Tuesday at Rehearsal
Private location

Familiar Faces
When I arrived, Donnell, Doc, and DP were already there. I talked about Doc and DP about Bradford Bishop and Montgomery County violence and brothels. DP said there were a lot of murders in Montgomery County lately. I also talked about a Russian brothel found across the street from the Bethesda library several years ago.

Mike arrived shortly after, than Dwayne, then Duane, Jeff, and Jacques. There was a discussion about using Live It Up not in the pocket, but instead like the original, they played it that way with Little Benny and it went well. Safari's crowd has dropped the past four weeks, Dwayne or Mike said to Donnell, "Stop inviting your cousins." Donnell talked about how they can crank and be good: "Don't mess with a working formula, mellow songs played not in the pocket, other songs crank. They can possibly play it in the happy hour set not in the pocket." Suttle Thoughts plays everything in the pocket. Chuck Brown played mostly covers in the pocket, but was alone in using Jazz as his niche. Donnell asked, "Why do they use Grover Washington Jr.'s Lock It in the Pocket which no one young knows?"

There was a discussion over upgrading the keyboards; Donnell said he loves Godfather's organ playing, but not the other keyboard effects. Mike and Dwayne pointed out you can't play new stuff like strings on the present keyboards., I told Mike that Scotty Beats said you can't even get the Ensoniq fixed. The Ensoniq is a sampler - no pre-programmed sounds, it belongs to Donnell. A Triton (which must be old according to Dwayne) sold on eBay for $750. The new Moog is $3K, Doc will buy one.

People (like Jauhar and Nephew) notice Adia's sharps and flats; they just don't know what it is.

They worked on Stevie Wonder's As - Godfather and BJ arrived to work on it.

I asked Duane what he thought about Friday - he really liked I Dreamed You, when Stomp and Smoke got in a groove, but preferred going downstairs during the breaks. He would stay down there if they played the live music on the monitors, his cousin really liked DP's playing. He will be woken up again!

Due to their slow pace of performing As, Mike suggested they play in the pocket, Donnell rejoiced and sang along. Mike said Stevie would dance if he heard them playing. Mike said Stevie was ahead of his time with Girl Blue (he mentioned that at Xcalibur this summer).

I asked about where the nickname Frankie Knuckles came from, Mike and DP told me to ask Donnell.

I thanked Donnell for the 6'9 intro, I told him I knew where he had transferred to. DP said Terry Long transferred too. I talked about the two books about Bias, Never Too Young to Die by Lewis Cole and Lenny, Lefty and the Chancellor by C. Fraser Smith. Donnell said that Lefty was right to want to clean his room, DP and I agreed that it was wrong - it was a criminal investigation. I pointed out that Purnell, the then-assistant coach that Lefty ordered (but refused) to clean Bias' room, is now the head coach at Clemson. Donnell said a girl was also in the room; Lenny was sleeping with her at the time. I said they couldn't convict Tribble because Gregg and Long could not confirm whether Bias or Tribble got the drugs. Donnell said they were scared and Tribble was a well known drug dealer.

As I was leaving, Donnell and DP wanted to talk to Jeff, in what turned out to be his exit interview.

In the parking lot, I told with Godfather. Godfather wants to see my pictures. He is upset, he thinks they are being small minded, they should promote a big show after Miami. He also said I should go to Bike Week.

Adia was not present - I found out the following night that she was already no longer with the band.