The Touring DaysI spent several years on the road, in a bus, in motels, hotels and airports. Loved every minute of it and all the people on the way added joy to life.
Some of the bands that I played worked and toured with are Cruz Control, Dragonfly, The Alright Family Band, The Reactors, IQ, Stonehouse to name a few...
If you happened to see me on the road somewhere or we happened to swap a few licks with, drop me a line. I would love to keep in contact.
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The Early YearsBrad Jenkins has been playing saxophone since he was a youngin' growing up in Canada...
A Story in Brad's words, "I started playing music at a young age in Canada. I first dabled with piano lessons for about a year when I was 7. This was an excuse to get out of doing chores I think and I am not sure if it worked but I recommend everyone learn a little piano sometime in their life. It sets a foundation for the understanding of whole steps and half steps in a visual sense with the black and white keys.
I then gave a shot at singing in school. I entered and placed second in some singing competition (Royal Music Conservatory) at school that resulted in my first musical road trip. I think you could have seen my knees shakin' I was so nervous. It was as a one day event and remember getting home and my chores were done...
Laughing
Next came the saxaphone! I got a sax (alto) when I was 7 or 8 and sounded great when I was hangin' with the ducks and geese. I was amased at how many buttons there were and how one button would more something far away from itself and others moved something right next to itself... what's up with that I thought! Today I understand...
Grade 5 in elimentary school (Mr Newel at South Dorchester Elementary School) is when I learned how to really play the sax.. or at least sound a little better then the ducks and geese. I learned fast and started playing with other instruments to fill by easily bored young gemini soul. Trombone came a long and was more fun then anything for me at that age.
It was a good thing I took up trombone early because when I got to high school there were no saxes in the school band. Just brass... My music teacher at East Elgin Secondary School was an old Canadian Army marching band dude so it was brass or not. At least I developed some bone chopps that every once in a while I can pull out of the hat.
Then my thumb headed me down the road in 1971 to discover the world and myself... this is another story."
At the age of 16 in 1971 I headed down the road to find his brother Doug who had left the farm a year or so earlier. This adventure led me to Windsor, Ontario where I had the first real taste of freedom. Soon after re-uniting with Doug I heard about the cool Far Out scene in Vancouver, BC. So with little resources but a strong belief in karma and good fortune I hitch hiked across Canada and found myself in the middle of the happening scene in Vancouver.
Here I met American Tom Crow who had ties in California and as winter set in on the North West we headed for California to find old friends of Tom's. This adventure led us to Bobby Peterson's house in Zayante Canyon outside of Santa Cruz, CA. Bobby was hangin' with the Grateful Dead writing and traveling.
Back to Canada and across to touch bases with brother Doug again. I then hooked up with some Yippies in Toronto who were headed to Wash DC where they lived. I went along for the ride. I was involved in some demonstrations during the Watergate scene and attended the 4th Annual Smoke In in Wash DC.
Soon I headed south and fortune led me to Miami where I met long time acquintance Albhy Galuten. He took me into his home and I hung with Albhy and Karl Richardson for a while. They were working at Criteria Studios in Miami and I spend many an hour looking over their shoulders getting a feel for engineering. Great experience that I later used to engineer many bands at a high volume venue in Santa Cruz.
Back around the loop, from Windsor, where I worked with a band for a while, and off to Vancouver and back to Zayante in Santa Cruz area. By this time I was toten a sax and playin' with a few different folks while I got my chops. Some of these friends included Bob Marron who has remained a long time brother."
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