Spectrum 9
In the beginning...
In April of 1972, I was no longer in the Cameron Company and was feeling less than confident about my work chances. I was back at Berklee the next Monday looking on the Musician's bulletin board on the first floor. There were always musicians looking for bands, bands looking for musicians, lesson ads, announcements, etc. |
| Taking some time at it, I couldn't seem to find anything I could fit in and was getting even more discouraged when Mark Smith was walking down the hallway. Mark had auditioned for the Field of Zaad when Carol Coleman had first joined up with us and we needed a drummer. |
| Mark and I talked for a bit and he told me their group was looking for a keyboard player. It was a big band - nine pieces - that was gearing up to go to Las Vegas. This was nothing like I'd done before, but Mark assured me I could do it. |
| When I got to meet the band, I found that there were only eight pieces. They were still looking for a trombone player to play with the horn section. The band was a colorful bunch of guys, each with his own slant on music and the business. I had never played with a more diverse group. What was cool was that all songs were charted out and everybody was a reader. |
| After laying low for much of the previous year and then getting the gig with Cameron Company - only to turn around and lose it - I was very pleased at this opportunity to play with an organized and very professional group. |