News & Reviews
Check back often for new stuff about Creatchy!
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Date: January 28, 2011
Special Recording
LEN Theme Song
"Pool of Friendship"
Featuring: James Harrah,
Gregg Bissonette,
Steve Tavaglione and more ...
Click here to listen and for more info
Date: June 6, 2010
The George Benson Sessions : The Making of Songs and Stories
"One Like You" written by David Garfield and Smokey Robinson
youtube video
Date: November 6, 2009
An interview I just did for the SmoothViews website is now up. www.smoothviews.com/ontheside.htm
Date: October 29, 2009
Hello Everyone,
David is honored and excited to say that recently he has had the pleasure to to be a part of two wonderful newly released albums of his friends George Benson and Smokey Robinson. The two albums turned out great and both are currently up for Grammy's as well as David and Smokey's song "One Like You" on George's album.
Date: May 1, 2009
Hi Everybody,
This year has got off to a great start and I have much to catch up on.
Smokey's album is done and coming out soon and it sounds amazing. That was my last work with David Williams who we unfortunately lost too soon.
It was really fun to see the recordings for George Benson's new project and hear some great new tunes. Marcus Miller is one of the producers and I am a huge fan of his. One night in the studio Paich was there, myself, Lee Rittenour, Tom Scott, Jerry Hey.......... It was an LA studio fest.
The Java Jazz festival was a huge thrill for me and the "Cats" and it was wonderful to have Tom Scott guesting with Karizma. He played on our first CD. Also, we had a nice reunion with Oleta Adams who brought down the house from the first song on. Every night at Java Jazz, we had great jam sessions into the wee hours. I got a chance to reunite with my old friend Simon Phillips and also played a lot with Ivan Lins's band members from Brazil, great musicians from India, Lil' Jon Roberts, and all the rest of the folks that were there.
One humorous thing happened in LA..... I stopped by Spazio to see Brandon Fields and Luis Conte and unfortunately while sitting in and playing a solo on "Speak No Evil" I inadvertently ripped 5 black keys off of the piano. Unfortunately, they had to stop the gig at that point and Jeff Babko couldn't stop cracking up about it (he was the pianist that night).
Many great things are in the works now, we've been doing a lot of the overdubs on the new Karizma album which is sounding awesome and writing and getting ready to record the new Lobotomys material. Basically, there is a lot of writing, recording, and performing going on and that's what it's all about. Coming up, a bunch of great gigs including Catalina in Hollywood, Syracuse Jazz Festival for two nights, Cleveland - NightTown, and Europe including the Blue Balls festival in Luzern, Switzerland on July 22nd.
As always, thank you for your love and support, we can't do this without you. Stay tuned for much more good news to come........ All the best! DG
Date: February 1, 2009
The year has started out in full force. The January gigs were awesome! And some of the surprise guests included "Uncle" Will Lee, Munyungo Jackson, Gerry Brown, Valerie Pinkston and Morris O'Conner, just to name a few. George Benson is making a wonderful new record and I was thrilled to hear the tracks coming together in the studio. It was a heart-warming experience to spend some time with my old bandmate and buddy, Steve Lukather, as well as my good friends John JR Robinson, Greg Phillinganes, and David Paich. While at the studio, I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting 'Alice In Chains' and hearing their new recording being made. That's the great thing about LA ... in one room is Justin Timberlake with Kings of Leon, the next George Benson and then Alice In Chains and everyone's digging each other. We've also been back in the studio with "Uncle" Will and Ferrone doing tracks for Alex's solo project. It's going to be a great year and we look forward to seeing you in Europe, the Midwest, East coast, Jakarta, and of course, around warm and sunny Southern California. On a closing note, we just found out we (the West Coast / East Coast Dream Band) were picked the #3 Live Concert of last year in the Northeast Coast region. This is an imense honor! Take a look at the other shows on the list, I never thought we'd be ranked above Jouney and David Byrne!
Thanks as always for your love and support
DG
Date: November 30, 2008
Hello Everybody,
This is my favorite time of year as I enjoy seeing all of my friends and family over the holidays. Many great things are happening, especially getting a chance to do a lot more writing and recording recently. All of our gigs have been extremely well received, and we keep making new friends.... most recently in San Diego at Anthology. Coming up is our 11th Annual Memorial Concert for Carlos and we're looking forward to great music and some impromtu appearances by special surprise guests.
Touring in Asia with George Benson and Al Jarreau was a real thrill as I got to visit China, Philippines, and Indonesia for the first time. Also fun, was to be traveling with my friends in Al Jarreau's band. Keyboardist Larry Williams (Seawind) and I go back to the old Baked Potato days in the 70's.
Take very good care and thanks to everyone for their continued support and friendship. Stay tuned for more news of things to come in the future with our new recordings and many more concerts all over the world.
Happy Holidays to all .... DG
Date: August 25, 2008
Greetings to all,
It was a wonderful experience to play so many places across the US and Europe these last months. I got to play with my band (the "cats") all over Eastern Europe and we made a lot of new friends and saw how dedicated the music fans are in places we had never even been before. Many good projects are in the making, but progress is slow to a busy live schedule. I'm very grateful to be very active writing, recording, and performing music with many great people all over the world.
We got some unfortunate news of the passing of our friend, and legendary musician, Hiram Bullock. He will be missed dearly as well as Dave Carpenter (Bass) who left us in June. August 5th, the same day they celebrated Hiram's life in New York, was the 16th anniversary of the day Jeff Porcaro left us.
For all of you who have supported our gigs over the years, I know you feel these losses too. These guys made everybody their friends. We will keep on playing and grooving in their memory and do it that much stronger to honor them.
The last shows were a blast and the Syracuse Jazz Festival went really well. (For more info, click below.)
The West Coast/East Coast Dream Band
JGB Syracuse Jazz Fest 2008, Master Class with Steve Ferrone
JGB Syracuse Jazz Fest 2008, Workshop with David Garfield
It's great to have Denny Dias back out and playing with us. His last club gig might of been in the 70's at Donte's with Jeff and Mike P. Alex and I had a great time in Santa Barbara and thank Magic 106.3 for playing our music and supporting us. I'm excited about going back to Japan with George and Al (Benson / Jarreau). It will be great to travel to China, the Phillipines, and Indonesia, which are all places that I have never been before. Stay tuned for more information about upcoming CD and DVD releases, free downloads, and upcoming shows and tours.
Thanks again for your support and all best wishes to you and yours.
All the best!
DG
Date: June 25, 2008
Hi Everybody,
Finally back in warm Southern California for a short break before heading back out again.
The European tour was a total gas!
The cats (John Pena, James Harrah, Alex Ligertwood, and Forrest Robinson) were awesome every night. In Romania, our friend Joe sat in on guitar, and in Slovania we had Laisha (a local pop star) sit in as well. We met a lot of great fans and made many new friends. In Germany one of the big thrills was playing with Ed Thigpen on his concert set. The concerts with Gregg and Ricky were flawless and it was great to have Lenny and Brandon there to round out the band. After returning I was right back out with George (Benson) and Tribal Jazz as well. It's really interesting to hear John Densmore talk about the music business back in the day with "The Doors" etc. Just returning from performances in Boston & Philly with Tribal Jazz after 1 LA gig (6/21 La Ve Lee). I'm off to Syracuse for the festival and then straight to Europe for the Benson tour (through July 22nd).
I look forward to seeing many of you then.
Thanks as always for all of your support.
We are excited about new recordings in progress for Alex Ligertwood's solo album as well as the new "Karizma" album.
Date: January 28, 2008
Wow! There's been a ton of great music happening this past month. Starting with our performance at CES following the Mary J Blige concert for Monster Cable... special surprise guest was Sheila E and we got deep into the clave. The return of Los Lobotomys (new line-up) was a huge success with sold-out shows at La Ve Lee and Alva's. Doug Bossi (guitar) and Chad Wackerman (drums) are the newest members and really fire up the band.
The NAMM show was a blast, running into all of our friends from all over the world and seeing all the cool new stuff. The shows at Yamaha were very fun with all the different players that stopped by to sit in.
Corbitt Van Brauer
Seven Steps To Heaven
Sweet PC
We have been very busy in the studio as well, recording new tracks with Karizma and also some cool new stuff with Alex. Some of these tracks will be included on a special CD release for the European Swimming Federation (LEN). We'll try to put some clips up and more info in the near future... stay tuned!
We'll be touring in Europe April 30th - May 18, 2008 with a 3-day stop at the Drums n' Percussion Paderborn 2008. Countries we will be performing in include Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Slovenia, and Romania. More info will be posted on the schedule page.
Hope to see you at one of the shows,
DG
Date: December 27, 2007
Greetings everybody,
Hope you had a great holiday! We're very grateful for all of the great things that have happened this year. This has been the best year yet and so many great things have happened. I had the pleasure of performing with Eric Marienthal and Chuck Loeb for three great gigs in Southern California. The 10th annual Carlos Vega Memorial Concert was a huge success and everybody had a wonderful time, especially the Vega family. Young Lexi Vega (14) made her debut performance to an enthusiastic audience. Karizma has been in the studio recording stuff for the new record as well as music for the European Swimming Federation. It was great to be back with George Benson and the French Caribbean was amazing. I heard some great music there as well. For those of you that saw us on the PBS "holiday celebration special" performing with John Densmore (drummer from "The Doors" and "Tribal Jazz". (www.johndensmore.com) that was some really fun stuff. I wanna thank you again for all of your support throughout the year. We can't do this without you. We look forward to another great year of music and great vibes. Happy New Year and all the best to you in 2008..... DG
Upcoming DG Appearances
- For all those attending the NAMM show this year, David will be at the Yamaha booth performing one or two days and Los Lobotomys will be doing a special concert the night of Thurs, Jan 17th @ La Ve Lee, Studio City
www.laveleejazzclub.com
Friday Jan 25th @ La Ve Lee with the "Cats"
Saturday Jan 26th @ Alvas with Los Lobotomys
Thurs, Jan 31st - Patrice Rushen will join David @ Cafe Cordiale, Sherman Oaks for a special keyboard night.
www.cafecordiale.com
Feb - Palm Desert, Disney Hall, Colorado with George Benson
www.georgebenson.com
Sat, May 10th - Monday, May 12th
- David will be participating in a drum workshop hosted by the City of Padderborn, Germany.
Date: October 22, 2007
Hi Everybody,
We've lost another huge hero, Joe Zawinul, on September 11, 2007. Weather Report was one of the primary influences for Karizma and many, many other groups and artists. He will be missed, but his music will live on!
We've enjoyed many great live gigs over the last couple of months. Some of the special guests have included Greg Adams & Rick Braun (trumpet), Eric Marienthal (sax), Carlitos del Puerto (bass), Ralph Humphrey (drums) as well as the return of Lenny Castro from the Stevie Nicks tour. I've done a couple of guests spots with Michael Lington. Most exciting were recent performances of Karizma. Click here for photos. Also I had the pleasure of playing regularly with "Calamari" (Emil Richards and Joe Porcaro) as well as performing with The Cats! (Steve Ferrone, Alex Ligertwood, John Peña, James Harrah, Larry Klimas, Chris Trujillo).
Russ Miller's CD "Arrival" is now finished and available. I've got three new songs on there as well as a new version of "Toast for Eli". There is talk of some more gigs with The Russ Miller / Eric Marienthal / David Garfield / Frank Gambale / John Peña project sometime next year. I understand another new project I participated in by Bill Bergman (Jack Mack and the Heartattack) has been released. I'm only on the song "Soul Universe" which I co-wrote with Bill. One thing I like about his project is that he tries to go beyond "smooth jazz".
I'm very excited that Jim Keltner will be playing with us for the tenth annual Carlos Vega Memorial Concert in December, along with Denny Dias (original Steely Dan guitarist). We tentatively have Abe Laboriel Jr to perform and do the clinic and many other special surprise guests are being lined up now. We hope this year will be the best ever to date!
I'll try to keep everybody up to date and in the mean time, thanks as always for your support.
Date: July 27, 2007
Hello All,
Lots of great things have been happening lately. The Heineken Jazz Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico was an absolute blast! We traveled down with our friends Will Kennedey and Melvin Davis who were performing in Lee Ritenour's group. The audience was very receptive and I am sure we will be back. I had fun encouraging Richie Garcia's son to sit in at the hotel lounge with me and Roy Hargrove. From there I ended up in Carpenteria performing for my friend Eddie Tuduri's TRAP benefit, this year the turnout was amazing and it was great to see so many people there. My thrill was performing 500 miles high with Flora and Airto. The next stops for me were Cleveland and Detroit. This was my fourth gig at Cleveland at Night Town and I am thrilled to have built up a nice little group there. This time we were joined by guitarist Tony Pulizzi who tore it up! I am sure he will do more gigs with us in the eastern part of the country. My brother Stan who lives in Detroit hosted a house concert and we were able to fly in Richard Tokatz, the original percussionist from "Karizma" to join local bassist Donald Mayberry and myself for an all acoustic Latin jazz evening. The capacity audience once again was amazingly responsive and made us feel very special. Then it was off to Charleston, WV to perform with my good friend Eric Marienthal.
The local shows around SoCal have been great and recently we featured Greg Adams (Tower of Power), Gianluca Palmieri (winner of the 2006 Carlos Vega Memorial Scholarship), Chad Wackerman, John Pena, James Harrah, Leslie Smith, Ernest Tibbs and Steve Ferrone. We received several standing ovations at The Temecula International Jazz Festival. Last week we made our first appearance in the Bay Area and we were blessed with a special appearance by the legendary Walfredo Reyes Sr. KKSF Radio also featured us that day so we are slowly taking over the world..... good music rules!!!
I am still keeping busy in the studio and writing as well........ mostly for other people right now; but I am looking forward to turning my energies towards new music and recordings for Karizma, Los Lobotomys, and myself...... stay tuned for more information and updates and once again thanks for your support............ we can't do this without you
photos from Heineken Jazz Festival 2007 - San Juan Puerto Rico
photos of the TRAP Benefit on www.DrumsOnTheWeb.com
David was recently intervied by local television : Temecula Jazz KZSW video
Date: April 18, 2007
Hello Everybody,
The Europe Tour was a blast. I got a chance to play the newest version of the Yamaha Motif, which was totally slammin'. I actually had three keyboards set up in the Yamaha stage at Music Messe for maximum sound power. Highlights included guitarists Hiram Bullock and Christian Tolle sitting in with us. In Belgium, we got to see our friend "El Negro" play a masterful set before ours and the awesome Dennis Chambers close the show. It was my thrill to drop in on Mike Landau's trio gig featuring Jimmy Johnson and Gary Novak in Budapest. Mike was in rare form and did a very tastey version of "Little Wing" to close the show. I'm excited to be back next week with my old boss and collaborater George Benson for a couple of gigs on the East Coast. It was great to meet so many of the European fans and to put actual faces with the email addresses I have seen over the years. Thanks again for all of your interest and support.
Date: Feb 28, 2007
Hi everybody, It's been a great month. Starting off with performing at Steve Gadd's daughter Meghan's wedding in Mexico. The highlight of the night was both Steve and Tony Levin sitting in with us. Attending Michael Brecker's Memorial in NYC was an amazing thrill. There were so many wonderful people there and the things that were said along with the music played made it a life changing experience. I especially liked what Pat Metheny said and played. The sound of his guitar was extraordinary. While I was in NY, I had the thrill of recording with Hiram Bullock, Chris Parker, and my good buddy Will Lee. The gigs here in L.A. have been Smoking! We have had great lineups and SRO crowds, so we really appreciate everyone's support. We also got to perform for Kaman's Party and were thrilled to have Pete Escevedo sit in with the band. He will be joining us again in the future as a special guest. Now we are preparing for our short European tour which is based around the Frankfurt Music Messe. German guitarist Christian Tolle will be joining us as a special guest on the 3rd of April at the spirit of 66 in Verviers, Belgium. www.spiritof66.be
This year has gotten off to a great start and it just seems to get better and better ..... I want to express my gratitude to everyone involved.
Date: Feb 7, 2007
It was a pleasure seeing everyone here in L.A. for NAMM. One of the highlights for me was performing "Pick Up The Pieces" with Steve Ferrone and Will Lee for the Sabian party. The groove was on. Steve's got a really nice band now ("Farm Fur") and it was a pleasure to guest with them. The return of Los Lobotomys was especially cool as the new line up features the best of all the incarnations of the band. Chad Wackerman really captures the spirit of Jeff and he also threw down hard on "Party in Simon's Pants". Doug Bossi stepped into the guitar chair with total command and a very "manly" sound. He definitely rocked the house. The set list now included some old favorites such as "Cause We've Ended As Lovers" and "Red Baron", as well as "Froth", "Party", and "Tune for Tony". Look for more of Lobotomys to come this year. Also, the CES show in Vegas was very cool as I played with the "Cats" after the George Benson / Al Jarreau show. We had George up there for half of the set jammin' with us and the word has gotten out about this yearly event hosted by Monster Cable. The "Monster Jam" has now become the preferred place to be during CES. This was our second year and we look forward to the next one. Now we're looking forward to seeing everyone in Europe next month as I will be performing with Russ Miller, Eric Marienthal, and Jon Peña at the Frankfurt music fair. Stay tuned for more details as we will be doing a few additional concerts around the area after the show closes (the first week of April). Thanks again for all your support of real music!
Date: January 15, 2007
The music world has lost one of our true unsung heroes. Many of you know that Michael Brecker had been fighting for his health for the last couple of years and we finally lost him Saturdy morning. That night, at The Baked Potato with Luis Conte, Larry Klimas, Jimmy Johnson & Walt Fowler, we dedicated the gig to him. I've had the extreme pleasure and honor of working with Michael a couple of times and am truly blessed for those experiences. His music will live on forever.
Date: December 20, 2006
Hi everyone, I want to thank you all for a great year of music! It doesn't mean much without you the listeners. The 9th annual Carlos Vega memorial birthday concert was a huge success and possibly the best musically ever. Highlights included original Steely Dan guitarist Denny Dias joining us on Josie, and Master Musician and Legend Airto Moreira taking the stage on both percussion and drums. The drummers in the competition for the scholarship this year were really impressive. They included Harvey Mason's cousin Manny who was in great form, and the winner this year was Gianluca Palmieri from Naples, Italy. Watch out for these new young talents. Click here for pix
I want to wish all of you a very happy, safe, and healthy holiday filled with joy and a warm and prosperous New Year!
Date: November 30, 2006
I just did a interview for a cool new music entity
www.insidemusicast.com
They are doing very good work with a lot of great musicians & artists.
Here's a direct link to the podcast
Date: November 20, 2006
Hello everybody! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year because it is a time for gratitude and there is so much to be grateful for right now. I would like to thank everyone who has come out and supported us in our shows everywhere and look forward to many great shows and tours next year. We now have the digital music store up where the LEN anthem "Pool of Friendship" can be purchased. Also we now have a MySpace page and a YouTube channel. Recently we had a great night at The Vic which was my last local gig for the year before the 9th Annual Carlos Vega Memorial Concert. It was my pleasure to support my good friend Luis Conte at the Baked Potato last week and brought back many memories of playing there since 1975.
It was an honor to perform for our good friend Eddie Tuduri for The 23rd Annual Media Access Awards. He presented the Governors award for excellence to Jose Feliciano. As Jose was unable to attend, I performed with Felix Nunez and Jeff Olson to play the Feliciano penned "Affirmation" in tribute to him. Eddie sat in with us and sounded as good as ever!
Recently I was asked to put together a little showcase for a new and upcoming artist Farah Zala and Rehearsals.com. In the band was one of my favorite young drummers here... Chase Duddy.
Coming up is a possible return to Cleveland with one of my favorite saxophonists Eric Marienthal. Stay tuned for more details and in the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
Date: October 20, 2006
Hi everybody. There has been a lot going on and I have wanted to share some of it with you and finally have taken the time to jot down a few notes. In August, I was the guest of LEN European Aquatics Championships which debuted their new theme song "Pool of Friendship" which I wrote and recorded with the Cats (James Harrah, Steve Tavaglione, Michito Sanchez, John Peña, and Gregg Bisonnette). It was really exciting to see world records being broken and a very positive reaction to the music. Europe is always a groove cause the people are cool! Next we did a concert at the Old Town Theater in Temecula which featured an exciting performance of "Keep The Faith" (a new composition with Alex Ligertwood and myself). Alex received a standiing ovation for his world-class vocalizing. September we found ourselves appearing at the South Bay Jazz Festival and making many new friends there. Then appearing in Cambria we had a fantastic all acoustic show overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Next we were called in to play the last night of the WAVE's (KTWV 94.7) Garden of Eden's Smooth Jazz series where the Cats (Lenny Castro, Ricky Lawson, John Peña, Michael O'Neill) rocked the house! Guests included Rick Braun, Larry Klimas, Michael Lington, and Chris Standring. Dave Koz from the WAVE was the emcee and the capacity crowd partied on the dance floor and definitely grooved to the music (it was a little crunchier than the usual smooth if you know what I mean). Next stop... Cleveland, Ohio, Alex and I threw down a great show with two fine local musicians, Kip Reed (bass) and Robert Hubbard (drums). The guest of honor was my 84-year-old mom who lives there under the supervision of my older sister. Once again Alex drew several standing ovations and we plan to head back to that part of the country next year for more fun shows. In the middle of all this I had a chance to go see my good friend and collaborator Will Lee perform with his outstanding Beatle band from New York, "The Fab Faux" (see our links page). This was their first public L.A. appearance and the audience was packed with a who's who of the music biz. They really put on an awesome show opening with "I Am The Walrus". Their version of "Helter Skelter" was off the hook and I can't even say anything about "A Day In The Life". You must see them! Also got to see my old friend and brother, Vinnie Colaiuta, in a Santa Barbara appearance of the Jeff Beck band. They were also truly outstanding and Jeff drew a standing ovation after practically every song. It was truly a thrill to see a master like him at work and Vinnie certainly was up for the task. Our last out of town concert was up in Las Vegas last weekend and we had a wonderful time performing for the "Lake Las Vegas Jazz Concert Series" out in front of the lake on the grass. It was a beautiful setting and the band was extremely well received so we do anticipate returning to that part of the country as well. Now there is a string of southern California dates concluding with the 9th Annual Carlos Vega Memorial Concert at MI in Hollywood. Thank you all again for your interest and support. Hope to see you real soon! All the best.
Sincerely,
David Garfield
Date: October 12, 2006
David Garfield night at Lake Las Vegas
From the Santa Fe and The Fat City Horns blog : "My bro' the awesome bassist David Inamine asked me to come out to the 105.7 Lakeside Smooth Jazz gig last night, where he would be appearing with esteemed L.A. jazz artist David Garfield. It was very nice, and they had a great turnout (I chatted with 105.7's Cat Lee for a bit, very nice dude). Jeff Olson was on the tubs. Ace guitarist Michael O'Neil says to tell Jerry "hi." Former Santana vocalist Alex Ligertwood was featured also. Man! what a voice (cat is from Glasgow, Scotland, but sings like he's from Oakland) ... "
click here to view full article
Date: August 18, 2006
LEN celebrated 80th Year Anniversary of the European Swimming Championships in Budapest
Rome - During the recent European Swimming Championships LEN celebrated the 80th Year Anniversary of this prestigious Event...
During the Gala Dinner also the official Anthem of LEN has been presented and played live on stage by the author David Garfield.
The tune is a 4min. 11sec. piece entitled "Pool of Friendship", reflecting on the main messages carried by sport, that is: love, understanding, friendship and peace amongst the Nations...
The LEN Anthem, "Pool of Friendship" has been written, produced and arranged by David Garfield. Recorded and mixed by Steve Sykes at Stage & Sound Studios, Hollywood, CA and credited with: David Garfield – keyboards, Steve Tavaglione – saxophones and EWI, James Harrah – guitars, John Peña – bass, Gregg Bissonette – drums and Michito Sanchez – percussion...
click here to view full article - scroll down to "Latest News" : 16/08/06
click here to listen to "Pool of Friendship"
Date: August 7, 2006
I am pleased to see "A Tribute to Jeff Revisited" is a selection in Jonathan Widran's JAZZIZ article about one of today's leading ladies of jazz, Maysa, as one of her personal CD favorites! See page 29 of the July 2006 issue for more.
Date: August 5, 2006
I am traveling in Europe right now and have been remembering my friend & brother Jeff Porcaro on the 14th anniversary of his passing. Jeff we miss you and have many fond memories of you and your great influence on music & the groove. I was just in Budapest Hungary where they have a "Tribute to Jeff" band...
Wow.......... long time no groove..........
DG 8-5-06
Date: May 17, 2006
I will be on the Ellen DeGeneres show (NBC) on Tuesday May 23rd with Michael Bolton.... He has a new Big band album coming out...... It airs at 4pm in LA
Date: March 31, 2006
I'm really enjoying alot of great gigs this year around town with the cats. This clip was put together at our soundcheck for the gig at Rosalie & Alva's in San Pedro. It's really a cool place for listening to music in an alternative environment. We're looking forward to playing there again.
I'm really excited about our gig at The Vic next week. That's a great venue and we're also going to be at WorldFest 2006 in Encino.
More cool things are coming to the site soon... including the introduction of the Creatchy Music Vaults.
As always, thanks for your support.
Date: March, 2006
AllAboutJazz.com review of the new compilation CD : The State of Things
Date: March 22, 2006
Creatchy finally gets a spot on the prestigous Playboy Jazz Festival...
May 29th at the Rosebowl, Pasadena, CA, 2:30-3:20 PM. This is a free concert and there will be many other fun bands on the bill.
Date: February 3, 2006
This year's off to a rolling start... I got to bring in the New Year in Hawaii performing with my good friend and musical partner, Alex Ligertwood on the big island of Hawaii. Following that we were honored to perform for Monster Cables after-party at the CES show in Vegas and were joined by various members of Stevie Wonder's group (who had performed earlier) and Al Jarreau. It was great seeing so many collegues, friends and fans at the NAMM show. Yamaha Groove All-Stars was really enjoyable with drummer Tommy Aldridge in rare form. Another highlight for me was watching Walfredo Reyes Sr in an improptu jam at the Gon Bop booth. The gigs in town have been fantastic and we had guest appearances by Jonathan "Sugar Foot" Moffett, Soren Reiff and Ali Woodson (from the Temptations). I just returned from a pre-Suber Bowl party in Detroit with Harvey Mason and friends. It was a treat to play with Harvey and the line-up was truly top-of-the-line. One of the highlights was singer Howard Hewet, who tore up da house!
Date: December 10, 2005
I was thrilled to attend the 2nd Annual Grammy Jam, which was a musical celebration of Stevie Wonder. Not only did Stevie play, but an all-star cast performed his songs (1 song each artist) for almost 5 hours straight in downtown LA at The Orpheum Theatre. Some of the featured artists were George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Jamie Foxx, India Arie, Keb Mo, George Benson and George Clinton. My favorite moment was when I got to jump up on stage and play the acoustic piano along with Stevie and Herbie (on Rhodes) for "Another Star", which was the last song of the night.
--DG
Date: December 5, 2005
David - Thanks for putting on another great show. It's heartwarming to know that you and all the other great performers hold Carlos up in such high regard.
I used to love watchig Carlos at the Baked Potato and really do miss those good old days, but you bring them back every time I watch one of your shows. I was especially impressed with the Luis Conte show at the Potato this year with you playing the keys.
Thanks for mentioning Mark Craney at the end of the show. Any plans for a concert in his name?
It's too bad that we've lost such great player: Carlos, Jeff, Mark, John Guerin and the list goes on.
Keep up the good work.
Don De La Torre
Date: December 3, 2005
The Smooth Jazz News Annual Holiday Brunch at Spaghettini Grill & Jazz Club was a pleasure to attend. One of the highlights for me was a four-handed piano jam with my good friend, Don Gruisin.
--DG
Date: November 2005
The new book "Pop Rock Keyboards - The Complete Guide" by David Garfield and Henry Brewer is finally done and is now available through Hal Leonard... at music stores worldwide. Click here for more info.
Date: September 2005
Dear David Garfield!
Thank You so much for crazy fantastic parcel, for splendid, perfectly brilliant CDs!!! You really can't imagine what is honor and proud for us, for our radio station, discover creation of such distinguished artist as You, touch Your works of incredibly highest culture and mastery! I think we are unique here. It is really exclusive, invaluable opportunity for us and for our contemporary music audience! Thank You for happiness of dealings with Jazz!
Much friendly love from Siberia
Serge Tikhanoff
Radio Penguin
Date: June 2005
Hello all from sunny southern California! The "Karizma" 30th Anniversary trip to Japan was a big success and a great week of live music. It was so nice to meet so many of the Japanese fans and see the cherry blossoms in bloom. The club Motion Blue was very nice and comfortable with all the latest technology for great live music and ambience. The new members of "Karizma", Oscar Seaton and James Harrah, did an excellent job and really complimented the rest of us "old timers." Lenny and Larry have been with the band since 1978 and have been to Japan on all of our previous trips. Jimmy Johnson joined the band in the late 80's and this was his second trip to Japan. It's great to be home. I've had a number of wonderful live gigs around L.A. including an amazing session last night at Cafe Cordiale which featured a surprise appearance by Terry Bozio on drums and Danish guitar great Soren Reiff. Last week we had a Latin music night which featured Lenny Castro, Michito Sanchez and Kevin Ricard on percussion and there were no regular drums. The horn section got bigger too with the new addition of Bruce Fowler on trombone. LaVeLee was buzzing with people from all over the world in the audience as usual. I have also been busy working in the studio on new projects to come out this year. This is also very exciting. Memorial Day weekend will feature an appearance at the KSBR Bash in San Juan Capistrano and an appearance at the Playboy Jazz Festival/Pasadena with Luis Conte. Please check the site (creatchy.com) for new photos from these gigs and others as well as vintage material we are adding and hopefully more new fun things to come!
Date: May 2005
Karizma's version of "Palladium" will be on the Weather Report tribute "Mysterious Traveler"
Date: April 2005
Mizar 5 interview: David Garfield and 30 years of Karizma
Date: February 2005
Karizma 30th Anniversary Tour - We will be performing as Karizma featuring David Garfield, Lenny Castro, Jimmy Johnson, Larry Klimas, Oscar Seaton, and James Harrah at the Motion Blue Club in Japan. This is the club's anniversary as well and we will play April 6-10. This club is part of the Blue Note chain.
Los Lobotomys Live CD - "Los Lobotomys was a fun band that grew out of informal gigs at the Baked Potato organized by myself. Lenny Castro came up with the name and the original line-up was me and Lenny, Steve Lukather, Nathan East, Brandon Fields, and Jeff Porcaro. Our first album was recorded live at the Complex in Los Angeles back in 1989 and the band has gone through many changes since then. We really haven't done much as a band since the tours of 1994. During this past time we have all been doing our own things and busy with many other projects, however, some of us want to keep the band going and keep our fans satisfied. As it turns out both Luke and Simon do not want the live CD released at this time so we are appropriately postponing its release. We did do a "Lost Lobotomys" reunion gig here in L.A. before the NAMM show and it was a tremendous success. The idea behind the gig was to do some of the original Los Lobotomys material with some of the original members. The line-up was myself, Lenny Castro (percussion), John Peña (bass), Brandon Fields (sax), Chad Wackerman (drums), Kurt Dohy (guitar - from the band Potato Salad), and special guest Soren Reiff who has been playing guitar with me on my European tours in 2004. Also sitting in that night was Oscar Seaton (drums) and Deron Johnson (keyboards). The true spirit of Los Lobotomys was always about guys sitting in and jammin' and having fun playing music for the people. Look for more cool things to come."
Click here for photos from the Lost Lobotomys Reunion
The story behind Los Lobotomys
Here is an excerpt from the booklet we put together for the "Official Bootleg" cd:
Los Lobotomy-The Band-The Legend!
These recordings were done mostly over 10 years ago and in the time that has passed so much has happened and most of all . . . we are all 10 years older now!! This version of the band was very tight, courageous and inspired . . . we had no fear and were known to throw down many an adventurous extended improvisation or even break out into another tune entirely without warning. There were many devoted fans all over the world and as we traveled across Europe, we got to know some of them and they encouraged us to stretch out even more! We had it all going, Jazz, Rock, Funk, Latin, Fusion . . . from Instrumental to Vocal . . . from Miles to Hendrix and back.
In the beginning Lenny Castro coined the name "Los Lobotomys" and Jeff Porcaro drew the skull (Cover of the first CD) according to Lenny's specs. The original Band line-up in 1987 was:
Steve Lukather: Guitar
David Garfield: Keyboards
Brandon Fields: Sax & EWI
Nathan East: Bass
Jeff Porcaro: Drums
Lenny Castro: Percussion
We started playing at the original Baked Potato in North Hollywood on Tuesday nights. Lines would form outside the club as early as 2 PM for a 10:00 PM gig. Many people wanted to see Jeff play up close and live, as he was the most popular recording drummer in music at the time.
There were many legendary jams including guest appearances by David Sanborn, Sheila E., Marcus Miller, and many other cool people. There was even a "shooter" (drink) named after us at the Spud called a "Lobotomy Stew." Lobotomy Stew was the first original composition for the band by Luke and Creatch and inspired by a groove that Jeff threw down at a sound check at the spud. The band established a reputation for flawless musicianship and high intensity . . . The word spread . . . Los Lobos . . . (who we were named after) even knew about us and dug what we were doing. People began showing up from Sweden and Japan and Spain and all over the place . . . in the audience would be the likes of Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, George Benson, and Eddie Van Halen.
The first Los Lobotomys recording was done live at the Complex in 1988 in front of an audience. Will Lee played bass on the recording and Joe Sample, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Carlos Vega were guests. As the band continued to play around town, the line-up began to change to include John Pena, Jimmy Johnson and Jimmy Earl (Bass); Gregg Bissonette, Vinnie Colaiuta and Carlos Vega (Drums); Luis Conte, Chris Trujillo, and Michito Sanchez (Percussion); and Larry Klimas on Sax. Luke and Creatch always remained at the helm as the band evolved.
Fast forward to 1993… This version of the band became especially famous as a foursome: Luke, Creatch and Pena remained and welcomed the newest addition to the band, Simon Phillips (Drums) who had just arrived at the time in Los Angeles from England. The band played to sell out houses in L.A. and went to Capitol studios to record "Candyman" for Sony records which was released in the U.S. as Los Lobotomys 2nd CD project.
This set of eight jams recorded live is the third release from the band. We hope you enjoy the vibes from our world tour of 1994 and the two bonus tracks recorded live in L.A. at the Baked Potato in Hollywood…. I know some of you reading this were there and we thank you for your support!!! Long Live Los Lobotomys!!
David Garfield 10/18/2004
• Visualize world peace in this moment •
New recording sessions:
I have just produced, arranged, and recorded a fusion instrumental cover version of "Dance, Dance, Dance" for a Japanese production company. Personnel consisted of myself, John Pena (bass), Forrest Robinson (drums), Brandon Fields (sax), Paul Jackson Jr. (guitar).
I have overdubbed on two songs for a German artist named Michael Schmidt. Also appearing on the CD are drummers Joel Rosenblatt and Vinnie Colaiuta, trumpeter Judd Miller, and bassist Jimmy Haslip. His stuff is very cool and included a song called "Rizma".
I have co-written one song with guitarist Michael O'Neill and recorded it with him as well as several other songs for his new CD which is in the making. His CD features many members of the George Benson band as well as Lenny Castro and Airto.
There is a new CD out entitled "Great Voices, Great Songs" presented by the Society of Singers. I am featured on cut 18 which is a duet of Jill Scott and George Benson doing "Summertime." Check out the following link: http://hostingprod.com/@singers.org/html/index.htm (I am not credited on the CD)
In case you did not know there are four DVD audio projects out that I have participated in, the newest of which is the Joe Porcaro / Emil Richards "Big Band". Here is a link: www.aixrecords.com. We will be offering 3 of these DVD's on our site very soon.
I have a new instructional book that I have collaborated on that will be coming out this year from Hal Leonard Publishers. I will have more information for you soon. I co-wrote the book with Henry Brewer who is on the faculty at the Musicians Institute.
Sincerely,
David Garfield
P.S. KIMBISA / CUBA from Karizma / "Cuba" will be included in a CD compilation released by PBS in Australia. Check Bitches Brew for more information.
Date: January 2005
Happy New Year everybody! I wish all our friends and fans a prosperous and healthy 2005. I am getting ready to start writing and recording new music and will be getting busy organizing gigs and tours. Stay tuned for further news and all that good stuff. Thanks again for your support.
- David "Creatchy" Garfield
January issue of Modern Drummer had a nice piece on Vinnie Colaiuta & Gregg Bissonette's collaboration for Tune For Tony ("Giving Back" David Garfield)
Date: November 2004
Review of the Copenhagen Jazz fest
from the Pumpehuset concert
July 11th, 2004
(in Danish)
Will Lee interview
from the Pumpehuset concert
July 11th, 2004
By Sune Schack
Date: October 2004
David Garfield interview
from the Pumpehuset concert
July 11th, 2004
By Sune Schack
Date: September 2004
We arrived safe in Germany last night. Thanks a lot for the great show at Cafe Cordiale and also thanks for staying with you at your pretty nice house. Hope to see you soon in Europe.
thomas and marilyn
p.s. the new out-fit of your home-page is great.
Hey David --
As always, thanks for everything. I look forward to seeing you guys on Sunday.
Thanks for being on the show again and for always being such a fun and interesting guest. I appreciate the humor and I know it keeps the audience tuned in. Also thanks for having George say a few words. I am really impressed as to what a great sport he is. I have the entire interview on disc if you want a copy.
Hope all is well and I will see you on Sunday. Also, thanks for the tix!!!
--Randy--
Date: August 2004
Here are a couple reviews of the new Potato Salad cd:
(from the www.proggnosis.com site)
DBSilver - Potato Salad are a band who draw from fusion, traditional jazz and smooth-jazz branches and then add to this mix a guitar playing duo who draw heavily from shred and technical elements of fusion & rock.
The first tracks are live from the Baked Potato - the place from which the band apparently 'cooked-up' their name. The recording is quite good and the live performances are exceptionally tight. The complexity and instrumental interplay belies the fact that there are 3 guest players on stage with the band - David Garfield on keys, Lenny Castro on percussion and an amazing Larry Klimas on sax and flute. The drums and bass are very busy and very talented, but it is the chops of Kurt Dohy and especially Doug Nofsinger on guitar that distinguish themselves the most from the core Potato Salad line-up.
Certainly a lot of bands are touched at here but when you factor in the pyro of Nofsinger, you are hearing a band of a different stripe. His guitar, while quite good in the jazzy side is dripping with rock sensibilities and it is his contribution that most give the band a distinguished and distinct flavor. The nasty soloing by Nofsinger at the end of D.S. and the entire track Belly provide just 2 examples where the listener can hear him draw the band's sound out from jazz/smooth-jazz grooves it tries to settle in. (Actually I could just keep listing each of the tracks here since both of these guys continuosly juice up the songs with their style of play).
In these live works, the bass of Felix Nunez very much shines. His notes are round and deep and the bass is at motion constantly. His sound is more predominantly musical than it is percussive and I like this direction very much. Dave McNichols plays the perfect drums for this music and is very good at the varied patters, grooves and dynamics of this music - though to be honest - with Castro's awesome percussion skills hitting my ears at the same time I find it hard to figure out how to divide the contributions of the drums and percussion performances. Whatever/whoever, they are uniformly excellent - showing through everywhere but most particularly I like them on the reggae-guilded Ode to Henrietta .
I like what goes on with the Potato Salad crew - but am most impressed at the sound and performance when the awesome talents of Garfield, Castro and most especially Klimas are part of it. The full line-up - PS plus guests makes for a very fine product that I have a hard time getting off of my stereo. It is either the music of the oh so sweet playing of Klimas that take me over the top with this album (check out Rug Burn ) and categorize it as one of the finest and most played CDs of my summer and the same Rug Burn which also has a potent guitar solo as one of my favorite tracks of the year.
The album flows in style from an almost smooth jazz of the opening track to a really shed-fusion on I'm Buzzed. Then it closes with what might - if placed elsewhere on the album be a delightful track called Corbit Van Brauer Placed where it is - I routinely pull the CD off my player when the song starts. I think I should just make a copy of this music with an adjusted track order because this song is actually too nice to skip and as long as this track falls after I'm Buzzed I rarely allow it to play through.
I am not sure what comes next for Potato Salad but I really look forward to hearing more from and about this band.
Larry -
Potato Salad is a great side-dish to whatever is going on, barbeque, party or a commute into work. In fact my favorite time to listen to music is in the car on the way to and from work and this one definately is being served in during my commute.
Potato Salad is a band that started out as a tribute to some of the greatest LA musicians of our time and the band name itself is a tribute to the great fusion club, The Baked Potato , where they tore it up. I had heard snippits of their live material prior to this debut CD coming out and these guys were definately on the right track to release a CD as one listen will convince you.
Not just your average tribute band, they are extremely talented and will not leave you wanting with the complex arrangements, tight playing and all around great energy, Their talents were so distinctive that it didn't take much to get a couple of their tributees including Larry Klimas (Manhattan Transfer, Karizma), David Garfield (Karizma, Larry Carlton, Los Lobotomys, Gregg Bissonette) and Lenny Castro (Toto, Karizma, Michael Landau) to play on the album. (Garfield, who produced this album, had even sat in a few times on previous live gigs).
Doug Nofsinger, a reltatively unknown guitarist (though not for long) has the chops as does the rest of the band. On this debut recording we have live performances works from The Baked Potato where they play play original material along with covers of some of their favorite tracks. The sound and mix is every bit as good as the music. It is particulary exciting to report that the the original works are every bit as memorable as the covers - and I can highly recommend Potato Salad to anyone who likes extremly grooving fusion.
For more reviews of Potato Salad, go to:
www.proGGnosis.com/MUSIC_DBCDInfo.asp?txtCDID=12859
Daaaviiid,
What a thrill it was to finally meet you the other night after the show. What a talent. I so thoroughly enjoyed the show and I've been listening to your CD and I love it. I don't have it in front of me, it's in car, but the cuts I like the best are 1, 2, 4, 5, 12. The CD is just so easy to listen to. With me it's always been the music. If I liked the melody .. that's all that mattered. But I just have to tell you I like #4.. I think it's "Someone with a Broken Heart". Anyway... I love it.
Now... what can we do about getting you back here ... and bringing Larry with you. Now that would be a night! Between Retro-spec and Giving Back... Whoa!
I see G.B. is going over sea's soon. Way over sea's.
Enjoy you time off,
Hope to talk to you soon,
Cynthia
Date: July 2004
Dear All
Thanks for some wonderful days in wonderful wonderful Copenhagen.
Here you can see the first review online:
www.soundvenue.com/koncertanmeldelse.asp?id=1158
There is a link under the photo to other photos from the evening.
All the best,
Kenneth
Hiroshi just posted the photos from the gig at Cafe Cordiale last 9-18 @ www.prosoundcommunications.com/english/livereport/index.html
i just received your new cd ''giving back'' great stuff !!!!!!!!!
thanks for the great music, i am really enjoying it. have fun on december 12 for the carlos vega memorial concert. i wish i could go......... since that is my birthday!!! take care and God bless.
mike martinez
tucson, az
DAVY Are you good to go?? We're rockin the house friday night 8pm..... LA VE LEE
do you know "runnin' on empty"? Comon dude can't wait.....!!!!
David garfield
dear creatch.
thanks sssssooooooo much for the grEat hang.!!!!!!
everyone sounded TIGHT! I HAD A BALL MY MAN. LET'S DO IT AGAIN
OXOXO DAVID AND THE PAICH'S
Just got your last record "Giving Back" Congratulations!! all the songs are excellent and the sound is wonderful!!
All the best From France
JM
Hi David,
finally I managed to put my hands on your CD ! What a nice disc !!! All the tunes are very amazing, but, if I have to pick up my favourite, I'd choose the one with the "Bill Champlin singers". In this world of "programmed smooth jazz" a CD like yours, with great real musicians and singers is a balsam for the ears.
All best from a rainy Milano,
Max
It was nice to see you again - after all these years! (Note: see you first on the unforgetable Candyman-Tour in 1994 !!!)
A special photo show me and my sweet daughter Marie, born on 5th august 2002, with the Giving-Back T-shirt. Many thanks for your present after the show!!! ... and ...
... your new record Giving Back. It sounds great!!! One of the best creatchy records!
My faves are:
Track 2 - Laws of love (Jeff P. on my mind ... )
Track 3 - Tune for tony (a great drum intro)
Track 5 - Two bunch samba (great relaxing melodies)
Track 6 - Time will Tell (big voices)
Track 12 - Los (For all, that we are missing ...)
Many thanks for your music!
Good music = Good friends
With love and respect,
Uwe (Germany) 9/19/03
Thanks for your music!!!
Jose M. Lugo
Puerto Rico
Hi David,
what a treat to see you play up close at La Vee Lee... And it was so nice to hear more of your own rarely played recently compositions, which I am a huge fan of. Thanks also for playing my Corbitt request. You are the best!!!!
Sincerely,
John Harjo
Hi David,
I was just thinking about you and reflected on how wonderful you were (and played!) back in Cleveland. I never did get to thank you for all that you did to help make that happen, so, Thank You! Hope all is well and that you're playing lots of great music and having a ball.
With warmth from your fan,
John
--
John Clayton
www.JohnClaytonJazz.com
Hi Mr Garfield,
I love your music and I must thank you for having gathered so many excellent musicians on your latest album "Giving Back".
I love what you do at Creatchy Records'.
I am also a great fan of "Uncle" Will Lee (what a solo he did on Dismemberment !), Greg Philinganes (He is simply genious, I first saw him for my eighteen birthday on the 27th of june in 1988 in Paris "Parc des Princes Stadium" for a MJJ'S great show "Bad World Tour" and he played funky, rocky, magical sounds at the end of the 1st part I never hearded before + Don Boyette making the stadium tremble as his "turbo" bass was beating very loud -> it still remains one of the best days in my life with Mike at the top of his career & performance), Steve Lukather, Ricky Lawson, David Williams and so on...
I discovered two other great musicians who are the excellent Alex Ligertwood and Jimmy Johnson (as you can see, I do appreciate bass).
I share my passion of good music with few friends of mine and I try to make it appreciate to the others.
I hope you will keep on creating beautiful songs and explore the different music dimensions in the artistic and qualitative way you do at present.
Nice to see you maybe one day in France or in the States I never visited.
Bye, take care
Sincerely yours
Olivier HUGUENOT
Dear David,
Thank you for taking the time to speak to me before and after the show in dublin last night we really enjoyed ourselves. You and the band were sounding great as was George. I got a bit tongue tied last night and forgot to ask you about the Tribute To Jeff cd is this to be re-issued and also is there a live recording of the german show to be released ? I host a music show on the radio here and your music is featured quite a lot maybe some time we can do a phone interview I should have brought my minidisc recorder last night but I never thought in a million years I would get to meet one of my musical heroes.
Thank you once again for a very memorable evening and I hope to see you back in Dublin some time soon with your own band (Well i'll say a few prayers anyway).
Lets Stay Together
Tony Ainscough
Dear David, Michael & Oscar,
It was a real pleasure to see you and to have the chance to hear you play again. You truly are extremely gifted musicians and great people.
As promised, please find enclosed a review I wrote after the George Benson last year's gig in Zurich.
Many many thanks for your time, kindness & friendship!
Enjoy the rest of the tour!
Best regards,
Laurent
GEORGE BENSON
LIVE AT SUNSET - LANDESMUSEUM - ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
THURSDAY 24TH JULY 2003
Band:
George Benson (lead vocals, lead guitar)
David Garfield (keyboards, piano, musical director)
Michael O’Neill (rhythm guitar, background vocals)
Oscar Seaton (drums)
Stanley Banks (bass guitar)
Esther Godinez (percussion, background vocals)
Thom Hall (keyboards)
What a great night of music ! Two years after a rather disappointing concert at the very same Live At Sunset Festival (played under heavy rain), this year’s performance was absolutely amazing and none of the about 2,500 people (sold out) left the place without a big smile on their face.
First of all, the weather decided not to play any tricks and, even though it rained during the day, the concert took place under good conditions in a very nice venue. The gig took place in the inner court of the Landesmuseum. The Landesmuseum is an old castle now home of the Swiss National Museum. Its Gothic architecture is fairly common in the German side of Switzerland and typical of buildings from that period. It is located right behind the Main Station on the edge of what used to be the Needle Park the largest and only outdoor drug scene in Europe. The place has since been "cleaned up" several years ago and it is now a lovely area next to the Limmat river.
Everything was in place for a lovely musical evening. The weather was good, the audience was in a very good mood and the set list was perfectly balanced with not too many ballads. It was nice to see the crowd standing up and dancing after only two songs! It only sat down during the ballads but only to resume dancing in a "wilder" way (remember it was Switzerland J). Still no one really expected any surprise but a good George Benson gig.
The surprise did not come from the songs the band played, mostly the classics ("Turn Your Love Around", a fantastic version of "In The Ghetto", "Breezin", "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You", "Give Me The Night", etc.) but it came from the way they were played. George Benson and his band really showed that they still have the fire. It was not a "corporate show". It was a great show played by motivated musicians at the top of their game. They gave much more than what people were waiting for. They played with genuine passion and full respect for the audience. It would have been so easy to play the minimum and still make people happy. Not here! 110% was given and everyone strived to play as good as possible. And what pleased me is that Musicians who have been with Benson for something like 15 - 20 years (Garfield, O’Neill, Banks), and could maybe feel "tired" of playing those songs, sounded fresh and young. What a great example that shows how passionate and professional these gentlemen are.
As mentioned above, the audience was in a very receptive mood and so was the band. The line-up consisted of the same musicians as in 2001 with a major exception though, the addition of drummer extraordinaire Oscar Seaton taking over Michael White’s seat.
In my opinion, the 2001 concert lacked of energy mainly due to the fact that percussionist Esther Godinez did not really compensate for White’s rather straight forward playing. Mrs. Godinez certainly knows how to play (I’d love to be able to play 1/10 of what she can do) still but the Benson gig might not be the right one for her. She did not really feel at home and 2003 unfortunately confirmed my opinion. Unlike top cats like Luis Conte, Lenny Castro or Michito Sanchez, she failed to add colours that would have complemented the drums parts and bring the music to a different level. She seems to lack of imagination. And her co-lead vocals break with George Benson was unfortunately less than convincing as she had problems hitting the high notes.
Fortunately, the "Groove Machine" Oscar Seaton was in the driving seat. Seaton was so much in command of his instrument that we could have lived without percussion. His playing was just perfect and so mature for a rather young drummer. But his resume is already impressive including stints with Lionel Richie, David Sanborn, Boz Scaggs and David Garfield. Seaton is a drummer with plenty of chops but who always plays what the songs are calling for. He also has this quality to perfectly be able to control the volume of his drums. For instance, as on "Give Me The Night" when both the band and the audience got wild, he played busy but never too loud but loud enough to drive the band and make people dance. He played with full understanding and respect for his band mates. His solo was "intelligent". Oscar did not show off but played in a very melodic way within the song, supported by Garfield's haunting "latino" playing. Michael O'Neill sums it up nicely by saying "Oscar is a Black Vinnie". But he's above all Oscar Seaton, a true master of groove. A great new drumming voice.
Musical Director David Garfield led the band through a flawless set. His playing reflects what contemporary jazz piano / keyboards is all about. He incorporates his many influences in a very personal and unique style (as his solo albums - and gigs in LA show it). David's playing can be delicate and fiery. It can make you cry and laugh. It is a beautiful journey through all of life's many emotions.
Speaking of emotions, let's move to rhythm guitarist Michael O'Neill. Even though not featured as a lead guitarist on this gig, Michael displayed his perfect timing and tasteful playing on every song. His acoustic playing was nothing but brilliant. Rhythmically, O'Neill always finds some little new things to add that makes the songs sound great and different. Even within a fairly strict environment (people know Mr. Benson's songs and most of the time expect them to be played in a certain "traditional" way), Michael O'Neill manages to be inventive. If you get the chance to catch him live on his solo gig or with his friends in L.A., don't miss the chance to see him and hear how a beautiful and emotional player he is.
Bassist Stanley Banks - a long time Benson band mate - seemed to be 20 again. It was good to hear him grooving and see him smiling as if it was the first time he played these songs. Stanley's sound was warm and his "funky" style blended very well with Seaton's. It seems that Oscar brought some fire back into Stanley's playing whose positive "play for the song" attitude and solid groove were a real joy to experience.
Keyboardist Thom Hall, even though not featured as a soloist, did a good job and added some nice colours with his "strings" work.
And then there is of course Mr. Benson. I think that his career speaks for itself. Still, I was impressed by the strength of his voice. He still delivers the goods with class and conviction. His voice was in very fine shape and he could show some youngsters some tricks. His guitar playing was very good and his trademark solo doubled with scat singing completely floored the audience. A true legend.
Last but not least, kudos to the engineer Bob for a great sound. He managed to get a clean and extremely balanced sound where all instruments could perfectly be heard and where background vocals were not lost in the mix. Michael's fine acoustic work, Oscar's funky hi-hat "tricks", David's subtle piano playing or Hall's synths parts were all right there. The best outdoor sound experience and amongst the best live sound I ever heard (I have over 400 concerts "under my belt"). Impressive.
I was not expecting anything special before the show. But I left the venue impressed by musicians that managed to "reinvent" classic songs, impressed by their love of music and by the respect they have for us the audience. Thank you gentlemen. Thank you for a very enjoyable night of great music. Thank you for keeping music alive.
Date: June 2004
Here's a link to a review ("George Benson - Live..... A Must See!") I posted regarding the recent gig in Paris & Zurich:
Take care,
Laurent 6/16/04
Date: May 2003
Hi David,
Firstly, I cannot stop listening to David Garfield's album. Albums like this do not come along very often. Something for everyone. And much food for thought. What a piece of sheer ART!
Charlie Morgan 5/24/03
Hi David,
Really dig the new CD. You really assembled a nice array of varied pieces. The different influences are really nice, like Airto for example, really cool kind of Brazilian feel - just works perfectly. The common denominator is great grooves throughout. Must've been alot of hard work, but alot of fun in the making. And on the sonic side, all I can say is WOW. Really sounds clean, but with alot of warmth in all the right places. You really did a great job mixing; just sounds perfect. You guys really nailed it. Great numbers, the best players, a great record. I dig the 12th track, "Los". What can I say, moves really nicely.
Jeff Butler 5/23/03
David,
I like Sweet PC the best on the CD, I can already tell this is one of those CD's that is great on the first listen and grows on a person even more.
Thanks again, Cary Gillaspie - ScenicJAZZ - 5/11/03
Date: April 11th, 2003
Germany
Thanx a lot for the great new release "giving back". I'm proud to be the first in Germany. Fantastic music with an incredible line-up of musicians. For me one of your best CDs. Hope to see you soon in Germany
Your friend
Thomas - Germany
Date: March 30th, 2003
Romano's
Hey D: band sounded great last night -- thanks for coming out -- all the way out to Riverside! We appreciate ya.... come play Romanos again soon!!
Dio 3/30/03
Date: March 22nd, 2003
Platinum Live
Hey, David!
You guys rocked the house last night at Platinum Live! We all had a fantastic time. Thanks for the birthday well wishes, and I wish you the best with the new CD.
Marla - LA - 3/22/03
Hi David:
I just got home from your show. Thank you so much for inviting me - what a wonderful experience! You and your friends are just completely amazing - it's really sort of shocking how talented you all are.
It was really great, too, to go to something so uplifting right now... Thank you so much,
Susan Van Lier - LA - 3/22/03
Date: December 20th, 2002
Pauline Wilson @ La Ve Lee
It is a rare treat to see Pauline Wilson perform being that she makes her home in her native Hawaii. But after making her guest appearance at David Garfield's annual Carlos Vega Memorial concert we got the chance to see her headline her own gig. But the problem was it seemed more like she was the guest vocalist. The band was led by saxophonist / keyboardist Larry Williams whom along w/ Wilson were former bandmates w/ the fusion / contemporary Christian group Seawind in the '7o's. The way the setlist was set-up was Williams' band would play a few instrumentals then Wilson would come to sing a couple of songs, then more instrumentals, another vocal or two, then closing w/ an instrumental. It should have been billed as "Larry Williams featuring Pauline Wilson". Nonetheless Wilson sang in fine form even though she didn't dominate the gig. Williams had a stellar group of high-rated jazz players known on the L.A. scene. He had Dave Carpenter - acoustic / electric basses, Larry Koonse - guitar, and Aron Sefarty - drums. Williams of course doubled on saxes and keyboards.
The music was quite ecletic. Williams repetoire is of the straight hard-bob vein but always managed to throw in some fusion. Many of the instrumentals he played were from his Japanese-only release, "The Beautiful Struggle".
The set began w/ the title track from the above CD, an original composition of Williams. This was in pseudo mid-latin tempo that had strange chord progressions ever-so changing keys rapidly. Williams switched back and forth from keys to sax. Carpenter played beatiful passages on the upright. For the Wilson vocal numbers he played mostly electric.
Next was unusual number entitled, "Nephertiti In Green and Blue" which was a combination of the Wayne Shorter / Miles Davis compositions woven together as one tune. Koonse playing was exquisite. He has a way of fingering and picking where his hand looks like it barely moving when he plays, a technique commonly used by Michael Landau.
Wilson finally came up. Unfortunately since there wasn't enough material worked up to cover the whole evening much of Wilson's selections were repeated in the second set as were the instrumentals. She began with a tune from her recent CD "Tribute" which is dedicated to the singers that inspired Wilson. It's mainly a collection of known standards produced by David Garfield. She began w/ a Brazilian rendition of "Invitation". Much of the arrangements she performed were in the Brazilian manner. Williams displayed some soothing keyboard work and Sefarty was spotlighted immaculately.
"Never Let Me Go", a Nancy Wilson tune also done as a bossa displayed Wilson's Brazilian type of scatting.
Wilson was really torchy with "Good Morning Heartache" starting out in the slow traditional way, then mid-way through was a drastic tempo change to a latinized groove w/ Wilson scatting amongst the backdrop of exquisite embellishments from Koonse. When she reprised it in the second set Garfield came and sat in on keys.
Other numbers she sang included a version of "Calling You" from the cult-indie flick, "Baghdad Cafe" in which Williams actually played the main melody on tenor and Wilson only sang the background chorus played a more upbeat than it's balladic original. That track can be found on "The Beautiful Struggle" CD.
She also delved into the Seawind songbook w/ a couple gems, "He Loves You" w/ it's Chritian-based lyrics done beautifully as a samba and the signature tune, "Follow Your Road", a gut-wrenching ballad and this was where Wilson showed off her inpeccable alto / soprano range. The real showstopper of her tunes was on Randy Crawford's "Rio De Janeiro Blue" (the tune was actually written by Richard Torrance). This was also high-spirited and energetic.
The other instrumentals included "Yes Or No" a number reminescent of Coltrane featuring solos from Williams on the sax, Koonse, and Carpenter, "Love Lost" and "Inner Urge" both dedicated to Joe Henderson w/ Williams going neurotic all over the horn sounding like Henderson, Koonse again being so colorful, and the evening closing out w/ a Bob Mintzer (Yellowjackets) tune, "One Music" with it's complicated polyrhythmic grooves, a fusionic tour de force featuring some exiquisite bass guitar lines from Carpenter, Williams ever so melodic at the keys, and Koonse was really flying high. What an exciting number. Williams made the comment that he would like to see a Seawind reunion in the near future. That would be so cool. As for the evening I was only downsided that Wilson wasn't featured enough. She really has the intricate phrasing of a jazz singer with impeccable power.
Helene Lieberman
Hi David,
As always I thank you for the kindness and friendship you extended to me on Saturday. It is always a pleasure to see you and Patricia (whose son is a very nice chap by the way).
The Carlos tribute was just amazing! I wish it would have been recorded and released on CD. When music is played that way it takes me to the deepest places in my heart and soul. What you do to remember Carlos is beautiful and shows how a great human being you are. I don't want to sound too lyrical :-) but it really was a moving experience to see you all guys paying tribute to your friend and play this beautiful music. Each and every one of you have been very kind to me. I was so pleased to get the chance to tell Pauline how much I love her voice and her "Tribute" CD. And Rosemary is great too.
Olga and I already planned to go to Koblenz for the Tribute to Jeff. Hope to see you there !
Should I not hear from you before year's end, I already wish you, Patricia and your family & friends a Merry Christmas and a very Happy & Successful New Year.
Best wishes & kind regards
Laurent
Date: September 2002
Thanks sssoooo much!!! I had a blast. You and the right boyz were awsome. You know me, I don't hand out compliments! I haven't felt these grooves since thriller, and etc. xoxoxo Thanks for giving Monet a shot! She is like us, very grateful, a pro, and blown away. How dare you get the "A" players! You were fly Creatch!!
--PAICH
Date: August 2002
Did someone say Potato Salad???
At the last minute, we decided to go check out Douglee's debut at the Baked Potato and all I can say is - WOW!!! When we arrived, we were fortunate enough to be seated right in front of Lenny Castro's kit and Douglee's rig. I could literally reach out and touch Lenny's drum. It is always amazing to me how they can fit all that gear and all those bodies on the postage stamp sized stage at the BP. Anyway, after feasting on foot long potatoes and a few brewskies, I was spotted by Douglee's #1 fan and friend who remembered us from when we saw Pat Travers together some time ago and she confirmed that Douglee was walking around on clouds with excitement to play the BP where so many of his heros had stepped before. The mood was electric as the placed filled to capacity. It was great seeing Klimas, Castro and Garfield and I have to say, I was a bit skeptical about how this "salad" was going to be served.
All doubts were erased as they launched in to a Karisma tune and if you closed your eyes - it was AMAZING how good they sounded. This "scrappy" group of four behind the experienced trio was phenomenal. The dual guitars were especially powerful! It was like having Luke and Landau on stage all night! They played 3 originals (I think) that were also amazing. Douglee is a dedicated Luke fan and has his sound down cold. Lenny was amazing as always and everyone was really feeling the vibe on stage. Douglee was not exaggerating about Jeff's vibe - I heard Creachy make the comment to the band and I definitely felt it too. I can't rave enough about this show. All I can say is we all need to get to the October gig at all costs. This band has "legs" and watching them in their infancy is a sight to be seen. All will become major players in the years ahead and I am proud to be among the ones who will be able to say "I saw them back when." Hat's off to you Douglee, and the boys in the band. BTW - if I had to describe their look.. it would be like the "Cops meet the hippies" The drummer and 2nd guitarist were groomed like police cadets and Douglee and the bass player could pass as rockers in any lineup!!
Sorry so late with this review, but you know, summer in So Cal, so many bikinis, so little time.
TahoeEd
On the "Road to Somewhere"
Date: April 1st, 2002
Hello David,
You probably receive about a hundred mails per day, but I simply couldn't help sending you this thank you note...
I've just returned from my biggest musical experience ever, in Koblenz, Germany, this Easter. You guys had put together a marvellous show! It was a true pleasure to witness the obvious joy You all feel when playing together, and I can only hope that I will be able to witness this again sometime in the near future! Unfortunately I live in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is propably too small to visit, so I have to travel some kilometres to see you... I will not hesitate to do it again, but would really be happy to see you here in Copenhagen...
Being to your clinic on Saturday afternoon was also a true pleasure... I am not a professional musician, but I am a BIG spender on music, and needless to say, a big fan of yours, and it was really interesting for me to get information on how you work with other musicians. This gives me a much better understanding of the music that I love so much, and in the car on my way home, I already listened to it in a completely different way than I am used to... This just to tell you that even though I am not a musician, I got SO much out of your clinic! Thanx!
Can't wait to get the pictures that I took down there... There's also one of You and me together in the hall... I was SO nervous that I didn't really thank you... but Thank you!
Best regards,
Anders B Jensen
Date: April 1st, 2002
Hi David,
This is Boris (Drummer) from germany. Probably you might not remember me, I was the first volunteer in the Rhythm section - Workshop you did in Koblenz. And first I want to say thanks for that lesson, I learned more about playing in a rhythm section in that 10 min. with you on stage than I did in the last two years of playin and touring with Bands. Even the guys I'd been on tour with at that time asked what happened to me during the easter-break and I said : I joined a workshop by David Garfield! So, THANKS FOR THAT!!!!! I read in the news that you're coming to Hamburg in a couple of days and I wondered if it's possible to meet, maybe? Would be great. Also the tribute-concert was fantastic, I mean, all these great drummers but most of all I was really impressed to see that, what you taught in the workshop, live on stage. (It must be great to have you as an MD or better as a Mentor).
I finished tourin' four months ago and I concentrate now on finishing my studies at the college of music in hamburg and on recording my own songs. It would be great if would listen to some of the stuff and to let me know what you think about it. (only if you're interested.) So that's enough, I don't want to bother you too much :-)
I hope you're fine and lookin forward to see you live on stage in Hamburg.
Best wishes and peace always........ Boris
Date: April 1st, 2002
Hello David,
I just want to tell you that it was a great show show, all the way. I was in Koblenz with a friend of a friend (Ronald den Boef) and I have had the time of my life. Many thanks for your efforts to keep the memory of Jeff alive. The moment Joe and Eileen Porcaro came on stage just gave me shivers. Very impressive.
Maybe we will visit L.A. next year. I've heard there will be another Carlos Vega Tribute somewhere december 2003 (don't know if it's just a rumour, but surely you can help us out on that one) so if there's a possibility we try to see it.
About this weekend:
It was fabulous!!!
Greetings from Holland
Yours sincerely
Hans Nuyten
Date: April 24th, 2002
Hi David,
We had a ball. You were smokin' even more than usual. I think you just get better and better. How is that possible? And the band.... Larry Klimas is so fluid, fluent, and soulful. I was so impressed with him. John Pena seems to be ever more melodic in his solos. You gave him more solo time than in the past, it seems to me. If so, I can see why.
I loved the bit you did with JR, where you said you got him out of the union book: "Plays and fakes all styles." That was hilarious. So, anyway, maybe you'll let us know where and when you're taking a cake so we can come watch that auspicious occasion. Until then.... Best regards,
Bob and Ally
Date: Feb 2nd, 2002
Hey everybody! This year is off to a great start. We're really excited about more new releases this year and special live concert events in LA, Germany and Hawaii. Thanks for visiting the site..... CREATCH
Here are some new articles and links about me and the guys. Enjoy!!
- D.G.
www.bluedesert.dk/creatchylive.html
www.bluedesert.dk/creatchyinterviews.html
www.bluedesert.dk/garfieldnamm2002.html
www.bluedesert.dk/creatchyinterviews.html
Special Thanks to Kenneth Bremer and the Blue Desert Website for their outstanding efforts.
Date: January 25th, 2002
A brief note to say that the Karizma live is in every way the best cd I have heard in many years -- you can't imagine how happy I am as a music lover and a musician to have discovered creatchy thank you so much -- Michael Riskin
David Garfield's 45th Birthday Bash!
(Reviewed 10/2001)
Well the attacks of nearly 3 weeks ago did not stop people from attending last night's Garfield b/day bash at La Ve Lee which turned out to be a hot all-star event. Both sets were sold out at this tiny venue to the point where people trying to get into the second show had to be turned away because there was no more room.
Needless to say it was ultimate jam where everyone in 8 member ensemble showed off their true colors and the patrons left behind the crisis and let the incredible music escape their fears as David put it, "music is for healing and in light of the tragedies that happened we here who are present tonight are all lucky to be alive and playing for you."
The all-star consisted of Garfield on keys, Bill Champlin on Korg organ and vocals, Alex Ligertwood on vocals, Freddie Washington on bass, Gary Ferguson on drums, Steve Lukather on guitar, Chris Trujillo on congas and percussion, and Michael Paulo on saxes (which was a last minute replacement for intended trumpeter Rick Braun who couldn't make the gig due to an afternoon gig in San Diego the same day and couldn't make it in time for this gig).
Much of the tunes in the first set were repeated in the second set as well with a couple exceptions. The band opened w/ the Meters instrumental Sissy Strut, a funky romp that showcased everyone and midway through segued into Monk's Straight No Chaser where Champlin swung a marvelous organ solo. Not to mention Luke's searing guitar who had fast licks the whole night and played w/ such intensity.
Then they played the familiar Human Nature which showcased the incredible Michael Paulo on soprano sax. Boy can that man blow. He puts Kenny G to shame. In case you didn't know Paulo is from Hawaii originally and used to be the w/ the band Kalapana years ago.
The only downside in the first set was not enough singing from Champlin. Ligertwood tended to steal the show too much vocally. During the first set alone he sang 3 numbers in a row, Lowdown, the Isleys For The Love Of You, and the classic I'll Put A Spell On You. Don't get me wrong he is a marvelous vocalist and has been Garfield's regular vocalist but should have given more room for Bill to vocalize. The only number Bill got to sing alone in the first set was Turn Your Love Alone which he would repeat in the second set as well and did a marvelous job. In the second set he got to sing a little more but it was clearly Alex who tried being the frontman much of the night. Needless to say Bill played some fine organ solos especially during I Put A Spell On You where his blues chops sparkled.
Another instrumental highlight was Willie Bobo's latin romp Fried Neckbones where Alex got the audience to sing the numbers only lyrics, Fried Neckbones and some home fries. Some wonderful interplay solos between Garfield, Champlin, and Paulo on the number Trujillo's firey conga work.
During Let's Stay Together Bill and Alex got to trade off verses and choruses respectively but the free-form preaching at the end clearly was fronted by Alex.
On Georgy Porgy (Luke's composition) Bill and Alex got to trade off scat choruses at the end, as well as the second time they played For The Love Of You Bill displayed more vocal improvising and his signature screams.
The band's salsa take on Layla was a real crowd pleaser where everyone had room to shine and Paulo even went into the audience around the room when he soloed.
When Garfield introduced everyone at the end he acknowledged Bill as an industry legend and Bill replied, "legend is a scary word in my book". He added his own brand of humorous one-liners including the familiar "I get paid top dollar for my memory loss" when he sang Turn Your Love Around. Jay Graydon happened to be present in the audience last night and Garfield said all 3 writers of that song were in the house Bill said something like, "well he wrote the only one line in the song about turning the love around and the rest were Luke and myself.
Naturally there was the moment when everyone sang Happy Birthday to Garfield w/ Bill providing the organ accompaniment. Alex said to Garfield, "you're still a young man", then someone in the audience replied, "you're still a young fag". What place did remark have?
My thoughts it was an unforgetable evening but again I would have to see Bill sing more leads. Maybe next time. Tamara Champlin was also in the audience and we got to exchange some words about the crisis and ironically she was booked on a flight for Nashville that same morning and was already on board but then the flight was immediately grounded and never left the gate. She told me she immediately ran out of LAX as fast as she could and headed home. And only just one week before the attacks she and Bill had flown out of Boston after enrolling their son into Berklee College. That's pretty scary.
I got to exchange a few words w/ Bill last night as well and asked him what happened w/ the Chicago tour to Mexico and he said it was cancelled. Some of the guys just didn't wanna make that trip.
It couldn't have been a better evening than last night. I hope that Bill will do work on future Garfield projects where he could get to sing some leads rather than backgrounds. Until the next Sons gig I just can't get enough of Bill in non-Chicago settings.
Helene Lieberman
Date: July 11th, 2001
THIS IS NICE...
Here is an email I just received....
From: Anders Engqvist
Subject: SV: SV: Garfield koncert.
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 11:05:57 +0200
A few words in english:
Being to Mr. Garfield's concert in Aalborg Denmark was a great experience.
More than once I hoped that the songs would just go on and on............!
The groovy LA and West-Coast Sound that Mr. Garfield and his "European Band" presented, made the concert go sky high. So whereever you are able to join a Mr. Garfield concert do so!!!
THANK YOU!
Date: December, 2000
CD REVIEW - KARIZMA * Document * Ulftone
(Reviewed 12/2000)
If you're visiting this site, you presumably are into fusion and it just doesn't get any better than this. Recorded live in April 2000 during a European tour, the line-up on this edition of Karizma features longtime leader David Garfield on keyboards, Michael Landau on guitar, Neil Stubenhaus on bass and Vinnie Colaiuta on drums. Needless to say, the playing is amazing and will leave you shaking your head in awe. The opening track, "Heavy Resin" smokes during a pair of savage Landau solos, with a brisk turn on the keys by Garfield sandwiched in between. Stubenhaus and Colaiuta take their turns as well during the 11:30-long song (three of the six songs are between eleven and fifteen minutes in length) but it never gets boring, as the solos are well-structured within the framework of each song.
It's difficult to mention specific highlights simply because every song is a highlight, and every song is full of the type of sublime fusion musicianship that draws fans to the genre, but in particular, Landau's slowly-building solo in "Aliens (Ripped My Face Off)" is astonishing and the blindingly-fast straight jazz stylings on Don Grolnick's "Nothing Personal" give all the members to showcase their flash and speed, with Garfield's piano solo a standout and Colaiuta outrageously busy behind him. The production is stellar (Landau did the mixing) and the songs include three originals and three covers (among them an excellent turn on Wayne Shorter's "Palladium").
- Simply put, THE fusion album of the year. Period. -
Review by Geof O'Keefe for Fuse Online www.fusemag.com
Date: November 9th, 2000
HEY EVERYBODY...
I'm home from the tour! It was a tremendous success! Thank you everyone for your support. The audiences in Europe and Scandanavia were excellent. I hope you enjoy the pictures and there will be a new review posted very soon! Stay Tuned and keep on groovin! D.G.
A review from the tour with Karizma In Europe!
(Reviewed 11/2000)
Arhus is a lovely city resting on the eastern coast of Denmark. Karizma was in town to perform at the club, Train. Karizma is an eclectic group of musicians comprised of Vinnie Colaiuta, David Garfield, Michael Landau, and Neil Stubenhaus. Each a successful artist with their own music, they arrived with their energy and talent to Arhus. It was Halloween night. The weather was perfect for some real scary fun, cold, rainy and wind blowing in from the sea.
The previous night, the Karizma gig in Malmo, Sweden had been canceled due to a foul-up between the promoter and the club owner regarding work permits. The club, KB, stationed someone at the door to explain why Karizma would not be appearing. People had come from all over Sweden, Stockholm, Gotenberg etc. so the band was really disappointed they did not get to play. Some fans ended up at the hotel where Karizma was staying, were able to talk with them and were given CD's.
Malmo's loss however was Arhus's gain. The band had been on tour for two and a half weeks and the pace was really tough. A city, a gig, a day, throughout northern Europe and Scandinavia and the band and crew were in varying stages of health. Maybe it was the night off, maybe it was because is was Halloween, but the gig in Arhus was amazing.
The set played like a movie soundtrack for an action film. The machismo chords of "Heavy Resin", the dark and mysterious mood of "Aliens...", with Michael Landau and David Garfield communicating in an otherworldly way with their instruments. "Dream Come True" was a moody, ethereal song that gave the feeling of a dark and smoky blue-lit club. One could almost see the hero strolling through the streets of New York, alone, introspective. David Garfield and Vinnie Colaiuta performed a riotous version of "Nothing Personal" chasing each other with solos and finally catching and creating a totally thrilling climax of music. The crowd got crazy. The band did a cool version of "I'm Tweaked" then came back for an encore with "E Minor Shuffle" another crowd rocking performance.
Karizma is a musician's band and the club, Train, was filled with a mostly male, mostly musician audience. Garfield made a joke about the girlfriends in the audience being held hostage to see the band. The music is a mix of covers and original compositions, primarily jazz fusion. The arrangements are designed to feature solos within each song. Typically a two hour set will have approximately ten songs. This is a band that needs to be seen live to truly appreciate the enormous talent.
After Arhus the band went on to three more gigs, Oslo, Norway, where the club, Smuget, was oversold and the crowd literally stood shoulder to shoulder. Then on to Germany to wrap up before coming back to the States. European audiences are avid, they really show their appreciation for the musicians they care about. If you didn't get a chance to check out Karizma this year, check out David Garfield and Friends when they swing through next time.
Review by S.W. TEE
Date: October 10th, 2000
CREATCHING AROUND... Whatsup with Creatch? Under the new Libra moon Creatchy celebrated his birthday at one of Southern California's sunny beach resort cities. Then he jetted down to San Diego to perform with George Benson seaside at Humphrey's. Yes, Creatchophiles, David Garfield is lending his talents to GB as musical director. Adventures with George have included, the Greek Theater, Seattle (Pier 62), Pittsburgh, Carmel Valley, for the Indian Springs Jazz Festival, where everyone stayed in a five star hotel with ------- great towels and bathrobes, (hey it's the perks). They played an outdoor gig in front of the NYSE on Wall Street for a new mega-communications company. There was hope of stock options , but it turned out to be T-shirts and hats instead. DG will be with GB in Fort Lauderdale and then he's off directly to Europe with Karizma, on a three week tour. He'll be stomping the stages of Euro-clubs, accompanied by Michael Landau's licks, Vinnie Coluita's crashes and Neil Stubenhaus' drums. This tour is promoting the Live CD that was recorded in April when Creatchman went to Germany, Copenhagen, Norway and Switzerland for serious music and soldout shows with Karizma. They also hit it hard at the German drum festival, Drums and Sound 2000 in Koblenz. Currently, this CD is available only in Europe, but watch for it to become available on the website soon. The new Karizma tour is DG's third trip to Europe in 2000! He toured all summer through the European Jazz Festivals with the Natalie Cole Band, returning at the end of July just in time for a David Garfield and Friends summerfest with Alex Ligertwood, Steve Ferrone, Jimmy Earl and Steve Farris. In May of this year, Creatchy was in Japan with Natalie Cole at the Blue Note Tokyo and Blue Note Osaka for two weeks. As a side note DG was the grand opening act at the Osaka Blue Note with GB in 1990. Garfield went on from Japan to New Jersey for the American "Modern Drummer Festival" where Coluita and Company were filmed for the "Best of Modern Drummer" highlights video. The video, currently available, will soon be released on DVD. Our piano-man has been busy. Recent LA sightings have included a soldout, two-show, crazy jam-packed night at the New Baked Potato. David Garfield and Steve Lukather rolled out meaningful music for a magical night with Everette Harpe, Lenny Castro, Abraham Laboriel Jr. and John Pena. Later that week, at an impromptu birthday celebration for DG, Simon Phillips, Walt Fowler, Larry Klimas, Alex Ligertwood, Michael Landau, Steve Lukather and other LA artists (also superfans Mea and Jay from Japan) presented Creatchy with a song and a cake for best wishes for the coming year. Lucky LaVaLee on Ventura Blvd. had David Garfield and Friends filling their club with lots of people and great sounds, this past Friday night (Oct 6). Alex Ligertwood on vocals, joined Creatchy, Steve Ferrone, Mike O'Neill, Lenny Castro, and John Pena for a special night of music. That's all for now we'll update with news from the Karizma tour. In the meantime keep checking the website for news on gigs. Lots of love and fun.
Click here for more info on video - Modern Drummer Festival 2000 Video and DVD... available thru Hudson Music
S.W.Tee
L.A., CA. USA
Date: March 25, 1999
CREATCHING AROUND... By S.W. Tee
Most recent Creatchy (aka David Garfield) siting; the desert. David G. and Friends (Alex Ligertwood, Ernest Tibbs, Jeff Olson) were invited to share jazz, rock and love with the good people of KJJZ radio and Palm Desert, to raise money for a shelter for abused women. The concert was held under the palms of the Gardens of El Paseo and the Earth moon. The Great Spirit shined on all as Creatchy was called back for two standing ovation encores and a inventory sellout of cds. Palm Desert wants him back. Monster Records wants Creatchy too! A new release with heavy jazz brothers George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Lee Ritenour and many others... includes the David Garfield version of Lowdown from the Tribute to Jeff. Title of this scary new compilation "Monster Jazz". Is that creatching we hear? Sharing not only love, but war Creatchy arranged and wrote songs in recording sessions for Lee Oskar (harmonica player for War... Hunh), in the trenches were sax man Larry Klimas, Wayne Johnson, Abraham Laboriel with major Jazz legends Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. An explosive arrangement of the "Waters of March" by D.G.; that CD will be the bomb! Speaking of Larry Klimas, Creatchy Records is putting out L.K's first record with eight original saxy tunes (and one Marvin Gaye cover) and an all-star lineup of out of this world musicians. The Great Spirit asks "What's going on?" Creatchy-mania. Karizma out-takes and demos will be released on a new CD this summer, entitled "Lost and Found" as well as a Creatchy Records re-release of Brandon Fields "Other Places". Our favorite release of all was D.G.'s beloved friend and Great Spirit of Jazz, Horace Silver, from the hospital. He's doing fine. Love to you Horace from all creatures great and small.
S.W.Tee
L.A., CA. USA
Hi everybody and Happy New Year!!!!!! The Carlos Vega Birthday Concert was an incredible success..... Thanks to all that helped out. We will post Geoff O'keefe's reveiw here soon. NAMM is coming up and we hope to see you at our gigs.... (Wed's & Thurs) or at the Yamaha Booth Fri & Sat. Friday's gig at La Ve Lee was a blast!!!!! The big thrill was Billy Cobham coming in and playing 2 songs with us... WOW!!!!!! What a rush. Also there were David Wells (New York Yankees) Tom Arnold, & Vince Neil (Motley Crew). I had dinner tonight with Horace Silver. He is mixing his new album this weekend with Al Schmitt. We also ran into Tommy LiPuma ( President GRP Records) He told us news of the big merger between MCA and Polygram. We are almost finished with Larry Klimas's solo project for Creatchy (CR # 012) Due out in April..... it's really turning out great! This project includes some historical tracks that have been recently completed. Co-Producers are Mike Landau, Larry Klimas, Arthur Barrow, & John Pena. Thank you all for your support and inspiration.
David Garfield
L.A., CA USA
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