Who's the Drummer for What Now My Love?

[Numero Cinco]

My reason for asking is that the percussionist for this album (other than Julius and whoever covered piano) seems to me dramatically "out front," exceptionally versatile in using the full range of his set. Plus, I think there's no TJB album in which you hear more hi-hat cymbal and to such dynamic effect. The hi-hat kicks off the first beat of the first track; had "Five Minutes More" ended the album, it would have landed on the very last beat, as well. In between, it's showcased on "Freckles," "Plucky," and even "So What's New?" (where it ends the song).

To paraphrase Newman's Butch Cassidy: Who is that guy?

 

[Jay Maynes/Juan Oskar]

It's probably Nick C. on the trap set....

I have a question that I have wondered about for many moons...
There was very little piano on any of the TJB records but lots of marimba. I wonder why the band toured with a piano player and no marimba or vibes? In the 1960's in LA were there no piano players that doubled? later amigos.......Jay

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

Jay:

Here are some thoughts:

Herb used the piano as a rhythm instrument a lot of the time.

Julius was touring with the BMB, so in the early days couldn't do both; and also Julius played uncredited on the early TJB recordings. And, even though the TJB and the BMB were billed as label-mates, publicly there was no acknowledgement that they might have "shared" studio musicians.

But, having said the above, have you ever heard the '69 TJB London show from the Royal Festival Hall? There was pretty much piano played where the marimba would have been.

 

[Captaindave]

Having seen the original TJB three times in concert, I will generally agree with the above post.

In concert, if my memory serves me correctly after all these years, the main idea was to play the songs so that the audience could hear and enjoy the songs they knew from recordings and radio, as well as some of the songs from the albums that were perhaps less known. I will guess that most listeners in the audience were not particularly interested nor able to compare the live sound and performance with the exact duplication of the recordings. I seem to remember that there wasn't really any attempt to exactly duplicate part for part the recordings in concert.

So, you had the rhythm section - piano, guitar, bass, drums - all providing the "fill" or accompaniment for the brass lead. Kind of like two separate bands playing together - a rhythm section and a brass trio. Everything was very well amplified. The result was a very tight, crystal clear, and full concert sound. I think some slight adjustments were made in the overall arrangements to make the songs and sound go over well in concert. Occasionally, the horns tended to "jazz" things up a little, and once in awhile the trombone took a solo where the guitar played a lead on record, so that the guitar could stay on the rhythm.

I think the main idea was to feature the melody, and especially the trumpet. I think the audience wanted to hear the popular melodies they knew, and see Herb Alpert in person.

The live sound didn't lacked for anything - it was superb, given the outstanding sound system and the playing abilities of these seven players. But, I don't think the live performance attempted to duplicate the marimba parts that are heard so often on the studio recordings, to the best of my memory.

It was like a rhythm section whose goal it was to drive the beat and provide the fill, and the brass ensemble riding along on top of it. I think the goal was to play the songs in a way that sounded good in concert, and let the audience, who for the most part wouldn't know any better or even care, enjoy hearing their favorite and popular songs from record and radio.

By the way, I don't see any reason why it couldn't be Nick Ceroli, but who knows? I'm no drummer, but I think he was capable of just about anything regarding the drums.

 

[Numero Cinco]

By the way, I don't see any reason why it couldn't be Nick Ceroli, but who knows? I'm no drummer, but I think he was capable of just about anything regarding the drums.

No question of Ceroli's ability; but every drummer has his style. What strikes me about What Now My Love is how pronounced the use of hi-hat is, compared with the other albums.

So, you had the rhythm section - piano, guitar, bass, drums - all providing the "fill" or accompaniment for the brass lead.

Your memory squares from the stills from the era, even that on the original back cover of S.R.O. But did you notice the photograph on the front cover of the new S.R.O. booklet/liner notes? Six of the seven members of the touring band are playing amid the audience: from left to right, Pagani (?) on xylophone, Pisano on guitar, Ceroli on drums, Herb and Kallish on trumpets, Senatore on bass.

My questions: Is that Pagani on xylophone? And why would he, not Wechter, be playing with mallets?

 

[Captain Bacardi]

My questions: Is that Pagani on xylophone? And why would he, not Wechter, be playing with mallets?

No, Lou Pagani did NOT play either xylophone or marimba. Julius answered that question for us a few years ago. The only time you saw Pagani on xylophone/marimba was when the TJB was doing the lip-sync stuff on TV/videos. It was for appearance only.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Greg Shannon]

I guess I lucked out, because when I saw the TJB in Reno in whenever it was--1966 or 67--Julius played with them. This is because the BMB, as well as Brasil '66, was on tour with the TJB. Herb introduced Julius as the "unofficial 8th member" of the TJB.

Cheers

Greg Shannon

 

[Captaindave]

Regarding that photo on the liner notes of SRO, IMO the group is not playing; rather they are just posing for the photo...

 

[Mr Bill]

Regarding that photo on the liner notes of SRO, IMO the group is not playing; rather they are just posing for the photo...

My thought as well, just like the "lip-syncing" for the videos/TV specials...

I know (from my parents' memories of concerts) that whenever the BMB was the opening act, Julius joined the TJB on stage for their set, making him (likely) the busiest of the musicians on those tours (along with Pisano who'd guitar with B66 when B66 toured with TJB)...

The absence of Bob Edmondson in that photo? Maybe he's the one who took it?

--Mr Bill