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Maurice White, RIP

GA Russell

By GA Russell
in Artists

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Posted
Posted

Yes, very sad. I'll always remember the music. I had so much fun when I was one of the singers of a EWF cover band. It made me cheerful every time. I have danced quite a lot to this music. Memories I'll cherish. Thank you for the wonderful music, Maurice. R.I.P.

Mark Stryker Collaborator

Mark Stryker

Posted
Posted

I can recall attending only three "arena" rock concerts in my life -- and two of them were by Earth, Wind & Fire in the early '80s in Indianapolis and Urbana. (The other was a Paul Simon concert in South Bend in the early '90s.) But EW&F was a special band, with a beautiful balance of groove and soul, poetry and fire. Good God, did those ballads soar.

RIP

Coda: I see the Ramsey Lewis references, but y'all know that this was Maurice White too, right? Playing drums with Sonny Stitt & Bunky Green (plus guitarist Bryce Roberson and organist Odell Brown.) Chicago, 4/15/66

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWNTyc4JmpQ&app=desktop

 

JSngry Grand Master

JSngry

Posted
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No idea who listens to what 40 or so years later, but Don Myrick here...my first "real" band to work with/in was in 1975, an African-American frat party band and we covered this (hell, about 3/4 of Gratitude)...had to have the female singer cover it, but the sax player got the sax solo, ya' know? When I was able to hit that thing at the end, it was glorious, it was warm in the heart, warm in the house...and when I didn't, it was not. It was not.

 

 

I get why DJs and machines, and ok, times change people and people change times. Good things have come from that. But people should still play for other people, you right there in front of them, and them in front of you. It's not that we lose something by using the machines per se, it's that we lose something when we don't ever play right there in front of you, and you in front of us. All of us, right there, right now, real time. Real time. A DJ can do some great things, and the drama of spinning in real time and the potential for person-to-person connections from doing so should not be underestimated. But groups of players in front of groups of peoples, that is altogether its own thing. Community.

Anyway, that was one hell of band in its surging prime, and fullest possible props/love/awe to Charles Stepney for doing all what he did, but more than anything else, here's to the power of possibilities, attempted or realized.

Keep your head to the sky indeed.

 

 

felser Veteran

felser

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Soulstation1 said:

Reasons might be the best slow jam EVER!!

 

"Can't Hide Love" might be, also!  I still listen to EWF a LOT, as much as I listen to any jazz artist.   And Charles Stepney - yeah.  'Peace' by the Rotary Connection gets played in full while I decorate the Christmas Tree every year. 

mikeweil Veteran

mikeweil

Posted
Posted

The German radio obituaries failed to mention his early career part with Ramsey Lewis. Those young people don't know about Ramsey, it seems. I grew up with and grooved to Wade In The Water with Maurice White's drums. Didn't follow EW&F that much but respected what they were doin' - that was soulful live music with a warmth I miss in so much of today's music.

R.I.P., and thanks for it all.

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