Re: OT: 40 YEARS of DRUMMING

[improv@peak.org]

What a great story, Rick! I'm kind of a sucker for reading musician's 
memoirs, ever considered writing a book?

Speaking of memoirs, I've been reading a bunch lately, spent x-mas at 
home in bed with an infection (don't worry, I'm getting better, and it 
spared me the obligatory family trip). Read Andy Summer's "One Train 
Later", about his experiences before and during the Police. He's a 
surprisingly witty and charming writer, and his life as an 
almost-famous guitarist for the decade or so before starting the Police 
is pretty interesting. I essentially learned to play bass by copping 
riffs off of the first 3 Police records, so it was great to read about 
the reality behind the music.

I'm in the middle of Caetano Veloso's "Tropical Truth: A Story of Music 
and Revolution in Brasil" about the Tropicalia movement of which he was 
a big part. Veloso is one of my favorite musicians on the planet, one 
of the greatest songwriters living, regardless of genre. His story of 
making sublime music against the backdrop of politcal and cultural 
chaos is fascinating.