My Creative Escape in Los Angeles

Peter Erskine: A Lineage of Swing

Erskine’s legendary career was jumpstarted when Jaco Pastorius caught him playing with the Maynard Ferguson big band. That fateful connection changed the trajectory of his life, leading to Erskine anchoring Weather Report and Steps Ahead—two of the most vital, definitive “Gateway Jazz” groups of the twentieth century. From those high-octane arenas of fusion to the intimacy of his current acoustic trios, Peter has remained a master of rhythm, time, and taste.

The Erskine Jazz Gateway

While Peter holds close to 700 album credits (playing behind everyone from Barbra Streisand and Steely Dan to jazz masters Gary Burton and Michael Brecker) his solo output over the last decade has been remarkably prolific. To understand his current artistic trajectory, spend some time with these three essential releases:

Standards (2007): Featuring New Zealand piano genius Alan Pasqua and the deeply missed bassist Dave Carpenter. This record is a masterclass in acoustic group interplay, tackling well-known standards and chestnuts with an almost telepathic sensitivity.

On Call (2021): Credited to Peter Erskine & the Dr. Um Band, this is a modern Gateway album worthy of a 70’s fusion pioneer. Multiple Grammy-winning keyboardist John Beasley and L.A. first-call reed man Bob Sheppard give the session a contemporary kick, all anchored by the incredibly agile, syncopated electric bass lines of Benjamin J. Shepherd.

Bernstein in Vienna (2024): Arguably the finest of his recent releases. This live concert, dedicated to the compositions of Leonard Bernstein, expands beautifully beyond the trio format. It features an eclectic frontline of guitar, harmonica, and violin, rounded out by the stunning piano playing and arrangements of Vienna resident (and L.A. native) Danny Grissett.

Beyond His Peerless Jazz Pedigree

Modern pop culture followers (i.e. my sons) might recognize a different kind of Erskine legacy. His daughter, Maya Erskine, is a rising Hollywood superstar and the creator of the critically acclaimed, Gotham Independent Film Award-winning series Pen15. She is currently co-starring in the hit series Mr. & Mrs. Smith, alongside Donald Glover - and yes, during our sit-down at the Garage, I did make it a point to ask Peter if Donald is indeed as nice a guy as he seems.

Many other music enthusiasts may know his name from the dozens - if not hundreds - of products that have brandished his name in retail music shops all over North America. Regardless of how you know Peter Erskine, he’s had an indelible impact on the music landscape, and I’m excited for you to get to know him a little bit more from our meet-up on The Real Jam Session.

Questlove, Earth, Wind & Fire, and the Burden of Black Genius

This summer, the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire will bring their cosmic harmonies to close out the 46th annual Montreal Jazz Festival. The fabled group is riding an incredible high, launching a massive national tour alongside Lionel Richie following the premiere of their brand-new documentary.

The film carries a lofty, provocative title: Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s The Weight of the World). It was directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, who is currently on an unmatched run as an archival filmmaker and cultural documentarian. Questlove’s debut, Summer of Soul, swept the Oscars, Grammys, BAFTAs, and Peabody’s. His follow-up, Sly Lives (aka the Burden of Black Genius), brought home an Emmy, an NAACP Image Award, and another Peabody Award. An award which I had the distinct honor of judging selections for as a juror on our prestigious board.

With Earth, Wind & Fire and Sly Stone, Questlove has profiled two of the most profound, revolutionary Black music influences of my entire life. Throughout my career, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to interview EWF founder Maurice White twice. But even more thrilling is the personal, enduring friendship I’ve developed with lead singer Philip Bailey - a relationship I’ll be diving into deeply in an upcoming issue.

While I have a deep love for the celestial grooves of Earth Wind & Fire, it was Sly Stone who I fell in love with first and have a deeper connection with.

The Day I Went Out For a Sly Stone Show, Then Watched Chicago Erupt Into Chaos

Music has always been the pulse of my life, and my mother, Willa Hammond, was the one who let that heartbeat thrive. At six years old, I insisted she take me to see Smokey Robinson & the Motown Revue, or so the family legend goes. By my early teens, I was already a seasoned concertgoer, navigating Chicago’s streets alone, hopping commuter trains to the Auditorium Theatre, or catching the Michigan Avenue bus to the Arie Crown. I witnessed legends for pocket change: Earth, Wind & Fire with Funkadelic (the infamous night George Clinton invited the crowd onstage, only for Maurice White to scold Chicago after a guitar was stolen), Isaac Hayes, and WAR - all before I could drive. But nothing compared to the summer of 1970.

That July, the Chicago Park District offered a staggering lineup of free shows in Grant Park, and I was determined to catch every single one. Just a week before history turned the park into a battleground, I stood in that same grass for Booker T. & the M.G.’s, with the left-handed blues titan Albert King opening. He seared his sound into my soul that night. Little did I know, the following Monday, July 27, would become infamous.

Rocks Flew & Smoke Plumed, but
The Stone Lion Maintained His Frame.

My mother, her best friend Elaine, and I arrived early to find the Flying Burrito Brothers onstage. Decades later, thanks to music journalist Cary Baker, I learned that Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman were among those on the bandstand. The summer air buzzed with a restless, volatile energy. Sly Stone was late. Then came the rumor that tore through the crowd of thousand, “He’s not coming”.

The crowd snapped. I remember the first rock arcing toward the stage, followed by another, and then a hail of them. Elaine, never one to tolerate nonsense, whipped around and scolded a hippie standing right behind us. He dropped his stone, looking sheepish…until she turned away. With a conspiratorial wink at me, he picked up another and hurled it.

Then, the police arrived. A phalanx of Chicago’s finest marched toward the stage, and like some surreal, violent choreography, that sheet of flying rocks shifted, now pelting the cops. The chaos exploded. Dozens of officers were injured. My mother grabbed me tightly. “We’re leaving.”

As we fled down Michigan Avenue, Grant Park burned behind us. I glanced back just long enough to see an iconic image seared into history: a car engulfed in flames, its smoke-framed silhouette set against the Chicago Art Institute’s stone lions.

Later, we would learn that Sly had actually been there, begging to perform, but Mayor Richard J. Daley refused. The ensuing riot overshadowed the music in the newspapers, but it did not diminish Sly’s momentum in the culture, and it certainly didn’t break my obsession with seeing the man himself.

Two Sly Stone Experiences Later

Four years later, in October 1974, I was a freshman at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale when Sly finally took the stage for my ears to bare witness. The encore was “I Wanna Take You Higher,” and I left the hall absolutely euphoric, the ghost of Grant Park finally laid to rest.

Then, nearly 37 years to the day after the riot, I saw him again. This time at the North Sea Jazz Festival. The crowd grew restless, flicking lighters like modern-day torches. The band, billed as “The Family Stone featuring Sly”, erupted without him, playing with such ferocious, tight tempo that I thought, He can’t possibly elevate this. Then, Rosie Stone pleaded for patience, and out he came - a bent, frail, silhouette appearing on stage as a shadow of his former self … that is, until he touched those keys!

The moment Sly’s fingers hit the keyboard, the air crackled. He sang maybe four songs: ”If You Want Me to Stay” , “Family Affair”, a few others - but it didn’t matter. The Legend was there, and the music was pure revolution.

Sly Stone reshaped music in a flash of brilliance, then vanished just as fast. His Grant Park no-show became a myth, but his influence remains eternal. As the world reflects on his memory more and more since his passing, I think of that riot, those two performances, and how music - like memory - refuses to fade. As Pharrell Williams says, “No-one Ever Really Dies”.

Rest in Power, Sly Stone.

Summer is in Full Swing at
Jazz Worldwide

Until next time…
Stay Cool, and Swing Safely!