjust wars is 'weaseling out', tho...

Yeah, I'm not talking about Vietnam. Elvis was drafted into the peacetime army. He was offered various options to avoid it but declined these.

 

[Grumps]

Elvis had to make sacrifices when in the army.
They wouldn't let him dye his hair black.

 

[Targa]

Yeah, I'm not talking about Vietnam. Elvis was drafted into the peacetime army. He was offered various options to avoid it but declined these.

But think, without that sacrifice to his career and gaining all the invaluable first hand experience the world of music would have been deprived of the cinematic classic GI Blues.

 

[Grumps]

A barber in town played sax for Elvis when he was in Miami and has milked it ever since. He's a solid pro and sat in for an entire night with my combo at a party we played some years ago. I'd been meaning to ask him for some time whether or not Elvis ever gave him a Cadillac, as I knew it was the brand of car he drove, and I got my opportunity that night. His response was something like, NO (gosh-darnit), he never (freakin') did!

 

[JSL]

His response was something like, NO (gosh-darnit), he never (freakin') did!

I'm willing to bet those weren't his exact words (the ones in parentheses).

 

[Grumps]

Del Puschert. He passed a few years ago:

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/capitalgazette/name/delbert-puschert-obituary?id=36083426

Now remembering that gig, I recall that was when the guys I hired for my combo told me that generally when a saxophonist sits in, it's gonna be a long night. But Del was different. I knew he also was a friend of my fathers and had no problem with him joining us for that gig, though perhaps not every saxophonist wants the best guy in town up on the bandstand with them. And the guys did warn me that once he was up, he wouldn't leave. But believe me, I was totally into it. He was on tenor, so I probably stuck to alto that night. He'd play fast, I'd go slow. If he went slow, I went fast. I love that though. It can be a challenge when someone much better joins you, but one thing I know from that night... he made me better.