Record Producer
Each summer I return to the area around Woodstock, NY where I lived, worked and played music for more than 50 years. Sort of like a salmon swimming upstream.
John Sebastian has been my friend for that long and, on each trip, we'd get together and trade stories of the whacky world we both swam around in that year.
In July of 2025, he suggested we share those stories onstage … and we did.
That's how this short video begins. But it goes on to become what my agent would use to get me gigs … if I had an agent.
Rock Talk
“My Life In Rock And Roll” or “Rock and Roll: Its Origins and Consequences” — a talk with visual and musical aids.
This talk is available for booking. Contact us for more information. The email shown at the end of the video is outdated — please use the contact page instead.
Photos
1969. A moment of reflection during the making of The Band's 2nd album in LA. Garth, scratching his head, Richard's wife Jane and Richard, smoking, Rick and me on the couch, Robbie in the foreground and visiting guest Peter Yarrow in the comfortable "Guest's Chair".
Photo: Elliott Landy
1968. Janis, her bottle, me, my paper airplane. Apparently not a very productive moment.
Photo: Elliott Landy
1966. At "The Medium Is The Massage" sessions at Columbia. Jerry Agel, who was instrumental in the concept of the recording, Quentin Fiore, instrumental in the graphic design of the book, Marshall McLuhan, media guru, and me.
1969. In the studio set up in Sammy Davis Jr's pool house. Richard at the piano, me reading a manual and trying to figure out how the mixing board works, Rick, Garth scratching his head again, Levon in the foreground and Robbie.
Photo: Elliott Landy
1966. Recording the 1st Blood, Sweat and Tears album at Columbia's 52nd Street Studio. Al Kooper, bassist Jim Fielder and me. Horizontally striped shirts must've been the rage at the time.
1966. A press conference announcing the affiliation of The Cyrkle with Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager(!) and Columbia records. Me, drummer Marty Fried, singer/guitarists Don Danneman and Tom Dawes, Nat Weiss (Epstein's "American Associate") and The Great Man himself.
1968. Listening to some playbacks from the "Cheap Thrills" sessions with members of Big Brother. In the front, bassist Peter Albin, me and noble engineer Fred Catero. In the back, assistant engineer Frank Bruno, drummer Dave Getz and guitarist Sam Andrew.
1991. At The Record Plant in NYC with the great bassist and warm friend, Ron Carter.
Photo: Dion Ogost
1991. At Nevessa Sound Studios in Woodstock recording "Out On The Street" with Rick and Levon.
Photo: Dion Ogost
1976. A trip to California to rehearse for The Last Waltz concert. Rick Danko giving his kids and ours a ride in his Porsche.
1976. A trip to California to rehearse for The Last Waltz concert. Rick Danko giving his kids and ours a ride in his Porsche. A good time was had by all.
Timeless. Garth, me and Rick being affectionate.
1976. In the studio with Hirth Martinez.
1976. Malibu. Taking a break outside The Band's studio with Hirth Martinez.
1991. During the "Out On The Street" sessions.
Photo: Dion Ogost
2022. Taj and I meeting in front of Mad Dog's guitar shop in Berkeley to discuss recording the "Savoy" album.
Live concert at SFJazz based on the repertoire from the "Savoy" album with Taj Mahal.