goes to sleep at ten o’clock and you guys don’t [WM] The drummer culture is very open a guy named Bob Yarlborough, and a guy
even start until ten and it’s an hour away.” I said, to mentoring others. Tell us about some of named Jim Ruffner. In middle school it was
“I have four friends with station wagons, they’ll your mentors? Jerry Hasspatcher, and then in high school a
pick you up, I’ll put your names on the guest
guy named Bill Baker was our band director.
list, you don’t have to pay, you’re welcome [Gregg] Well my Dad would be my first I had a couple really great private instructors,
to bring your horns and sit in, and drinks are drumming mentor, he did the gigs and let one was Myron Macdonald, he played in the
on me!” He goes, “We’ll be there!” (laughs) me sit in and watch him. My Mom was a Detroit Symphony, and another great drummer
The whole band showed up except Maynard. mentor. She had really great ears, she was named Mark Bertacchi, great players, great
Afterword the guy who does the hiring, Stan able to just sit down at the piano and pick guys. Then going down to North Texas I had
Mark, he said, “I really like the way you play, we out Beatles songs… harmonize them like great drum teachers, a guy named Ron Fink,
have a drummer now but when our drummer George Shearing. My mom said in a loving another guy named Henry Okstel. One of the
leaves you got the gig”. I said, “Like that, that’s way while she was on a step ladder painting greatest drum teachers I have ever had, the
how it works?” And he said, “You gotta know my bedroom, “Gregg, I think that one note great drummer from Woody Herman’s band
somebody, it’s all about knowing somebody”. you just played from your popular fake book and The North Texas State One O’Clock Band,
on the song “It’s Strictly Instrumental” should Steve Houghton. Then my jazz band director
So my prayers were answered. A few months be a half step up” ...sure enough it was in the Leon Breeden, he directed the One O’Clock
later they needed a bass player and my brother key of D and I was missing the F#. She would Lab Band and that band was nominated for
got the gig. So he got into the band first, and drive me to my music lessons. My Mom and Grammy awards. He was just phenomenal.
that was kind of our intro into being with a band Dad were my first music mentors. My second,
that toured the world and recorded albums… third, fourth, fifth would be my band directors [WM] You teach private lessons. How does
with one of my heroes, Maynard Ferguson. in elementary school in drums and trumpet, a drummer audition for that and what are you
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June 2019
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