| Michael
Canfield & Rhythm Section Africa - Project Diary CHAPTER 2 | |
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Over the past couple of weeks there have been some developments in the Rhythm Section Africa universe that I neglected to share with this diary. Mike Slavin gave his notice (he really wanted to be in a more blues-orientated project) and I had to scramble to find a new guitar player. Fortunately, I was awake enough to think about visiting Andy McGibbon's Guitar World in Bordeaux. I figured since they sell all the guitars in the world they probably have a pretty good selection of guitar players as well. After reviewing what was on offer, I settled on the Richard Vossgatter model. Richard is a long, lean 20-something who, in spite of getting a diploma from the UCT music school, can still really play! |
| His quirky, individualistic style and bright presence on stage really completes the band. And that's important because this is a drummer-led band and the mix of players is crucial. 'A drummer-led band' - why is that relevant and what makes it different from other bands? Many years ago in an after-hours conversation with legendary drumming bandleader Art Blakey, I was given a doctorate level education on what a drummer had to do if he were to lead a succesful band, particularly one that didn't have a second drummer in it to free him to become a front man, ala Phil Collins, Don Henley or Ringo Starr. In his gruff, five in the morning, too many years on the road voice he said, "Look kid (Yeah, I was a kid once too), drummer's bands are boring! I mean, how many drum solos can you take? And after you do that you're basically some sweaty guy sitting down behind a desk waving his arms and grunting. Not the most attractive image, is it? So here's what you got to do: get the best players you can, have arrangements that are interesting, diversified and entertaining and make your side-men stars. Don't you ever worry about them stealing the show because your name is at the top of the bill and at the end of the show you can make so much noise with them drums that the audience will remember whose band it is." Considering that this was a man who had everyone from Miles Davis to Chick Corea to Wayne Shorter to Joe Zawinol in is band I decided that it might be a good idea to take his advice. And after checking out bands led by Buddy Rich, Louie Belson, Billy Cobham and Gene Krupa, I knew he was right. We did our first public gig with Richard last Saturday night at Tanz Café in Bryanston. While the crowd was small, the performance went great. The energy was flowing so well that we played a +/- two-hour show. I love calling long sets. It gives me a chance to really tune into the audience and poses the challenge of holding their interest for a period almost as long as the average movie. And I get to craft the experience for the audience in real time and give them what they came for. As a matter of fact, that audience/band relationship is one of the things they makes me proud to be a member of this band. Everybody is committed to the concept that it is the band's responsibility to bring the party to the audience, not the audience's job to worship the band. I can safely say that that we believe that no one should leave one of our gigs disappointed. Maybe they'll want more, but we want them to leave happy. Maybe even a little uplifted and free from the cares of their everyday life. After the show I was having a cool drink with some of core group of fans who have been following the band from the very beginning. I was gratified to hear them talk about how well Richard fit in, which is great, considering that the band is now made up of players in their 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's. The other comments I enjoyed referred to the long show. The general consensus was that nobody noticed until it was over, just how long it was. That brings us back to the Blakey's wisdom. The focus of the show changes constantly. All the guys get to do what they do best. They hold the spotlight individually and then the ensemble itself becomes the star. We bring it up, bring it down and are constantly using dynamics, style changes and a diverse musical palette to unlock the audience's feeling. I admit, it felt very good to hear exactly that description from a switched on music fan. Ok, it's late in the evening, I've rambled long enough. Until the next time…. | |
