Music:
Member Since: 27/08/2007
Band Website: Also visit Myspace.com/popcornmiller
Band Members: Skip Anderson-B3....Charles Small-guitar....Popcorn-Drums
Influences: My influences are mainly jazz. I was introduced to jazz at a very young age and never really liked any other music. Listening to Jimmy Smith, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Stanley Turrentine, Lou Donaldson, Grant Green and many others from the organ trio/quartet era was it for me. It was my first musical love.
When I began playing drums (1965) I wanted to be a jazz musician. I was afforded the opportunity to learn jazz and play jazz during the late sixties and early seventies from a renowned piano player from Toledo,Øhio named Eddie Abrams. After a stint in the Air Force I continued playing and became a member of various organ trios- The Richard Smith band(Erie,Pa), Bobby Shaw trio (Columbus, Ohio), Grant Green and ultimately with the Richard "Groove" Holmes quartet with whom I toured with in 1977.
Landing in Los Angeles I played with various organ trios including the Raymond Lee band, Artie Sherman and Emmett North Jr and on numerous occasions I set in with Jimmy Smith at his club in N. Hollywood.
Once I heard 'Trane and the modal thing I went into a different mode so to speak . I was attracted by the space and the freedom of the music . I knew I wanted to play some real straight ahead shit with a bass player(not organ bass), piano, and most of all..... a percussionist!(congas, toys etc.)
I got a chance to play with Jack Wilson, Leroy Vinnegar, Henry Franklin, Bill Williams, Jorge Martin, James McKinney(a great keyboardist from Oakland) and an L.A. based R&B band headed up by singer/percussionist Melvin Brown called "Rags to Riches".
I am currently recording a jazz record(CD) with three great musicians: Skip Anderson-Hammond B3, Charles Small-guitar and Mr. George Harper-Tenor Sax.
(Charles & George) are members of my old friend Trombonist Evan Pigford's Mixed Bag Jazz Band. John 'SKIP' Anderson is also the producer on this project; which is my tribute to Blue Note Records.
John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner and (pre-1978) Weather Report are undoubtably my top influences.
Steve Kroon-percussionist (Luther Vandross/Ron Carter/Steve Kroon sextet) introduced me to Cuban, Brazilian, Salsa and World Music, (for which I am forever grateful), along with Joe Zawinul, Airto and Giovanni.
And Yogi Horton showed me THE POCKET! Play on Hock-e-moe!
Sounds Like: a mixture of Lonnie Liston Smith, Roy Ayers, 60's organ Trios, P-funk and soul singing groups. i.e. Temptations, Stylistics, O'jays,etc.
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Record Label: Unsigned
