This is just in once real funky little theater company you are listening to k.c. M j l p 93.9 on your f.m. Dial call that history. An. Yes Well thank you very much ladies and gentlemen for tuning into yet another week of the Collin Truesdale jazz jam here on k. C.m. Jay dot org that 1st tune you heard was a tune called It's All About the hustle off of my latest recording coming out here in October called It's All About The Hustle featuring Shawn Hamlin and Paul Shaw on the drum set so in the studio today ladies and gentlemen we are in for a real treat we have someone with very very serious credentials in this music industry that we're living in and I'm talking about that of Mr Thomas Dawson who is an extraordinary pianist and also the musical director for the world famous Commodores and then I'm also joined here by our engineer who's making it all happen Mr Shawn Hanlon so he normally plays the piano but today he had to move over which is kind of a new thing for us. So Tom is doesn't thank you so much for coming in man it is honored to have you on this show a man thank you so much for having me and I am so honored to be here thank you so much Thomas Dawson is one of those guys that anytime you're around him you can't help but feel good and smile that's the one thing I always remember about you I mean I love life. So Thomas I just want to dive right into it man so can you tell us how you got started in music and him and had been from a very early age and yeah I was I always knew as a kid that out I wanted to play music it was never any doubt in my mind you know my mom told me that when I was a toddler you know people would notice that. When the music would come on a commercial I would stop and pay attention to it and want to music and I would go back to destroying the house and then. Yes it was something there's always been a part of me and never thought of doing anything else so it was piano your 1st instrument now actually piano was my last instrument really Yeah I started off drums early on in in the in elementary school playing in you know the band and then I went to trumpet and trombone and I decided that oh and then I discovered the bass guitar like about 8th grade 9th grade somewhere in there so I kind of kept out of those going. To end up going to college on a trumpet scholarship really because yes I was a chubby major then so so when you're in high school you were in high school band when not in where was this were this was a little town called St Francisville Louisiana is about 3030 miles north of Baton Rouge Louisiana which is the capital Yeah yeah and so you were in high school band and whatnot and then did you study with anyone on the trumpet I guess I have a couple teachers. But I started off doing a lot of listening because I lived in a very remote area. So the only radio station that I could listen to. Grown up as a kid was a country station here so I grew up learning and cutting my chops on country music which is my 1st love is still one of my loves interesting and I did discover jazz until college. So when you got it you went to high school and did all the high school band everything and then you went to You got a scholarship to what universities back to Southern University and bad news Luciana we had a very famous jazz instructor Mr album Bettys So people came from all over the country just to actually study with him Interesting be a part of his thing so some of my classmates were people like Randy Jackson American Idol really Randy was upon nominal bass player still is yeah I'm a bass player and he was one year ahead of me so we were practice together all the time and then a couple years under me was actually Bradford Marcellus and Donna Harris and that. Was always a who's who of cats you know these cats were going to be special you know that especially with the kids' schools you know Man Well you heard it here on the on the Contras the jazz then we got Mr Thomas Dawson I want to dive right in and get some music going so you can hear how awesome is that the piano. And I didn't do you still play the trumpet knew. That something and that's something that goes really fast if you're not playing every day. It goes really really really really all right well you don't play it then yeah. This is Days of Wine and Roses Thomas Dawson's arrangement. Oh the key of g. If you didn't you yourself in France is on the national. Media Lab. Book. On this. Today. The Days of Wine and Roses Thomas thousands arrangement in. Jazz. Or. If you are interested in helping us put this on the f.m. Dial were slated to have 93.9 But we need your help to gain the necessary equipment to get this station on the f.m. Dial so what you can do you can head on over to the k.c. M.j. Dot org website you can adopt a what you can purchase that lot for $100.00 or searching for $100.00 donations and and that would help us out greatly and get us on the f.m. Dial because right now we're only on the Internet which is cool but it would be awesome to be on $93.00 So if you can go over there please help us up in bed in the meantime we have Mr Thomas Dawson in our studio here on the contrary jazz jam so Thomas. You went to school was it a full trumpet scholarship Yeah discussed it was him and I was in a marching band and all that stuff so so I guess what happened after that. Did you still get out of there and then continue to play the trumpet or Yeah well the band director there Dr Isaac Greggs of famous band director for sure but also he was a great trumpet player himself and he had as a jazz sextet I was a great jazz man is really was a Dixieland kind of band and I was the only student that was there there was in the band and we worked as ambassadors for the state of Louisiana so we were so state of Louisiana was sent us around the world promoting music for the Department of Tourism. So all right then I decided and learned real early that I didn't want to be music teacher I wanted to perform I've been in see the world interesting things so so you went from that and you're still on trumpet right. But I was playing bass guitar Oh Ok in the bass player for that so then how did it what happened after then to us as man toured for probably 5 years on the ice all through college and the end gassed I mean all over the world I mean. So you did you get any so how did you get to where you are now like that's kind of so how did the c. Tour at all or all around the world on the bass and then you know what was kind of like. The big break at that period in your life walked Well the big break for me was that that part exposed mean to so much music and in so many different styles of music and. Jazz the structure of innocent Mr Batty's would always say that you have to learn to speak in jazz but you have to learn to speak in front you have to learn to speak in r. And b. Have to learn to speak in classical and he really approached it from languages situation so it wasn't like just being a great jazz musician you had to also to run to be a pop and just in a funk musician and I kind of came to school and when I started learning jazz a piece as I became it was jest snob you know for a minute you know and I thought you know I kind of look down on other musics you know sad to say but I went but actually I did in the in the 1st blues gig I got called on it was I mean I was a real blues singer that had records and toured and I thought you know how hard could blues become was for courts and when I stepped on stage and played and started playing with them playing piano with the band and everybody stopped and looked at it no that's not it you're a person from a jazz this is blues. And it forced me to really go back and really listen and start respecting all music and really learning to respected in learning to speak the language and not just learn the language but also learned a dialect because you know Cason if in Chicago play a little different from from Louisiana cats and l.a. Cats play different from New York at the Learning to speak in all those different dialects interesting Yeah so you graduated obviously right and then what happened then I moved to l.a. And and start doing a lot of session work he's like that and one of the record producers that had done a lot of records for knew that the commoners were in the market for another pianist . And this is when you're in your early your mid twenty's or so I'm in my mid twenty's that yes about 2728 men and so. There's a new slot for the musical director as the Commodores was just a keyboard player then yeah there were they had the music director at that time. So I came out and actually up our decision for and so backed up so you're went to school on trumpet you finish school basically on bass right yeah I mean where was the piano in all of this it was I had always played piano for a lot of churches I played a lot of jazz gigs in town. You know when. Right after college so. You know in the cool thing is that when the Meridian Hotel opened in New Orleans I was the pianist for the hotel but the core thing is that I would do a happy hour gig from 6 to 8 on one piano and then at $830.00 I played bass with the band there were at that so I. Then oh man that's crazy Ok so now we're all up to speed Ok so you're out in Los Angeles you audition for the Commodores I was like wow gosh it was mind boggling because when I was in college the 2nd major concert ever attended was a comedy concert and I sat there with my cousin. And I remember crystal clear and say Man one day I'm going to play with the Commodores I just felt it I knew it but even though I was playing bass n.p.n. Oh when I when I had the revelation I was with the Commodores I saw myself as being playing piano with them not bass which was weird because I had already learned all their tunes on base she hadn't learned records and I and I would learn their music on piano I will learn it on bass but that revelation I knew I was going to play the piano with the Commodores and I was 8 years for that to you know to actually manifests but but it happened interesting well let's play a little Commodores this is easy like Sunday morning with Thomas Dawson playing the piano. You're listening to the Collin Truesdale jazz jam here on k c m j dot org We got Mr Thomas Dawson the musical director and pianist for the Commodores ensemble I guess is not really an ensemble it's the Commodores Yes the donors so. You want to talk a little bit about that last track easy like Sunday morning yeah man that's such a special attract Lionel Richie who actually wasn't the original. Singer for the Commodores are the piano Lionel was actually the saxophone player in a van. Which most people the now yeah yeah but when Lionel was writing these great tunes. In the singing them and he just became the voice but that wasn't a way that his story it out but am you know what I joined a comedy as a sort of tour with them I would obviously listen to all the stories about the great Motown days and in the process of recording all that music with with the brilliant producer James Carmichael they had an arranger game so Michael and I found myself you know longing for that opportunity to actually hear it go down like that to actually be a part of the creative process and you have to be careful what you x. For I am truly a believer that anything is possible and the Commodores had signed a deal with a company called K.-Tel music who released their greatest hits 20 of their greatest hits and and they signed a deal that so mean that Motown was going to agree to let them use the Masters and Motown said no so the company is already under contract to deliver this product so they axed me and at that time the music director Harold Huston who was there from the very beginning. To go in and listen to the records and transcribe and play everything back note for note so it was a 9 month process of us doing 20 of the greatest hits and then in the middle of probably the 1st or 2nd song because we were fortunate enough to actually get the original engine near Cal Harris to record it and then a couple are in there seeing it we'd already laid all the music down and it really hit me that wow this is actually happening I'm actually hearing the music and working with the Commodores even though they had done that 18 years before I joined What year was this this was like a late night mid really ninety's like $9394.00 Ok but it gave me the opportunity to actually relive that and be in the commenter's be in the studio with them and actually listening to them sing the vocals Yeah it was like a huge thing so so I got a chance to play piano and bass and arrange on the 20 of the greatest hits and man ball you want to Volume 2 so you played bass on that on that n.p.n. All. And that bass for using. Position yet sounds like all the bass Opie days and I was up at the sound interesting that was the sound of Man oh man it's crazy. Well I hope you're listening to this program and as an r. As engages I am Thomas So what happened what happened next I mean so it's like 1903 you guys do this greatest hits 3 record. You know I mean the commerce is one of the biggest bands on the planet you know and in that in that realm what was going on then what you're thinking is that this is my 26 year with the ban. So talking about having a career and and they've been together $44.00 This is their 43rd year and that you know the funny thing is that I've been there longer than Lionel. Which is it Larry is so man so so so what can you tell us what was going on in the ninety's with the band we would do we were touring a lot we're doing a lot of stuff overseas we're doing a lot of stuff domestically here and we were working on records they had already. Done their stint with Motown they had also done their run with Polygram Records and then they started their own label I suppose so we recorded a few albums for that and I would co-produced all the records with them so we're doing that a lot and then I was playing you know just being the typical. Yeah planes misses the point was that you were still playing a lot and you've been doing side projects and what not right yeah I was. Well would you like to play another tune Yeah that are you want to do a ballad Yeah this do. Who care that turn to you in the key of g. All right acidity or just do that g. For good it's a great. The hog. Or are. Poor. Poor poor Rural Poor. You're listening to Thomas doesn't hear on the college Truesdell jazz damn. Org That was a good old bowed Who can I turn to so tell us I've heard some crazy stories from you man and I would like you to share with our listeners some of the coolest stories you've got there and I mean I've heard stories from you touring to Thailand and all these crazy places so. Please just let us have it man. Some of the coolest ones maybe top 5 I guess Wow let's see man. Do it's so many Where do we start and I don't know man I'm just I just feel I've just I'm just one of the fortunate and blessed people I know because I get a chance to do this and have done this and actually I've actually worked with pretty much all of my idols in some way with some fashion or another have been I mean from the Stevie Wonder's to the interesting thing is that we just got off the road last week of doing this legend of Motown tour and where's the temptations The Commodores and the Jackson and to actually be in the room and be on the same ticket in the bill with people that have actually helped shape your life musically it's just such a cool thing man it's crazy yeah so Scott those kinds of things that I'm just very humbled by and is very honored by. A strange thing that happened for me is that I moved to Nashville before I moved to l.a. . And I had a recording studio in Baton Rouge as a partner with which is the reason that I'm here is actually about a democratic with Perry Sanders who actually owns the Wyndham grand downtown in the mine in east and springs Orleans hotel so Barry Now I had a record label together also had a recording studio at the. End batter's Louisiana so then we ended up moving the studio to Nashville and we picked up another partner in Nashville which was a drummer about a name of Eddie bear's Jr. And and this was this is probably $184.00. Then Eddie bear's was probably the top session drummer in Nashville so he played on I mean you're talking to Dolly Parton sessions and he was doing 34 sessions a day he was a partner so I moved to Nashville. I think Ok we're Ok I got to get my country they on I want to Nashville so I had my cowboy boots and I had to that you never walk into a session and I was on one dress like that Arabella has just been like they're from l.a. As of the. So but the cool thing is that I wasn't I would end up going to the sessions with Eddie and so I moved to Nashville being Eddie Barris partner but being in the middle of the Nashville scene and. Would do songwriting with a guy who would who would have been the same who had just one song right up the year at the number one song and it was set up the sessions with us I was co-writing with them and and playing bass sessions. But my heart was in Delhi because all of my college buddies we had made this pact once we finish college we're going to all move to l.a. And we were going to meet back up as a band so even though I was in the middle of it of the natural rocky my heart was and I wanted to be out there with my buddies because the interesting thing is that I had college buddies that left school early like. Resting Calhoun was a sax player I was in school with he left to go on the road with Marvin Gaye So you had people there were leaving and going on the road when fire and so I was like Man I can't wait to graduates schools I can go out and do that in there with my buddies so so Abscam interesting thing though I can of. Glad I did it because had that not happened I probably would have been in a situation to actually hook up with the Commodores me well it's let's hear another tune from the Commodores greatest hits this is Thomas Dawson on slippery when wet. It's so. Let. Me. Ask you. Well welcome back here on the calm Truesdale jazz jam K.C.'s org We're here with Mr Thomas Dawson who played keyboards and based on that track for the Commodores greatest hits. So Thomas you've been with the Commodores as the musical director for a long time with the Commodores a total of 26 years. A lot of people are wondering what brought you to Colorado Springs. Well my dear friend Perry Sanders up. By the Wyndham grand building that downtown and it springs Orleans so he was axed me to come out and visit and say I'm a witness in Colorado Springs I mean l.a. What is over so I get so I came out so you finally bug me for about 3 months and it's Ok with the Acme because I love him the deputy such a dear friend so I came out to visit and instantly I fell in love with the place but I fell in love with the people the people who are so friendly and open and giving and I'm coming from l.a. Which is just the opposite of that. So that's what kind of got me here in the off mean to other position to come in and be the senior image entertainment director you know put the window in then I started playing. At the restaurant and then I started teaching at you know the conservatory the congressman's music conservatory and with Linda Weiss. And I just found this really cool community of people here and arts in music in people like yourself and Sean because the one thing that I really dug man and really impressed to hit out of me is that. People were so inviting musically and that's not always the case you know you came in and people feel threatened you know but you know I've been welcomed with open arms and I've never felt more welcome anywhere than here so something would happen to be here well that's great so that's that's what's going on as far as how your You're getting you got here what have you got going on in the future anything cool coming up you know I still travel into the commoners So which is Colors brings airport is the best airport in the world. Yeah and to get there 30 minutes earlier and it's so awesome that is exactly right but also I'm a and r. Director for a gospel record label called Dream records and that's out of l.a. But I run my division from here I have about 12 artist laughs I've signed and actually work with and my mastering studio we've actually built a recording studio here and a mastering studio so we do all of the mastering proto labels we've done about 40 projects this year are really really mastering wise we just got our 1st number one billboard record that we mastered which is new hope a while who and. So there goes your phone somebody is trying to get in touch with you. Yes Well Officer they're all the number ones Ah yeah well I mean we're actually that's that's probably that call today because one of the. Sign x. To another division of this because this is all destructive to Capitol Records and we also have another division called the Red Label which I can sign non-Christian next and more things like jazz all over the place so I sign. A gentleman by the name of Justin Gilbert. Who this for Justin Timberlake really like it is a very great musician great I mean awesome player jazz pop funk you name it he is awesome both piano and organ so his record came out today oh yeah and beef and it was tough for me pulling away because been phone calls all the any interviews because when I left home to come here to do your interview with the issue. His record was at number 3 on the i Tunes charts right now so so that's so that's it was actually probably that yeah it is actually doing that so and we're operating all this right here in in Colorado. Yeah we have a studio called The Mountain ness studio here and we also have the mountainous mastery facility and so you're taking on projects that people are interested in local area I do yes it's actually well you Thomas do you have a website or anything like that under design right now under design Yeah you know if people want to maybe Facebook they can just based on how most often Yes so I always like to ask this question because this is kind of something that makes people think about this but what would you say to a person that has all the right stuff like a motivational you know mentoring approach how would you tell what would you tell them to keep on pushing and pushing and pursuing a sports music yeah I mean how do you do you what would you tell someone what would you mentor someone if they wanted to go big you know what would you tell them what I say that you do this because you can not do this you know I feel that are people who choose to do this and there are people who are chosen to do it and when you chose and you have no choice in the matter you have to do this so I don't think you do it for financial gain at the you do it for the passion and the love and then you have to. Financial gain happens it will if you stick to it and if you are honest about it yeah yeah because some people who I feel kind of look at it from the standpoint I am the artist on the musician and everybody needs to give to me and they put themselves on a pedestal but actually I feel that. In some very humbling situation it is also a position of giving you have the unique ability to change someone's life the way they feel about things and that's a huge responsibility it is interesting. Man you know it's been such an awesome thing to have you have you on the show you know I know a little bit about Thomas Dawson when we played gigs together he tells me all these crazy stories and and you know for a guy like me you know I've never been on the road extensively like you haven't played these massive you know 501-0000 seat auditoriums and whatnot. But we are very fortunate to have you on the show and I'm fortunate to be here if I may interrupt because you're such an incredible musician and bass player and the moment I heard you and Sean who takes engine ear into a whole nother level you hear him play piano that talk about raising the bar and I am armed and humbled to be around your kids and this is awesome thank you so much Thomas Dawson for being on the show if you're interested in again we have a fund raising campaign going on. You can head over to k c m j dot org and adopt yourself a watt for 100 dollars you know I mean let's adopt some what's Ben. What's missing with me what we need some what's come on everybody let's join in with this is awesome Well thank you so much Thomas and if you are so inclined k c m j org is where you can purchase yourself a lot for $100.00 we actually have a barn raising event coming up here. So a little bit coming up we have a track off of the. Just put out here a couple years actually last year it was it was featured on and several different based magazines and just to mention one more thing about a project I got coming out it's called it's all about the hustle out on my show's live records it hits the streets on October 20th 2015 and we appreciate you guys tune in come back next time next Sunday night 8 pm Mountain Daylight time college jazz jam. Any.