Tim Weisberg's career as a flautist took off after a series of phone calls in the late 1960s. He was invited to join Paul Horn's ensemble and later asked to perform with Cannonball Adderley at the Monterey Jazz Festival. This exposure led to opening the 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival and getting signed to A&M Records. Though the record label passed initially, Weisberg's performances and reviews convinced them to record him, launching his successful career blending rock and jazz styles on the flute.
Tim Weisberg's career as a flautist took off after a series of phone calls in the late 1960s. He was invited to join Paul Horn's ensemble and later asked to perform with Cannonball Adderley at the Monterey Jazz Festival. This exposure led to opening the 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival and getting signed to A&M Records. Though the record label passed initially, Weisberg's performances and reviews convinced them to record him, launching his successful career blending rock and jazz styles on the flute.
Tim Weisberg's career as a flautist took off after a series of phone calls in the late 1960s. He was invited to join Paul Horn's ensemble and later asked to perform with Cannonball Adderley at the Monterey Jazz Festival. This exposure led to opening the 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival and getting signed to A&M Records. Though the record label passed initially, Weisberg's performances and reviews convinced them to record him, launching his successful career blending rock and jazz styles on the flute.
Tim Weisberg's career as a flautist took off after a series of phone calls in the late 1960s. He was invited to join Paul Horn's ensemble and later asked to perform with Cannonball Adderley at the Monterey Jazz Festival. This exposure led to opening the 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival and getting signed to A&M Records. Though the record label passed initially, Weisberg's performances and reviews convinced them to record him, launching his successful career blending rock and jazz styles on the flute.
I hat concert led to a series of phone calls that turned Tim
Weisberg'scareer on its head. July, 1968.Phone call. " T i m ,t h i s i s P a u l H o r n .I 'm g o i n g t o p u t a f l u t e g r ou p to g e th e r . l 'd l i k e y o u t o b e i n i t . " T o d i s g u i s eh i s h e a r t c l i m b i n gr a p i d l y t o w a r d h i s th r o a t,Ti m g a s p e d ," l g o t t a c h e c k m y b o o k . l m i g h t h a v e t o do so m e Ba r M itzvahs." T h e g r o u p , c o m p r i s i n gt h r e e f l u t e s ,a s w e i l a s Ho r n o n sa x, c l a r i n e ta n d f l u t e ,a n d a r h y t h ms e c t i o no f g u i t a r ,d r u m s,b a ss,a n d z k e y b o a r d s c, a m e t o p a s s i n t h e b e g i n n i n go f 1 9 6 9 . o a July 26, 1969.Phone call. F- trJ (r " C a n n o n b a lAl d d e r l e yi s g o i n g t o b e p l a y i n gw i t h an e n se m b l e (r at Montereyand they need a bass flute. can you do it?" (5 T i m g r u n t e do u t a d i s t i n c t i v em e s s a g et o t h e a f fi r m a ti vew h i l e = -) t r y i n gd e s p e r a t e l yt o o v e r c o m eh i s i m p e n d i n gc a r d i a ca r r e st.Bu t tt b y t h e t i m e o f t h e f e s t i v a l ,h e h a d s u f f i c i e n t l yr e c o ve r e dto l e t l ,n, "l eisberg. M o n t e r e yo f f i c i a l sk n o w h e h a d a g r o u p o f h i s o w n . S a ys Ti m : "l haveid ea sof certa inc olor st hat lwant and s o I t r y , ev e ni f I d o n 't t h e n p r o c e e d e dt o d i r e c t m y c a r e e r i n t h i s d i r e c t i o n ." actuallywrite the notes,to act as a directorof sorts; gettingthat 1970.Phonecall. thoug hta cro ss a nd s t im ulat ingone of t he ot her guy s . " " D o y o u w a n t t o o p e n t h e 1 9 7 0M o n t e r e yJ a z z F esti va r ? " The reare fe w flutis t sf r ont ingr oc k gr oups .Cer t ainly t, h e m o s t T h a tf i r s t e v e n i n gi t w a s T i m We i s b e r gf,o l l o w e db y th e M o d e r n emin en o t f th esewo uld be lan Ander s onof J et hr oTull.B u t A n d e r - J a z z Q u a r t e t ,a n d t h e n D u k e E l l i n g t o n . ' son,by h is o wn ad m is s ion,is not a t r ainedf lut e play era n d r e l i e s T i m r e c a l l s ," l g o t u p t h e r ei n f r o n to f 1 o , o o op e o p lea n d fo r th e on th e instrume nt as a s t age pr op. W it hTim W eis ber g,t h e m a n i s f i r s t 1 0 m i n u t e sa l l l c o u l d t h i n k o f w a s h o w n e w l w a s to i m - the pro p as he displa y spur e v ir t uos it yon ev er y t une.H i s b o d y i s p r o v i s a t i o nI. k e p t s a y i n gt o m y s e l f: 'Wh a ta m I d o i n g '? " an e xte nsiono f h is ins t r um ent - bobbingand weav in g w i t h t h e T h a t a r e v i e w e ro r t h r e e s h o w e d u p ; t h a t T i m 's g r o u p p l a ye d mu sic, mold ingthe not es ,as a s c ulpt orm olds c lay . He h o l d s h i s great;that the press perceivedthat they played great;and that it audien cein a tra nce- lik es t at e,c om plet elyat his m er c yu n t i lh e i s w a s a l l p u t i n w r i t i n g ,c a t a p u l t e do u r h e r o i n t o t h e p l a yg r o u n do f ready to let them loose. m u s i c i a n sa n d m u s i c a ld i l e t t a n t e s - t h er e c o r d i n gi n du str y. The music is midway between rock and jazz. lt brings to the " l k n e w s o m e p e o p l e a t A & M , n a m e l yJ o h n p a i sa n o ,g u i ta r surface jazz-orientedforms which comfortably fit into the rock p l a y e r w i t h t h e T i j u a n aB r a s s , "s a y s T i m . " l l i k e d t h e co m p a n y, genre .But the mu si c does n' twelc om e c at egor iz at io ni ;n f a c t , i f w i t h i t s f a m i l y - t y p ea t m o s p h e r eM . i c h a e lJ a c k s o n ( p r o d u ce ro f defie s it. P a u l Wi l l i a m s )h e l p e dm e b y w r i t i n g n o t e s a n d t a l k in gto C h u ck "Wh en lfirst go t i nt o m us ic , "r ec alls Tim , "l play ed c l a s s i c a l K a y e , v i c e - p r e s i d e not f A & R f o r t h e l a b e l . f lute .Na tura lly,th e people y ou init iallylook t o f or im p r o v i s a t i o n " T h a t f a l l , C h u c k K a y e f i n a l l yc a m e o u t t o s e e u s p l a y a t th e areiazz musicians.But I got turnedoff by the avant-gardethings c o l l e g e .A n d w e r e a l l yp l a y e dw e l l . l t a l k e d t o h i m t he n e xt w e e k ver y q uickly.The w hole s t r uc t ur e,at leas t t hat par t o f i t l h a v e a n d s h o w e dh i m a l l t h e r e v i e w s . " come in contact with, is a productof a lot of very closed-minded T h e n ,f o r t h e m o n t ho r t w o t h a t f o l l o w e d ,T i m w a i te d w h i l e th e people:not open to new ideas,very condescendingbecause of playgrounddirectors excused themselvesfrom making a deci- t he ir 'g rea t,in cre dib let alent s 'and ev er y t hing. s i o n .S o T i m s t a r t e dt a l k i n gt o o t h e r s ,l i k e B o b K r a sn o wa t Bl u e "The way I got it togetherwas by meetingFred Katz at Califor- ThumbRecords,who heard Tim's tapes and wanted to sign him. nia State Un ive rsityat Nor t hr idge. " MichaelJacksonmadesure Chuck Kaye heardof thesedevelop- Tim was ma jorin gin ant hr opologyat t he t im e.Kat z ,t h e f o r m e r ments. cellist-pia nistwith C hic o Ham ilt on,was t eac hing a c o u r s e i n " We l l , g e t t h e t a p e b a c k ! " d e m a n d e dK a y e . E thn o-Mu sico log y. " B u t y o u p a s s e do n i t ! " r e p l i e dJ a c k s o n . "l we nt u p to him o ne day and ls aid, ' M r . Kat z( it t ook m e a y e a r Kaye took the tape home over the weekend. befo re lcalle d him F r ed)do y ou t hink lc an im pr ov is e ? ' ( Y o u s e e , o n o n e o f T i m 's r e g u l a rt r i p s t o t h e A & M l o t to su r - "l me an ,yo u d on 't pic k up Rubank ' sElem ent ar yFlu t e M e t h o d r e p i t i o u s l yu s e t h e c o m p a n y 'sX e r o xm a c h i n eh, e h a d m a n a g e dto and use that for improvisation.To sit someonedown and say, l e a v et h e t a p e i n t h e h a n d so f g o o d g u y M i c h a e lJ a ckso n .) ' Liste nan d pla y-we ll, t hat ' sr eallyf r us t r at ing. I had neve rh a d t h e oppo rtun ityto p lay ens em blem us ic lik e t hat .M y ens e m b l ep l a y - \/ o where does this leave us? ing wa s cla ssica lmus ic . R i g h t i n f r o n t o f T i m We i s b e r g 's m u s i c - a b i g fa t, ta sty, "The first time lpla y ed wit h Fr ed was t hr ee week s a f t e r l h a d togetherchunk of excitment. firs t aske d h im a bo ut im pr ov is ing. Fr edt old f f i€, ' l' mpla y i n ga t a n Tim is usually teamed with Lynn Blessing(vibes,organ,syn- art exhibit with Buddy Colette and an African drummerand I'm thesizer)on both the writinq and performingends. (Recentgigs going to pla y so me piano and c ello. But Buddy ' s g o t t a d o a have also included Dave Mason's rhythm section.) Lynn often record sessionso he's gonnabe late. Bring your flute and come comes up with some interestingchangesto which Tim will add a and p lay.' melody "So I g ot my flu te and t he nex t t hing I k now, I ' m im pr o v i s i n ga t " l 'm c o n s t a n t l yl o o k i n gf o r c o l o r s , "e x p l a i n sT i m . " Yo u ca n g e t t his a rt g alle ryfo r th r ee hour swit h a c ouple of m us ici a n sc: e l l o , ' them from a volumestandpointor an instrumentation standpoint. f lute,a nd co ng o d rum s .lm ean, y ou' v e got t o wor k har d ! " "Especiallywith the special effects devices," he says, "you After about six or seven monthsof just playing around,Fred needto use restraintand keep abreastof what you are doing.Too said , "Le t's d o a co nc er t . " often, some of these devices come across more as demon- Tim, Fred,a studentbassist,and a drummer:two free concerts s t r a t i o n st h a na s m u s i c a le n t e r t a i n m e nltc. a n 't g e t o ff o n d o i n g i t at noon at the college.Nobody showedup. Eightpeople in a 4OO u n l e s si t 's m u s i c a l . " seata ud itoriu m... T i m i s c u r r e n t l y a t w o r k o n h i s t h i r d A & M a l b u m , ca l l e d Tim ad ds h is o wn c olor : "l was c om plet elybum m edo u t . " Dreamspeaker: But Fred Katz went to see the Capital AssociatedMen's Stu- " T h e r ew i l l b e s o m ep r e t t yt h i n g s - i n t e r l u d e sa n d th e l i ke - b u t dents and said that if they would sponsor a "paid" concert, he t h e r ew i l l a l s o b e s o m e f i r e . I t h i n k i t c o m e s c l o s e r to th e fe e l i n g wo uld g et a gu est ar t is tt o join t he gr oup. of a live performance. "Now, I had been improvisingfor only about a year," Tim ex- " M y m u s i c i s l i k e a c o n t i n u u mT. h e f i r s t a l b u mt oo k o n e se g - plains"and Fred goes and gets PaulHorn.I almostpassedout. Of ment out of it: the mellow things. But then there's that other . all the flute players,there is somethingabout the way Paul Horn a r e a - t h e s c r e a m i n gy, e l l i n g ,g e t - i t - o nc u l t . " playsthat makeshimmy favorite.I mean,manyexcell in one area. But whateverend of the continuumyou happento come in on, But, I don't know what you'd call it, vibrations,feeling-there's y o u c a n b e s u r e i t w i l l b e c o l o r f u l ,d i f f e r e n t - a n d u n i q u e l yTi m somethingspecial about the way he plays." Weisberg. db