Greg posted this last Monday on Facebook.

Rome, Italy 1991. “Andrea was with me on this trip. We started out in Nice, France for the Jazz Festival. We were there for a week and it was fabulous. Only played two shows so we got in plenty of beach time. With so many nights off we were able to eat at some fabulous restaurants. Like many trumpet players, we have to eat several hours before the gig because it’s difficult to play on a full stomach. For me it’s impossible to eat just before the show. Needless to say, we ate and drank it all. Ooh la la. As the week came to an end the band had another 5 or 6 gigs in other European cities. Andrea, along with, Nick Milo’s wife, (now ex) headed for Rome for the days we had to gig that would bring us to Rome at the end of the week. They stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel near the Spanish Steps. A very hip area. Right near the Via Condotti. Shopping anyone?.

We are in Rome for only one night and unbeknownst to us, the promoter has decided to change the hotel at the last minute. Well, the girls check out of the Interconti and head for the hotel on the itinerary. As they are getting further away from central Rome and climbing a rather large hill they ent…er a neighborhood that is, not what you would call a tourist destination. Their driver stops at the address on the itinerary. Oh boy. This can’t be right, and the band is nowhere in sight. Meanwhile, the band pulls up to the new hotel: The Crown Plaza Minerva, about a block from The Pantheon. Of course Nick and I were, to say the least, very concerned to put it mildly. And by now, Andrea’s Italian was good enough to try to find out what the hell was going on. We eventually connected and a car was sent for them to bring them back down the hill and to our hotel. They came from laundry han…ging from balconies and chickens in the street to the 5 star Minerva. Nick and I waited dutifully as they pulled up in a chauffered Mercedes Benz sedan. Nothing was funny. I mean nothing. After checking in to a drop dead gorgeous hotel room and lunch in the piazza nearby, all was forgiven. Even if it wasn’t our fault. Poor girls…

After lunch and a little sightseeing, we head back to the hotel to prepare for the gig. Tonights show is at the Rome Tennis Stadium. We do our soundcheck and then are told they have dinner for us in the stadium restaurant. Oh boy! Remember how I said earlier how early I must eat before a show? Besi…des, what could they possibly be serving? Fast food at best, one would think Wrong!!! How about insalata Caprese, followed with spaghetti marinara and ending with steak and French fries. Oh, and dessert too. Bottle after bottle of red wine and anything else you could imagine. It was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in Italy!! How could I say no. And I didn’t. We finished …about 15 minutes before the downbeat. The house was full and waiting for a show. I never felt better and played my ass off that night. (As an aside, I’m positive I saw a very young Naomi Campbell in the audience dancing with some friends who were very obviously models, too.)

Just a footnote: Andrea and I were able to get one of the shuttle cars back to the hotel as soon as we finished. Others had to wait a couple hours at least. We lucked out because the band had a 4:30 am wake up call to catch a flight to Frankfurt. Sure was tough getting out of that warm bed with Andrea in it. That’s show biz.”

For more on Greg go to http://www.gregadamsmusic.com/ or http://www.eastbaysoul.com/

Below is a link to A.C. Hernandez’ interview with Bassist Jeff Berlin.  A.C. not only does the “TOP Ten” published here on “Horn Driven Radio”, but writes for “Herald de Paris”.  The interview appeared in Herald de Paris on August 2nd.

Here is the link to the interview: www.heralddeparis.com/the-baddest-bass-player-in-the-world-jeff-berlin/101034

Friday night August 6th, Larry Braggs (Tower Of Power lead vocalist) will be sitting in with the “Lon Bronson All-Star Band” at the Cannery Hotel and Casino here in Las Vegas.  The show will start at 8 PM and tickets are $5.00 at the door.  For information go to the Cannery’s web site at : www.cannerycasinos.com/Can_Home.html or visit the All-Star band’s web site at:  www.lonbronson.com

Origianlly published last week on East Bay Soul’s Facebook page.

Greg writes:

“Marin County-Bay Area if you’re not familiar… 1979. The Tower horn section got the call to do Tommy Johnston’s first solo album. Of course you must know that Tom was and, after a bit of a hiatus, still is the lead singer with The Doobie Brothers. They opened for Tower in 1973 I think, at a little… club on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley called The Longbranch Saloon. Both bands were on WB and it was the last time they would open for us. Hint: “Listen To The Music” was released a couple of weeks later.

We eventually toured Europe together on the WB Music Tour. Remember that Short Story? And opened for them for several shows after. We were all pals and always looked forward to playing on the same bill. One of my favorites was when we played in Honolulu. And, by the way, I’m off to Honolulu on Tues…day to do a show with Mindi Abair and Michael Paulo on Friday. Can’t wait! Anyway, back to the story…

All the Doobs were and are great guys. Real humble. When the call came in for me to get together with him to do the arrangements, I talked to Tom and got his address in Larkspur, Corte Madera, I really can’t remember at this point, but in that area. Tom’s home was nothing fancy, but it was nice. A …condo on the side of a hill overlooking the bay. We spent some time catching up and then started in on the tracks. No home studio, just the cassette player in the stereo in his living room. He cleared a space for me on his coffee table so I could put my manuscript pad down to sketch out some ideas…

That’s when I saw it. As I set my tablet down I noticed something that resembled a check. It had a coffee mug on it and he seemed to be using the check as a coaster. He quickly picked up the mug to get it out of my way. The check, and another right next to it were made out to the amounts of, drum roll…. $275,000.00 and $234,000.00 Dollars. Coffee mug ring stain on the one for 275K. I didn’t say anything. Neither did he. I wanted to ask him, “So how’s that Listen To The Music treatin’ ya?” I hope he went for the Direct Deposit option in the future. We went on to do the sessions and the album was entitled Everything You’ve Heard Is True. Did one more with him and also a couple with his bandmate Patrick Simmons. Always a pleasure working with all of them!”

See you next week.
 
For more on Greg Adams go to http://www.gregadamsmusic.com/ or http://www.eastbaysoul.com/

(Get well my Friend we are all praying for you Homie)

10. Keeps asking the nurses to help find his stroke.

9. There is no such thing as a malt liquor IV drip.

8. After the heart is stabilized, wants them to fix his hips so he can dance better.

7. Puts his gown on backwards on purpose.

6. Has his laptop cranked to the Max with www.Horndrivenradio.com

5. Keep asking who is Myrtle and why are they calling her a “Beach?”

4. Waking up saying, “There is no place like Oakland; there is no place like Oakland…”

3. Asking the Nurse practitioner if he can take her temperature.

2. He is accusing all the other patients of having Honky Pox.

1. He keeps telling staff he is a Bumpster, not a Teamster.