Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Let Us Now Praise Famous Sidemen

Betty's friend Jim just told her about a fabulous jazz concert he saw in NYC a couple of weeks ago. The players were all famous old dudes who had made their names playing with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, etc.

This description got Betty to thinking: what would an equivalent rock ensemble look like? The only condition is that the people be still alive.

Her first stab at an answer: Charlie Watts (drums), John Paul Jones (bass), Ron Wood (guitar), Roger Daltry (vocals, and because amazingly he was a sideman in the band he fronted!), and Clarence Clemons (tenor saxophone). The band could be called "The Rock Solids", and they'd probably pack the house.

Your picks?

1 comment:

Speed McQueen said...

I looooove this idea, Betty. OK, here's my band, of a somewhat more British/indie direction.

Johnny Marr (a sideman for both the Smiths and Modest Mouse) on guitar.

Steve Nieve (by far the nastiest of the Attractions) on keys.

Max Weinberg (cribbing from the Boss and Conan) on the drums.

Paul Simonon (of The Clash and The Good, the Bad and the Queen) on bass for a punky, throbbing sound.

Beth Gibbons (of Portishead--sure she's the singer but she's so camera/stage/press shy that she is really no proper representation of the band) as the singer.

They would be called Minidisc.