Post by TheWallsScreamedPoetry on Jan 9, 2007 16:24:19 GMT
JOHN DENSMORE BREAKS ON THROUGH
Jim Morrison has always loomed large in John Densmore's life, from the day he met him and the moments they shared in The Doors to the memories he cherishes 35 years after the singer-poet's death.
Even Morrison's spirit is resurrected by Densmore for his Los Angeles-based collective, Tribaljazz, whose self-titled debut album was released Oct. 17 on Hidden Beach.
For a trippy cover of The Doors' final hit, "Riders on the Storm," Densmore made a phone call to the group's old engineer, Bruce Botnick.
"When we recorded the original," the acclaimed drummer said recently, "Jim did a couple of takes, you know, overdubs. Afterward, we asked to him to do it one more time, but with a whisper through the entire track. We put it in subliminally.
"So I asked Bruce, 'Can you get me that whisper vocal? I only want the whisper vocal.' I got it, and Ray (Manzarek) and Robby (Krieger) were cool with it, so I put it under the flute solo. It may seem a little spooky, but no one's singing it and the flute player isn't wearing any leather pants."
For Densmore, it's not a stretch for him to be involved in jazz. He was interested in it long before The Doors were formed in 1965.
"I mouth off about being a jazz drummer before The Doors, and here, 30 years later, I'm finally putting my sticks where my mouth is," he said, laughing. "I hadn't even envisioned a career in music. I loved jazz and played it all through school, but I never thought I would ever make a living at it. Jazz is a tough road."
It helps that Densmore surrounded himself with other stellar musicians: Quinn Johnson (piano), Cuban-born Carlos Del Puerto (bass), Cristina Berio (Italian-born, Brazil-trained percussionist) and African drummers Marcel Adjibi and Azziz Faye.
"People who have been listening to the Tribaljazz album and heard that Carlos was playing live with us, at the Jaco Pastorious Web site, they're talking about how the new Tribaljazz bass player is the new Jaco," Densmore said. "That's the level of musicianship that I have in this band. It's a thrill to keep up with these 29-year-olds."
For the album, Densmore gets a hand from Spearhead's Michael Franti (on "Violet Love") and actress Alfre Woodard, on "The First Time," a tribute to jazz great John Coltrane.
"Alfre had never done spoken word before and was a little nervous, 'what if it's no good?' " Densmore said. "I said, 'Well, then no one will hear it. We'll throw it away.' She said, 'Give me some direction.' I said, 'No, you're a world-class actress. Do your thing.' She did a couple takes and then I had an idea. 'Why don't you try it one more time and do it like the minute you heard Coltrane's horn for the first time and you wanted to jump on his bones.' And that was the take. It was very sultry."
Densmore and company have played several dates in Southern California, testing the waters slowly but surely, and he says they'll likely tour in the spring. Till then, he wants to leave no doubts: He's committed to Tribaljazz.
"There are many cultures in this band. And I think the next album will be even more of a group effort, with songs written by all of them," he said.
As for The Doors, like Morrison, their spirit lives on. "Perception," a CD/DVD box set of the group's six studio albums, will be released Nov. 21, and "The Doors By The Doors," a coffee-table hardcover book written by Ben Fong-Torres, was issued on Nov. 7 - all ahead of a rollout of Doors reissues next year to mark the 40th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' groundbreaking debut album.
Last week, Manzarek and Krieger celebrated The Doors' legacy with a show at the famed Whisky A Go-Go. The 61-year-old Densmore was there but did not perform with his former band mates because of a longstanding rift over the use of the group's name.
"I am certainly proud of my past," Densmore said. "There's a certain kind of magic about the four of us in a garage in Venice (Calif.) that's bigger than all of us, and I honor that. I'm also excited about living in the 21st century and the future."
from Pause & Play By GERRY GALIPAULT
(Nov. 13, 2006)
Jim Morrison has always loomed large in John Densmore's life, from the day he met him and the moments they shared in The Doors to the memories he cherishes 35 years after the singer-poet's death.
Even Morrison's spirit is resurrected by Densmore for his Los Angeles-based collective, Tribaljazz, whose self-titled debut album was released Oct. 17 on Hidden Beach.
For a trippy cover of The Doors' final hit, "Riders on the Storm," Densmore made a phone call to the group's old engineer, Bruce Botnick.
"When we recorded the original," the acclaimed drummer said recently, "Jim did a couple of takes, you know, overdubs. Afterward, we asked to him to do it one more time, but with a whisper through the entire track. We put it in subliminally.
"So I asked Bruce, 'Can you get me that whisper vocal? I only want the whisper vocal.' I got it, and Ray (Manzarek) and Robby (Krieger) were cool with it, so I put it under the flute solo. It may seem a little spooky, but no one's singing it and the flute player isn't wearing any leather pants."
For Densmore, it's not a stretch for him to be involved in jazz. He was interested in it long before The Doors were formed in 1965.
"I mouth off about being a jazz drummer before The Doors, and here, 30 years later, I'm finally putting my sticks where my mouth is," he said, laughing. "I hadn't even envisioned a career in music. I loved jazz and played it all through school, but I never thought I would ever make a living at it. Jazz is a tough road."
It helps that Densmore surrounded himself with other stellar musicians: Quinn Johnson (piano), Cuban-born Carlos Del Puerto (bass), Cristina Berio (Italian-born, Brazil-trained percussionist) and African drummers Marcel Adjibi and Azziz Faye.
"People who have been listening to the Tribaljazz album and heard that Carlos was playing live with us, at the Jaco Pastorious Web site, they're talking about how the new Tribaljazz bass player is the new Jaco," Densmore said. "That's the level of musicianship that I have in this band. It's a thrill to keep up with these 29-year-olds."
For the album, Densmore gets a hand from Spearhead's Michael Franti (on "Violet Love") and actress Alfre Woodard, on "The First Time," a tribute to jazz great John Coltrane.
"Alfre had never done spoken word before and was a little nervous, 'what if it's no good?' " Densmore said. "I said, 'Well, then no one will hear it. We'll throw it away.' She said, 'Give me some direction.' I said, 'No, you're a world-class actress. Do your thing.' She did a couple takes and then I had an idea. 'Why don't you try it one more time and do it like the minute you heard Coltrane's horn for the first time and you wanted to jump on his bones.' And that was the take. It was very sultry."
Densmore and company have played several dates in Southern California, testing the waters slowly but surely, and he says they'll likely tour in the spring. Till then, he wants to leave no doubts: He's committed to Tribaljazz.
"There are many cultures in this band. And I think the next album will be even more of a group effort, with songs written by all of them," he said.
As for The Doors, like Morrison, their spirit lives on. "Perception," a CD/DVD box set of the group's six studio albums, will be released Nov. 21, and "The Doors By The Doors," a coffee-table hardcover book written by Ben Fong-Torres, was issued on Nov. 7 - all ahead of a rollout of Doors reissues next year to mark the 40th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' groundbreaking debut album.
Last week, Manzarek and Krieger celebrated The Doors' legacy with a show at the famed Whisky A Go-Go. The 61-year-old Densmore was there but did not perform with his former band mates because of a longstanding rift over the use of the group's name.
"I am certainly proud of my past," Densmore said. "There's a certain kind of magic about the four of us in a garage in Venice (Calif.) that's bigger than all of us, and I honor that. I'm also excited about living in the 21st century and the future."
from Pause & Play By GERRY GALIPAULT
(Nov. 13, 2006)