TheMTheMotorCityotorCity (I laugh) Seriously! Sometimes we’ll have twenty or thirty strings for a show, or a producer adds a song to the set. I’ve had to use the juke box to listen to the records when I’ve needed the arrangements at the last minute. I can’t explain how I do it but I always tell young people get an ShakedownShakedown education, I learned on the job, but it’s best to have something to fall back on if things get rough. Holding Down The Keys When did you go from trombone to keyboard? Photos/Margaret White First just let me say one thing, BY ROGER & MARGARET WHITE there are a lot of great keyboardists ith many of the biggest per- and I don’t put myself in the same formers on the scene while category with them. When I play it’s Wthey’re holding center stage more me, doing my thing on key- in the spotlight, you find someone in boards (laughs). I started playing the background often in shadow at a keys while working at the D Town keyboard filling out the sound and label, some writers weren’t musi- leading the rest of the band. You’ll cians but they had enough knowl- see that with Garth Hudson of the edge of piano to give what they were Band, Roy Bittan in Bruce gong for and I would tinker around Springsteen’s E Street Band or Ian on the keys while we figured it out. Stewart who played with the Rolling How did you become music Stones from 1963-85 from behind a director for the Temptations? curtain because management I was musical director for Marvin deemed him too old to play on stage. Gaye and when he passed I came Here’s three generations of Motor back to Detroit, playing around City piano men you should become town. In 2012 Otis Williams offered more familiar with: McKinley me the job. The show we’re doing Jackson, currently music director for now is called T & T with the the Temptations; Jimmie Bones, long Temptations and Four Tops. time keyboardist with Kid Rock and What’s it like being musical a younger, up and coming player, director on the road? Jarrod Champion. The ever dapper McKinley Jackson leading the band for pal Melvin Davis It varies, we hire ten horn players We caught up with MCKINLEY from the cities where we’re playing JACKSON on his way to his hotel at PJ’s Lager House, in between tour’s with the Temptations. and I have the responsibility to room after flying into Biloxi, arship to study overseas, he was my and getting writing credits. When rehearse them, go though the charts, Mississippi for a show. harmony, theory and counter point Holland, Dozier & Holland left orchestrate it, do a sound check and Is traveling on the road with a teacher. Considering the talent, you Motown and started Invictus and conduct. Sometimes we’ll pick up big touring show one the hardest couldn’t afford these guys without Hot Wax I was the first musician strings or even a full orchestra and parts of the gig? the program. We were considered they signed. I was in the house band have to work out the rhythms. Then McKinley: It can be, I was up at underprivileged but we didn’t know and writing musical charts daily. after the show you have to collect all 4am and on the move since 6. It’s we were. But I worked for it, fifty I’ve seen you write charts on the the sheet music and make sure all now three O’clock here in Biloxi so cents an hour picking weeds and spot minutes before a show. the gear gets back on the truck that’s it’s been a long day and we’ve still cleaning up around the school, that’s I’ve written them on toilet tissue. going to the next city. It can be got a show to do. After this show how I got my lessons. In ‘63, I McKinley Jackson & The Politicians from the ‘60’s we’re on a tour bus so we don’t skipped school to play trombone at Photo courtesy McKinley Jackson have to fly to shows in Texas and Motown. The first thing I remember Oklahoma, then we fly to London. If playing on was “Ooo Baby Baby” all goes well we’ll be home with Smokey and the Miracles but November 22nd in time to put turkey I’d been playing gigs around town on the table. Then we’re heading to before that. I played in the studio Australia for three weeks. It’s what I and got hired for Choker Campbell’s do. big band with the Motortown Revue. What got you started in music? It was an amazing time riding in a In elementary school I took band bus with the Temptations, Four Tops, and learned trombone and could Spinners the Velvelettes and play other instruments well enough Marvelettes, “Little” Stevie Wonder to tutor the younger kids, but trom- and even ventriloquist Willie Tyler. bone was my instrument. By Junior I’d sit in the back of the bus with the High I got into a program for disad- band and they showed me fingering vantaged kids at the Settlement techniques and told stories. Music School on John R, the pro- Being so young how did you gram was taught by professional move from the horn section to musicians who donated their time to musical arranger? teach. My first teacher was Elmore I learned in the studio watching James from the Detroit Symphony great musicians that came from Orchestra and another was the first Detroit. No one taught me how to black man to win the Mozart schol- arrange charts but I was doing some

34 Big City Rhythm & Blues • Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018 I got to being a side man piano play- er. I was with the Robert Bradley We talked to JARROD CHAMPI- Blackwater Surprise on that first ON at the hospital just moments record for RCA and we toured for after his first son was born but about a year and a half. That’s when decided to let this young family I got on Kid Rock’s radar. While rest a few days. We spoke after his recording with Robert Bradley at regular Sunday Brunch gig at Cliff White Room Studio, Bob (Kid Rock) Bells Jazz Club. was in the B-room producing one of Was piano your first instru- his early records, “Early Mornin’ ment? Stoned Pimp.” He was listening to No guitar, but we had a piano in what was going on in our studio and the house and at about eighteen I asked me to lay down some tracks started messing around on it trying on his project. It was a kind of natu- to write music and twenty years later ral organic thing that fell together. I’m still messing around on it. When the Bradley gig began to fizzle Who were your first influences? out Bob asked if I’d be interested in At first I thought of the piano as doing some gigs with him. This was a writing tool and listened to singer prior to him signing with Atlantic. songwriters like Ben Folds and then It’s nice to have a steady gig, we’ve found guys like Leon Russell and got a new record out and revving up Garth Hudson from the Band. for a tour in January and the sched- Digging deeper I found jazz guys like ule allows me to pursue my own Thelonious Monk, Art Tatum and writing and recording sessions. It’s Oscar Peterson. Then I started get- the best of both worlds. Whether I ting into the New Orleans piano Jimmie Bones part of the house band at John Sinclair’s 75th Birthday Bash. was with Kid Rock playing in arenas players like Dr. John, James Booker, or just playing in bars, I’d be writing Professor Longhair and Fats Domino exhausting and stressful, not the best Of course Fats Domino led the and playing, it’s kind of my jones. and it really energized me - there is a food in the world (laughs) and be way, the Beatles took a lot from Fats, With your new CD “Snakebit life and soul to that music that is rough on domestic tranquility but if a lot of cats did. He wasn’t just a and Wondering” you seem to be unique and so much fun to play. it’s in your blood… They ask, ‘Is sideman he sang hit records and concentrating on your singing and This issue is dedicated to Fats there life after music?’, I feel music made it look so easy. I play a lot of songwriting. Domino, can you talk a little about is the life. Fats Domino stuff and let me tell you Yeah, I didn’t want it to be just a his influence? your right hand you can develop keyboard performance record. I idol- He was the total package and I JIMMIE “BONES” TROMBY has carpal tunnel from doing a lot of ize musicians like Bob Dylan, Patti feel the true king of rock n roll. He been a founding member of Kid triplet jack hammers with every Smith and Dave Grohl, so I really try had such a great personality and Rock’s Twisted Brown Trucker chord change. It feels great once to write music that will reach every- energy with a great pop sensibility band for twenty two years, co-writ- you’ve got a groove going but you body. If you listen to guys like Otis and could write amazing hooks. ing some of their million selling can get muscle cramps doing it, and Spann or Ray Charles, these guys Do you prefer playing solo, as a hits. then trying to sing on top of that, it’s were phenomenal musicians but it’s sideman or fronting bands? How did you get started in tough. their simplicity that is so beautiful There is a time and place for music? Did you start out solo or join a on the records. I think musicians each. Playing original music solo Jimmie Bones: My mom bought band? are bigger fans of the music than the offers me freedom. I’ve played in a Hammond organ and it came with I was in a band but because I fans. rock bands and I learn a lot from the ten free lessons, her and my sister could sing and play at the same time www.jimmiebones.com other players. I was with the Sights were gonna try it but I fell into it almost five years and we toured a lot naturally. I had little formal training Jarrod Champion at the keys with The Sights. but I turned a corner when Geno but could figure out stuff by ear. My Photos/Margaret White Fanelli called saying he was putting dad was a painter and had a great together a jump blues band and sug- record collection of Jazz stuff, one gested I check out music from the album I loved was Billy Preston’s depression era. I was intimidated at “The Wildest Organ in Town.” first because it wasn’t the way I’d Who were some of your influ- worked but the music opened my ences? eyes not only to my own abilities but When I was six these guys from to the world of working musicians in Liverpool came on The Ed Sullivan this town. Show and I was hooked on the Now you’re fronting the Royal British Invasion. The Rolling Stones Keys. were my favorites and I wanted to That’s become my flagship proj- know who was playing piano for ect. In the past I’d been hiring guys them, Ian Stewart, Nicky Hopkins when I got a gig and had fun explor- and their influences. Going deeper I ing different players around town but found Otis Spann, “Big Maceo“ it feels good to have a solid core Merriweather, Pinetop Perkins, lineup of guys. We work on songs, Johnnie Johnson, Ray Charles and rehearse and they’re great guys to Nat King Cole and growing up in hang with but I’ve got a few other Detroit I gravitated towards blues, projects I’m working towards. Motown and R&B. I have such rev- McKinley Jackson, Jimmie erence for the music that came out “Bones” Tromby and Jarrod of Detroit: Earl Van Dyke, Joe Champion can be contacted on their Hunter, the Motown sounds all had a Facebook Pages. huge influence on me.

Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018 • Big City 35