CARLE VICKERS

artist, producer, arranger, composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, teacher

Who was instrumental in your early years, musically?

Definitely, my grandmother and my mother!

My grandmother was a concert pianist and a noted soprano. My mother wasn’t a musician, but she was a key ingredient in my musical life. My father was an audiophile, and we had the best equipment. My mother heard classical or jazz music on the radio and called me to point out highlights of the pieces. She was my biggest supporter and fan, throughout her life.

My grandmother decided that I would take piano lessons at four.

Meanwhile, my grandfather’s house had a big backyard that was right behind the grammar school and he told the school that the kids could play in it. They had no yard, so, there I was, day after day, practicing at the piano and listening to all the kids play in the backyard. I hated it. My grandmother was strict, and this was classical music.

When grandmother left the room for the kitchen, I bit the piano keys! Many years later, when she restored the piano, she told them “Don’t take away the bite marks on the keys!”

I really hated the piano, so, after a year, I begged my grandfather to let me stop. He spoke to grandmother, and they agreed. I realized what a mistake I had made by 10. If you start with the piano, you can move ahead to any other instrument easier.

by Roberta DeMuro

By the time my grandmother took me back as her student.

I had taken up the trumpet. I loved experimenting with different tones. At high school, the music teacher played saxophone. He taught reeds and I took different instruments home for the weekend to practice. My grandmother was disappointed, until I won of gold records!

My grandfather and my father had DDS degrees and practiced medicine. I was following in their footsteps. I had an older friend who was a few years ahead of me in medical school. He called me one day and told me to come sit in on a surgery he had later that day. I scrubbed up and went into the operating room. When the first blood was drawn, I fainted dead away. That was the end of my doctor’s career! I left medical school, disappointing my family, but definitely headed in a different direction. Music!

I attended Howard University, in Washington D.C., at 17. My professor heard that they needed a trumpet player at the Howard Theater in New York City, directed by Charlie Hampton, and he took me to audition. I got the seat and, subsequently, played for Sam and Dave. When they went on the road, I gigged with them for twenty years. I switched from Sam and Dave to Johnny Taylor

Most of my twenty years playing shows, across the country and throughout Europe was with blues bands and great blues artists like The Dells, Little Richard, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Billy Preston, Dusty Springfield, Bobby Womack, and the Blues Brothers. I was with the band LTD when in New York, trying to make it. That city kicked our ass!

We went to Los Angeles, bought a band house, and rehearsed eight hours a day. We played for Mary Clayton on 20 Feet From Stardom, and she got a spot at the Monterey Pop Festival with us as her backup band. Lou Adler of A&M Records and Herb Alpert put us in the recording business. We had a couple of gold and platinum albums with Jeffrey Osborn.

At 40, I went to The University of California, and majored in Performance and Composition. I finished in three years because I went year round. While in college, I flew to Europe to gig on weekends. My professors allowed me some leeway in my schedule. I have had excellent teachers, some of the women were department heads at Irvine.

Have you recorded or worked with many women?

I just want to say, the divas earn their titles. The music business is tough for a man, but I can’t even imagine how it must be for women! For a woman to stay

by Roberta DeMuro (con’t)

in this business for her whole career is amazing. She earns whatever accolades she gets and then some. When a woman knows who she is and stands her ground, I give all the credit to her and lots more!

I was touring in Africa, and we had a show in the desert with two million people! As I looked out from the stage, I could see nothing but people, stretching far beyond my vision. They were all singing, dancing and immersed in the music. I knew this was where I was meant to be. This was what I was meant to be doing.

If you want to experience Carle’s wonderful playing, find T’s Express, a jazz fusion band, playing locally, in the West Palm area, once a month because their music is the likes of Chic Corea, Herbie Hancock and John Coltrane. Difficult stuff!

Carle expressed that, “It gives me the time to write, which I haven’t really had time to do before. I still practice every day and work on my music. There is still so much to learn!”

That is why Carle Vickers is so good at his craft.

Roberta DeMuro