Crusader Stix Hooper and Me (& Ernestine Anderson)

When I was coming up, The Crusaders were so influential in my life. They were so soulful and funky. I wanted to be sax/bass player/composer Wilton Felder. I still try to live up to the high bar he set as a musician and songwriter.

During the 70’s I had all of their albums. I couldn’t wait for the next one to come out as soon as I got the new one.

In the early 90’s I was doing sessions fairly often at Chuck Norris’ studios in Toluca Lake with producer/guitarist Ron Bloom. He produced all the music on the soundtracks for Chuck’s Missing in Action movies.

One day I was hangin’ around the studio and was told the drummer for the Crusaders, Stix Hooper, was finishing up some overdubs for his solo record, which I believe, was on Chuck Norris’ record label. I was stoked. The MAN. My hero in the building!

I told one of the execs how excited I was and he said he’d introduce me. I tried hangin’ in the shadows just to be close to his studio room. He was under a lot of pressure with deadlines and such and I heard him being fairly gruff with his assistants. He was an imposing figure to say the least.

We were introduced and he said, “I hear you can play the harp. Ya got your ax? I could use some harp on a track but I’m finishing up mixes today and we have to do it fast.” I told him I had my gear in the car and I’d be honored. He said, “Go get set up.”

Man, was I stoked. I set up really fast and waited… and waited.

At some point I heard him almost yelling at an assistant saying, “I ain’t got no time for no damn harmonica!!”

Stix just happened to glance my way and saw that I’d heard him. He walked over to me and started apologizing that he was really pressed for time and didn’t really have time for anymore recording.

I was cool and told him that I understood and I was honored to have him even consider me. He gave me that sideways badass brother look (ya know what I’m talkin’ bout if you know Stix) and looked me up and down and asked “You set up ready to go?” I said “Yes I am”.  He said, “Alright…you got one pass”

Oh shit. One fucking pass. I’d never even heard the song.

Here we go. I go in the studio and pick up my harp mic and the engineer tells me the key of the song and I get the right harp and hope he is correct.

Stix and about 7 other people are watching me through the studio glass and the song starts. It’s a jazz/funk type groove song with some blues type changes so I’m getting my groove on and getting into the song. And a bit relieved that I’m playing the right harp.

A section comes up in the arrangement that screamed solo so I took it. WTF. I’m really deep in it now and I wrap up the solo and start chuggin’ along with the track when I open my eyes to a most hilarious beautiful sight. It was Stix dancing right next to the glass, dancing like crazy with arms flailing with a big shit eatin’ grin on his face, laughing and pointing at me, givin’ me the thumbs up. Whew!!! I finish up the song and everybody has caught Stix’s vibe and it’s a party all of a sudden. He had been biting people’s heads off all day so I think it was a welcome development.

Everybody loved what I’d just done but most importantly the Stix Hooper did. I was on Cloud 9.

Months later I get a phone call from Stix inviting me to play with him on the Grammy’s. Not the whole album but just that track. It was either up for or won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental. From then on Stix said I was his little good luck charm and we worked together on various projects he was producing or involved with. One of my favorites was the legendary jazz singer, Ernestine Anderson.

I don’t remember too much about the sessions. Just that I played only harp as that was all Stix really knew that I played. This was something that had happened through my career. A producer would hire me for one instrument, not having any idea I played others.

Anyway… so I play on Ernestine Anderson’s record and damn… it wins a Grammy. This is around 1994. I get a call from Stix that Ernestine is headlining the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl and they want me to play harp on a few songs.

I go to a rehearsal in a North Hollywood studio and what a great band!  Jazz band pretty much, but some heavy cats. I wish I could remember all their names right now but the only one is Oscar Brashear, one badass brother and motherfucka trumpet player. He is a lithe, muscular man with long dreadlocks and a look on his face which, if you have any sense, screams, “Don’t fuck with me.” Stix introduced me to everyone and I got a feeling no one knew who the fuck I was or cared. I think I mentioned to Oscar I was a big fan and he just grunted. I didn’t say much to anyone after that.

We finally get to my songs and I tore it up on harp and I think the respect level for me was raised a fraction… just.

So it’s show day at the Hollywood Bowl. The Playboy Jazz Festival 1995. Ernestine is headlining in a prime 5pm slot. There are over 18,000 fans packed all the way to the top rows. The weather is perfect. Stix had given me my instructions in his loving, stern way. I was supposed to come up on the 4th or 5th song and just play my solos. I’m to be featured soloist on 5 songs and then I’m off. Cool. I love it.

It’s about an hour before our set and I stroll down to the dressing rooms to check in and I hear some arguing. I walk by Ernestine’s dressing room and I hear my name. The room is packed with the band surrounding her. Stix and her are in a heated argument and it’s about ME!!! She’s sitting in front of a lighted dressing room mirror looking like a diva queen and I hear her say, “I’m not going on without Jimmy Z!!” I’m thinking WTF!!!?? Stix is trying to reason with her that I should come up for the 5 songs I played on the album and feature me.  She’s having none of it. “I ain’t goin’ on without Jimmy Z on the first song.”

Cats in the band see me behind them lurking in the doorway and everyone starts looking at me and Stix spots me and makes a B line for me and pulls me aside.

He says, “Alright! Look muthafucka. You come on with the band but I only want you to comp. No solos!!”  I said sure Stix. No problem.

The way it works with the stage at the Hollywood Bowl and the Playboy Jazz Fest is like this… Imagine a round stage cut in half. While one band is performing on one half of the circle the next band is being set up to be ready to go. When it’s time the stage starts revolving and the next band is on. It’s brutal. If you are in the middle of song and time is up too fucking bad. Your ass is on the merry go round out, your sound is turned off and the next band, us, is put in the house and away you go. It’s kinda cheezy being slowly rotated in front of 18,000 people but I suppose it could be a worse day at the office.

We’re opening with a medium tempo blues shuffle in F and I’m standing next to my man Oskar Brashear. I’m playing thru my favorite long time partner in crime, a Fender Concert Blackface with a 15” speaker. I’m getting a really fat Lil Walter tone. I’m comping, people are grooving, Ernestine is in fine form and life is good.

I wasn’t supposed to be playing on the first song so I really didn’t know the order of solos or arrangement but it don’t matter cause I ain’t playing one anyway. I look to my right and I see MC Bill Cosby smoking a long, fat cigar standing next to Stix grooving to the music.

Ernestine sings a couple verses and nods for someone to take a solo. Then it happens… or I should say nothing happens. Within the span of 2 seconds the keyboard player looks at the guitar player, he looks at Oscar, he looks at me… and I say fuck it and take the solo… haha….

I’m down in a total groove. My amp is screamin’ and I can hear my harp loud, bouncing off the Hollywood Hills. I build up the first chorus and then take another one and tie if off. The whole damn place explodes. 18,000 people on their feet screaming and waving white towels.

I take a bow and happen to look over towards Stix and he’s giving me this  stern look. I smile and shrug with a sorry about that type look and he throws up his hands, shakes his head… then smiles.

Ernestine is happy. Oskar Brashear don’t look like he’s gonna slit my throat.

Life is very good.

Update – Stix Hooper mailed me a copy of his new CD Stix Hooper/Many Hats. I play harp & solo on a song called Gotta Get It On along with Oscar Brashear on trumpet!!!

Guess he should make room on his shelf for another Grammy… lol