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Upside of R&R Home

The Family Scandal

Lake Tahoe, Nevada - circa 1966-1967

   Above, left to right: The foot, leg, arm and bass neck of Izzy Alvarado (Bass), Joe Torres (drums), myself, and Willie Stone (Bill Webber - Hammond Organ). These were my core buddies and musicians. We wretched together, partied together, played music together and even "hippied" together. My experience playing with these guys is much more than that. They are my hometown musician "family." Izzy (Israel) is a great bass player and singer. He is made of the "purest" form of soul. A natural, Izzy Alvarado loves the music. It is home to him. You'll never find a day when you see Izzy playing music, that he won't have that "silly, caught in the fun of it, groove daze " on his face. It has him; the music HAS him. Don't bother to throw him a life preserver, he wouldn't grab it anyway. He couldn't. Why? Cause the music HAS him. He's a jewel to the people of California's central valley. I would highly suggest that someone, better than I, should chronicle Izzy's musical history and all the forces he brought together to reflect his musical tastes. Although Izzy has not become famous as a writer of original compositions, he has become an institution, of sorts. Israel IS the first ever "Keeper of the Soul" and the "Spirit of Rhythm and Blues" in the central valley of California. He has nurtured and protected them carefully. He hath "walked the hot coals and seen da light" (okay, so I'm on a roll).

Huey

I should add Hugh Selvy (Nomads) to that category. Huey was a real "source." A loveable guy with the most charming "fake sour puss" approach to any music conversation. Sadly, he was killed in an auto accident a few years ago and we all miss him greatly. Izzy turned me on to Freddie King and Lonnie Mack. Huey turned me onto Bobby Blue Bland ("Turn on your Love Light"), B. B. King and Little Junior Parker ("Look on Yonder Wall and Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane"). Previously, I had been strictly a Ray Charles, James Brown and Wilson Pickett man. He used to hammer me about getting into "tone" on the guitar. Huey would sit with his drums for hours in front of his console stereo, and would play to all those R&B records that only a few in our area were even aware of. King of the "Underhand Shuffle" groove, Huey had definite input to the cultivation of blues in California's central valley.

    On the bandstand of the South Tahoe Club Casino, I'd step back and let the topless go-go dancers have the semi-runway extension of the bandstand to do their thing. (see runway in picture above) Being brought up in church, I chose to play blindfolded during these moments (not). The club owner suggested to me, rather strongly a couple of times, that he did NOT want me talking and cutting up with the dancer as she did her act. Bummer. Something to do with my age, I think. Such were the sacrifices that young music men must make, all in the name of maintaining the "professional entertainer's" mind set. A lofty thing to aspire to. The American Federation of Musicians (A F of M) local 47 handbook, alludes to the use of an occasional cold shower as the proper method of warding off these little known hazards of the entertainment biz.

   Izzy and Schermie are the two greatest bass players in my music career. Izzy and I molded each other with our musical interactions and tastes. I learned from him, he learned from me. We learned new things together and enjoyed some years of great fun and good music. Good times. I'll save drummer Joe Torres for the next page.

   Bill (Willie Stone) Webber, like the other 2 guys, has remained a lifelong friend. He now lives in Dallas, TX and plays even better than he did in the old days. Look him up and pick on him for me. He smokes that Hammond as well as a Kurzweil keyboard, that he swears by. Catch him at a gig in Dallas sometime. He'll take ya on home wit the music. Willie contributed some of the photos you've seen on the last couple of pages.

   When we started this gig, I had a Fender Broadcaster guitar, the one with no finish, as seen on the previous pages. Guitar players will tell you that it is a definite collector's item. Mine was stolen from our room. We were staying in the luxury accommodations, called the Trailways Arms, which was a duplex next to the bus station, off of Ski Run blvd. I was about 19 yrs old and broke. Guess what? I called my mom. "Mom. You've got to loan me some money so I can buy a new guitar. Mine got stolen." My loving mother came through, of course. I think I (she) bought the Tele you see in the picture for about $240.00. I was gonna pay her back monthly. I made a couple of payments, but then I ..... I ... uh, never mind. Where was I? This is the same Telecaster that I played early in 3 Dog Night, and yes, it TOO was stolen from me, in Ft. Worth, I think it was. This was during the Vanilla Fudge tour. Needless to say, I keep my guitars vewy cwose to me these days. Here's a promo photo of Izzy's bad self.

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