← Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
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- [00:00]
Soledad O'Brien
I'm Soledad O'Brien and on my new true crime podcast, Murder on the Towpath, I'm taking you back to 1964 to the cold case of artist Mary Pinchot Meyer.
- [00:12]
Nathan East
She had been shot twice in the head and in the back.
- [00:15]
Soledad O'Brien
It turns out Mary was connected to a very powerful man.
- [00:20]
Buzz Knight
I pledge you that we shall neither.
- [00:22]
Nathan East
Commit nor provoke aggression.
- [00:24]
Soledad O'Brien
John S. Kennedy. Listen to Murder on the towpath with Soledad O'Brien on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
- [00:39]
Holly Fry
Explore the winding halls of historical true crime with Holly Fry and Maria Tremerki, hosts of Criminalia, as they uncover curious cases from the past. The legend of the Highwayman suggests men dominated the field, but tell that to Lady Catherine Ferrers, known as the wicked lady who who terrorized England in the mid-1600s. Her legend persists nearly 400 years after her death. Highwaymen are in the hot seat this season. Find more crime and cocktails on Criminalia. Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:19]
Hannah Smith
After a crime. You read the headlines, but do you know the story?
- [01:23]
Nathan East
At the time that I called the police, he knew I had called him and left the house with a firear and was texting me that he was gonna use it.
- [01:30]
Hannah Smith
I'm Hannah Smith. And I'm Patia Eaton. We host the Knife, a podcast from the Exactly Right network that cuts to the heart of the story. Through in depth interviews and candid conversations, we'll bring you firsthand accounts of people living through the ripple effects of crime. Most of us don't know the legal process and because they always tell you this word, closure, I really wish people would stop using that word because there is no such thing as closure. These are the scars that are left behind. These are the voices you haven't heard. New episodes every Thursday. Listen to the knife on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:14]
Nathan East
Taking a walk I think when we got together, our joke was we were the modern jazz quartet of the 90s. You know, that was kind of like our, we looked the modern jazz quartet as a, as a, as another quartet that we, we wanted to emulate in terms of their classic style and sound.
- [02:34]
Patia Eaton
Welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast with your host, Buzz Knight, where Buzz talks with musicians that are making it happen with great performances and productions. Today, Buzz speaks with Nathan East, a founding member of the chart topping jazz group Foreplay. He's been churning out hit songs with artists Like Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, and many more. And he'll join Eric Clapton on tour as well. Nathan east joins Buzz Knight now on the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [03:06]
Buzz Knight
Nathan, it's so nice to have you on Taking a walk.
- [03:09]
Nathan East
Hey, it's nice to be here on this walk with you.
- [03:12]
Buzz Knight
So since it is called Taking a Walk, if you could take a walk with someone, living or dead, who would you take a walk with? And where would you take that walk with them?
- [03:25]
Nathan East
I think Jesus Christ down the shores of Torrey Pines. I don't know. There's. Wow, there's a lot of people, but, yeah, I think Jesus Christ be first on my list.
- [03:40]
Buzz Knight
That would be a significant walk, I would say.
- [03:46]
Nathan East
Yeah. I mean, you know, we. We spend. We spend a lot of time here, and there's a lot of. A lot of questions, and without answers.
- [04:00]
Buzz Knight
Might I say amen to that, sir? Yeah. Well, can you share how your musical upbringing really shaped your career, and particularly that moment that you knew that the base was going to be your calling?
- [04:17]
Nathan East
Yeah, I mean, speaking of the spirituality and everything that the base was. Was on the altar at Christ the King Church where my brothers were playing. Raymond and David were playing at the folk masses they had in San Diego in the 70s, basically. And there was a bass on the altar, and I said, is anybody playing it?
- [04:40]
Buzz Knight
No.
- [04:40]
Nathan East
Nobody knew whose it was. I. You mind if I pick it up? I picked it up, and it was just that. And it was really just felt. I was 14 years old, and it just felt, like magical in my hands. And then all of a sudden, I said, man, you could play these notes that kind of affect the sound of the chords. And so they let me play it, and then they let me be in the band, and I had a gig the next day, and that was it.
- [05:08]
Buzz Knight
Right. You were in all in.
- [05:11]
Nathan East
I was all in. No looking back. And I. To full disclosure, I had played cello for three years, so, you know, I was familiar with a bass clef instrument, but there was just something very magical about that moment, and it just. I. I kind of never really looked back after. After that.
- [05:33]
Buzz Knight
And who were some of those bass players early on that helped shape you?
- [05:39]
Nathan East
Well, in the beginning, you know, I was listening to everything, so, you know, we had. Charlie Mingus and Ron Carter were big influences, but then we were playing music by Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears, so believe it or not, Peter Cetera, and people like Verdine White of Earth, Wind and Fire were capturing my attention right away, you know, and. And, you know, everybody in between, you know Paul McCartney, of course.
- [06:11]
Buzz Knight
So you went on the road pretty early in your career, is that correct?
- [06:16]
Nathan East
Fairly early. A band that I was in called Power played with a stacks review of all the people and then. And one of the artists was Barry White. And when he heard our band, he just hired the entire band on the spot to go tour with him, you know, so I'm 16 years old and touring and one of our first stops was Madison Square Garden and we played the Kennedy center, we played Coble hall in Detroit and the Apollo Theater. So all these places that I had heard about and next thing you know, I'm 16 year old kid inside of these places playing. It was amazing.
- [06:55]
Buzz Knight
And what did your folks think about all this?
- [06:58]
Nathan East
You know, they were very supportive. They were not, you know, obviously, you know, their young son is going off with the guys, so they just said, be careful. And I think they, they said a little prayer and sent me off. My older brother David, whose birthday is actually today, I gotta call him, he was also in the band. So I think they had the comfort in knowing that he was keeping an eye on me.
- [07:31]
Buzz Knight
And was there ever a moment during that first tour that you were like, geez, what did I get myself into?
- [07:40]
Nathan East
Yeah, I mean, it was kind of like you learn really quickly about a lot of things that have nothing to do with music basically, but a lot to do with life. And it was an invaluable experience. And to this day, when I go back down those roads, I always go back to those first early days with Barry White.
- [08:06]
Buzz Knight
So I want to talk about foreplay for a second. It's been together 20 years.
- [08:12]
Nathan East
Yeah, actually 30 now.
- [08:14]
Buzz Knight
30. 30 years. I'm sorry. Bands are pretty fragile entities, as you well know. What's the, the secret to the longevity and the amazing chemistry and that success?
- [08:31]
Nathan East
You know, I think just the, the, the camaraderie and respect. I respected all of those guys. Harvey Mason, Bob James, Lee Rittenhauer, Larry Carlton, Chuck Loeb, who was the, the final guitarist with the band. But all of those guys, you know, I used to listen to their albums, played their music in the bands that I was in. And it was one of those things where, you know, the mutual, mutual admiration society, you know, we were all kind of in awe of each other, so I think that that helps a lot, you know, and just we, we all, you know, respected each other and had a great time playing, making music together.
- [09:14]
Buzz Knight
Did you realize though, as this time and this band was unfolding that this is really, you know, a super group?
- [09:24]
Nathan East
You know, I Have to give it to Bob James for sort of having the vision. We were all together making one of his records. It's called Grand Piano Canyon. It was on Warner Brothers. And at the time, Bob was an A and R guy at Warner Brothers Records. So he, you know, he had the vision and when we were all. He checked out the chemistry when we were in the studio and he said, you know what? This would be a fun band. What do you think? You know, we just. Just make a record. I'm sure we can get a deal here. And Warner signed us sight unseen. They hadn't. Didn't hear anything, but we, we went in the studio, made that first record, have had a great time doing it.
- [10:03]
Buzz Knight
And how does you know an entity such as that? How. How does one band member make other band members better through their particular actions?
- [10:16]
Nathan East
Excellent question. I think every one of the guys in the band had very high standards. And you can just take a group of notes and each person says, how can we make these notes better? How can we arrange them? Put some kind of dynamics? And when you have one of the greatest arrangers like Bob James, also it helps. But we're all in the same mindset of taking the music to the next level. And I think that's what happened. And it really. When the four of us got together, it just. There was some magic chemistry that, that, that really lasted all these years.
- [10:58]
Buzz Knight
And is there an equivalent sort of vibe for a band such as that or other bands that you continue to play with, where as a musician you're truly in, you know, the zone? Just like athletes talk about the zone, right?
- [11:16]
Nathan East
I think when we got together, our joke was, was we were the Modern Jazz quartet of the 90s. You know, that was kind of like our. We looked to the modern Jazz quartet as a. As a. As another quartet that we. We wanted to emulate in terms of their classic style and sound.
- [11:36]
Buzz Knight
Not a bad one to go after.
- [11:38]
Nathan East
Exactly.
- [11:40]
Buzz Knight
Man, oh, man. So what inspired you to step out ultimately as a solo artist after all that time as this amazing session player?
- [11:52]
Nathan East
I was the only one in the band without a solo album. And so for years, the guys were just saying, nate, what are you waiting on? And obviously a busy session career where I was just working every day and 20, almost 30 dates a week. You know, back in the heyday when the. The record business was just. Just completely alive and well, you know, and flourishing. And so that, that kept me pretty busy. But around, you know, 2014, 2013, I felt like, this is a good time. You know, I was. I Was signed. I've been playing Yamaha instruments and they started at record label, so they signed me and we went in and I think produced some fun, fun music.
- [12:41]
Buzz Knight
And how do the great collaborations come together on solo work with Stevie Wonder and Sara Bareilles as examples?
- [12:54]
Nathan East
Right, well, that's the benefit of having all those years of working with people. And so I had recorded with Stevie, done a lot of records with him, and the song Overjoyed that I ended up recording, I was fooling around at Carnegie hall at a sound check. We were doing a gig with Sting and one of those rainforest benefits that had a lot of artists on it. George Harrison, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder was on there. And on a break, I started fooling around with the chord changes of Overjoyed, just kind of playing it as a bass melody. And next thing I know, I hear harmonica come in. And like all of a sudden, Stevie's playing harmonica with me on his song, the melody, you know, and then next thing you know, you could hear a pin drop. And here I am trying to figure out the chord changes. He's playing along and Sting and James Taylor, they're all just listening Elton John. And so after. After we finished, then they all applauded and Stevie came over and said, if you ever record that song, I want to. I want to play on it. So I went to record it, called him, and he came in and played on it. It was amazing.
- [14:05]
Buzz Knight
No, Stevie, you can't. No, that's okay. I've got somebody else in mind, but thanks for asking. Yeah, right. My God, you have been around and are still around so many forces of nature. And just to go back on Stevie for a second, I mean, I'm continually wowed by him. Every time I see him do something to this day. You would have to agree with me on that 100%.
- [14:35]
Nathan East
You know, just as a matter of fact, when I think about. When I think about the amount of music that has come out of him already and then the amount that's still in him. Matter of fact, one of the last times I saw him, he said, I got a few songs I want you to play on my next album. So it's like I'm going, wow. And he's been such a part of the music culture for decades. It's like, I don't know where we'd be without Stevie. It's really mind blowing when you think about how much music he's contributed to the world and still continues to.
- [15:19]
Buzz Knight
Oh, and just seems to be having the time of his life. When he's creating as well.
- [15:24]
Nathan East
Yeah, like, he never stops and he always has the arpeggi or he's behind the piano and he just never stops creating. And I think it's like the essence of what God meant for people to do, especially in our business.
- [15:43]
Buzz Knight
Well, so many of the people that you have intersected with or are still intersecting with, you know, have their own tremendous stories to tell. Certainly you did work with Michael Jackson. That must have been an incredible privilege.
- [16:00]
Nathan East
Absolutely, yeah. He was just another one, almost not of this earth, you know, and it would be amazing to pull up Westlake Studios where we spend a lot of time recording and to be in the parking lot and then, you know, black Mercedes with tark windows pulls up and then out steps a guy in the red leather. Looks like he just spent just a video. You know, there's Michael with the shades and. And then you just go in the studio and you're laughing, telling jokes, and it's. It's just like another day at the office. It's. It's pretty, pretty remarkable.
- [16:33]
Buzz Knight
And you're going to be out on tour again with Eric Clapton. That must be an incredible experience. Just tell us, you know, give us a behind the scenes look at that as well.
- [16:46]
Nathan East
Well, again. Well, first of all, he's approaching his 80th birthday this month, so that in and of itself is amazing. He still plays like he's 20. And we're on the way to Tokyo to perform at the Tokyo Budokan 8 concerts there in April. And again, it's a lot of fun, a lot of. A lot of just laughing and camaraderie goes on, on and off the stage. When we're together, you know, we all love going out for a good meal, a good joke, you know, and just. And a good time.
- [17:27]
Buzz Knight
So what is your approach creatively to creating baselines for diverse genres? Do you have a specific process or philosophy that you go by?
- [17:41]
Nathan East
Yeah, I mean, first of all, there's been so many incredible baselines that we have to draw from in the past. And so that always made me think that a bass line has to be something memorable. And regardless of how simple or complex it is, it should just be something memorable and some notes that go to the heart. So whenever I'm playing to this day, constantly thinking about what are the rare notes, What's a really good note to choose to play in this bar and what's in this bar of music? And then what register is it going to be? Should I start high? Should I play down low? And there's all these things that are going through my head constantly to this day when I'm trying to come up with a bass line.
- [18:31]
Buzz Knight
So it's a fair amount of at least experimentation at a certain point.
- [18:36]
Nathan East
Right. Always analyzing, always trying to figure out what the song needs. We were just in Baden Baden playing some shows there, and we had a stage full of, like 13 people, you know, artists and singing and horns and rhythm. And so in that particular moment, you know, there were enough people on stage, and I just felt like just a lot of long, low notes, you know, and very simple approach and just kind of do a bottom for everybody to kind of be the foundation for. For all the artists and. And that, you know, again, I'm always trying to figure out what's the best thing. Does it. Does it need more. Does it need less dynamics? And just try to find. Find the good notes.
- [19:25]
Buzz Knight
Find those good notes. You're finding those good notes every time, I got to tell you. Well, I know you mentioned earlier that before you, you know, took up the base, you had played the. The cello. If you weren't playing bass, though, what do you think you'd be playing? Other than the cello?
- [19:44]
Nathan East
Yeah, that's a good. I mean, when I first started, I. I thought you'd used to hear those Vince Garaldi, Charlie Brown specials. And I thought, you know, I want to do that, you know, and so I. I would love to play piano now. My son Noah, he. He covers the piano very well, and we've. We've just finished a duo album that will be released here soon. But, you know, the piano, and if I wasn't in music at all, I think I'd be flying airplanes. I'm a private pilot, and I really enjoy that as well. And it's another one of those things that, you know, you could do for a living. And then it doesn't feel quite like it. Like it's working.
- [20:26]
Buzz Knight
As a pilot, is there a certain sense of. Of spirituality when you're really, you know, up there in that space and time?
- [20:36]
Nathan East
I. I used to always say, it's getting a little closer to God when I get up here above the clouds. And. And yeah, there's something. For me, the spirit of it is, is you're. Every time you take off in land safely, you've. You've basically added years to you to your life. You know, it's. It's. It's one of those things where you have to pay attention and. And there's. There's not too much else that can be on your mind while you're piloting an airplane. And so those are the. Those are the things I always feel and say a prayer of gratitude every time I land safely.
- [21:14]
Buzz Knight
Is there any particular discipline as a pilot that you've taken and applied to your. Your musical disciplines?
- [21:25]
Nathan East
Well, the fact that you know, anything that you want to get better at, the repetition of it and the. The practice of it is. Is I think one of those things that becomes essential, whether it's flying a plane, playing the bass or violin or. Or anything. So I think, you know, basketball players, they shoot a thousand free throws a day or something like that, you know, a million a year. And so I think you just get better at anything you do. And so I try to keep that in mind. I mean, I wish I had more hours in the day to practice, because I'd be a lot better player.
- [22:10]
Buzz Knight
And on the spirituality note, we produce this other podcast. It's called Music Save Me. It's about the. The. The therapeutic or healing powers of. Of music. Do you personally believe that. That music has healing powers?
- [22:31]
Nathan East
Absolutely, 100%. I think, you know, I've always looked at music as the language of God. You know, some. When I'm playing, sometimes if you really go deep into a trance or whatever you want to call it, it really comes from somewhere else. And recently we were doing some gigs together, and people actually came to me after the gig and said I was suffering with a little bit of depression, and this helped me out tonight. And I think there's been studies, and I think it's proven that music definitely has a way to have healing powers that you can't really put your finger on because you can't touch it, smell it, but it touches you. It goes inside of your system. And it's really something very powerful, very special that I don't take for granted. And I'm always appreciative that I get.
- [23:35]
Buzz Knight
To be part of that language and describe the feeling. When you know in a performance setting that the music, you and the rest of the musicians that you're with is deeply connecting with an audience. What is that feeling like?
- [23:54]
Nathan East
Yeah, I mean, there's. There's nothing really like it. You. You're. You're seeing the power of the vibration that's going out actually coming back to you. You know, so everybody's. Everybody's head. And, you know, I look out and people are moving, and you see smiles, and. And these are the things that just. I often equate it to a congregation as well, you know, and they. They come to hear something inspirational and Then go out and spread the word about it. And so it's really great when, when you see that they're enjoying it as much as you're enjoying playing it. And there's no, no feeling quite like.
- [24:34]
Buzz Knight
That someone who you spend a bit of time with on the road is no longer to be able to be on the road in Phil Collins. Can you talk about your experiences of playing with, with Phil?
- [24:48]
Nathan East
Yeah, well, Phil, as, as a, as a bass player, you know, because the drummer in the band is sort of like we're married to, you know, we, we have to bond and lock to make the music, you know, grow from the bottom up. And the first time I ever played with Phil, and It was about 40 years ago, a little over 40 years ago, when we were in London recording the Chinese Wall album with Philip Bailey. And I just loved his groove and the, where he put the beat from the minute we started playing together and, and it was just a lovely thing. You know, he's, he's got his own style, he's left handed. And I just, I just really enjoyed every, every time we had a chance to play together. And, and so, you know, a lot of laughs. Another situation where just one of the finest human beings you ever want to meet and a lot of laughs. He used to come pick me and Philip up from the hotel out in the country, out in Guilford, and we ride into London. It was about an hour ride. And so every day just getting to spend that kind of time with him and then playing together, writing together, just nothing but good, positive vibes from the whole situation.
- [26:07]
Buzz Knight
Well, Nathan, in closing, you played with, you know, a who's who, and you continue to play with a who's who. Is anybody you might want to give us a little glimpse of that is on your dream list to play with.
- [26:22]
Nathan East
Yeah, you know, Prince was on that list, so I won't be able to pull that one. But I'm the biggest Pat Metheny fan, you know, and, and we've threatened to do something a few times and of course he's, he's busy, I'm busy. But we've, when we see each other sometimes we, you know, we just, okay, it's gonna happen one of these days, and, and I'm holding out for that.
- [26:48]
Buzz Knight
Well, we had him on this podcast and that was hard to nail him, just like it's hard to nail you. He's always working. You're always working. But fingers crossed on that one because that would be a pretty amazing collaboration, right? It would be.
- [27:02]
Nathan East
But yeah, yeah, absolutely. No, it's everything in its time. But, but, but I, I absolutely love his music and, and, and, and also his humanity and, and I think it'd be great.
- [27:15]
Buzz Knight
Nathan, thank you for the time, for the music, the beautiful music and what it does for us is words can't describe. It's so critical and I'm so grateful that you took the time to be on Taking a Walk.
- [27:31]
Nathan East
Thanks. Much appreciated and enjoyed my walk.
- [27:36]
Patia Eaton
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcast podcasts.
- [27:55]
Soledad O'Brien
I'm Soledad O'Brien and on my new true crime podcast, Murder on the Towpath, I'm taking you back to 1964 to the cold case of artist Mary Pinchot Meyer.
- [28:06]
Nathan East
She had been shot twice in the head and in the back.
- [28:10]
Soledad O'Brien
It turns out Mary was connected to a very powerful man.
- [28:15]
Nathan East
I pledge you that we shall neither commit nor provoke aggression.
- [28:19]
Soledad O'Brien
John F. Kennedy. Listen to Murder on the towpath with Soledad O'Brien on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
- [28:34]
Holly Fry
Explore the winding halls of historical true crime with Holly Fry and Maria Tremarchi, hosts of Criminalia, as they uncover curious cases from the past. The legend of the Highwayman suggests men dominated the field, but tell that to Lady Catherine Ferrers, known as the wicked lad who terrorized England in the mid-1600s. Her legend persists nearly 400 years after her death. Highwaymen are in the hot seat this season. Find more crime and cocktails on Criminalia. Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [29:14]
Hannah Smith
After a crime, you read the headlines, but do you know the story?
- [29:18]
Nathan East
At the time that I called the police, he knew I had called him and left the house with a firear and was texting me that he was going to use it.
- [29:25]
Hannah Smith
I'm Hannah Smith. And I'm Pasha Eaton. We host the Knife, a podcast from the Exactly Right network that cuts to the heart of the story. Through in depth interviews and candid conversations, we'll bring you firsthand accounts of people living through the ripple effects of crime. Most of us don't know the legal process and because they always tell you this word, closure, I really wish people would stop using that word because there is no such thing as closure. These are the scars that are left behind. These are the voices you haven't heard new episodes every Thursday. Listen to the knife on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.