Dr. Richard W. Burton - Piccolo, Flute, Alto Flute, Bass Flute, Sub-ContraBass Flute, Tenor sax, Alto sax, Soprano sax, Clarinet, recorders and percussion.
Influences
Rhasaan Roland Kirk, more than any other, but not in a vacuum. My first musical influence was Johnny Otis, in his DJ incarnation. I listened to him as a kid in 50's on a tiny transistor radio under the covers at night in L.A. and grew up with The Three Tons of Joy, and the rest of his stable - and I was still in L.A. for the '70's KPPC shows too, with Shuggie and the liquid pizza - where I was introduced to Lucile Bogan, who if you haven't listened to....well, damn. I was already playing in several bands by then, and had been influenced by many jazz greats. The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach was a great learning place for me, and I owe a lot to guys like Bud Shank and Bob Cooper, and most especially Howard Rumsey. I owe a lot of my thinking ability to various teachers most especially Mr. George Ice and my cousin Fred Dulfer as well as early exposure to literature the most influential of which was Ambrose Bierce, but my timing was such that I was able to hang with most all of the beats, as a kid hanger on with privileges. I was washed down the steps of city hall in SF in a house unamerican activities committee demonstration at a very early age. Because I also think, I'm including this video from the Center for Inquiry. Science is my only cause, but I find solace and peace in the music so that I am karmic-ly misballenced, unless a lot of you get off on what I do. So, spoiler, this video is a commercial, but good.
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/time_for_science_and_reason
Also, I put a video of Randy Tracy's Trio of Doom up here......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-mWKYZcjx4
I started out with a love for jazz that goes back to the alto sax of Jimmy Dorsey, and Herbie Mann's flute, but when I heard Roland Kirk in 1960 my musical taste as well as my playing went in some roots/blues directions that still figure heavily in what I do today. I was in a high school jazz combo (the Continental Jazz Sextet) that used to occasionally play the intermission set at the Lighthouse, in Hermosa Beach, CA. This meant that Dizzy Gillespie would play from 3pm till 6:pm, then we would play from 6-9, and then Dizzy would be back at 9 and take the night out. We did it on and off for a summer, and got sandwiched by The Jazz Crusaders, Cannonball Adderley, Chico Hamilton, Gerald Wilson big band (with Carmel Jones, Teddy Edwards, and Joe Pass), almost everybody in jazz except Rhassan Roland Kirk. I have to say that the house band included Howard Rumsey, Bob Cooper and Bud Shank, and they were just super to "the kids in the band". The band then went on to become Cold Blood, and during my loose association with the band we toured and played with everybody in San Francisco including the Airplane, the Dead, Moby Grape, Canned Heat, Country Joe & Barry Melton, Janis Joplin & Linda Rondstant. I had a draft case to deal with so I went back to So. CA. & formed a band with Joan Coogan (Jackie Coogan's daughter, who died a few years ago) called The Graven Image - if anyone knows where a copy of 'Mushroom fields' on A&M - please let me know, it's a real treasure. After that, I spent several years working on a PhD in primatology and working in zoos and primate research centers without doing anything musical except play for 700 rhesus macaques and Patas monkeys until the mid 70's when I played top 40 music in Asheville, NC. I was curator of the Asheville Nature Center, and playing 6 nights a week at the Holiday Inn central on Tunnel Road, and even did a stint in a country band in Waynesville NC & Maggie Valley. After a very long period of playing what other people liked, I came to Florida, and got into a blues band (Mercy Road) which allowed me to play what I felt instead of what was pre-thought. Now I play whenever I get a chance which means at least on Saturdays from 2 pm till 6 pm at Gilligan's on Siesta Key, with The Acoustic Pete Blues Trio, and I'm trying desperately to get back into jazz. I also try to blend well with some of the local vocalists, so I wind up doing duets and such. Acoustic Sunshine is one of those projects with Brian Intrary, but we add musicians as necessary to form other bands. I'm also working with Randy Tracy (great ribs, better brisket) and Richard Leps as Randy Tracy's Trio of Doom at the Old Packinghouse every Tuesday. I add whatever it is that I add to other bands as well whenever they want it. I prefer live performance, but I do a lot of studio work as well. I'm in the process of getting some material together for the Sub Contra Bass Flute (the 21st one made), and all of this takes place in Sarasota, FL.
I've also been reading Finnegans Wake by James Joyce for about four years now, even though it's my second time through it, I'm still having a great time - and if you want to find out why please visit: http://www.trentu.ca/faculty/jjoyce/fw.htm
Celebrate the “Soul Tub!”! Thanks for the add, thanks for listening & thanks for the music! You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter now. -The California Honeydrops
Enjoyed your music dude.Try my version of jazz,"THE SAN JUAN CHICKEN".You can find it if you look under my other band site www.myspace.com/intoxicatedcrikets Its just me and my step son fooling around. Peace2u.Later. Glen
Oh Doc, I miss Florida LIKE MAD! I'd be there right now if I had a transporter ;) I'm sending Bud a Box of CD's, be sure to grab one from him! I'll be back very soon...xoxo
Online Now!
