I’ve been at this too long to suck so badly, so I’m looking to improve. Blues, Swing, Jump, R&B, Soul, Jazz, Funk, Rock, Country, Punk, Ska. Everyone I play with is a better musician, and I’m proof that horn players can fake better than anybody else in the band, unless it’s a punk band. I didn’t allow my children to play reed instruments because I was afraid they’d someday show me up, and I would lose whatever mystique I might have left. Of course, my 3 sons have a popular power trio and they let me play with them some times. Many in my family are, or were, a musician when they were alive. Several played on minor hits or played concerts in good rooms, with symphonies, had songs on the radio, TV, a movie, toured a little, sold a song to Johnny Cash. If none of us ever reached fame and fortune we stood next to many of those who did. I worked in advertising and weaseled my way on to the biggest music producing beer brand and learned a lot about writing and producing and working with big name artists. My biggest sax influences are Boots Randolph, Louis Jordan, Illinois Jacquet, Red Prysock, Bobby Keys, Gato Barbieri, Michael Francis (Asleep at the Wheel), Don Wise (Delbert McClinton), Lee Allen and Grady Gaines (Little Richard) and other forgotten names that played those great solos……………
I’m fortunate to have some good hardware that deserves better music slobbered through them.
Thanks for reading, say hello, I’m Richard Zempel in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.