Doyle Grisham: Man of Steel

“The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses foot pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal" steel guitar. The instrument is horizontal with the strings face up, and is typically plucked with thumb pick and fingers or (two or three) finger picks. The pedal steel is one of the most recognizable and characteristic instruments of American country music.” - Wikipedia

If you’re a fan of Jimmy Buffett, chances are you know the name Doyle Grisham. The Pedal Steel player has been appearing on Jimmy’s albums for twenty years, touring with him as a member of the Coral Reefer Band for more than half that time. But Doyle’s story – and his impressive resume – goes back much further than that.

Growing up in Troy, Texas in the early 1950’s, Doyle Grisham listened to a lot of country music; Jim Reeves, George Jones, Ray Price – artists he heard on the radio, from famous places like the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. At age 9, Doyle told his parents he didn't want to just hear it - he wanted to play it, and persisted until they agreed to get him a guitar and lessons. He learned quickly, started playing at church and social events and, before long, was being asked by local bands to sit in with them. By the age of 15, Doyle was making a living playing guitar five to six nights a week in the local dance halls and beer joints frequented by soldiers from nearby Ft. Hood, while still going to school and keeping up good grades. “I had to keep up my grades or my parents wouldn't have let me play,” says Doyle, “They would have pulled me out of there quick! Plus, it wasn’t like today. Most places in that area didn’t stay open that late. I could go out and play a gig with a band and be back home around midnight.”

By the early 1960’s, Grisham was 21, living in Dallas and playing music full time, including the “Big D Jamboree”, the local version of the Opry and Louisiana Hayride, and travelling to gigs as far away as Wyoming. He says he learned about life on the road, and a lot about life. “I was the youngest guy in the band – which is funny because now, with Jimmy, I’m the oldest! The older guys in the group constantly picked on me – especially if there was a pretty girl around. We had a good time.” But, it wasn’t all fun and games. He also says life on the road could be tough. “Sometimes we would play a show, and then have to drive 400-500 miles to the next town, 5-6 guys packed into one car, pulling a trailer with our gear. You could see people would get into things like pills, just to keep you awake while you drove. Thankfully, I never fell into it, but I understood why they did it.”

Playing country music, along with Polkas and local favorites like the Mexican Hat Dance, was how he cut his teeth, but soon the bands Doyle was playing with were also getting requests for more rock and roll – Elvis and Chuck Berry. “I started seeing more and more guys playing guitar,” explains Grisham. “I was good, but I could see I was just going to be one of many if I stayed with the guitar. I had already been playing steel guitar licks on my electric, and I liked the sound. So, I went out and got myself a pedal steel, started practicing whenever I could. I decided that’s the direction I wanted to go. It was partly out of necessity – I knew I’d get more work.”

Something else was taking place in the early 60’s, the Vietnam War - and The Draft. Like most men his age, Doyle was called to serve. “I joined the Naval Reserves in 1964 and was told I’d have a year to train and drill before being sent on Active Duty. Before that happened, I was offered the chance to attend 'Code' school. I figured that would guarantee me shore duty, so I took it. I was sent out to California and they started teaching me to send and receive secret messages. Next thing I know, I’m being yanked out of the class. Turns out the Navy hadn’t completed all of my background checks and I didn’t have the proper clearance to be there! They kept me there for a couple weeks doing odd jobs then sent me back to my Reserve unit in Dallas.” 

He was home, but given that his expected assignment with the Naval Reserves was just around the corner, Doyle found that no one would hire him full time for their band. That is, until he got a call from veteran West Texas guitarist Billy Thompson, asking if he would come up to Kansas to play with their band. Doyle jumped at the chance and was glad he did. Doyle explains: “I was happy to have a gig. But, even more than just the paycheck, I got to meet Roy Drusky, who was on the same bill. Roy was a well-known Grand Ole Opry artist who had some big hits at the time and, as it turned out, his pedal steel player was quitting. He offered me the job and the next night I was in Houston playing in front of 20,000 people!” Grisham continued playing with Drusky for the next year, following him to Nashville in 1966 to play at the Grand Ole Opry. “I moved to Nashville really without asking anyone if I could. I just told the people at my Reserve Unit in Dallas to forward my paperwork and went!”  It was almost a year before that paperwork caught up with the pedal steel player in Music City. “I think I kind of got lost in the shuffle,” Grisham laughs.  He shipped out to Maine in 1967 and it was there that he first met the woman he would eventually marry, then 13 year old Debbie. “She was the niece of a friend. We used to go to their house on Saturday nights to eat dinner and play music. She was just a kid, so I didn’t pay much attention to her. It wasn’t until she came to Nashville years later to record that we got together.” (For the full story, see my interview with Deb Grisham elsewhere on Beaches, Bands & Bars).

He remained in Maine for about a year and a half, before getting an early release due to the de-escalation of the war and moving back to Nashville. Though he was pretty well known when he left for New England, Doyle found he had to re-establish himself when he got back to Music City. He joined a band - touring and doing studio work - before getting hired by Grand Ole Opry long-timers Tompall and the Glaser Brothers around 1971. One day, Grisham and the Glaser Brothers were in the studio recording a new tune, written by a young Nashville songwriter he had never heard of. “He came by the recording session and we started talking. He told me he was getting ready to sign a recording contract with ABC Dunhill Records and said he wanted me to play on his next record.” The song the Glaser Brothers recorded that day was called ‘Tin Cup Chalice’ and the young Nashville songwriter inviting Doyle to his future recording session was..... Jimmy Buffett.  A few months later, Buffett was back in the Glaser’s studio to record “A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean” and Doyle - along with Fingers Taylor and Michael Utley - was there with him as part of the newly dubbed "Coral Reefer Band".


And the rest, as they say, is history?

“Yeah, I guess so! I played on that album, as well as the next ones produced by Don Gant – ‘Living and Dying in ¾ Time’, ‘A1A’, and ‘Havana Daydreaming’.  By the Margaritaville album (‘Changes in Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes’) Jimmy switched to a different producer, who brought in his own guys. After that, other than occasional parts on certain songs, I didn’t do much more recording with Jimmy until “Beach House’ in 1999. That’s when he also offered me the chance to go on tour, and I’ve been out with him ever since.”


What is a typical day on a Buffett tour?

“On show days, we have a pretty set routine. If I’m in town the night before, I like to get out and have breakfast, maybe go to a mall, see some of the town.  The band all gets back together at the hotel and we’ll leave for the venue about 2:30, get there around 3 or 3:30. We’ll have a little time in the dressing rooms, then Jimmy always likes to sound check at 4.


Do you always play the same things at sound check?

“Not always.  We usually do the opening song because it will feature everyone in the band and it gives the sound people out front a chance to set all the microphones. From there, it just depends on what Jimmy thinks we need to go over, just in case there is a particular song he wants to do that we haven't played in a while."



How long does that last?

“About an hour. Then, it’s time for our meet and greets. At around 5:00, we’ll go out to the Margaritaville ‘Shrimp Bus’ and sign autographs…We’ll do that for about a half hour, then go to wherever the local Parrot Head Club is set up and sign some more.”


The Whole Coral Reefer Band?

“Usually, it’s Nadirah, Jim and Peter (Mayer), Mike Utley and me”.


After that?

“The next couple hours we’re on our own pretty much. Usually, we go back to the dressing rooms, have some dinner, relax before the show. If we have friends in town, we’ll meet up with them.  We do the show and, when it’s over, we’ll either go back to the hotel or, sometimes, to the airport to fly out for the next date. Jimmy also likes to use a hub when we can.”


A “hub”?

“Sometimes, if we’re going to be out on tour for several weeks, we’ll get a hotel in one city in the area, like Chicago. We’ll go back to that same hotel after each show."


What is it like touring with Jimmy?

“I like everything about working with Jimmy – the music, the schedule. He is one of the most intuitive and thorough artists I’ve ever worked with. People don’t realize how much work he puts into each tour, starting with rehearsals in April.  He starts with a theme, puts together a set list with extra songs that he might want to do for certain shows. Then, as the tour goes on, he is constantly updating shows, going over set lists, taking out songs he doesn’t feel are going over well, adding things. Even on days off we’ll get set lists and emails. I have never seen anyone else like him."


In addition to Jimmy and some of the others I’ve already mentioned, you have also recorded with artists from Kenny Rogers to Dr. Hook. Who are some of your favorites?

“ I got to meet a lot of people that I idolized when we were doing the Randy Travis 'Heroes and Friends' recording sessions. Randy was doing duets with people like George Jones, Chet Atkins & Dolly Parton, Vern Gosdin, and a lot of artists that I have admired over the years.  Also, I toured off and on for over 20 years, even when I was doing studio work, with Lynn Anderson. I got to play some of the big casinos in Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe with her."



You have been in Nashville now for over 40 years. I bet you have seen a lot of changes.

“Well, the city has certainly grown – from a small little town to over a million people. And the downtown area went through a period in the 70’s where it went to heck. Then there was an urban renewal in the 80’s, cleaned up quite a bit. But, the biggest change has been musically. It went from traditional country to what you hear on the radio now.”


Do you like the music being recorded in Nashville now?

“Personally, I prefer traditional country. Like, if Debbie and I are driving somewhere, we’ll have old country in the cd player. But I also stay up on new stuff. When you’re a musician and listen to a song, you look at it from a different perspective. If you’re playing on a song, even if you don’t like it, you still mold yourself in to it. And if I’m recording someone in the studio, I would produce it the way it needs to sound NOW, not the way I would like it myself. So, whether I'm playing on or producing a song, I always try to give my best. It doesn’t matter whether I like it or not.”


Speaking of new stuff, you have to be one of the most sought after “guests” on Trop Rock records. How do you work that into your busy schedule?

“Sometimes the artist will come to Nashville, other times I will go to where ever they are recording. It depends on their budget. With technology these days, they can also send me a track. I’ll lay down my part and send it back. The only difference is that, when it’s on someone else’s bill, like they have a studio booked, I’ll work as quickly as I can. When they send me the track, I have more time to work on it, can take my time, but then they can’t ‘produce’ it. They have to trust my experience.”


How do you pick what records to play on?

I don’t turn down anything. I’m a studio musician, it’s my job. Plus, being too picky limits your creativity, I think. If people want to hire me, I’ll play on their record.”


Do you still play out in Nashville?

“I do. When I’m home, I’ll play weekend things. I don’t even care how it pays. As long as I like what I’m playing.”

Any new recordings?

"I'm working on a new cd right now. I hope to have it out in the next month or so. I keep thinking I need to add more to it, but I know I need to let it go! It will have about 12-13 songs on it, songs I like from bands like Journey, The Eagles, Beatles, Gary Puckett, Buddy Holly... It's mostly instrumental, but Debbie sings on one song.


Where do you see Jimmy – where do you see yourself – in five to ten years?

“Jimmy hasn’t given any indication of slowing down. I can see him playing another ten years – but it could only be three or four.  It’s up to him. I’m sure he’ll let us know! As for me, as long as I’m physically able, I’m healthy, I’ll be playing. And as long as Jimmy wants to go, I’ll be there.”

 http://doylegrisham.com/

Debbie Grisham: It all started with Spaghetti.

It was 1966, in the small town of Brunswick, Maine. As images of the Vietnam War flickered across the tv screen and protests raged on college campuses across the country, friends and family would gather at the Alexander home for a spaghetti dinner. But, the focal point of the evening wasn't the pasta. It was the after dinner entertainment. As soon as the dishes were cleared, any one in attendance who could play an instrument would break it out, and the rest of the guests would sing along. It happened every Saturday night and, on more than one occasion, among the musicians in attendance that year was a 21 year old pedal steel player from Nashville named Doyle Grisham, on active duty with the Navy and stationed at the nearby base. "I come from a musical family. My parents sang, I played guitar a little - and sang. We looked forward to those 'Spaghetti Feeds' in our home," says then thirteen year old Debbie. "My uncle had a band at the time and Doyle was in it, so he would come by some times and sit in. I had a big crush on him, but he barely even noticed me."

Forty plus years later, Parrot Heads will recognize Doyle Grisham as a long-time member of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band... And the young teenager in puppy love with the steel playing sailor back in 1966? She is now Debbie Grisham - wife of Doyle - and head of Deb Grisham Entertainment, the Nashville based artist management and booking group that includes among their clients Nadirah Shakoor, and top trop rock artists John Frinzi and John Patti.

I'll let Debbie take it from here...

"When Doyle finished his active duty in Maine, he moved back to Nashville. In the meanwhile, I got married, kept singing and playing guitar - for fun, mostly, although, my husband at the time kept saying I should do it professionally. One day, a drummer with a local band - Ralph Lashua and the Four Coachmen - walked into the place where my husband worked and told him they were looking for a female singer. I auditioned and got the job. I wound up singing with them for the next ten years!"

 

So, how did you and Doyle reconnect?

"Around 1979, Doyle came back up to Maine, to visit my uncle. He heard me sing and, between the two of them, they convinced me I should go to Nashville to record some songs. The next year, I went down and recorded an album ("I'm My Own Woman" on Doyle's label). We finished the whole thing in two weeks, then I went back home to Maine. By 1983, I was ready for a change and moved full time to Nashville. I started working with Doyle, singing back up in the studio and doing demos for songwriters. I also recorded two more albums between 1983-1986. I had gotten divorced by then, Doyle asked me to marry him - and here we are!"    

Sounds like you had a nice singing career going. What made you get into managing bands?

"I liked singing - I still do it now, whenever the opportunity comes up. But, by around 2004 I had decided that after almost twenty years and three albums, I wasn't going to be a big star making music. I figured my best contribution would be helping others with their careers. One day, I met Kevin Max of the Christian Rock band DC Talk. I knew alot of people in Nashville by then, so started helping him get gigs. And it grew from there."

How did you start working with Nadirah?

 "I knew Nadirah, of course, through Doyle. We were down at Meeting of the Minds one year - 'Nod To The Story Teller' had just come out. I asked her, 'Who is booking you?' She said, 'nobody' and I immediately said, "I'd love to work with you!' By January of the next year, I had her first booking."

And you built your roster from there?

"Yes. It wasn't long before I had other artists come to me and ask if I could work with them, too. The funniest thing was that, after I started working with and getting gigs for people like John Patti and John Frinzi, Doyle and I were sitting together one day when suddenly he asked, 'How come you don't book me?' It hadn't dawned on me!"

So, what is a typical day for you?

"If I'm not on the road, with Doyle on a Buffett tour or with one of my artists, you will generally find me in my home office on the phone and computer. If I'm not contacting venues to try to get my artists gigs, then I'm following up on dates we have already set up - sending out contracts and riders, doing press releases, working on social media to get the word out. I spend about fifteen to eighteen hours a day doing that. I also pitch songs to record labels in Nashville"

I want to get back to that, but first - how do you find the venues for your artists to play?

"I have built up a full list of clubs over the years. Alot of it is repeat business, places we have played before. But, new places open all the time. And, often, I will have an artist tell me they have heard of a place that might be good. In those cases, I will do some research, contact whoever is in charge of booking and we go from there. Some times it's a phone call, sometimes an email. It depends on the club."

Now, tell me more about pitching songs...  

"Through connections I have made over the years, people like Jim Glaser, I have been able to get on the 'approved list' at the major labels in Nashville. That means I have permission to pitch songs to their A&R people or producers. First, I find out which artists are looking for new material - I get a thing called a 'pitch sheet' - and then take them songs from music publishing companies that hire me, as well as the artists I work with, when it fits. It used to be that you would go by and play the songs for the folks at the labels. These days, they mostly want you to drop off a cd or send the song via MP3. But, without that previous permission, I'd never get through the door." 

Let's talk about some of the artists you work with... We already talked a little about Nadirah...

"As I said, that started at Meeting of the Minds and our relationship has grown from there. I work with her solo and with her band, Outside Art. I really love her sweet spirit. She's giving, respectful, kind - very easy to work with. Just a good person. And the fact that she's one hell of a talent doesn't hurt anything!"

How about John Frinzi and John Patti?

"John Frinzi started hiring Doyle to play on his records in the early 2000's, and he also came up and recorded in our studio. So, I knew him but hadn't started working with artists then. One day, a few years later, at Meeting of the Minds we got to talking about booking him. The same thing with John Patti, it was at MOTM in 2008, he asked me if I'd be interested and I said 'yes'. Seems like alot of things happen in Key West!"

What about Jim Mayer?  

"I have been working with Jim - 'Uncle Jim' - on his kids' shows, getting out his anti-bullying message, which I think is great. I call schools all over the coungtry, talk to Principals and Superintendents. We're just getting started with that, have done maybe a dozen shows in the last six months."

And Coral Reefer Soul?

"That's also something new. Nadirah came up with the idea of doing some shows with members of the Coral Reefer Band, around Jimmy's tour dates. We did one in Las Vegas with Nadirah, Mac, Robert and Ralph. It went so well, we said, 'why don't we try to do these before EVERY show?' So, we are. The line up will depend on who is available - in Atlanta it's Nadirah, Peter and Ilo Ferreira. We have another big show booked on June 24 in Wisconsin. Doyle, Nadirah, Mike Utley - along with John Patti, and JD Spradlin from Radio Margaritaville as the host!""

I haven't forgotten about your husband, Doyle, who you also work with. But, I have a whole interview with him to post here soon, so I'll leave that for another time. How do you choose who to work with?

 "I do alot based on instinct. I have to be passionate about the artist, really believe in them."

Do you have any plans to add to your roster any time soon?

"I don't feel I could right now, no. There are a hundred very talented people out there, but I want to be able to give the people I'm working with my FULL attention. If I had too many people, I couldn't do that."

For more on Debbie and the artists she represents, check out her website at:

http://www.debgrishamentertainment.com/index.php

Brent Burns: From Ahab The Arab to Going Ugly Early.

 

"You've got to have some folks that hate your songs for them to be funny. Those are the people I'm writing about!" That's singer/songwriter Brent Burns talking about the biting humor in much of his material in general, in particular his ode to temporary transplants from up North, "If It's Snowbird Season, Why Don't We Shoot 'Em?" "I live in a town that gets a lot of Snowbirds and I love 'em. They support me, I play golf with them...But I hear all the time, 'I LOVE your stuff, but I've got a buddy...'  So, I know the song is hitting it's target!" 

Burn's traces his comedic songwriting skills back to hearing Ray Stevens' "Ahab The Arab" in the sixth grade. "It made everybody in the class laugh! I was hooked." Many years later, Stevens' influence can still be heard on much of the Trop Rocker's stuff, with titles like "Double Wide In The Sky", "Nurse Rambo", "Big Boat, Little Johnson" and "I Think I'm Going Blonde". "Ray has always been a hero of mine. I was thrilled when I got to record with him (for a track on Burns' 2008 cd, "Beach In My Backyard"). I called Brent at his home in Gulf Shores, Alabama and asked him - among many other things - about writing songs...

You're probably best known for writing some very funny songs...

"Comedy is one of my strong suits, I have embraced it. I like to make people laugh".

But, they often have a point - you have to LISTEN to the lyrics to get it. Like in "Going Ugly Early Tonight" (from the cd, 'Tropical Nuts'). The whole song is a set up for the punch line at the end. If you're not listening, you could miss the whole joke. How does that work in a bar environment, where people might not be paying as much attention?

"Yeah, bars can be tough. I'm a storyteller and, sometimes, the stories don't go over as well if people are just casually listening. With 'Going Ugly' women will shoot darts at me with their eyes during the verses. But, then, if they've been paying attention, they get a big kick out of it at the end" (If you have heard the song, you know what the twist is. If you haven't heard it yet, I won't spoil it for you - Fred). It's really about the venue. It's another reason why, like a lot of people, I'm trying to do more 'listening venues' and House Concerts. That's where I can give people the background on why I wrote something and they can actually HEAR the songs. I'll still do bars, it's just a different kind of thing."

Does the environment affect what kind of show you do?

"Not really. When I was about 16, I saw the Everly Brothers in concert. This was well after they had their big hits. But, they still put on a GREAT show. They were true entertainers. That was a big influence on me. Also, one of my philosophies is 'You make one friend at a time.' I've done great shows where there were just fifteen people. It's really about being a professional. You're being paid to do a job. I keep playing, keep telling my stories, whether I think people are paying attention or not. It's funny, sometimes I'll think people aren't listening, then they will come up after the show and buy some cds, say 'I loved your stuff! So, I always try to put on a great show no matter what."

Tell me about your songwriting process.

""I'm not a fast writer. I have to work at it. And I can't write on the road, I have to have three or four days off in a row at home. Since 2003, I have been working with Bill Whyte, a comedian, musician, and radio dj in Nashville. We'll talk on the phone and throw ideas back and forth, or he'll come down and we'll write together. I have a songwriting room here in my house, with a piano, a couple of guitars...and a tv for football season! When I'm home and working on a new project, I try to spend at least an hour and a half to two hours each day really concentrating on it. It's tough sometimes - you're sitting there staring at a piece of blank paper and nothing is coming out. Other times the ideas fly out. That's what happened with the first cd.

'Livin' The Life'?

"Yeah. I moved to Nashville and things just weren't working out - this was in the 80's. I had written a few songs, had a couple of Top 40 hits earlier. I was playing bars, doing mostly covers, hadn't written a song in a long time. I just hit a dry spell. There was a moment where I thought I was never going to write again. I decided to move back to the beach in 1991. Then, in 1998, I saw an interview with Jimmy Buffett on (the tv show) 60 Minutes. I wrote the song "Livin' The Life (Jimmy Buffett Only Wrote About)" and that was it. The flood gates opened. Before I knew it, I had a fuIl cd. I followed that with a second cd, Perpetual Vacation in 2000"

Had you met Jimmy?

"I knew his music, had some of his cds, but I wouldn't say I was a big fan. I didn't even know about the whole 'Parrot Head' thing. About the time I was releasing 'Livin' The Life', I got a call about putting my song on a copulation cd - Wow! I meant COMPILATION! Gotta be careful mixing up those two words! (laughs). The cd was called "Thongs In The Key Of Life". On it were people like John Reno, Jim Morris, "Sunny Jim" White; guys that were writing about some of the same things I was. The person who put it together, Jim Hoehn, also told me about this gathering called "Meeting Of The Minds' in Key West. I had never heard of it!"

Was it an automatic connection to the Parrot Head world?

"I was introduced to it after 'Livin' The life', but it wasn't until my third cd, 'Tropical Nuts', in 2003 that I actually went down to Meeting of the Minds. I put a copy of the cd in each goodie bag, so that helped me get alot of exposure. By 'Margarita Smile' in 2005, a lot of the Trop Rock world had discovered me and then, in 2008 I put out 'Ragtops and Flip Flops', which won Trop Rock Album of the Year."

Your 2010 CD, "Beach In My Backyard' has an interesting cover. It's a guy with a Corona, but he definitely doesn't look like he's at the beach - he's got a scarf and gloves on.

"That's my salute to the people I have met and played for in colder climates - places up North. They create their own little tropical world in their homes and backyards, even if it's just with inflatable palm trees. It's me saying 'you can have a beach anywhere, as long as you have the attitude'."

So, do YOU actually have a beach in your backyard?

"Hah! Not anymore! Hurricane Ivan tore up my beach house in 2004. I live about two or three miles from the beach now, which I kind of like. It's close enough to go down there when I have the time, but far enough away to avoid the tourist traffic."

What's a typical "day off" for you?

I don't have many of those right now! Especially in May and June... I did just take eight days off, went to the Czech Republic on vacation..."

The Czech Republic? Doesn't sound very Tropical!

laughs.."Yeah, living at the beach is great, but not necessarily where you want to spend your vacations. You kind of want a break from time to time. It's like living next to Disney World. My son married a Czech girl so we went to see her family. Had a great time, spent a couple days in a small town, a couple days in Prague. Man, they definitely know how to party there! They don't do it often, but when they do... One party we went to, they started bringing out food and booze. Then there was coffee, then another round of food and booze. It started at 1 in the afternoon and went until 2 in the morning." 

What about back in Gulf Shores, what do you do on your days off when you are home?

"I like to read, if I'm in the mood I'll write for a little while, go to the gym. Just relax and wait for Happy Hour!".

Cruise around in that pretty convertible Mustang you have, the one on the cover of 'Ragtops and Flip Flops'?

"That's back in the shop right now! It's been a three and a half year project - a long story that included it being locked in a body shop's garage when they went out of business. I could see it through the window but couldn't get to it! Finally, I found somebody who would let me get in and rescue it. Right now it's just getting some final detailing, then it should finally be done. It's a '66 that I've had for about 16 years. The original color was "Ember Glow" but I had it painted Candy Apple Red after I got into a fender bender."

You mentioned Happy Hour. Where are your favorite spots to go?

"Lulu's (owned by Jimmy Buffett's sister, Lucy) is my anchor. I have been playing Monday nights there for, like, seven years. Also, Doc's Seafood. It's a locals hangout, only about ten seats at the bar. And, if we're going to be hanging out later at night, we usually end up at a place called the Cubano Cigar Bar. It's just a few minutes from our house."

Let's get back to your music. I don't want to give too much away - that's what people go to House Concerts for, to hear about the stories behind the songs...But, I did want to ask you about a few tracks. Let's start with "Cheaper Crude". That got you some interesting airplay!

"A buddy of mine sent that song in to Paul Harvey. Paul liked the song so much he played it THREE TIMES on the air. Most people remember Paul, he has passed on now but he was HUGE at the time. And he NEVER played any music. So, for him to play the song was a major indorsement. From that, we were on the Mike Douglass Show, Hee Haw, got a deal with a label in Nashville...although, the label ended up going bankrupt - with alot of my money - but that's another story..."

That sucks...

"Yeah. They sold 400,000 copies of the record and I didn't see a dime. I learned from it, though. I hang on to my material now. It's better to have some smaller success but own your own stuff than to go for the home run and, maybe, lose everything. The internet has changed things a lot, too, for independent artists. Used to be you needed a label to get your music out. People would hear you play somewhere - or hear your song on the radio - but, if the local record stores didn't carry it, they couldn't buy it. Now, they can go to Amazon, or CD baby, or my website and buy whatever they want. The internet has leveled the playing field considerably."

How about 'Hot Beer, Cold Women'?

"I was sitting around with a friend, Jim Allison - at the time we were both single - and talking about women, how you can score one day and the next it's like you have a huge wart on your forehead. As I like to say, 'sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you'. So, it came from that, a single guy's worst day..."

'Kenny Roger's Face'

I guess I saw Kenny Rogers (the singer, not the pitcher - Fred) somewhere, all the plastic surgery he had. I'll leave it at that. I started thinking about all the things that were no longer the same. I wrote that with Bill Whyte - we were laughing the whole time we were recording it."

'I Married My Stalker'

"That never actually happened to me, although I've had some near misses. I got the idea from a friend named Malcom Bond. He has a real deadpan sense of humor, always complaining about his wife. One day I said something about stalkers and he said, with a straight face, 'I married mine'. Turns out he had been in a rock and roll band, had a girl that used to follow him to shows, turn up back at his hotel room, even if he was there with another woman. I told him I was going to write a song about that and I did, gave him credit for the inspiration on the liner notes of the cd."

That's funny, You never know where inspiration is going to come from.

We have talked about the comedy aspects of your music, but you also do a lot of serious work - playing for the troops and helping charities like Habitat For Humanity...

"You have to give back. I learned that from my parents. There are a lot of people who struggle, I've been blessed. I don't want to get too philosophical, but - call it what you want - I really believe that the more you give out, the more comes back. As I like to say, 'You can't out give God."

For more on Brent, including where he will be performing next, or to order his cds, check out his website http://www.brentburns.com/

http://www.billwhytecomedy.com/index.htm

http://lulusathomeport.com/index-live.php

http://www.docsseafoodshack.com/

Music from the Mailbox

I’m a Trop Rock fan. Big surprise. If the song is about beaches, bars, or boats, chances are I will like it. Lucky for me, there are literally HUNDREDS of artists out there these days singing about my three favorite subjects – and I’m discovering new ones every week.  As a fan, I listen to this kind of music most of my waking hours anyway. But, I’m also a mobile dj – the only one that I know of in my part of the country that features Beach Music and Trop Rock as a regular part of my playlist, from weddings to pool parties. So, I also get a regular chance to play these tunes for other people - not just Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Bob Marley, and the Beach Boys – but independent singer/songwriters and bands. My wife and I also have a business – Bahama Llama – that brings “great food and a tropical vibe” to festivals around the Atlanta area. Our booths are always beach themed and, of course, the music we play all day is Buffett and Trop Rock. At some festivals, that could mean tens of thousands of people passing by our booth (hopefully, at least some stopping) and hearing what we’re playing. On top of all that, I have this blog. One of the main reasons I started it was to help expose people around the world to Trop Rock and the folks who play it - hence the second word in the title. 

For all those reasons, hardly a week goes by that I don't walk out to my mailbox and find a package full of cds from somewhere around the country. Some are new releases from artists and bands I have known about for some time, others are from people I've only recently been introduced to. Either way, I'm like a kid in a candy store - I can't wait to get back inside and hear what the mailman has brought me.

Here are some of the more recent releases I have gotten in the last few weeks... 

 Paul Roush "Today's The Day" - Paul is a veteran music maker from Missouri with a storied history. He was a founding member of the band Phins, 2008 winners of the Trop Rock Horizon Award, and also fronted the 12 Volt Band. He decided to go solo last year and the result is this cd. Recorded at Orca Sound Studios in Maryland, it was produced by Captain Quint's Kevin Johnson, who also plays keyboards, bass and drums on the disc. The ten tracks include a few notable covers; "Layin' My Life On The Line" comes courtesy of Jerry Jeff Walker, "Daddy Was A Sailor" is a Nitty Gritty Dirt Band composition, "I Wanna Be A Pirate" was originally found on the Captain Quint cd, "Unsinkable Still", and it doesn't take a die hard Springsteen fan to immediately identify "Thunder Road". The rest of the material is all original, including "Bad Day On Vacation" - a glass-half-full look at a bike ride on the beach, "Today's The Day" - a feel good ditty about discovering a love you already had, and the retrospective "Just To See If I Could". Two of the more melancholy songs, "Three Sailors" and  "Fools, Drunks, And Children", are updated versions of Paul's tunes originally penned for Phins projects (the former can be found on "Welcome To The Beach", the latter is the title track to their 2002 cd). Howard Livingston fans will also appreciate Paul's hilarious ode to the multi-award winning Florida Keys' musician, "I Wanna Be Howie" (with a nod to Brent Burns).  http://www.paulroush.com/ 

Captain Josh "Whitecaps & Nitecaps" - Josh Ramsteck, aka "Captain Josh", hails from the Orlando, Florida area and is a true Parrot Head - member of the Parrotheads of Central Florida. "Whitecaps & Nitecaps" is his third cd - following up on 2008's "If I Had A Hammock" and "Music In The Lower Keys" from 2007. Like the first two, it consists of original material with some carefully chosen covers, most notably on this one Ricky Nelson's 1972 hit "Garden Party" and the Motown Classic (later re-recorded by Linda Ronstadt) "Ooh Baby Baby". Josh's original tracks often take a humorous look at the Parrot Head lifestyle, and this cd is no exception:  "Parrotheads in Paradise" boogies along on a bed of Buffett references, the double entendre filled "Deep Vee Bottom" is a tongue firmly in cheek look at boats, "Room Key" tells the (true?) story of an amorous fan at a festival date Josh played in Panama City, Florida, and "I'm Into Leather But I Could Be Suede" speaks for itself. Of the "serious songs", "Ship To Shore" would be a great one to listen to as the sun sets and the title track is a nautical ditty with squeeze box accompaniment. Guests on the cd include Trop Rocker Jimi Pappas and guitarist Rob Seay. http://capt-josh.com/

John Patti "Cabana Breeze" - From appearances on various Trop Rock records, to a tropical take on the Folger's Coffee theme with John Reno (top ten finalist in a national contest), to the recent Coral Reefer Soul show in Tampa, and upcoming dates in Costa Rica with Jim Morris, John Patti is a busy guy these days. Playing the steel drum from an early age, Patti cites a chance encounter with the Coral Reefers in Key West back in 1998 as a turning point in his musical career. "Cabana Breeze" is his second cd and features Buffett band members Peter Mayer, Doyle Grisham, and Nadirah Shakoor, who adds vocals to the soulful and sexy "Steamer". The other ten tracks are all-instrumentals. Songs like "Start The Party", "Catamaran Race", "Tiki Groove", and "Tauranga" make you want to run, not walk, to stick a lime into a long neck and your toes in the nearest sand, and "Wonderful Tonight" is his reggae-fied (and slightly more upbeat) take on the Clapton classic. John is a member of the Deb Grisham Music group of artists, which also includes Nadirah Shakoor, and both Peter and "Uncle" Jim Mayer. http://www.johnpatti.com/

Scott Kirby "Row Me Home" - As an unabashed Scott Kirby fan, I was thrilled to connect with him via telephone recently to conduct an extended interview (found elsewhere on this very blog) and talk about some of his music, including tracks on this - his sixth cd, released last year. Produced by world renowned drummer Russ Kunkel (Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Dan Fogelberg and countless others) and featuring an all star cast of musicians like Leland Sklar, Dean Parks, and Coral Reefers Jim and Peter Mayer and Roger Guth, "Row Me Home" is full of Kirby's trademark warmth and poet's eye for detail. Favorite tracks include "Blow Me Down To Cayo Hueso" - an ode to his own song line, which has taken him from New England to Key West, "Port Outbound Starboard Home" - a catchy Jackson Browne type rocker about not looking back, the pretty, country tinged "Out Here Near The Edge" and the cleverly titled acoustic ballad "Row Me Home To Juliet". Kirby recently kicked off his Spring/Summer tour in New Hampshire and will be travelling South and West, with dates in Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Washington and more through July.  http://www.scottkirby.com/

 Hana & Satchwell "Chillaxin" - Another group featured in a full length interview on this blog, Ricky Hana and Alan Satchwell split their time between the California coast and Hawaii. Successful musicians in their own rights, 2010's Chillaxin is their second cd as a duo and the second to win a Hawaii Music Award as "Pop Album Of The Year". As the name implies, "Chillaxin"' is all about slowing down and taking things one day at a time. "Island Daze Island Nights" rides a lazy horn-driven groove, the beautiful and relaxing "My Sunset" features their trademark smooth vocal harmonies, "Duval Street" and "Cali Samba" are jazzy instrumentals, "Island Gurl" is the perfect soundtrack for a cruise along the North Shore, and "First Day Of Summer" and "Lighten The Load" are reggae tinged and danceable. Much Aloha!  http://hanasatchwell.com

Shurl Gates: Passionate Parrothead

When it comes to music, Shurl Gates is the first to tell you she can't play an instrument, isn't going to win any karaoke contests. But, she more than makes up for that lack of performing skills with a deep love - make that an unbridled PASSION - for music. "I'm not much of a tv person, but I have music playing in my house 24/7. I love listening to it, going out to hear it, being around it", says Gates. That passion has led her to become one of the most familiar faces in the Trop Rock world and most ardent supporters of the people who make the music.

Shurl Galiher Gates story begins in the small Oregon coastal town of North Bend, where she moved as a kid. She went to school, married, and raised a family there. But, as all great stories go, something happened that changed her life forever. In Shurl's case, that "sudden twist of fate" was divorce.

"It was 2001, I was single again and looking to make some major changes in my life. Two of my kids had moved to Florida so I decided to go there." "There" was just outside of Tampa, where she met and started dating a Parrothead. "I had always loved Jimmy Buffett's music, but had never been exposed to the whole lifestyle". Looking to make friends in her new home, she joined the Tampa Bay Parrot Head Club. A former Mormon, it didn't take long for the colorful, and gregarious Phlockers to get her life going in a new direction. "That was it. I found myself - the 'me' I didn't even know was missing. It was a celebration of a new beginning." Through the TBPHC, Shurl began attending events and hearing her first "Trop Rock" bands. "I LOVED it, became a huge fan. I've always been a very social person, so I would make a point of going up and introducing myself, telling them how much I enjoyed hearing them," explains Gates. "One of the great things about Trop Rock is that the people involved are so down to earth, so approachable." Before long, she counted among her friends hard working musicians like Jimi Pappas and John Frinzi, and started getting calls from artists that were looking to play in the area. "Guys would call and say, 'I'm coming down there on my way to Meeting of the Minds. Do you know anyplace to play around Tampa?' So I'd make some calls. I started getting to know the clubs and the people who ran them. It was just something I would do as a favor to friends. I also got to know the people at Radio Margaritaville, like JD Spradlin and Steve Huntington. Steve, it turned out was a big baseball fan, so we had that in common" (Gates' son in law is All Star Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, Roy "Doc" Halladay - Fred). In 2007, she was introduced to Deb Grisham - wife of Coral Reefer Doyle Grisham and owner of Deb Grisham Entertainment, which represents a number of artists, including Nadirah Shakoor, The Mayer Brothers - Peter and "Uncle Jim", John Frinzi, and John Patti. "We became on line friends, trading emails and talking about music and places for artists to play in Florida." Her list of connections continued to grow until 2008, when Michelle Becker of the Margarita Mafia called Shurl to see if she might be able to help bring in some well known presenters for that year's Trop Rock Awards in Key West. "I called Doyle and asked him if he'd be interested and he said 'YES'! Then Nadirah and Tina Gullickson agreed to do it." Her efforts not only helped cement her reputation as a true mover and shaker in the Trop Rock world, but also won her the first ever "Fan Of The Year" award.

Things REALLY changed for Gates the next year. "I was having dinner with (trop rock artist) Rob Mehl. He mentioned to me that he was looking for a Manager and I replied, 'I need a job!'", although she says she wasn't being serious at the time. "The truth is I was looking for something constructive to do - alimony only goes so far!", she jokes. "But, I had never thought that what I had been doing for all those years just to help my friends might turn into a business. Later, I was talking to Steve Huntington and he encouraged me, said it would be perfect for me". Gates Music Management was born. "It really just came out of me trying to create a job for myself, doing something I loved to do."

Two years later, Gates Music Management boasts a close working relationship with a number of top Trop Rock acts, some she managers and some she helps and supports in whatever ways she can. "I feel it's important for them to find work however and wherever they can. So, in that regard I'm not exclusive with anyone. And I only work with artists I truly believe 100% in." 


"I don't expect to get rich from this. I do it because it makes me feel good and that makes it worthwhile"




I asked Shurl to give me the low down down of some of her favorite artists (note: Some of the bands mentioned can be found in previous posts in Beaches, Bands and Bars - Fred):


Homemade Wine - "They're from Knoxville, Tennesee. They started as a three piece, by brothers Ryan and Todd Sheley. Now, they're a full band and one of the most sought after acts in Trop Rock. They'll be playing on Thursday night at this year's Meeting Of The Minds."


Jimmy Parish & The Ocean Waves Band - "From Jacksonville, Florida. They stay extremely busy. He was just down here to play a pre-Buffett show party and will be back later this month to play at The Yard (more on The Yard later - Fred). Jimmy is the complete package. A great singer, songwriter and a true gentleman."

John Reno - "John is originally from New Orleans, so he has a definite jazz influence in his music. He lives in Fairhope, Alabama now but he spends alot of time here in Florida - especially in the Ft. Myers to Tampa area. He plays a wide variety of music, from soft, romatic ballads to over the top funny songs. The one everyone always wants to hear is 'Jello Shots'. He's an amazing songwriter and has a great feel for the audience when he's playing live."

Mike Aiken - "I've known Mike for many years. Back in the days of MySpace, I would look around for new music. I came across Mike's page and liked what I heard. But, I couldn't buy his cd - there was something wrong with the site. I'm not one to give up easily, so i looked around until I found a phone number, called and spoke to a woman. I asked her if Mike ever came down to Florida. The woman turned out to be Mike's wife, Amy, who put Mike on the phone. We developed a friendship and FINALLY, after six years, I was able to get him a gig down here at the Yard!"


Mike Miller - "Mike is from Illinois, a retired police man and founding member of the Boat Drunks. When he retired, he moved onto a sailboat and now spends his winters in Florida. We hosted a cd release party for him in September."


Freebo - "Bass player from California, has played with Bonnie Raitt, Neil Young, Dr, John - lots of great people. I met him at Meeting Of The Minds one year and loved his music. It's not traditional Trop Rock but it fits in with it. He played a gig here with John Frinzi."


Jim Hoehn - "From Wisconsin. I also met him at a MOTM and became a fan. He's an amazing storyteller and has been a big support to me."

Rob Mehl - "He's from Hawaii where they have a long history of 'talk stories'. He's a great storyteller."


AJ Swearingen - "Another local guy. He was hired to play my son's engagement party. There were lots of things going on but, in the middle of it all, I kept stopping to listen to him. I thought, 'I really love this guy!' He reminded me alot of John Frinzi. When it was over, I went up to talk to him and it turned out he knew John - had grown up in the same area! He's not really what you'd call Trop Rock, but close enough that Jeff Allen has started playing one of his songs on BeachFront Radio (Trop Rock internet radio station, featured previously in BB&B - Fred)."


Michael Weiss - "One night I walked into one of my favorite places in Tampa, the Hideaway Cafe, and Michael was playing. I became an instant fan. He's starting to make a big splash around here - played a Pre-Buffett party, has a song on BeachFront Radio."


Trop Rock Junkies - "They're from the Tampa area, do a Buffett tribute but also some originals. They played the B Stage before the recent Buffett show last month."


"Also, people like Paul Roush, John Friday, Bob Karwin. And another guy I have been talking to is Eric Stone, from the British Virgin Islands. Eric stays very busy there in the BVI, but I would love to work with him if the opportunity came up."


I also asked Shurl about her favorite spots - for live music, as well as food and drinks - in the Tampa area:


The Yard- It is literally a backyard of a home owned by a wonderful couple, Mark and Sharon Leveratte. About three years ago, they decided they wanted to host a House Concert. It was such a success that they decided to do more. As guys would come to me, I would suggest it as a place for them to play. Before you know it, they had built a palapa style stage with a tiki bar and were hosting shows once a month. Now they have a fire pit, bathrooms in the backyard, they're building a bunk house for travelling artists to crash in. It's amazing. They won "House Concert Venue Of The Year" at the Trop Rock Awards in 2010. And they don't make a dime. Every thing collected at the door goes directly to the artists and every dollar raised from raffles (of Sharon's handmade jewelry and Mark's carved wood signs) goes back into making the venue a better place for artists to play.  They do it all because they love the music!" (note: they are currently in need of a website and looking for a Trop Rock fan who might be willing to donate some time to make that happen - Fred)


Hideaway Cafe - "In St. Pete (St. Petersburg, FL), owned by Josh Kelly, who is an artist himself. It's a great listening room that hosts all indy artists, playing all original music."


The Palm Pavilion - "It's my favorite beach bar. Right on the beach in Clearwater, owned by a guy named Ken Hamilton. Great food, lots of room, a great place for artists."


Whiskey Joe's - "On the Causeway right as you come into Tampa. The Tampa Bay Parrothead Club meets there every week. They're building a brand new music venue right on the beach that will hold about 1500 people. I can't wait to do shows there!"


Skippers - "In Tampa. We just did the Coral Reefer Souls Show there, which was a huge success. Lots of possibilities for the future there."


Rapscallions - "In Land O Lakes, a suburb of Tampa. The bar there is named after Billy Peoples, a well known Florida Parrot Head. They host alot of Trop Rock."

"Also, two other places I love that are outside the Tampa area are Archies in Ft. Pierce - It's sort of a biker's bar, but with a Pirate theme - a great place, and The Nav-A-Gator near Arcadia, Florida- It's famous in Trop Rock circles."

http://www.facebook.com/people/Gates-MusicManagement/100001472834315

http://www.debgrishamentertainment.com/about.php

http://www.radiomargaritaville.com/

http://www.finsup.com/_/index.html

http://www.phip.com/MOTM.asp

http://www.margaritamafia.com

http://www.beachfrontradio.com/home.cfm

 

http://www.johnfrinzi.com

http://www.gigmasters.com/Acoustic-Guitar/Jimi-Pappas/

http://doylegrisham.com/

http://www.nadirahshakoor.com/fr_home.cfm

http://www.petermayer.com

http://www.unclejimrocks.com

http://www.tinag.com/

http://www.johnpatti.com/

http://www.robmehl.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Homemade-Wine-the-Band/117718255508

http://jimmyparrishonline.com/

http://johnreno.com/

http://www.mikeaikenmusic.com/index.html

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-R-Miller-Musician/113707452013105
http://freebomusic.com/
http://jimhoehn.com/http://ajswearingen.com/
http://michaeljweiss.com/fr_splash.cfm
http://www.troprockjunkies.com
http://www.phinsband.com/
http://www.johnfriday.com/ 
http://bobkarwin.com/
http://www.boatsongs.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/TheYard-Tampa/100001031214679

http://www.hideawaycafe.biz/

http://palmpavilion.com/

http://www.whiskeyjoestampa.com/whiskeyjoes/

http://skipperssmokehouse.com/

http://www.rapscallions.net/

http://archiesseabreeze.com/

http://www.nav-a-gator.com/

Hana & Satchwell: It's all about Ohana

 "Want to be with my Ohana. Want to ride in my canoe. 

We can all be friends and family...If your heart is true."

Those lines are taken from "Island Daze and Island Nights", one of sixteen tracks on Hana & Satchwell's  "Chillaxin'" cd, winner of the Hawaii Music Awards "Pop Album of The Year" in 2010 (their previous cd, "Love Of The Islands" took home the same honors the year before).

The theme of Ohana - along with the Hawaiian spirit of Aloha -  runs through all of Hana & Satchwell's music. Ohana means family in Hawaiian and, if you have spent any time on the Hawaiian islands, you know that they celebrate two families. There is the nuclear family - brothers, sisters, mother, father. But, there is also an extended family. You can stop and ask a complete stranger for directions and chances are the reply might include being called "cuz" or "brudda", for "cousin" or "brother". That's because Hawaiians have a deep seeded belief that all people are related. Bob Marley's "One Love/One World". Hawaiians are also extremely proud of their islands, the beauty and history. And that's another theme that runs through Hana & Satchwell's music. So, who are these two multi-award winning musicians who bring the traditions of the Hawaiian islands to the 21st century?

Hana is Ricky Hana. He grew up playing piano on California's Catalina Island, but moved to Santa Barbara in his mid teens and picked up the guitar. At the time, the early 70's, he was more into the rock bands of the day - Cream, Santana, Buffalo Springfield. "I got a job working at one of the music venues and got to see bands like Led Zep, Jethro Tull - guitar players like Page and Clapton." Convinced he wanted to make music his career, but still attending school for "something to fall back on", Ricky started playing guitar at local parties, bowling alleys, and bars, eventually joining a local group called DB Cooper, which landed a contract with Warner Brothers Records. "It was cool. We opened for bands like

Tom Petty, Judas Priest, Toto, The Pretenders and many times for the The Beach Boys, were paid weekly salaries, flew from town to town, had roadies. The whole rock and roll lifestyle!" But, eventually, that lifestyle caught up with him and he felt he needed to take a break. "I wanted to get away, raise my Ohana, my family. So, I packed up and moved to Hawaii."

Satchwell is Alan Satchwell. He also grew up near the coast of California - in Palos Verdes, but played the trumpet as a youngster, inspired by Herb Alpert. "I started writing songs on a little four track recorder when I was about 16 or 17." A music degree from UCLA followed, then some studio work as a singer, as well as time spent on the popular nationally televised music shows Solid Gold and Solid Gold Hits. "In the 80's I was in a band called North by Northwest that played the clubs in the L.A area and got a deal with Interscope Records, and I also wrote songs for other artists. Then, in 1993, I went to work for a church in the San Fernando Valley. I helped them build a gospel choir - which came in handy much later when it came time to do the vocal arranging on the Hana & Satchwell cds." Like Ricky, Alan soon got burnt out on the lifestyle, too. But, instead of heading to the Hawaiian islands, Alan sought his solace in Santa Barbara, in the picturesque St. Ynez Valley. "I raised four kids there, had a small vineyard..It was nice."

Two California musicians, with successful careers, moving in different directions. And, each ultimately fried on the business and lifestyle. How did their paths converge? And how did their rock/pop/jazz/new wave/gospel backgrounds evolve into to the island rhythms which ultimately led them to having the Top Pop Album in Hawaii two years running? I'm getting to that...As H&S might say, "Chillax, brudda!"

"We had grown up in the same area of California, actually played in a band together - a Christian band - years earlier. So, we were friends," says Alan. "But, then we lost track of each other for must have been 8-10 years. Ricky had moved to Hawaii and I was in Santa Barbara." 

Ricky picks it up: "I fell in love with Hawaii, the people and the natural beauty. I worked as a tour guide in Maui for a while, spent time with my Ohana. Was there for twenty years. But, eventually, I missed the music. I picked my guitar back up and started writing some new material, which was influenced by what I had been experiencing. In 2008, I released a cd on my own, "My Hawaii."

Alan: "I came across Ricky's new stuff on the internet, was really impressed with the songs he was writing - they had this great island feel to them. I had been to Hawaii during this time too, on a second honeymoon with my wife. I got to spend some time with the locals. You look into their eyes, see the depth of their spirituality and your blood pressure drops. Hawaii ministered to me. I really got a sense of Aloha. I started writing some new material and sent it to Ricky in Hawaii. That was it. We decided we needed to work together."   

Ricky: "Once we decided to work together, our first cd, "Love Of The Islands", came together really quickly. It was recorded and out in three months. A month later we won the Hawaii Music Award!"

So, you knew each other, had even worked together, but it was Hawaii that really was the common bond?

Alan: "Southern California and Hawaii have always had this relationship, there's alot of synergy between the two. When things get too crazy in California, people go to Hawaii to recharge. Musicians like Jack Johnson and Mick Fleetwood have homes in both places. Hawaii is like 'California West."

Ricky: "I love to come back to California, still keep a place in Santa Barbara. I come to see Alan, to play, and to work on new music. But, I still consider Hawaii home. The music scene there is great; open and refreshing. They respect their older musicians, but welcome new energy."

How did you write and record the second cd, "Chillaxin'?

Ricky: "Pretty much the same way as the first. We each came with our ideas. We'd trade files over the internet, I would carry a portable studio with me for whenever I came up with a new idea. And, when I came to California, we'd get together at Alan's studio."

Alan: "We played what we felt, that spirit of Aloha. It's hard to explain. It's not something you can force, it's more of a concept, like the term 'Trop Rock'. It's what's in your heart. I mean, Brian Wilson wrote about waves and cars, couldn't surf and didn't even have a driver's license!" The process was very fluid. Almost every sound on the cd is unedited, exactly as we played it the first time."

So what is next?

Ricky: "We're constantly writing. As soon as we finish one album, we start working on the next. We want to get out and play around California. And we have been discovering - starting to be embraced by - the Trop Rock community. We're looking to do more of the 'Parrot Head' type events around the country. Now that DJ Jeff Allen lives near us in California, we hope to be on BeachFront Radio soon."

Alan: "And we want to say 'Mahalo' to you for all your help in letting people know about us, spreading the Aloha."

I also asked Ricky and Alan about some of their favorite places to hang out when they're not working, in Hawaii and SoCal:

Ricky: I spend alot of time in Waikiki. There are a lot of great local spots but, believe it or not, I like the Cheesecake Factory (on Kalakaua - Fred)! Great food and great prices. When I want to get out of the city, there is a little surfing town called Hale'iwa on the North Shore (be sure to grab a shave ice at Matsumoto's - Fred). If you're in Kaua‘i, Bar Acuda in Hanalei has great food and great service.

Alan: In Santa Barbara, Brophy Brothers has some tasty food. It's right on the harbor. In Long Beach, Shoreline Village has lots of shops and restaurants - places like The Yard House, which has around 1000 different beers - and always has great entertainment.

http: //www.hanasatchwell.com

http://www.facebook.com/Hana.Satchwell

http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/
http://haleiwatownhawaii.com/

http://www.gonorthshore.org/

http://www.matsumotoshaveice.com/

http://restaurantbaracuda.com/ 

http://brophybros.com/

http://shorelinevillage.com/

http://www.yardhouse.com/CA/Long_Beach/