some solo multi-percussion compositions of mine.
In the jazz world you would be lucky if you had two
Paul heard those and asked me to come down to the
days to make an album and even luckier if the record
studio and see if I could come up with a musical
ever sold over 10,000 copies. Now hardly anyone
solution for a tune he was working on.
buys CD’s and few download whole albums. Paul
He liked my sounds and my approach, and asked
came from a different school of thought – he was and
me who else I like working with. I suggested another
is a master of crafting landmark recordings, some of
percussionist living in Paris, Steve Shehan, pianist
which could take over a year to make (not working
Alain Mallet (also French) and
every day but in concentrated periods). At the end of
trombonist/arranger/singer Jay Ashby, who now also
the day Paul is a great poet and he went to school
teaches with me at Oberlin College here in Ohio.
working alongside great producers, engineers,
That incarnation stayed together about seven years. I
orchestrators, composers, arrangers and fantastic
am the only one of those players that is still in Paul’s
world musicians, and none of that was wasted on
band.
Paul! Frustrating as the process can be at times, he
Paul was much more patient than I was when it
came to developing songs and approaches to songs.
knows what works for him as a composer, poet,
singer, arranger and orchestrator. Last year Paul’s