Thursday, April 18, 2024

Give Me Funky and Make Me Dance!

March 17, 2012


When I play live and the crowd starts moving, I feel the same as I did the first time I nervously walked up to a girl and asked her, "Would you like to dance?"

Years ago while producing a record with Eric Clapton, he told me, he was happy because he's able to play the blues for the rest of his life. I knew what Eric meant, but there was something he didn't have to say. It's acceptable for musicians to play blues forever but not dance music. One art form is considered respectable no matter what the age of the performer, but the other is reserved for the young.

I'm fifty-nine years old. When I play live and the crowd starts moving, I feel the same as I did the first time I nervously walked up to a girl and asked her, "Would you like to dance?"

On March 31st I'll get to play with some legendary artists whose music was primarily defined as relevant when they were younger. Many of these acts I've played with recently and they still bring it!

I've produced all styles of music and every form has everlasting artistic relevance. The snobbery inherent in art is usually perpetuated by talkers not the doers. "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, Give Me Funky and Make Me Dance!"

 

Click on the images to enlarge and read the story - use your left & right arrows to navigate

 


Rosie Perez's powerful solo dancing during the opening credits of Do The Right Thing