toeknee4bz
Well-Known Member
OK. Time for a new thread, and it came to me as I was reading about Sergio Mendes' new album, ENCANTO. I haven't heard it yet, but, as many of you know, I grew up in the '80s listening to his "post-Brasil '66" albums, featuring a lot of session players. As I also was the only kid on the block who got exited about a new Herb Alpert release, I got used to reading credits!
A while back we had a post called "Dream Bands" and it dawned on me: Some of the best musicians I can think of are not in a "band" per se, but rather those who appear on everything ranging from funk to pop to fusion jazz and even rock albums in the '70s and '80s. Now I know that many of you out there are fond of the pre-'70s players. Great. Let's hear 'em! (See, JO... I thought of you ). No contest here. Just looking for some names of the best players you know who mesmorized us in several different genres.
Here are my favorites, who have crossed from one category to another, and have been listed on countless albums. These are in no particular order. Any album artists included in my list are there simply because they have appeared on so many sessions by so many other artists.
SAXOPHONES:
Ernie Watts, Eric Marienthal, David Sanborn (ironically, I love his session work on other people's albums but HIS albums bore me to death), Larry Williams, Tom Scott, Michael Brecker, Grover Washington, Jr.
TRUMPETS AND FLUGELHORN:
Herb Alpert, Jerry Hey, Randy Brecker, Chuck Findley (Bob Findley, too. Aren't they brothers?), Chris Botti, Rick Braun
TROMBONE:
Bill Reichenbach, Bob Edmonson
GUITARS:
Lee Ritenour (some 200 sessions throughout the '70s!), Larry Carlton (not quite 200, but I bet pretty close), George Benson, Eric Gale, Paul Jackson, Jr., Carlos Rios, Dann Huff, Michael Landau, Bruce Gaitsch, Jay Graydon, Steve Lukather, Dean Parks, Mark Knopfler, Earl Klugh, Jeff Mirinov, Michael Thompson, Eric Clapton
KEYBOARDS (Electric or Acoustic Piano):
Robbie Buchanan, Dave Grusin, Bob James, Joe Sample, David Foster, Rob Mounsey, Alan Broadbent, David Paich, Michael Omartian, Randy Waldman, Barnaby Finch, Randy Kerber, Greg Phillinganes
BASS:
Abraham Laboriel, Nathan East, Jimmy Johnson, Louis Johnson, Anthony Jackson, John Patitucci, Marcus Miller, Neil Stubenhaus, Chuck Domanico, Leland Sklar
DRUMS:
Hal Blaine, Harvey Mason, Carlos Vega, Jeff Porcaro, Russ Kunkel, John Robinson, Steve Gadd, Rick Marotta, Bernard Purdie, Paul Leim, Jeff Hamilton, Vinnie Colaiuta, Alex Acuna
PERCUSSION:
Paulinho DaCosta, Ralph MacDonald, Steve Forman, Steve Reid, Lenny Castro, Victor Feldman
AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE BACKGROUND VOCALS!:
Bill Champlin, Michael McDonald, James Ingram, Phil Perry, Siedah Garrett, Lani Hall, Oren Waters, Julia Waters, Maxine Waters, Myrna Matthews, Patti Austin, Timothy B. Schmit, Warren Wiebe
No matter how bizarre, ...
Tony
A while back we had a post called "Dream Bands" and it dawned on me: Some of the best musicians I can think of are not in a "band" per se, but rather those who appear on everything ranging from funk to pop to fusion jazz and even rock albums in the '70s and '80s. Now I know that many of you out there are fond of the pre-'70s players. Great. Let's hear 'em! (See, JO... I thought of you ). No contest here. Just looking for some names of the best players you know who mesmorized us in several different genres.
Here are my favorites, who have crossed from one category to another, and have been listed on countless albums. These are in no particular order. Any album artists included in my list are there simply because they have appeared on so many sessions by so many other artists.
SAXOPHONES:
Ernie Watts, Eric Marienthal, David Sanborn (ironically, I love his session work on other people's albums but HIS albums bore me to death), Larry Williams, Tom Scott, Michael Brecker, Grover Washington, Jr.
TRUMPETS AND FLUGELHORN:
Herb Alpert, Jerry Hey, Randy Brecker, Chuck Findley (Bob Findley, too. Aren't they brothers?), Chris Botti, Rick Braun
TROMBONE:
Bill Reichenbach, Bob Edmonson
GUITARS:
Lee Ritenour (some 200 sessions throughout the '70s!), Larry Carlton (not quite 200, but I bet pretty close), George Benson, Eric Gale, Paul Jackson, Jr., Carlos Rios, Dann Huff, Michael Landau, Bruce Gaitsch, Jay Graydon, Steve Lukather, Dean Parks, Mark Knopfler, Earl Klugh, Jeff Mirinov, Michael Thompson, Eric Clapton
KEYBOARDS (Electric or Acoustic Piano):
Robbie Buchanan, Dave Grusin, Bob James, Joe Sample, David Foster, Rob Mounsey, Alan Broadbent, David Paich, Michael Omartian, Randy Waldman, Barnaby Finch, Randy Kerber, Greg Phillinganes
BASS:
Abraham Laboriel, Nathan East, Jimmy Johnson, Louis Johnson, Anthony Jackson, John Patitucci, Marcus Miller, Neil Stubenhaus, Chuck Domanico, Leland Sklar
DRUMS:
Hal Blaine, Harvey Mason, Carlos Vega, Jeff Porcaro, Russ Kunkel, John Robinson, Steve Gadd, Rick Marotta, Bernard Purdie, Paul Leim, Jeff Hamilton, Vinnie Colaiuta, Alex Acuna
PERCUSSION:
Paulinho DaCosta, Ralph MacDonald, Steve Forman, Steve Reid, Lenny Castro, Victor Feldman
AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE BACKGROUND VOCALS!:
Bill Champlin, Michael McDonald, James Ingram, Phil Perry, Siedah Garrett, Lani Hall, Oren Waters, Julia Waters, Maxine Waters, Myrna Matthews, Patti Austin, Timothy B. Schmit, Warren Wiebe
No matter how bizarre, ...
Tony