Second.Wind
1970: Many horn bands were formed by Sacramento high school kids. We played a range of the day's music: Chicago, Stones, Janis, War, Sly, Santana, Tower of Power, Cold Blood, Aretha, James Brown, Doobies... I played dances and clubs with two horn bands I had formed (Sparrow in 1970, Slippery When Wet in 1974) and with East Wind Band in 1976 before splitting for Oakland and SF in 1977.
2003: After a lifetime apart, working and raising families, nearly 40 of us re-met in Sacramento. Many were interested in jamming again. Some even wanted to resurrect old cover bands, but I didn't see the value of simply rehashing old cover tunes.
Plus, "reunion bands" are usually held back to the "comfort levels of the past" by old reputations and expectations. That is a big hurdle for "comeback" musicians who want do something more, something better, for today's new, broader audiences.
Challenge: Create Something Hotter than what we did back then. Fresh Music that celebrates the Best Sounds that inspired us. Be Authentic but be New. Surprise listeners with the unexpected. Differentiate ourselves with Distinctive Material and Concert-style Execution, regardless of the type of venue.
This new band is developing partly by design, partly by grace.
Dig it. This is Second.Wind. Jammin'...
YouTube video of Second.Wind performing "Respect" at the Sacramento Zoo, July 28, 2009 (courtesy of A&E Digital Productions, LLC). This arrangement is adapted from the killer version Aretha did at her 1971 concerts at Fillmore West, SF:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1drL2pN8fAo
Spacers can find more at http://www.myspace.com/secondwindjams, courtesy o' Youngblood.
Frontline (L-R): Joseph Gee, Les Chinn, Tim Ragan, Lawrence Gee,
Paula, Jones, Buddy Davis
Backline (L-R): Selwyn Jones, Bryan Brazelton, Martin Leong, Glen Wada,
Dave Karacozoff
Front Row: Joseph Gee, Glen Wada, Lawrence Gee
Center Row: Les Chinn, Paula Jones, Bryan Brazelton
David "Loaf" Karacozoff: keyboards, vocals [STRP]
Glen Wada: guitar [STRP]
Martin Leong: bass, vocals [STRP]
Bryan "Youngblood" Brazelton: drums [VDG]
Selwyn Jones: congas, percussion, vocals [VDG]
Paula Jones: vocals [VDG]
Lawrence "Flea" Gee: trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals [STRP]
Tim Ragan: trumpet, vocals [VDG]
Les Chinn: tenor sax, alto sax, vocals [VDG]
Joseph Gee: tenor sax, flute, vocals [VDG]
"Second Wind: noun : renewed energy or endurance"
Selected Blasts From the Past and Present (Partial List)
| Title | Artist | |
| Let's Stay Together | Al Green | |
| Love and Happiness | Al Green | |
| Rehab | Amy Winehouse | |
| Respect | Aretha Franklin | |
| Rock Steady | Aretha Franklin | |
| Cut the Cake | Average White Band | |
| Pick Up The Pieces | Average White Band | |
| Funky Nassau | Candy Dulfer | |
| Colour My World | Chicago | |
| Valdez In The Country | Cold Blood | |
| Say No More | DoctorfunK | |
| This Masquerade | George Benson | |
| Neither One Of Us | Gladys Knight | |
| Roadhouse | Greg Adams | |
| If You Don’t Know Me By Now | Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes | |
| Chameleon | Herbie Hancock | |
| Gonna Have a Funky Good Time | James Brown | |
| I Feel Good | James Brown | |
| Livin' In America | James Brown | |
| Papa's Got A Brand New Bag | James Brown | |
| You Can Leave Your Hat On | Joe Cocker | |
| Can’t Get You Off Of My Mind | Joe Louis Walker with Tower Horns | |
| Can I Dedicate? | Loading Zone | |
| I Heard It Through the Grapevine | Marvin Gaye | |
| Simple Life | Nils Landgren Funk Unit with Maceo | |
| Hump de Bump | Red Hot Chili Peppers | |
| Smooth Operator | Sade | |
| Black Magic Woman | Santana | |
| Samba Pa Ti | Santana | |
| Everybody’s Everything | Santana with Tower Horns | |
| Everyday People | Sly & The Family Stone | |
| Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf… | Sly & The Family Stone | |
| We Could Make a Cool Hang | Strokeland Superband | |
| Just My Imagination | Temptations | |
| Diggin' On James Brown | Tower of Power | |
| Down To The Nightclub | Tower of Power | |
| We Came To Play | Tower of Power | |
| What Is Hip? | Tower of Power | |
| You're Still A Young Man | Tower of Power | |
| Give Me One Reason | Tracy Chapman with Eric Clapton | |
| Blues Is Gonna Getcha | Unknown Old Blues Guy | |
| All Day Music | War | |
| In The Midnight Hour | Wilson Pickett |
Funky.Flea
funkyflea@comcast.net
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