It’s an exciting and rare event, but it also poses a serious challenge to the young conservatory orchestral players who are tackling it, and not just for technique. The score he’s pointing to, explaining the perils of this or that passage, is the playbook for this weekend, when the violinist and conductor will lead the Lynn Philharmonia, the Master Chorale of South Florida, and two solo singers in Roméo et Juliette, a “dramatic symphony” by Hector Berlioz that premiered in 1839. “We’re a diversified band now and everybody’s on the same page.Sitting at a table in a new Boca Raton diner, Guillermo Figueroa opens his cloth-bound, dark blue Bärenreiter edition of the music and points to a page, marked with various colored pencils. “The thing about the T-Birds is that we can play both blues festival and rock venues,” Wilson comments. Kim moved back to California in 1996, continuing to cultivate the T-Birds music. Jimmie Vaughn left in 1989 but Wilson kept the group going, incorporating keyboards into the guitar-driven sound. The song, “Tuff Enuff” was featured in the film “Gung Ho” starring Michael Keaton.įor the remainder of the ’80s, the band continued to record and tour, and released the album, “Powerful Stuff”. The single of the same title as well as the singles “Wrap It Up” and “Look At That”, all went top 40. In 1986, The Fabulous Thunderbirds reached a commercial peak with the album, “Tuff Enuff”. The album “T-Bird Rhythm” marked a creative turning point for the group as it collaborated with noted producer Nick Lowe. ![]() In subsequent releases, the band started to incorporate more Cajun, rock ‘n roll and soul influences. “There were hundreds of stages where bands could show what they had.” “Things were wide open back then,” Wilson recalls. Primarily blues influenced, it became a cult classic. In 1979, The Fabulous Thunderbirds released their first self-titled album. The band developed a reputation as a compelling live act and subsequently signed a record deal with CBS/Epic Records. It was there that he met Jimmie Vaughan and they founded the T-Birds in 1974. He stayed there for a year and a half, playing locally, before moving to the burgeoning music scene of Austin, Texas. In search of other musicians who shared his love of the blues, Wilson headed to Minneapolis. King, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rodgers and Muddy Waters. At the same time, Wilson began singing and was deeply impacted by Bobby “Blue” Bland, B.B. His influences included Little Walter, George “Harmonica” Smith, Lazy Lester and James Cotton. I’ll never forget him.”įor Kim Wilson, the musical journey started in Goleta, California. “Muddy Waters was very good to me,” Wilson says. ![]() In fact, Muddy Waters called Wilson his favorite harmonica player and vocalist. The thread throughout the T-Birds career has been the respect the group commanded for its peerless musicianship and devotion to the sounds of blues, R & B and rock ‘n roll. ![]() “I’ve primarily been a solo songwriter, but I’m looking forward to experimenting with the guys in the band,” Wilson says. Wilson is currently writing songs on his own, with band members and other writers. The band continues to tour extensively, in both the U.S. The guys we have now are able to do that.” “You have to be willing to adopt a more contemporary style. “To be in the T-Birds, you need to understand the different styles of music and different ways of playing,” Wilson comments. We’re an American music band and we’re much higher energy than we were before.” ![]() “We now incorporate a mixture of a lot of different styles. “We started as a straight blues band”, vocalist and harmonica player Wilson says. Co-founder Kim Wilson, the sole original member, still spearheads the group as it evolves into its newest incarnation. The group’s distinctive and powerful sound, influenced by a diversity of musical styles, manifested itself into a unique musical hybrid via such barnburners as “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap It Up”. For over 30 years, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have been the quintessential American band.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |