(Editor’s note: Sam Geati is a resident of Sun City whose musical background covers over 60 years. Currently, Sam can be seen and heard as a percussionist with the Sun City Concert Band, the “Let’s Dance” swing band which he helped form, and his own trio called “Blue Skies.”)
Next up is one of my favorite vocalists and songwriters, Michael Franks.
Michael grew up in California, where at 14, he bought his first guitar for $29.95 with six private lessons included – the only music education that he received. In high school, he began singing folk/rock, accompanying himself on guitar. He never studied music in college or later, but earned a bachelor of arts degree from UCLA in comparative literature in 1966 and a master of arts degree from the University of Oregon in 1968. He returned home to teach part-time at UCLA. During this time, Franks started writing songs.
Saturday, May 17 – Sun City Concert Band “Instant Concert” at 1 p.m. in Drendel Hall. Call Cheryl at 847-961-5905 for tickets: $10 for adults, $3 for children.
Monday, May 21 – Sun City Swing Band “Let’s Dance” at 7 p.m. in Drendel Hall. Tickets at the CAM desk or at the door.
Michael’s uniqueness manifests itself in composing the music and writing the lyrics for his songs, especially his humorous lyrics. He played guitar, banjo, and mandolin on his first album in 1973, called “Previously Unavailable.” In 1975 Franks released his second album, “The Art of Tea,” which featured Joe Sample and Larry Carlton. Since then, Franks has recorded more than 15 albums. His best known works include “When I Give My Love to You,” “Popsicle Toes,” “Monkey See, Monkey Do,” “Tiger in the Rain,” “Rainy Night in Tokyo,” and “Tell Me All About It.”
His biggest hit came in 1983 with “When Sly Calls (Don’t Touch That Phone)” from the album “Passionfruit,” which is my personal favorite.
To take a bite of “Passionfruit,” go to YouTube and type in
“Michael Franks with Brenda Russell – When I Give My Love to You.”
For another tasty treat, type in “Michael Franks – Eggplant.”
Try bouncing around to hear some of Michael’s other creations, like “Baseball” and those mentioned earlier.
That’s “All That Jazz and More” for now. My next column will spotlight the works of the master, Stan Kenton. Please send your comments to me at greengeezer9@comcast.net. I’d love to hear from you.
