Beefy Red
Encyclopedia
Beefy Red was a San Francisco Bay Area
music band (1969–1972) based in Marin County, which played at various Bay Area venues, including Bill Graham
's Fillmore West
from October 22–25 in 1970. Beefy Red performed frequently at San Anselmo's 'The Lion's Share', a club often cited as one of the most historic in the history of the Marin County music scene. The group was most noted for playing "swinging R&B" but played other syles like blues
and jazz
.
In 2008 Beefy Red was included by Paul Liberatore of the Marin Independent Journal
on a list of potential nominees for a proposed 'Marin Music Museum'.
on trumpet
and soprano saxophone
, and Barry Finnerty
, (later a performing/recording artist with Miles Davis
, the Crusaders
and the Brecker Brothers
among many others) on electric guitar
and some lead vocals, who as the group's arranger
wrote horn charts for the band.
and some lead vocals, the late Irwin Goldfeld (aka Eric Gold, died circa 1991) on tenor saxophone
, the late Ned Appleby (d. 2000) on trumpet, Jim Checkley (vanished in 1974) on electric guitar, Kirk Willat on Hammond Organ
and some lead vocals, James (Jim) Preston on drums and some lead vocals (like Isham, a later member of the Sons of Champlin
, Preston also performed with Moby Grape
and other groups), Bruce Saxton on tenor saxophone, L. B. 'Kyle' Keilman on harmonica
(whose guest appearance on a later Sons of Champlin album was called "great harmonica" in Rolling Stone
#200; he also recorded on several tracks on CD's by Ed Mann
), Phil Wood on flugelhorn
(yet another of the Beefy Red alumni who performed and recorded with The Sons Of Champlin), and Jim Carraway on percussion.
The group was unusual - for the San Francisco music scene of the era of the late 60's and early 70's - for having a large horn section.
put pressure on individual members to find more profitable enterprises, and the group played its final concert in Davis, California
on Friday, January 14, 1972.
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
music band (1969–1972) based in Marin County, which played at various Bay Area venues, including Bill Graham
Bill Graham
William Carvel "Bill" Graham, PC QC is a former Canadian politician, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Defence, and Leader of the Opposition and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Personal life:...
's Fillmore West
Fillmore West
The Fillmore West was an historic music venue in San Francisco, California made famous by concert promoter Bill Graham. Named after Graham's original "Fillmore" location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it stood at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue and was formerly...
from October 22–25 in 1970. Beefy Red performed frequently at San Anselmo's 'The Lion's Share', a club often cited as one of the most historic in the history of the Marin County music scene. The group was most noted for playing "swinging R&B" but played other syles like blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
In 2008 Beefy Red was included by Paul Liberatore of the Marin Independent Journal
Marin Independent Journal
The Marin Independent Journal is the main newspaper of Marin County, California. The paper is owned by California Newspapers Partnership which is in turn mostly owned by MediaNews Group.-History:...
on a list of potential nominees for a proposed 'Marin Music Museum'.
Noted members
Members included later solo recording artist and film composer Mark IshamMark Isham
Mark Isham is an American trumpeter, synthesist, and film composer. He works in a variety of genres, including jazz, electronic, and film.-Life and career:...
on trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and soprano saxophone
Soprano saxophone
The soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
, and Barry Finnerty
Barry Finnerty
Michael Barry Finnerty is an American jazz guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist, best known for his work as a session musician for artists like Miles Davis and the Crusaders...
, (later a performing/recording artist with Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
and the Brecker Brothers
Brecker Brothers
The Brecker Brothers was the musical duo of Michael and Randy Brecker , who recorded commercially successful jazz fusion albums together in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. They had a notable hit single with "East River" in 1979...
among many others) on electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and some lead vocals, who as the group's arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
wrote horn charts for the band.
Other members
Other members included the late John Whitelaw (died 2006) on electric bassElectric Bass
Electric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
and some lead vocals, the late Irwin Goldfeld (aka Eric Gold, died circa 1991) on tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, the late Ned Appleby (d. 2000) on trumpet, Jim Checkley (vanished in 1974) on electric guitar, Kirk Willat on Hammond Organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
and some lead vocals, James (Jim) Preston on drums and some lead vocals (like Isham, a later member of the Sons of Champlin
Sons of Champlin
The Sons of Champlin is an American rock band, formed in the late 1960s and hailing from the San Francisco-Bay area. They are fronted by vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist Bill Champlin, who was also a member of the rock band Chicago.-Early years:...
, Preston also performed with Moby Grape
Moby Grape
Moby Grape is an American rock group from the 1960s, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting and that collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz together with rock and psychedelic music...
and other groups), Bruce Saxton on tenor saxophone, L. B. 'Kyle' Keilman on harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
(whose guest appearance on a later Sons of Champlin album was called "great harmonica" in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
#200; he also recorded on several tracks on CD's by Ed Mann
Ed Mann
Ed Mann has been "a drummer and piano dabbler since childhood", best known for his mallet percusion recorded and live work with Frank Zappa from 1977 to the end of Zappa's career.- Career :...
), Phil Wood on flugelhorn
Flugelhorn
The flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
(yet another of the Beefy Red alumni who performed and recorded with The Sons Of Champlin), and Jim Carraway on percussion.
The group was unusual - for the San Francisco music scene of the era of the late 60's and early 70's - for having a large horn section.
Breakup
Failure to obtain a recording contractRecording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
put pressure on individual members to find more profitable enterprises, and the group played its final concert in Davis, California
Davis, California
Davis is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
on Friday, January 14, 1972.
External links
- Barry Finnerty: http://www.barryfinnerty.com
- Mark Isham: http://www.isham.com
- James Preston: http://www.sonsofchamplin.com/band.htm#james
- Ned Appleby (obituary): http://appleby.rootsweb.ancestry.com/Appleby_Edwin%20E._%20Hawaii.htm