The core tracks on Juice are live, correct?

We didn’t overdub much at all … maybe a couple of the tunes when John might’ve overdubbed some organ – but you know, he often plays organ and piano together at the same time.

I didn’t change any of my stuff that I remember. There might’ve been a melody that I had to overdub that I blew – that’s definitely possible. (laughs) There are some percussion overdubs, where Billy came in and played cuíca or tambourine or something.

But other than that, it’s really just us live. We wanted to be interactive.

And it feels it. Everybody has a writing credit on “Juicy Lucy”. You know, the first time I spun that, I thought … “‘Louie Louie’?”

Well … (laughs) you’re absolutely right. I like to stick with the classics. (laughter)

We were like, “Okay, what are we going to do? Let’s get a groove going …” I started playing “Louie Louie” over it and that worked. Then we went into another section where John had some chords in another key … and we just put the two things together.

And it works.

Yeah! Why not (laughs)

John’s section that you mentioned is another example of great acoustic piano.

Oh, man – yeah, the whole record is full of these great rhythmic piano comps that John does. He can really get a groove going on the piano, you know? A lot of jazz piano players can blow all night … but they can’t play that kind of groove.

And then we have some covers, such as “Sham Time” – Eddie Harris! My wife turned me on to that great Eddie Harris/Les McCann live album years ago – Swiss Movement.

One of the greatest records of all time.

To me, “Sham Time” is a great example of Billy and Chris being fierce without being aggressive.

Uh-huh. It’s that kind of funk that’s coming out of jazz, really … it’s a certain kind of sophistication and those guys have that. Billy has a beautiful touch on the drums; he’s not just banging all the time. And Chris, too – these guys are sophisticated musicians.

Your cover of The Doors’ “Light My Fire” is about as straight-ahead rock as the album gets.

I know – it’s the only tune like that. Chris Wood brought that one in. He said, “I know this sounds off the wall, but I think we’d be able to play this.”

He’d written it out and everything; we’re reading a lead sheet on “Light My Fire”. (laughs) And everybody got it into it, so we said, “What the hell – why not?”

It’s cool the way you guys swap it around: you take the immediately-recognizable intro –

Right – which is the keyboard part on the original.

Uh-huh. And then you “sing” the verses with your Ibanez before John comes in on the organ. At that point, he definitely has some Ray Manzerek tone happening.

I know! John’s a rocker, man – in the finest sense.

Then there’s “Sunshine Of Your Love” – an iconic rock guitar song if there ever was one. But the way you guys approach it is almost like a dub arrangement: deconstruct and reconstruct.

Yeah – you got it. It wasn’t a planned thing – we were just jamming in-between takes and somebody started it. John started to play the guitar part on the organ – with two hands, you know. Totally displacing it; totally warped so that you can’t even tell what it is.

I actually can’t even tell you how we did it the way we did it. We just sort of played it a couple of times … and then we recorded it. With the big, abstract dub jam in the middle that probably goes on way too long, but I like it anyway. (laughs)

And then you wrap things up with “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. You took it from what originally was a young Bob Dylan’s warning to what feels like a slow headshake and a sigh.

A lament! (laughs)

Exactly.

“The damn internet … the times they are a-changin’!” (laughter)

I think what happened was, we were trying to find a mellow tune to have on the record and this one turned out to be it. When Bob did it originally, it definitely had more of an up beat, but we just sort of slowed it down … and it felt right.

It’s a great way to touch the album back down.

Thank you.

Next up for MSMW is some touring, I hear.

Yeah: touring Europe in November, followed by a US tour in December.

John, I have one more question that I’ve wanted to ask you for years, if we have time.

Sure!

There’s a YouTube video from when you were with Miles Davis – on stage in Tokyo, July of 1985, covering “Time After Time”. Miles holds down the fort in the beginning – and then, about the six minutes in, he turns the lead over to you … and as you start to play, he gently takes you by the elbow …

Yeah … (laughs)

And he leads you gently out towards the front of the stage. Man, it puts a frigging lump in my throat to watch it.

Oh, man … yeah. (sighs)

You know what? That was such a great experience to play with Miles. I mean, as well as being a musician, I’m a huge music fan. I love straight-ahead jazz as well as everything else we’ve talked about – and I was so lucky to get to know Miles and get to hear – and learn – about jazz from him.

He could be really nice to me like he was that day, you know? “Get up front …” (laughter)

Wow … I think about him all the time. I think about the way he played. I really tried to cop that. I’m not sure what … it’s not even the notes – it’s more like an attitude; a sense of pacing; a sense of being yourself.

There are times in your phrasing when I hear you taking “breaths” like a horn player would.

Thank you so much – that’s the greatest compliment you give me. Thank you, my friend.

*****

Brian Robbins sits and thinks about Miles Davis (among other things) over at www.brian-robbins.com

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