He Has Been There and Done That
by Rob Nemeyer
Drum legend Chris Parker has played with an amazing roster of musicians. He has graced the stage with every legend in the business and still maintains extreme modesty about some of the most "on" drumming ever put to record.
InsideCx: With such a wide variety of work to your credit, to what do you attribute your success?
CP: Good fortune! I've been very lucky to meet and play with so many great musicians. I think I'm known for having good time; I've been called Chris Pocket or Click Parker many times on sessions. I think also, like an early report card said, "works and plays well with others." Being a team player rather than a soloist/virtuoso. I'm a great accompanist, especially for a vocalist.
InsideCx: With this long list of high-profile gigs, which one was most exciting?
CP: Very tough question because the most recent gig is always the one most exciting. I just got back from a short tour with Bette Midler, which was a ball. Maybe the most unique was Ringo Starr and George Harrison sitting in with Bob Dylan in the south of France in 1990. I was so excited to be playing drums with Ringo and George playing great guitar.
InsideCx: What was one of the most important bits of advice you received as an up-and-coming drummer, and from whom?
CP: Ralph MacDonald, great percussionist and composer, said, "There is no luck. It's only when preparation meets opportunity." And the great bass player Gordon Edwards, whose band the Encyclopedias of Soul I joined, later to become the band Stuff, said, "Stuffy, you make more money playing less notes." This is so true in the studio or backing an artist live.
InsideCx: Tell us a little about your new project, Toph-E and the Cats.
CP: This is a band I wanted to build around the individual talents and strengths of these players whom I've known for years. Will Lee and I started playing together in the 1970s and it was love at first listen; still is. I wanted a band that would truly showcase his talents as a bassist as well as a vocalist. Ralph MacDonald and I have played on hundreds of records and jingles together and I've always thought he was brilliant as a player and a songwriter. Clifford Carter straddles all the different piano styles I love: R&B, gospel, jazz, swing and country. And David Mann, the youngest member, is a monster talent, both as a player and as a composer and co-composer. He's fond of saying, at a pivotal moment during a rehearsal, "It seems to me ..." and follows with a profound comment on the musical proceedings, instantly improved by his insight!
InsideCx: Best rhythm section you ever played with?
CP: This is really tough too. I have to say I'm very happy with Toph-E and the Cats as a rhythm section. With Will and Ralph both in it, it's hard to beat! The band Stuff had Steve Gadd and I playing drums together. That was magical and such a privilege for me to work with him in that context. We played at last year's NAMM show for the first time in 25 years and it was STILL magical.
Product Review
Drum Tech DTS One Touch Tuning System
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