My guest today is the drummer for one of the most recognized psychedelic rock bands in our countries history. The band was already intact when a young woman named Janice Joplin came aboard from Texas with an unpretentious style in the same mold as Ron McKernan, Jorma Kaukonen and David Bromberg.
Her style was unique and she gravitated to the Bay Area where the folk rock scene was burgeoning with open minded musicians who were drinking bathtubs full of LSD. The whole vibe was less uptight than the New York Folk scene that reeked of uniformity and hierarchy starting with Van Ronk, Von Schmidt and a certain way to play the music.
My guest came from the east coast and was already expressing himself through painting. He was steeped in spiritual Native American drumming that focused on rhythm patterns of transcendence as the peyote soaked their veins while Jim Pepper played Whitchy-Tai-Toe.
My guest was also a first rate jazz drummer idolizing the work of Larry Bunker, Hal Blaine, Emil Richards and Milt Holland. He brought these chops into the Holding Company who's instrumental sound became a progressive mix of folk, psych, Rock and soul.
His painting remained as he used his brushes the way Elvin Jones or Philly Joe might use them. Swing the band like David Garibaldi or Greg Errico, Billy Kreutzmann, Michael Shrieve, Lenny White, George Marsh, Mike Clark, Jerry Granelli and Gaylord Birch.
Just another whistle stop Dave Getz welcome to the JFS