Music as the Soundtrack to Our Lives

"There are two kinds of people when it comes to music. Those who have music as the background to their lives; and those who have music as the soundtrack to their lives. I have always been the latter."  Rev. Al Green from his biography, 'Take Me To The River'

     I’ve written before about experiences that have 

provided the basis of who we are today.  For many of us, these experiences are rooted in music.  Some of you inspired me with your own stories, and I’d like to revisit this.  

So imagine for a moment, a 16 year old boy from a North Chicago suburb who just recently discovered the FM dial on his radio.  After a brief journey through what were at the time the progenitors of what would become known as Southern Rock: the Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels Band, and Grinderswitch to name a few.  He then stumbles on the Allman Brothers Band.  At the very same time he was also turned onto (some) Grateful Dead by his pal Joel Schwabe, however this was still a bit too weird and inaccessible to him.  Like many of us, this boy was listening to things created a few years earlier than what he was listening to, so the ABB records – Live at Fillmore East (1971), Eat a Peach (1972), and Brothers & Sisters (1973) which moved him deeply, in 1975/1976 actually saw this band in the process of imploding due to drug and substance abuse, coupled with too much money and inflated egos (amongst other things).  I offer Win, Lose, or Draw (1975) as Exhibit A J. 

     However out of this collapsing star, was born a small group of great musicians who loved to play together and were making some real innovative, creative, and exciting music.  Jaimoe (Jai Johnny Johanson) on drums, Chuck Leavell on piano, Lamar Williams on bass (all members of the ABB) would get tired of waiting for Greg Allman and/or Dickey Betts to come to a rehearsal to record, or for a sound check prior to a gig, so they would jam together.  Jaimoe was the resident jazzman, and he never missed the opportunity to educate his band mates in the ways of the great jazz masters, but also injected this knowledge into his playing every chance he could.  Chuck joined the ABB after Duane died and brought a decidedly jazzy sound and groove to the ABB, and Lamar was brought in after Berry Oakley died (ironically also from a motorcycle accident almost a year to the day after Duane died).  Lamar was also a jazz and funk student and he and Jaimoe locked in tight, as friends and musical collaborators right from the start.  These three were making some incredible music together calling themselves the ‘We Three’, sometimes opening ABB shows.  After the ABB officially broke up they decided to bring in their friend Jimmy Nalls to handle the guitar work and Sea Level was born.

Sea Level-Grand Larceny (1976) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsbt8i25ccU&feature=related

     If you listen to Jessica from the Brothers & Sisters album you can hear what Chuck brought to the party.  Listen to his now famous signature piano solo – the melodic and jazzy riffs and runs that he creates in a subtle and rhythmic groove, which he then develops into an exciting and dynamic melodic single note run up and down the scale leading Dickey into his solo – it’s absolutely masterful and magical.  He’d never heard anything like this in rock music and it piqued his interest in the piano in a big way.  Sea Level produced their debut album in 1977 which he promptly bought with his hard earned caddying money.  What happened next, he NEVER saw coming!  The piano as a lead instrument, coupled with a tight rhythm section playing complicated time signitures, fuelled by a soaring electric guitar straddling rock and jazz (he was unfamiliar with fusion at this point) just peeled his scalp back.  All he could think about is where did this come from and how could he get more?  This experience opened up a whole new world – both in terms of improvisational music and jazz. 

     It wasn’t long before he discovered the Pat Metheny Group, Weather Report, and Miles Davis.  He was off and running.  The funny thing is that this also filled in the piece he was missing regarding the Grateful Dead.  He started listening to the way Jerry would develop solo’s over the incredibly complex and rich melodies and rhythms the band were laying down.  Improvisation started to make so much more sense to him, and became a goal of his – find more bands and groups who improvise.  This young boy from the Chicago suburbs found his new groove and it has provided him some of the most satisfying and sustaining experiences of his life. 

     What early experience can you tell us about that helped to define who and what you are today?  Extra points if it has a musical basis J.