Peter Erskine

Classic film music brought to improvisational life.

March of the Merry Men YouTube video by Peter Erskine - Topic

That moment you realize some of the harmony from Woody Shaw's "Zoltan" (Larry Young's "Unity" album with Elvin Jones and Joe Henderson) is contained in Erich Wolfgang Korngold's "March of the Merry Men" from the 1938 "Adventures of Robin Hood" film score ...

youtu.be/mEvTOPDWJms?...

Jaco was so proud that Ray Brown was playing his bass. I snapped this photo backstage/downstairs at the Hollywood Bowl in 1981 during the 3rd annual Playboy Jazz Festival there. Weather Report hit the stage shortly after this picture was taken, as I recall.

Japan, 1978. Joe Zawinul seen here with the woman who would eventually become Mrs. Erskine, interpreter “Mutsy” Mano, at FM Tokyo listening back to a recording of a Weather Report concert.

Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter & Jaco Pastorius, Frankfurt, September 1978 (the morning of or morning after the Offenbach concert immortalized & videotaped by the WDR).

Joe Zawinul, Japan 1978, during my very first tour w Weather Report.

Joni Mitchell and Herbie Hancock during the recording of Joni’s “Mingus” album at A&M Studios in Hollywood, 1978.

Jaco Pastorius on the beach during the 1979 “Havana Jam” trip.

Many of us migrated to here from X. At the risk of redundancy, I’m going to post some photos I’ve taken over the years of jazz colleagues, heroes & friends.

No better way to start than with this picture of Wayne Shorter, snapped on tour w Weather Report.

Greetings, Bluesky-ers. This is my first post here. Looking forward to positive exchanges, the sharing of joy with an absence of mendacity & toxicity. Let’s start things off with a photo from the annual Pro Drum Shop holiday party last month w 2 of my favorite drummers, Alex Acuña & Jeff Hamilton!