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I just recorded with Jefferson Starship keyboardist...


Karma1

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Pete Sears- who played with the Starship for four years in their prime with Grace Slick, and who also played on Rod Stewart's Gasoline Alley, Every Picture Tells A Story and others. He's done tons of session work with people like Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, Tina Turner, Sly, and many many others, including jamming once with Jimi Hendrix in London.

 

I met him a few months ago at a studio grand opening and I know some people who know him and got me his contact info. He's been out on a long tour but was back in the Bay area for a week, so I contacted him to see if I could hire him for a session to play on two songs on my new cd, and forwarded him info about myself and about the music. He said he was extremely busy, but said that "my project sounded cool" and I guess that since I lived nearby,and it wouldn't take that much time, he agreed. The music is ambient instrumental with influences of jazz, rock, and world music - with one song having a Santana-type vibe which he played organ on, and the other kind of like the Doors, Riders On The Storm where he played electric piano.

 

He spent close to three hours here and did an awesome job. It was a trip to have someone of his caliber in my humble studio, especially knowing all the big name people he's played with. He was a really nice guy, a great musician, and a pleasure to work with. I consider myself very fortunate to have had this opportunity. I'll post when the cd comes out - probably in a month or two.

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I got to meet Mr. Irv Cox, the Saxophone player on 'Miracles'.

He was in Charlotte in 1999 giving Saxophone lessons and playing at Jazz 2000 downtown.

On this night he was playing at a wedding reception on Old Statesville Rd. near the Womens shelter.

Amazing what some people end up doing after they leave Hollywood.

He told us all about how he got that on the first take, and they were like "Thanks!

Have a good one!"

Real nice guy

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Congrats on getting him to record with you and good luck with the CD. I've heard of him before and he's an excellent musician and Im sure he's a wonderful guy, but man, to me, the words Starship and prime just don't go together. Obviously I'm a Jefferson Airplane kind of guy. Feed your head.

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Congrats on getting him to record with you and good luck with the CD. I've heard of him before and he's an excellent musician and Im sure he's a wonderful guy, but man, to me, the words Starship and prime just don't go together. Obviously I'm a Jefferson Airplane kind of guy. Feed your head.

 

I like Hot Tuna better than even Jefferson Airplane, myself.

 

Burgers>Surrealistic Pillow, imho.

 

I can't help it...Airplane was great for their time and place, but Hot Tuna doesn't sound as dated to me. Too much overt, commercialized "psychedelia" in the Airplane's sound, for my taste, though they were awesome at times.

 

Just a personal taste thing. I can't imagine many people like Starship better than the Airplane or Tuna, though.:D

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Thanks for all the feedback and good wishes. As someone who was a big fan of the Airplane, I have to agree that the Jefferson Starship's career has been "inconsistent" for lack of a better term. There have been some great songs and some very forgettable ones. Also a lot of changes of band members over the years. The period that Pete Sears played with them was one of their best, especially the Red Octopus album. Some of my favorite songs from that time are Ride The Tiger, Hyperdrive, and one of my all-time favorite songs ever, St. Charles. Seriously, if you haven't heard St. Charles, check it out - great writing, vibe, and killer guitar solo from Craig Chaquico.

 

The Jefferson Starship still play fairly regularly around the Bay area and I've seen them a couple times over the past couple years, including once at The Fillmore with a version of Quicksilver opening. Original members included Paul Kantner, Marty Balin, and Jack Cassidy - also a very hot young female vocalist who did a great job of covering Grace Slick's parts. Interestingly, they played more Jefferson Airplane songs than anything - much to the delight of the crowd.

 

I'll post some clips from my cd that Pete plays on as soon as it's mixed. I still have a lot of ProTools editing to do on the album.

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