Memphis Underground is a long time favourite of mine. It’s for sure my the most played live track. I have selected a few versions. Only the last is not with Der Transformer.
Herbie Mann is the composer of this very special sound. The rhythm is Memphis soul and the jazz attitude is from New York. We transformed it to be more funky and reggae with less jazz.
You can start the playlist and read on…
Version from 2001
The first and oldest version of Memphis I played is from a special show in a tiny town called Sempach (where the Swiss army conquered against the Habsburg army in 1386 and the hero Winkelried became famous). I was supported on the horns by the trumpet player Mario Bazzani who arranged two tunes for trumpet and flute and we also played the Sidewalk Doctor together.
Version from 2006
The second exemple is from a show with Der Transformer in Stans (funny fact: Winkelried came from Stans) at Chäslager (club name means ‘storage for cheese’) in 2006. We went there with two extra special guests on vocals: Marc da Silva and Eiko.
Version from 2013
The third version is from 2013, where we played at our club in Sedel, where we have our rehearsal room just upstairs.
Version from 2015
In 2015 again at Sedel as warm-up for Ruts DC or The Ruts (famous for Jah War).
Version from 2016
In 2016 we played at Neubad. This place was a real bath before. We played downstairs in the cellar. I was scary and the place was locked down after the show to reopen with a new emergency concept.
Version from 2017
The last version with Der Transformer is from 2017. And this was the last live performance before we played the live concert in 2022. But there is no recording from 2022. The one from Schüür is quite cool, isn’t it?
Overdub version from 2018
The last version is my own thing. I have a version of the J.J. Allstars where the band is on one side of the track and the flute on the other. You can imagine, I isolated only the backing track and cut off the flute to play my own over it. I’m not happy with it, maybe I’ll play another version soon. But it had to be part of this post.
Der Transformer
This playlist shows my personal versions from over the years. Except one all of them are together with Der Transformer. This band was formed in 1999 and I played ‘Memphis’ as guest for years before I became a full Transformer myself in 2015. I was not with the band, when they played Hallenstadion as opener for Wyclef Jean in 2002. And I wasn’t with the band as well, when they played a few shows with the famous jazz men Koch–Schütz–Studer (OM) as Hardcore Chambermusic several times from 2006 to 2008. I wasn’t in the studio for some recordings. But in the audience, when they warm-up with Tozim as singer for Adrian Sherwood. But I was promoting and producing the warm-up for Lee Scratch Perry & Mad Professor in 2002 and in 2001 for Linton Kwesi Johnson & Dennis Bovells Dub Band. And the legendary show at Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues in St. Moritz club in Soho, London in 2000.
Tommy McCook – original reggae versions
Here are two reggae versions of Memphis Underground. I guess both are played by Tommy McCook. The Tommy McCook version I have on a blank 7inch entitled “Memphis Underground – KT 88“. The J.J. Allstars version I have found with two tracks, where I took away the flute and started to play all over.
Herbie Mann (writer)
Herbie Mann is the one and only flute player who wrote this tune. He is on the flute throne forever. Name me another flute player that lived from 1930 to 2003 and played in all different styles that came along the way.
Some nice and other versions of Herbie Mann and others in my playlist on YouTube.
Ekseption – first flute love
Yes I love Herbie Mann, but it wasn’t him who inspired me to play the flute. In fact it was Rob Kruisman who was the one. But who is Rob Kruisman? To be honest I didn’t know his name as well (I saw it on the backsleeve of the record, but it was quick forgotten again and again. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekseption
My father bought this album in the early 70s. As long as I remember this album was around me. As fast as I can handle the turntable, I selected this record many times (really many times!!!). I mean, there are classic tunes on it from Beethoven and Albinoni and J.S. Bach that I knew already, but there are also tracks I heard for the first time on this album and then for decades never again. I was in 1997 when I first heard the Jethro Tull version of “Dharma”.
The Ekseption version is classical to me. It is full of power. A flute thing of course, but fast, dynamic and inspired.
Jethro Tull – Ian Anderson
I was greatly surprised to hear the original from 1968 by Jethro Tull on their album “This was”. What a great album, what a great title for the first album. To me this version sounds not as great as the one by Ekseption, because the other one is 100 times in my ears.
Roland Rahsaan Kirk
And this album leads me to another great name in my world of the greatest flute players ever: Roland Rahsaan Kirk. Serenade To A Cuckoo written by Kirk and played by Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull brought the name Roland Rahsaan Kirk to me (it is included on ‘This Was’). Then I was fascinated by this genius. His flute playing inspired almost every flute player ever since. To me it is far away from my possibilities.
At that time, there was no chance to watch this kind of videos. It’s unbelievable to listen and imagine, how one man can play such music. But to see this great man today, is a gift. This is my YouTube-playlist for Roland Rashaan Kirk, hope you’ll enjoy. I love it. 🙂
And yes, this kind of playing the flute, is his thing and Ian Anderson took it straight from there. I don’t wanna say, he’s the only one, but he was exceptional and was playing for Quincy Jones (you sure know ‘Soul Bossa Nova’, it’s a funny version on the playlist above) or with greats like McCoy Tyner or Charles Mingus to name only a few.
James Galway
Of course I know many other great flutists. Some in person, but most of them from live concerts or recordings. From the classical flute side, there is James Galway the greatest to me. Three of his children I know personally. But I never met him in person. But he is the one and only to me. I was on different concerts and every one is a pure pleasure. I read his book and learnt a lot. One thing kept in mind: He explained how he trained his breath. He was holding his breath from one underground station to the next and blew out the air until the next station. And yes, in classical music there are many other flutists that are extremely great. But I want to concentrate on those who inspired me and helped me to grow.
Tommy McCook & The Skatalites
The most important will ever be Tommy McCook. When I visited the Skatalites in Utrecht in 1993 he showed me some important things on his arm for the flute. And again two days later in Eindhoven. You can say, I had two little lessons on flute by Tommy McCook in person. One great thing was his explanation of the overtones and how to reach them.
In 1995 I brought my flute to a concert in Berne, where Roland Alphonso OD played my flute in the empty audience, just for me. He didn’t want to use it for the show. And in 1997 again in Berne I handled my flute to Lester Sterling OD and he played my flute in the backstage. Later I played Confucious live on stage with The Skatalites, but that is another story.
All three original Skatalites flutists showed me a little bit to grow. I’m very thankful. One of them is still alive but is suffering a lot, so please take my words to help Lester Sterling with prayers and best wishes always. Love love.
C
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