Create Your 'Dream Team' Session Player Band

Big_Stacks · January 2014

Hey Strutters,

I was talking to my wife while listening to Johnny Rivers' "Look to Your Soul" (on my "Rocking Gently" mixed posted on the 'Strut). I mentioned to her how Bones Howes' session guys (e.g., Larry Knechtel, Jim Osborne, Louie Shelton, etc.) were playing on the song. There are so many 'unsung heroes' of sorts who have played on our favorite recordings. So, this made me think, "Who would I enlist to play if I could create my own 'dream team' session player band?" It seems like a fun exercise, so here goes:

Drums: Steve Gadd
Percussion: Jack Ashford
Bass: James Jamerson
Rhythm Guitar: Melvin 'Wah Wah Watson' Ragin
Lead Guitar: Steve Cropper
Keyboards: Greg Phillinganes
Horns: Seawind Horns (Jerry Hey-Trumpet, Kim Hutchcroft - Flute, Sax, and Larry Williams - Sax); Bill Reichenbach-Trombone
String Arrangements: Dave Van DePitte

That was a tough exercise, but I tried to limit it to not-so-famous (maybe Cropper excluded) session players. Who would you pick for your 'dream team' session player band?

Peace,

Big Stacks from Kakalak

kala · January 2014

funk soul band

double drum team
james black/zigaboo

percussion
mongo santamaria dripping with the clap

bass
george porter jr

guitar
grant green-lead

rhythm - jimmy nolen

backup vocals- barbara massey/lonnie wiggins /Erykah badu [scantily clad]=extra moisture

keys/synths
john paul jones

organ-rueben wilson

horn section
NONE

anton lavey- theremin/dirty looks/spousal/animal abuse

arrangements/writing/producing
david axelrod and his string section from the capitol years

spoken word interludes - warren oates

stratasphere · January 2014

The Hi Rhythm Section, yeah, I took the lazy way out.

Jimster · January 2014

D: Gadd
B: Nathan East (Miller too famous)
G: (The late) Hiram Bullock
K: John Beasley
Perc.: Paulinho Da Costa
Vox: Cindy Mizelle

Edit: Forgot brass.

As. : David Sanborn
Ts. : Bennie Maupin
Tp. : John Faddis

HarveyCanal · January 2014

Bernard Purdie because in his dreams he played on everything anyway.

batmon · January 2014

Drums: Micheal Narada Smith
Percussion: Leon Ndugu Chandler
Bass: Meshell Ndegeocello
Rhythm Guitar: David T. Walker
Lead Guitar:
Keyboards: Rod Temperton
Horns: The Brecker Brothers
Background Vocals: The Waters

TheKindCromang · January 2014

Awesome thraed Stacks!

Here's the lineup:

Drums: James Gadson
Bass: Carol Kaye
Gitar: Eddie Hazel
Keys: George Duke
Vocals: Urszula Dudziak

Plantweed · January 2014

Hmm, good question. I'll go with living people. If I had a bunch of songs and needed a backing back to do some gigs and record an album, money's no object, I'd go with with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Fuck it, go all the way!