George Brown is grateful for the love.
As the esteemed drummer and percussionist for the Grammy Award winning band Kool & the Gang reflects on his career in music, he really wants to thank the fans who have supported the music group across the globe all of these years. “It’s become generational,” Brown said during our phone interview. “Love and blessings to you all.”
Over the course of our conversation, Brown shares the creative inspirations behind his upcoming book Too Hot: Kool & the Gang & Me, Kool’s upcoming new album People Just Wanna Have Fun, and how weed inspired the group to push the boundaries of what’s possible and expand creatively into uncharted territory.
High Times: Growing up in Jersey City, what was your first introduction to music?
George Brown: Gloria Lynne, Stan Getz, Dave Brubeck, Count Basie—there were so many that were my introduction to music, and of course, the pop music of that day.
High Times: Was there a distinct moment where you realized music was something you wanted to pursue?
George Brown: There was no distinct moment, it was…the moment, I just knew it. As a child, I just knew it. I felt it, I heard it, and it was there.
I don’t think there’s any difference from the millions of musicians who have come before or those who you now feel it when you hear it.
Most musicians hear music in their heads. As a child, you probably hear the music, and at a certain point, you can experiment with it, even though you’re not playing an instrument. You can mentally manipulate it because it’s in your head. You can speed it up, slow it down, change the key, create different pitch patterns, make the strings …
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Author: Stephen Laddin / High Times
