Dallas, Texas -- 1971-1973
Lainie Kazan -- On Tour
- Got a call from old San Antonio buddy and NTSU grad Tom Bruner. He was living in Los Angeles and heard that singer Lainie Kazan was looking for a drummer. Lloyd Morales, who was Les Brown's drummer for years had been playing for her and was leaving to take another gig. His last weeks were the next two in Dallas at the Fairmont... Perfect!! I went and auditioned and (for better AND worse) got the job... I moved Sharon and John from the high-maintainance house in Denton into a great apartment with a pool. The next week I flew to Los Angeles and went to work for Lainie at the Centry Plaza Hotel.
- Musicians:
- Peter Daniels - Conductor (Peter had had been Streisand's accompanist - check out this Mike Wallace - Streisand
interview Barbara mentions's Peter just before "Moon River")
- Russ Turner -
piano - an unbelievabley "soulful, blues-based jazz and rock influenced piano/keyboards player who was
a complete "free spirit"... and he ALWAYS delivered!!
- Jimmy Stewart - guitar
- Peter Daniels - Conductor (Peter had had been Streisand's accompanist - check out this Mike Wallace - Streisand
interview Barbara mentions's Peter just before "Moon River")
- Century Plaza Hotel - Los Angeles - Really great band... my first taste of the LA scene and I REALLY liked it!! Kenton Ex Jerry McKenzie was the house drummer... there were many 'road rats' in the band
- Playboy Hotel - Great Gorge, NJ
- Fairmont Roosevelt Hotel - New Orleans - The famous "Blue Room" at the Roosevelt where nightly radio shows (The Leon Kelner Orchestra link) featuring big band were once broadcast. The band was the Dick Stabile Band. Mardi Gras in New Orleans... Lainie seemed to be connected to the locals who "had access". We had "escorts" to all the happenings on the streets and in the clubs!! Saw some great bands - Jackson Brewing Company and Freddy Bell and the Bellboys (with drummer Lloyd Morales whose place I took with Lainie)
- Chicago - The Millrun Theater
A funny story happened at the Millrun Theater, a theater-in-the-round. The stage was a big 'turntable' that turned slowly during the performance. The audience sat in a 360º circle around the stage. The set-up for the band on the turntable stage was singer/piano in the center and, what would typically be in the back of a band setup, the trumpets and trombones on the outside perimeter of the turntable facing in...
Several months earlier, in an attempt to bolster her career, Lainie had done a (tasteful but nude) photo layout for Playboy Magazine (not the centerfold section)... Some members of the brass section (remember the brass sit in the back of the band) of some previous engagement pasted the pics onto their music thinking no one would ever see/know.
On opening night at the Millrun Lainie started her first show and soon noticed 'snickering' in the audience. As the stage rotated EVERYONE in the audience was getting a good look at Miss Kazan's layout!!! Needless to say the pics were gone before the next show!!!
- Australian Tour -- March -1972
Melbourne - Old Melbourne Motor Inn -- We were in Melbourne for about a week. Then drove (for about a week)
through several smaller cities in the Outback where we played local 'RSL's, Reserve Servicemen's Lodges, ending up at Sydney
Sydney - Chateau Commodore Motel, Potts Point -- We played the Royal Easter Show and a few night clubs. The tour began to fall apart.
Brisbane - The Crest Hotel -- Arrived LATE on the 7th of April
We were late... Lainie had missed two earlier flights and made the last flight out from Sydney to Brisbane. Lainie had called ahead to request the restaurant be held open for her arrival. As she was eating with the hotel manager Chef Frank De Costa stormed into the dining room and harangued the Kazan entourage for five minutes.
Later,in the evening, as Miss Kazan was preparing for bed she became a little temperamental herself... She threatened to call Brisbane's Lord Mayor Alderman Clem Jones to demand he silence the City Hall Clock (in the City hall clocktower directly across from the hotel). It seems the clock chimes were keeping her awake!!
It was announced the following day in a newspaper recount (I still have the clippings) under the heading "SONGSTAR LAINIE NO MATCH FOR THE COOK", that the Chef had, in fact, survived the encounter.
NOTE: Had to file a claim against Lainie with the American Federation of Musicians to get paid for half of the tour.
- Playboy Hotels - 1991
Ten years later I was to work with Miss Kazan again, at the Playboy Hotels (there's that connection again) Lake Geneva in Wisconsin and Great Gorge in New Jersey, Jul 6 - Aug 3, 1991. Needless to say, there was no ambiguity about the money!!!
- Joined the Mark Franklin Trio
- Lou Fischer electric and acoustic basses
- Kirby Stewart -- bass (early on)
- This was a really special musicical experience... we became so "attuned" to each other we could play a song for the first time and it would sound like it had been been rehearsed...
- We played the Lobby Bar at the Fairmont Hotel 6 nites a week for months. This was a particulary great gig because the Fairfmont had an upscale dinner showroom, The Venetian Room, where some of the biggest acts in showbiz appeared for a week or two. Tony Bennett, with British drummer Kenny Clare and Ella Fitzgerald with drummer Steve Ettleston are just two that come to mind. The band, contracted by Dallas' first call trumpet player George Cherb, was full of NTSU One O'Clock exes and Dallas recording heavyweights. We often took our breaks in the back of the Venetian Room!!
- The Mark Franklin Trio also worked at Arthur's Restraunt on Central Expressway
- Studio Recordings with Mark Franklin
- Contacted by Ernie Chapman, Dallas bass player to join the rhythm section accompanying Doc Severinsen when he appears as guest soloist with symphony orchestras.
- Rhythm section: Freddie Crane - piano, Ernie Chapman - bass, Bobby Thomas - guitar
- Basically I played all the concerts that Ed Shaughnessey didn't make.
- First concert with the Wichita Falls Symphony
- This continued for several years... More Info
- Bill & Sis Lacombe -- Drum Shop owners - the source of the silver sparkle Rogers drums
- Phil Kelly - Great composer/arranger (100's of national radio/tv commercials and industrials), who played drums for Si Zentner and Buddy Greco on the road, with Teryy Gibbs and Red Garland in LA, and in Don "Jake" Jacoby's band in Dallas for years. I learned to play a real bossa nova/samba from Phil. Phil was married to Suzy Stein who had been head cheerleader my senior year of high school.