Best troop of session musicians

[Seamas]

Thoughts?

 

[Rick]

Close, so close, but went with Wrecking Crew based on the fact I know more of them, followed by the Swampers, then the Funk brothers, A team, i believe were mostly country cats.  Don't remember much about STAX.

 

[Seamas]

Don't remember much about STAX.

Stax was a record company that put out a lot of soul and r&b records.
More sweaty and gritty than Motown. More gospel influence.
The house band (Booker T & MGs) backed Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and a huge number of others).
Members of the session group would be Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, Al Jackson Jr and Issac Hayes

 

[Rick]

STAX got it, I'm thinking blues brothers movie.

https://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=30342.0

 

[stratamania]

Toto

 

[swarfrat]

Toto and Koinonia are both respectable entries.

 

[Rick]

OK, need a link or something to Toto, or Koin ... because I don't know them in the context of the Wrecking crew or the swampers.  Thanks

 

[SustainerPlayer]

OK, need a link or something to Toto, or Koin ... because I don't know them in the context of the Wrecking crew or the swampers.  Thanks

I can start out with this: https://nowtoronto.com/music/the-talent-behind-thriller/

 

[Seamas]

STAX got it, I'm thinking blues brothers movie.

https://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=30342.0

Yep, two members are in the BB band.

 

[Seamas]

Toto and Koinonia are both respectable entries.

Was considering Toto as well --I was looking for something of a comprehensive list of whet they were on.
Never heard of Koinonia.

I was trying to see if thee was ever a name for the "big" session people in  NYC from the '60s didn't see one.

 

[swarfrat]

Koinonia is Abe Laboriel (Sr), Alex Acuna, Justo Almario, Harlan Rodgers, Hadley Hockensmith, and Bill Maxwell. Probably heard their work if you've not heard the names.

 

[Rick]

That Toto ...

 

[stratamania]

For Toto, the list of sessions the various members played on is huge.

Here is a list on Spotify for example with over 1400 songs Steve Lukather played on.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wsIcRLcqckqBU3o2jJuWs

Michael Jackson's Thriller has a lot of playing by Toto members also.

The late Jeff Porcaro here is a website that documents a lot of tracks he played on

http://www.frontiernet.net/~cybraria/

David Paich
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Paich

 

[PhilHill]

The Wrecking Crew, The Motown House Band, The Band, and the Swampers.
In the 50's and the 60's, on into the 70's, Carol Kaye and James Jamerson pretty much defined what a bass groove is.  Then you have people like Tommy Tedesco, who will never be equaled.

 

[stratamania]

The Wrecking Crew, The Motown House Band, The Band, and the Swampers.
In the 50's and the 60's, on into the 70's, Carol Kaye and James Jamerson pretty much defined what a bass groove is.  Then you have people like Tommy Tedesco, who will never be equaled.

Do you remember those Tommy Tedesco columns in Guitar Player?

I was playing a lot of styles at the time but to just walk in cold, read and record pretty much like he often apparently did is impressive.

 

[PhilHill]

The Wrecking Crew, The Motown House Band, The Band, and the Swampers.
In the 50's and the 60's, on into the 70's, Carol Kaye and James Jamerson pretty much defined what a bass groove is.  Then you have people like Tommy Tedesco, who will never be equaled.

Do you remember those Tommy Tedesco columns in Guitar Player?

I was playing a lot of styles at the time but to just walk in cold, read and record pretty much like he often apparently did is impressive.

Yes I do, I use to love those columns. The man was possibly the best sight reader that ever lived and on top of that, if they decided to change the key he could transpose the whole thing in his head in real time. Amazing, I'm lucky if I can tell if it's treble or bass clef. :dontknow:

 

[stratamania]

The Wrecking Crew, The Motown House Band, The Band, and the Swampers.
In the 50's and the 60's, on into the 70's, Carol Kaye and James Jamerson pretty much defined what a bass groove is.  Then you have people like Tommy Tedesco, who will never be equaled.

Do you remember those Tommy Tedesco columns in Guitar Player?

I was playing a lot of styles at the time but to just walk in cold, read and record pretty much like he often apparently did is impressive.

Yes I do, I use to love those columns. The man was possibly the best sight reader that ever lived and on top of that, if they decided to change the key he could transpose the whole thing in his head in real time. Amazing, I'm lucky if I can tell if it's treble or bass clef. :dontknow:

I still have quite a few Guitar Players from that period. I used to think that I should be at that level probably due to the fact that my dad could sight-read like that on piano and organ.

 

[PhilHill]

The Wrecking Crew, The Motown House Band, The Band, and the Swampers.
In the 50's and the 60's, on into the 70's, Carol Kaye and James Jamerson pretty much defined what a bass groove is.  Then you have people like Tommy Tedesco, who will never be equaled.

Do you remember those Tommy Tedesco columns in Guitar Player?

I was playing a lot of styles at the time but to just walk in cold, read and record pretty much like he often apparently did is impressive.

Yes I do, I use to love those columns. The man was possibly the best sight reader that ever lived and on top of that, if they decided to change the key he could transpose the whole thing in his head in real time. Amazing, I'm lucky if I can tell if it's treble or bass clef. :dontknow:

I still have quite a few Guitar Players from that period. I used to think that I should be at that level probably due to the fact that my dad could sight-read like that on piano and organ.

I've always admired people that could do that. I can see how it would affect your outlook.
Then again though, there were folks like Glen Campbell, arguably one of the finest guitarists ever, who couldn't read at all. As soon as they started playing though he had it down in about 3 seconds and was going strong.

 

[stratamania]

The Wrecking Crew, The Motown House Band, The Band, and the Swampers.
In the 50's and the 60's, on into the 70's, Carol Kaye and James Jamerson pretty much defined what a bass groove is.  Then you have people like Tommy Tedesco, who will never be equaled.

Do you remember those Tommy Tedesco columns in Guitar Player?

I was playing a lot of styles at the time but to just walk in cold, read and record pretty much like he often apparently did is impressive.

Yes I do, I use to love those columns. The man was possibly the best sight reader that ever lived and on top of that, if they decided to change the key he could transpose the whole thing in his head in real time. Amazing, I'm lucky if I can tell if it's treble or bass clef. :dontknow:

I still have quite a few Guitar Players from that period. I used to think that I should be at that level probably due to the fact that my dad could sight-read like that on piano and organ.

I've always admired people that could do that. I can see how it would affect your outlook.
Then again though, there were folks like Glen Campbell, arguably one of the finest guitarists ever, who couldn't read at all. As soon as they started playing though he had it down in about 3 seconds and was going strong.

In the end I just decided we are all different and not all of us can achieve the same results. 10,000 hours of proper practice will make a person better but it will not make a person someone else. If someone has a gift and nurtures it that is something else entirely.

 

[Rick]

Apropos of the 10,000 hour comment I can recommend two books:
Guitar Zero, by Marcus
Outliers, by Malcom Gladwell