When everything got better I appreciated it so much more. People who make music secondarily usually aren’t around for long. To be respected, and to have fun doing it – that’s where it’s at. If I hadn’t gotten clean and sober I wouldn’t be making music with Tower of Power, and I’m grateful for that second chance. It’s easy to get hung up on peripheral things. As for the lean times…well, there wasn’t anywhere else to go! It’s easy to get lost in the sauce – liquor, dope, women, the spotlight. But the little things are more anecdotal – having done it for a long time, that’s the big kick.
When Prince said he lost his virginity to “You’re Still A Young Man,” that was a big thrill. Playing during the last days of the Fillmore West. It doesn’t take me much to get up for show time! There have been so many highlights. It’s funny, before it was like play – now it’s more like work – but it’s good work! Growing up in Berkeley, Calif., I loved the Coasters’ “Searchin’” and Bobby Bland’s “Turn On Your Love Light.” My dream was always to play well and write some good songs, like “What Is Hip?,” “Only So Much Oil,” “Recapture The Magic,” “So Very Hard To Go” and “Willing To Learn.” At first I wrote more of the music, but over time I’ve written more of the lyrics. Technically speaking, it’s not the way you’re supposed to play (Laughs.) But that’s Tower of Power. The horn section has always had it’s own style, its own character - cutting the notes short, snapping them off, clicking and bumping against the rhythm section. I’m proud of the way the horn section evolved with Greg’s horn arrangements, and the fact that we rarely deviated from our sound, or copped to trends. And I think our current configuration is one of our best, ever. Over the years I loved playing with so many guys, especially Lenny Pickett, Chester Thompson, Mic Gillette and Greg Adams. Some musicians are great at jazz but can’t play rhythm-and-blues. That’s when you start treading on iconic turf – like eligibility for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! So when the band celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1993, I started thinking about what our longevity has meant to me, how we could keep this thing going. Way back then, I never thought this far ahead! It was a different kind of one day at a time! (Laughs). It’s us veterans getting that charge from the young guys – they’ve really kept us old guys going! Because when we click there isn’t a band in the world that can beat us. The sum for us has always been greater than the parts. And being this old - that really works me! (Laughs). Having a vibrant career that meets my creative and artistic needs also brings me joy. It’s a beautiful thing and I know it was meant to be. Making things better for you if you’ve been to our show– that gives me a joyous feeling.
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