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Topic: Paul Shaffer on rushing the time... |
Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 15 Dec 2010 10:32 am |
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Great story here:
For those who are already expert at their craft there are perils to rushing or overrehearsing. Here Paul Shaffer frantically tries to reach Sammy Davis Jr. to select a song and schedule rehearsal before his appearance on the David Letterman show:
"Every time I called [Sammy Davis Jr. to try and select a song or discuss rehearsal] he was either working or sleeping. He never did return my calls.
The morning of the show I was feeling some panic. Sammy was flying in and we still didn't know what he wanted to sing. At 10 a.m. the floor manager
said I had a backstage call. It was Sammy calling from the plane.
' 'Once in My Life' will be fine Paul' he said. 'Key of E going into F.'
'Great!' I was relieved.
I was also eager to work out an arrangement. We whipped up a chart, nursed it, rehearsed it, and put it on tape. That way when Sammy arrived he could hear it. ...
'I wanna make it easy for you. So I'll just play you a tape of the arrangement on the boom box. That way you'll hear what we've done and tell me if it's okay.'
'Man I know the song.' ...
I slipped the cassette in the boom box and hit 'play.' To my ears the chart sounded great. Sammy closed his eyes and in Sammy style nodded his
head up and down to the groove. He smiled.
'It's swinging man,' he said 'but think of how much more fun we could have had if I hadn't heard this tape.'
His words still resonate in my ears; the notion still haunts me. Sammy sung that night but as he was performing, I couldn't help thinking that his carefree feeling about time - as opposed to my lifelong notion of the pressure of the time - was coming from a higher spiritual plane. As a musician, I've always thought I rushed. I still think I rush. The great players never rush.
It reminds me of that moment when I watched Ray Charles turn to his guitarist just as the young guy was about to solo and say, 'Take your time son. Take your time.' "
Author: Paul Shaffer
Title: We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives
Publisher: Flying Dolphin Press
Date: Copyright 2009 by Paul Shaffer Enterprises Inc.
Pages: 234-235
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www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 15 Dec 2010 10:36 am
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The story of the old bull and the young bull up on the pasture hillside comes to mind... 
_________________
Lawyers are done: Emmons SD-10, 3 Dekleys including a D10, NV400, and lots of effects units to cover my clams... |
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 15 Dec 2010 10:52 am
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Cool story from a guy who has played for everybody and knows every tune ever written.
Reminds me of David Bromberg telling me in the middle of a solo to "let it breathe" |
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Bob Watson
From:
Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
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Posted 15 Dec 2010 9:38 pm
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| Paul Shaffer's book is a great read, lots of cool stories like that one. The greatest players can be playing lightnin' fast licks and still make it have a relaxed feel to it. |
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Steve Alonzo Walker
From:
Spartanburg,S.C. USA (deceased)
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Posted 16 Dec 2010 3:44 am
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| Heard Paul On the Opry A Few Weeks Ago. Said Floyd Cramer Was A Huge Influence To Him, He Played Two Cramer Songs And Played Them In The Cramer Style. |
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Ben Lawson
From:
Brooksville Florida
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Posted 16 Dec 2010 9:00 am
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| Great post Jimbeau. I gotta go buy a book. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 16 Dec 2010 11:19 am
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Jim,Have you read Jimmy Bowen's "Rough Mix" there's a great story about Mike Post producing an album for Sammy. 
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 16 Dec 2010 2:08 pm
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what does shafer sound like??? only heard him copying people for years. made a good living doing it!! lol
worked with sammy davis jr in hawaii. he brought his own chef, who brought his own kitchen with him!!! |
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Dave McKeough
From:
Nova Scotia, Canada
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Posted 20 Dec 2010 11:20 pm
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| great book! |
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