1980s
Around 1983 my good friend and saxophonist Mark Lessman called me and said that Johnny Almond was living in Escondido and wanted to put together a two saxophone band with rhythm section. From London, England, Johnny Almond had been the tenor saxophone player for John Mayall on the album Turning Point as well as a session musician on Mayall’s album Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton. He was also a session musician on the Fleetwood Mac album Mr Wonderful--all back in the 60s. For me this was big news. I remembered listening to the Turning Point album over and over during my college years. I'd never performed with a rockstar before.
Above photo: John Mayall on left, Johnny Almond on the right.
At the same time there were a couple of musicians playing locally in the North County coastal area of San Diego, living in a school bus and touring from Missoula, Montana to Solana Beach, California. It was pianist Doug Randall and drummer Gary Underwood. We formed a band and in a very short time we were doing quite well pleasing audiences in the local beach area bars and restaurants—Fish House West, The Windjammer, the Belly Up Tavern and others. The Johnny Almond /Mark Lessman Band was the first of two bands I played with with Johnny Almond. I could go on with many stories from this era but we’ll leave that for another time.
In this photo near Moonlight Beach in Encinitas everyone except for Johnny and Mark Lessman look a little zonked out. Left to right: Johnny Almond, Doug Randall, Gary Underwood, Robin Henkel, Mark Lessman.
We had a repertoire of jazz and R&B. I recall performing a Freddie Hubbard tune Mr Clean. We also had our own arrangement of Stella by starlight which started out funk and transitioned to swing. As for the R&B, Doug, Gary and I would rehearse at my house in Carmel Valley, Del Mar learning old soul songs. We would play them on the gigs unrehearsed and the horn players would make up their parts on the fly. People loved this band. Sometimes it's hard to figure the chemistry which makes a band appealing to the public, but this one sure did. People were partying pretty hard back in the early 80s. An epicenter was along the stretch of Coast Highway (Old Highway 101) north of Solana Beach and south of Cardiff by the Sea. We called it Restaurant Row—four or five bar/restaurants in close proximity that all had entertainment. It was a real scene.
Johnny was a good fellow. Although he had played with some of the most well-known persons in the British music scene, he was humble about it. He didn't even bring it up unless you asked him.
And yes, there was a second incarnation during my tenure with Johnny Almond—The Johnny Almond Rhythm Review.
After a half year or so I dropped out of the first group—I was afraid I was getting sucked too deeply into nightclub partying and crazyness. But…as things would have it I received a call a year later from singer Rick Reed (aka Rock Rude, Dick Big). He was trying to persuade me to join a new version of the band with different band members and with Rick singing. He said something like “we’ll do high energy rock versions of old soul songs.” Reluctantly I said “OK” and gave it a try. As it turned out Rick quit the band after a few weeks and I was in for the next two or three years.
Pictured left to right: Peter Marechal: guitar, Rick Reed: vocals, Robin Henkel: bass, Johnny Almond, Hammond Organ (yes, he was good at that as well) and in the back where you can't see him Steve King: drums.
After Rick left the band, we were joined by singer Tony Cooper which brings us to the next or third incarnation of the band.
Left to right: Tony Cooper: vocals, Peter Marechal: guitar, Robin Henkel: bass and vocals, Steve King: drums, Johnny Almond: saxophone and Hammond Organ. We played some of the same venues as well as some new ones. Bobby G’s in Encinitas, Whiskey Creek in Mammoth Lakes, the Poway Mine Co, and the Belly Up.
The show we opened for John Hammond at the Belly Up which was a little odd because the show presented a full band prior to the acoustic and authentic blues set of John Hammond. I was a big fan of John Hammond and even though I loved playing the show, I felt that by the time he played the show came off as anti-climactic. However, what was cool is that he invited us up and jammed with us. Later on his manager said he hardly ever jammed with anyone. So I guess we were honored. My impression of John Hammond was that he was a humble and good person.