The Questlove Show - Questlove Supreme: Boney James

Episode Date: December 4, 2024

Boney James joins Questlove Supreme to discuss his journey playing Jazz, Soul, R&B, and Funk. The Grammy Award-winning saxophonist recalls his days playing other instruments as a sideman (and delivering pizzas) to build towards becoming a leader in his space. Boney recalls his upbringing outside of New York City, his time touring with Morris Day, and how he earned his unique stage name. James also describes some of the new ground he's breaking on his latest album, Slow Burn, including his radio-charting single with October London, "All I Want Is You."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcasts on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, and sell insured the test ones.

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But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Yeah.

Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Questlove Supreme, Young Edition. This is Questlove, and we are team Supreme here. Why, yeah, what's going on? Yet another room. A better angle. Right, but more talk showy.

You know what you mean? No, you're the queen of podcast. because your room choices. You literally know how to make new environments in every episode we've had. Working on it every day, yes. But look, seriously, I mean, you see the difference, though, right? I'm impressed. There's Funksway going on.

As y'all can see, I'm clearly cluttered. Rent, light special. Yeah, I was going to say, take it from Mr. Funkshway himself. Well, also, freaking Star Wars beams on me. What's good, Steve? How's it going? Good. How's everybody doing today?

Hi, Bonie. Hey, good to see you, Steve. Steve, our resident instrumental music colleges, and unpaid bill. Yes, sir. How's life? Man, as a former tenor sax player, I couldn't be more excited. Today's the day, man. I'm into it.

Wait, I learned more and more about you each episode. No, you know this. So I was a saxophone player all my life, and then I like... Then how come you never came to a jam session, Unpaid Bill? Because I was never invited to a jam session. I wouldn't have known to invite. you unpaid bill unless you made it known that you're more than a producer's songwriting i well okay sorry like you played those germs behind you no not at all in fact those are uh ludwig questlove

drums behind me just so we're all on the same page i made green drums wow the the tom is the tom's from the break beats thing i this one i was impressed i was a little jealous i was like how come you rocking quest loves i like to pretend that this side of the room that i pretend to play all of these things I also pretend to play all of these things. You'll notice that none of them are on. But it's okay. It's cool. They look awesome.

I guess that Boney James only plays the saxophone to his left. All that other shit is all fake, too. I feel like that's the vibe. For sure. I'm kidding. All right. Anyway. You know, we've had many musicians on the show, ladies and gentlemen,

in the past couple episodes of Questlop Supreme. Today's no exception. Our guest today is a multi-grammy-nominated chart-topping. Rangers, songwriter, musician, saxophone player, who's built an incredible career for the last 40-plus years with luminaries, starting off with Morris Day. Okay, I'll get to the Morris Day part because I'm very familiar with the color of success era of Morris, which I definitely want to ask you questions about. The Isleys, collaborations with Al Jero, George Duke, so many others. Right now, he is just released his new LP called Slow Burn. with uh cori henry i dubbed core henry mr egyptian musk i think he bathes in about four gallons

of egyptian musk a day i didn't that in the time we spent together dude if you shake cori i shook cori's hand once and had to like shower four times when i got home and it's that that was like you in the good old days with shay butter you used to smell like a bakery all the time that was the joke that went around now you don't as much but you used to smell like that too right But I think Corey puts it on his hands, which I'm like, wait a minute. I'm like, why don't smell like Egyptian musk? Like literally I'm white being Corey's oils on like other pieces. He's not heard of us.

He's going through that stage, you know. I see. Well, not to mention Marcus Miller, October London's on Slow Burn, just got released. And, you know, it's rather fitting that we have a conversation with the one and only Bonny James on Questlove Supreme. Welcome. Hard to be here. So this is the first time we're seeing you without your.

signature. Is it, will we say a ballero? No, it's a fedora. Fedora. Fodora. Really? Okay. I thought it was Bolero. This means that you allow joy in your life if you're still this young environment. I feel younger every day. I'm noticing more since I turned 60 a few years ago that I'm getting younger every day. That's my feeling. Yeah, I think as these generation passes, like, you remember what 60 look like when we were kids. I think it's the amount of stress that you allowed it in your life that determines, like, how you're going to look. So, but my career path is very, very helpful to my general demeanor and sense of well-being. Very fortunate. So I take it you're in an environment that is your home studio? This is my home studio,

the backyard. Where do you reside in the world? I live in West High. Hollywood in Los Angeles. Okay. And this is, you know, when I'm not on the road, this is where I spend most of my time here in the backyard studio. Nice. Okay. That's what's up.

How long have you had this set up? I've been living here for like 27 years. Okay. The previous owner had been a stockbroker and had an office out here. And then when I moved in, I turned it into my studio. So this is where I've been working ever since that. I see. I got it.

I got it. Where are you originally from? I, well, I was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. which is a little town outside of Boston, and I grew up mostly in New Rochelle, New York, which is a little town outside of Manhattan. New Rochelle, okay. Yeah.

I know that from Brand Newbian rhymes. Halfway through high school, my whole family moved to Los Angeles, because my dad's job moved us, and I've been here ever since. Oh, okay. So I always start with this question. Could you tell me what your first musical memory was?

was. My first musical memory, you know, there was a lot of music in my house. My father was an attorney that when I was young, 5, 6, 7 worked for Columbia Records. So there were a lot of records around. And I loved music right away. And I loved to dance. I remember he had a lot of film soundtracks. And I remember what is popping into my head is the soundtrack for Zorba the Greek. Really? Yeah. That music, just really excited me. And I used to dance around the living room to Zorber the Greek, and I think that's one of my very first musical memories, strangely enough.

What era did your dad work at Columbia? Well, this has got to be, you know, mid-late 60s. You know, there was also Dave Brubeck records were there, and, golly, you know, Bill Evans' records. And, I mean, the very first record I remember buying with my own money was Chick-Korea's No Mystery. So this is, what, early mid-70s?

Yeah. Somewhere. Return to Forever. Well, yeah. Yeah, it was early return to forever. Okay, so that's a curious thing for me, because normally if something outside of the pop frame speaks to someone under the age of 15, then they kind of think different to me. Like, what was it about that period?

Because I know that, you know, you were like 10 years old when... When jazz was changing, like with bitches brew and the headhunters and kind of jazz was figuring out like what its new metamorphosis was. How many siblings do you have? I have, well, I only have one brother left. I had two brothers when I was growing up. My older brother passed away about 20-some odd years ago. Are you the youngest? I was the middle child.

Yeah, my younger brother is five years younger. My older brother was like 11 months older. You know, I mean, to go back to your question, I mean, I also loved. pop music and R&B music too. I love to listen to the radio and I remember being really excited by you know, Stevie Wonder and things like that. And Bidgesboro was not my thing, even when everyone was digging it, you know, I liked a little bit more accessible music. And I think I still, that's kind of, you know, the tradition that I knew. And I think that that was probably a seed that was planted when I was young. The fusion thing, you know, I don't know. I think I was just,

I loved instrumental music quite a bit. I remember Barry White and Love Unlegged. I was so excited when there was a pop hit of instrumental music on the radio. And that was always my thing. It's weird. Assuming that you played stacks all your life, do you play any other instruments as well? I started on clarinet. Back in the old days when I was a kid in New Rochelle, everybody basically in third grade would sign up to play an instrument.

There was a band class. And I wanted to get a trumpet. We went to the music store. All they had were clarinets. So I took a clarinet home. We rented one. And then two years later, there were so many clarinets in this band, the teacher had gotten a saxophone, and he leaned on me to switch to the saxophone. And I really resisted it because it was so much heavier case I was going to have to carry to and from the school.

And but he said, if you play the saxophone, you can be in the stage band when you get to junior high. And the stage band had just come to visit, and they had very snazzy satin jackets and ascot ties and a drummer and a bass player. And so that was really what convinced me was the chance to get his stage. when I got to junior high school. And that's when I picked up the saxophone at 10. I think you're the perfect age for me to ask this question, because you can answer it sort of in retrospect. Because oftentimes, especially with a lot of my hip-hop constituents

and my first-generation hip-hop constituents, you know, like Grand Master Flash or Grand Wizard Theodore. Now, those particular guys would tell me that, you know, there was a period when they were in elementary school or middle school in which some sort of art class was required. And sometimes you had to do multiple things. You had to take arts and crafts, but you also had to take music. You had to, like the word had is key here. It wasn't like an elective or an option.

And then they said that there was a shift or tied. Kind of at the end of the pre-Watergate Nixon administration in which a lot of these programs got cut. They were all telling me, like, you know, I really wanted to play bass, but we didn't have any bass classes, so I became a DJ. And that's kind of how a lot of the first generation hip-hop class was. But a lot of the generation of musicians now, is that how they came to, you know, music. Well, by now, I mean, from my cohort, I think a lot of them did. Yeah. Specifically, you're like, you know, the 60s, 70s generation. Yeah, it was a trip. And it seems like such an ancient history, doesn't it, that that was the deal, you know? And this was a public school,

middle class, lower middle class mixed. I'm only asking simply because I think, kind of in my rose-colored bubble view of it, I thought, like, if you come out the womb with some sort of musical talent and your parents are like, oh, this is what you want to do,

and then you pursue it. But a lot of my idols of the kind of Midwest migration, you know, families who moved from down south to Detroit or Ohio, Indiana, whatever, you know, they were like, no, like, I didn't have natural

talent. I just saw a base one day. I mean, even Christa McBride told me, like, even though his dad was a bass player, like he came to, Chris came to base late, like, when he was 12 or 13. I thought he came out the wound, like, with a bass in hand. So not knowing how to play a clarinet, how long did it take you to literally figure out the fingering and all those things? Boy, that's, you know, I don't remember exactly, but my recollection is that I was pretty, pretty good at it compared to the other kids in the class pretty quick. And that was one of the reasons that he thought it would be easier for me to switch to the saxophone two years later. I mean, Clarenet never really warmed up to.

But as soon as I picked up the saxophone, it really did become my favorite thing to do. And all my other hobbies fell away. But prior to that, I did not come. I mean, my family has no musical talent whatsoever other than me. My parents can't even carry a tune. You know, if they sing happy birthday, you can't even tell what song it is. So. James and I are very similar.

I just wanted to say, the clarinet, to the saxophone, the parents, my parents are doctors. I'm loving all this. I feel like I'm watching a show. No, you're not the same because Boney James let me know that he played a saxophone on pay bill. Well, here you go. Here you go. Here's that moment. It's happening.

It just happened. When's the last time you picked up a saxophone? Do you still play? It's right over there in the case. No, I don't as much as I'd like to. Just walk over there. No. Let me be.

Challenge. Challenge. No way. But I appreciate it. But no. Not in front of Boney James. That feels like sacrilegious and weird. So let's move on.

You were co-created Hamilton. You can do anything. I did not. We produced the album together. I did not make Hamilton. We made an album together a long time ago. So was switching to saxophone, is that transferable? In other words, like, if given a clarinet or saxophone, is it the same fingering?

Is it the same? Similar. Similar. Yeah, it's similar to a point. Part of the clarinet is the same. And then when you switch so you go over the octave and it changes. It's a little bit more confusing the clarinet. Plus, the clarinet is an open hold instrument in the saxophone.

It's a closed hold instrument with keys. The ambish are completely different to get a good sound out of the saxophone. You have to hold your interior mouth and teeth and lips and everything is different. But many sax players also play the clarinet and flute because they're all similar fingering. Have you ever challenged yourself for other brass instruments, like trumpet, trombone? No. And I have a clarinet for many, many years, and I have a flute in the closet that every now and then if I need a flute on one of my records, I will shed for a day or two enough to get a wispy sound. But, yeah, I mainly have been concentrating on the saxophone.

And I did play keyboards for a long time, too. That was, you know, my entree into professional show business was playing keyboards. But just to be clear, you never played the recorder. I did play the recorder as well. Every wanted it. Quarter is a very challenging instrument. Really hard. It's what they give all the kids first, so.

Yeah, but if you've ever heard someone really play the recorder, it's quite impressive because it's the bitch. Who are your early influences? In the early days, like, clarinet transition to the saxophone, like, clearly you picked it up and then was somebody like, you should listen to this? Was there like a Touchstone artist at that time? When you're a kid and you're picking up the saxophone

and I took, you know, private lessons in addition to the school. In New Rochelle, the private teacher that taught me was a guy named Stanley Hammer, and I came to find out that Bob Mincer, famous sax player from the yellow jackets. Also studied with him, although he was a few years older. And what I remember about him was he had a couple of dogs that were yapping incessantly during the lessons.

You know, when you first start on the saxophone, people will push you. I started on an alto, and people will push you to listen to Charlie Parker. And, you know, that kind of beep-bop music was not really, didn't warm me up because I was, like I said, I loved radio, I love the R&B. The fusion thing came a little later. But when I heard Grover Washington Jr. in 75, you know, it's the first cat I heard that was mixing up sort of a go-go beat with a lovely saxophone tone and improvisational spirit, but with a song that you could hear. And that was what really, you know, was like, wow, man, this is dope. And that was kind of the path that it started. That's what started me down this path. And it's a tradition I think I'm sort of carrying on today. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations

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And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit here. by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get

what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wodom. My next guest, you know from stepbrothers anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo. Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give

this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up-and-coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit.

If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your

podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits, teams

look for, to the biggest mistakes franchises make, to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in so-ins, correct? I doctored the test once. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case.

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So with the saxophone, how hard is it to find your, your, like I, I, know Coltrane when I first hear it. I know Herb Alpert when I first hear him. I always wondered how a brass player finds a tone. I think that's kind of harder for me to be objective about. But I mean, when I think about it on my own terms, I think it was when I really started to write songs for me as an artist, you know, when I really started to think when, you know, because so much of my life prior to when I started making records was working as a side man and and you have to be a chameleon and and you would often you know I played keyboards a lot but when I got to play the sax I want to have to learn someone else's solo so I would you know pretend to be Ernie Watts or

pretend to be David Sandborn or you know an imitative kind of thing. Ernie Watts. Wow. Okay. But when I really got frustrated with that lifestyle and I thought man I really should just try and do my own thing. I wasn't liking any of the songs I was writing for other people. I was trying to you know, get a publishing deal, all the things young musicians do. And I thought, let me just try and make records, make music for me. That was when I think I started to feel what I was playing more and to really just become more enmeshed in the music. And that was when the horn became more my voice and distinguishable.

And people tell me now that they can always tell it's me, and I'm very great. Slow burn, you can tell from some of the other records, like the actual slow burn record. Thank you. Yeah. And I think hopefully my sound has continued to evolve. I mean, I'm always working on trying to become more and more the essence of whatever it is that I'm doing. And so much of that is the more adept you get at the horn, the fewer barriers there are for expressing yourself. And if you're really playing from the heart, I think you're going to have an identifiable voice,

whether you're singing or playing an instrument. So that's my theory. Wow. Okay. So what was your first creative project before you're taking this seriously? Or like once you get your chops in order as a kid into your teens, what was the first creative project that you put together? I was in a band called Line 1.

This was probably late high school through most of college. Another member of that band is a guitar player producer named John Shanks. You might be familiar with. I've heard of any, yes. He does a lot of rock and roll records. He won producer of the year a few years back. he was the guitar player in that band we are not really in touch now but you know

and that was like it was started out as sort of a fusion R&B instrumental band and then we tried to sort of turn into level 42 or something like that and we rehearsed in Kenny Gradney's garage Kenny Gradney the bass player from Little Feet was like our mentor and that was like my life for the whole main part of my late teens early 20s until I actually got my gig with Morris Day

and that was you know we were going to try and be stars, but it never happened for us. Where was your first professional gig? Well, you know, I had decided when I graduated from high school that I was not going to pursue a career of music. I thought it was not possible. What? Yeah. I thought, here's another job.

Okay, another job. Okay, well, I should ask, what did you want to be when you were a kid? I was not sure, but, I mean, my father was an attorney, so I thought, well, maybe I'll eventually go to law school. I studied history in college. I went to way to UC Berkeley. I didn't practice my horn at all for almost an entire year. And I was miserable and came back to L.A. for summer vacation and hooked back up with this band. And they were playing some real gigs as opposed to dances or parties and things that we had done before.

And they had a gig at the improv, which used to have music on Melrose, used to have music. And I got up on stage with them and I had this epiphany. This was like the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college where I thought, you know what? This is what I really love to do. And I'm going to move back to L.A. and stick with this band. I mean, I transferred to UCLA, and I did graduate from college with a degree in history. But from that on, I was very much a half-assed student and dedicated to music. So it was about 19 that I kind of made that decision.

Also, my wife, who I'm still married to now, you know, when we, she was very helpful in helping me decide, you know, should I try and do this? Should I go to college? Should I be a lawyer? And she's like, you should really try and do this. So, wow, y'all met that far back when she was just a struggling actress and you're... Yeah, 44 years now, married for 39. Wow.

Beautiful, man. That might be your greatest success ever. That's amazing. Wow. It's one of the great blessings of my life. Can I just ask a question? What were the other job? Did you ever work any other jobs besides music?

I was a, you know, culinary transportation engineer for many, many years. Way, way, way. A culinary transportation. Pizza delivered. I was like, wait, in my head, I was like, okay. I knew it was something closed, Bill. I worked probably for four or five years delivering pizzas to pay the bills while I was playing in these various bands and trying to figure how you make a living as a musician. And it was right from that pizza gig that I got into Morris's band in 1985.

The pizza gig. I had to postpone my wedding because I got the gig. with Morris and the schedule for that first tour interrupted our wedding plan. So she's a patient woman, I take it. She's a lovely woman. Was your family encouraging of this decision? This is coming from a person who at least my dad was not too thrilled at once he eventually found out about the roots.

But for you, was your family encouraging? of you pursuing this passion or was it like safety first and get the money become a lawyer? They were they were from that you know we want you to be happy school of parenting which I'm very great. That's rare. Very great. Don't even get casual about that. Hippie.

I'm sure that they were worried. But you know, after I'm, Lily and I moved in together soon after and I was living independently and was not, you know, on their dole. And I think that they were supportive is my recollect. And of course, once I started making a living as a side man, and, you know, some of those early gigs, they paid pretty well for back in the day. And I think that they were relieved, but, you know, now my father passed away a few years ago, but my mom, you know, is still very proud of everything, you know, and it's kind of weird for them that this has turned out for me because, as I said, there's no music in our family at all. And yet here, I'm still doing this all these years later. One of the rare people you can actually buy a CD in Starbucks.

CDs, what are those? Yeah, right. Right. So, did you play keyboards and Saxon Morris's band? Yeah, well, I got the gig on keyboards. So that is you with the, okay, because I was watching the Soul Train episode of the character in Oak Tree. And I was- That's me.

That's me. With the key, that's you? No, no, no, I have a trench coat on. Yes, I know. Well, I think I had a guitar. I think I was just playing on a stand. But yeah, no, I've done, I did a lot of those TV shows with Morris back from that era. That's your first gig?

That was my first real professional touring gig. Lead up to the story of how you got that gig. Okay, so I was playing in that band, line one, and we weren't really getting anywhere, and I was delivering pizzas, and I was like, man, this is getting kind of old, you know, and then right around that same time. Morris is post-purple rain. Morris was on the cover of Newsweek magazine. He broke up with Prince and moved to L.A.

to put a solo band together. And they had a cattle call audition, and somehow I caught wind of it that they were looking for a keyboard player. And I had a little Juno-60 keyboard that I was trying to write songs on. And I taught myself how to play Jungle Love and the bird to the best of my ability,

because I'm not a great keyboard player, even to the day. I mean, I can, you know, make things happen. If you learn the song, you know what to do. I learned the song, I can do it, you know, and I had a groove, you know. I had, I think I had the groove and I had a look, and I was happy when I was playing music, I was bopping around. They hired me that same day. Really?

Okay. So that started. That started. Kurt Biscera was the drummer, Kirkie B, and Roman Johnson was a keyboard player. Gail Johnson was a keyboard player. Ricky Freeze Smith was still doing it now. is still in the time now, was there then? He's the Asian guy playing drums?

Filipino guy, yeah. Filipino, who is he? Because next to Zorro, I would always see, you know, he were on all those budfests with Zorro. Right, right. That was who he was playing with him. Yeah, New Edition, Bobby Brown. So next to Zorro, I would see Kirkby everywhere.

Kirkby's first gig, too. We met that day, and our lives were transformed. honestly, you know, because... Wow. We're like, anyway. That is crazy. Kurt Biscera is his name. He's still a very popular, successful session drummer.

You know, he's played with... I still see him working. Nick Jagger and he did Tom Petty for a while. You know, a lot of big gigs. I like that. Great drummer. This is you with the mustache? I'm looking at the video from Soldier.

That wasn't me with a key tar. I think there's like an American bandstand. You can see me on with Morris. Okay. But I don't think that's me that you're seeing. No mustache required, right, Bonnie? No, no hat. It was just a younger version of me.

Got it. So, okay, explain to me during that period. How do you even get in the loop? Now it's hella different. It was a constant struggle, you know? I mean, I had it was how, you know, tried to figure it out, you know, networking, man. I mean, yeah, it was different. I remember, like, when I was a teenager, it was like the end.

So I came up right when the Internet was getting established. But, you know, oftentimes people read, like, backstage, like, or one of those trade local papers that would have listings of, like, audition for da-da-da, audition for da-da. I'll say today, and musicians come to me all the time, like, yo, I play da-da-da-da-da-da. and if they're serious about it, I will tell them that you probably want to figure out a way to get within at least three degrees of Adam Blackstone.

Yeah. Like Adam Blackstone basically, he runs the mafia. Like, he's the mafia. Like he's... Him and his wife, yes. Yeah. If you can figure out, and sometimes, and I tell them all the time, like, you might not have access to Adam,

but you might have access to a cat that plays with a cat that knows Adam. So it's almost like you almost got to audition for like three cats before you even get to kiss the ring. What was the system in 85 in terms of like I hear a gig coming up? And who did you have to know that's the ring to kiss to get inside the game? You know, look, I don't really remember too specifically how I heard about the Morris thing. but I do remember that after I was doing Morris for a few years, and that was like my gig, you know, he was busy, and I convinced them I could play saxophone too,

so he gave me a spot in the show. He would run off and do a costume change during Jigalos Get Lonely 2, and I would lead the band for a good five, sometimes 10 minutes in arenas. Okay. With saxophone solo, so I got sort of somehow known as a cat that could play keyboards and saxophone, and that was a valuable thing in the 80s, you know? Oh, yeah. Word of mouth.

And then I think I caught the attention of Tony Maiden from Rufus. From Rufus. From Rufus. At the time was not an Adam Blackstone, but putting some bands together for people. So I went and did Randy Crawford with him, and then he got me with the Isley brothers a couple years after that. I got in with a guy named Cornelius Mims, who's a bass player. He put me in with Ray Parker Jr. and Shirel and, you know, and I just was doing enough gigs that somehow people knew who I was and my phone would ring.

Randy Crawford is not a name that said a lot. Can you just tell us something, a story, or what was it like to work with her in that way? Well, I mean, she has some wonderful music, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Every time she opened her mouth, she sounds just like she sounds on the record, and it's a very unique voice. It was an interesting gig. She would sing very, very softly, and we all had to play very, very softly,

and it was an incredible band, a bass player named Sey Koubunch. It was, oh my gosh, Thundercat's father, Ron Bruner's senior, his father. It was the drummer in Randy Crawford's band, Tony Maiden playing guitar, Wayne Zicky Lindsay playing keyboards,

who is now actually quite in there with another one of those, Adam Blackstone type guy's Ricky Minor, but he's all in all of his bands. He's actually gave me the Bonny James name in Randy Crawford's band. That's what to say. How did you get that name? It was Wayne Lindsay in Randy Crawford's band. She was very popular in Scandinavia at the time, not a big name in the States, but a star

in like Norway and Denmark in Sweden. So we go over there for months at a time. It's like 86, I'm going to say. And everything cost a fortune. And I said to Wayne Lindsay, man, I just won't eat for the next couple days walking down the street one day. He said, shit, you'll get all skinny. I mean, probably weighed 50 pounds less than I do now anyway. And he said, you'll get all skinny.

I'll start calling you Bonny James or something. And I said, please don't call me Bonnie James. He messed with me. He kept calling me that and introducing me to people that way. And, you know, this network of people all started to think that this guy was Bonny James. And it just caught on. That is great. Before that, you were just going by your government?

Jim Oppenheim. Well, you know Bonnie James got a better ring to it. Yeah. Well, he, after making records, he did, in fact, call me and say, you owe me because I do. Yeah. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't. always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two,

never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands.

I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone?

I'm Ego Wodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with him one day,

And I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit.

If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft.

And we've got a special guest, the director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal.

The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in someone, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern.

Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Alespian and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges.

This isn't over until justice has served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Maybe now is the time to go on record to how we first connected. Did I tell you the story? I knew this story was coming. I've been waiting all day forward. Shut up, Steve. Let's go.

Let's go. Do you know the story, Bonnie, of how we truly hooked up? I thought we called you to come and play on the ride CD. Yeah, you did. So if there's one. one thing you know about me is the who's on first bit is kind of the ever repetitive cycled bit that happens in my life. I'll say a good once a month, right?

So check it. We're at the tail end of voodoo, right? DeAngelo's voodoo, four-year process started. Never heard of it. Yeah. There's a guy named D'Angelo. How do you spell that? Right, right, right.

And so, you know, we're at the tail end of the record, and now we're rehearsing the band that's going to tour this album for an entire year. And we're also kind of messing around at Electric Lady Studios. You know, because I'll say that the album came out January 2000. We went close to the edge. So I'll say like it got mastered in sequence, maybe the first week of December. So Russ is like still around and whatnot. And we're getting ready for these first hits, small clubs, to test out the show and whatnot.

And it just so happens that we're going to do a good week in Los Angeles. And Russ says, oh, dog, I'm going to be out there with Bonie. He said, by the way, they want to get you on the album. Now, instantly, I was like, Yo, dog, you serious? Such a fan, man. I've been a fan of theirs for it. Exactly.

I have no idea. Exactly. So I was like, man, been a fan of theirs forever. So I put my assistant with him. They, you know, work it out. Okay, we'll see you in L.A. Da-da-da-da-da. So I believe the studio that we recorded in was Westlake Audio.

Was it not? I can't remember. It was Westlake audio only because I know that this was the spot that Michael Jackson's off the wall. The rhythm tracks were recorded. Yeah. I did work a lot at Westlake back in those days. Right. And so I'm instantly like mind-blown.

Like, yo, I cannot believe I'm here at the same spot that off the wall was created. Now, the thing is because it's so far up in the mountains, cell phones back then. pre pre pre pre iPhone folks like it was hard to get a signal and I drove there and didn't know where to go like so I was like well I'll just sit in the the lounge and maybe someone will come out and get me because I didn't want to just cold walk I mean now I have the confidence to like knock knock knock oh hey Kwezlov how you do it no no no they're in studio a like back then I just you know, I didn't want to just step in anyone's room. And so, about 15 minutes, 20 minutes goes by, and I don't want you guys to think I'm late, but I don't know what to do. And so suddenly,

I look over across, and I was like, wow, that guy looks like Marcus Miller. Now, you know, this is 2000. I haven't fully immersed myself into the music community, so I'm still like playing the back and not say anything, but I was like, oh my God, I think that's Marcus Miller. Should I go and talk to him? And then the next thing I know, three other guys walk in, and he's saying their names,

and I instantly know the names of the guys from Sewin. And I don't know, it was Jerry Hay or whatever. So I was like, yo, it's like the off-the-wall cats are here in the flesh. So I'm like just sitting there, like, mind-blown that these session musicians are here. And then Marcus comes up to me like, what's up, Kat?

And this is the first time I meet Marcus. And we're, hey, man, how you doing? Big Fannie Work and da-da-da-da. And we're talking about Luther for like 10 minutes or whatever. And so he's like, you ready to come along? And I was like, oh, you're on the session too? But you're going on the session? Dude, wait.

So I walk in. So literally, I walk in the session and I'm still like, okay, it's not disco music. and I pulled Russ to the side. I was like, wait, this is the Boney M session, right? Ah! And Russ is like, who? I said, and here comes the whole who's on first thing.

Oh, my gosh. He's like, who? I said, you said, Boney, Boney M, right? The Rasputin and, you know, he said, no, Boney James. and then, but again, my entire life, you're so he's so heady. Wow. Even how I got on Hamilton is almost the same way.

I accidentally got on Hamilton and only found out later how me being late to a meeting, me not knowing the context of when Lynn Manwell was asking me, so you'll do it with us? I thought I was agreeing to a whole other project. And then my manager's like, yo, did you just tell Lin-Manwell, Miranda, you work on a project called Hamilton? I'm like, yeah, the mean yesterday for da-da-da-da.

They're like, no, you idiot, that was for it. Wow. I'm the Mr. Magoo, look it up, kids, of accidental projects. But you had no idea who I was. No, I knew who you were. He just thought with the other guy. When he said Bonie,

I just instantly thought, Bonie M. You didn't necessarily you walked into the session that it was me and not. I walked in the session and I pulled Russ to the side and was like, they're taking a jazz route? Like, what happened? What happened to the disco? Because I recall you seemed really quiet that day.

Well, I'm, you know, I'm. You can ask them. I'm aloof. Some people say I'm standoffish, aloof, whatever. But it took me 10 minutes. Nevertheless, I was excited because, dude, you bring it in Marcus Miller and C-Win and all these cats. But, yeah, there's about. nine stories like that. But yeah, Hamilton.

Sound absolutely fabulous on that track that we cut that day. That was a song called Grand Central, which actually is a dope. You should go back and listen to it and you will feel good about what you did. I'm very much familiar with my work. Like, I mean, once I committed to it, I committed to it. But at the time, I was excited about the fact that I'm doing Boney M simply because I've been playing for four years straight with DeAngelo, Rimshot Funk. that I thought Oh man Doing like a German disco thing

Like I'll do the opposite of me I'll play with a low snare You got to play in Yeah I was like Oh I'm gonna undo me And then I was like oh okay well I guess he wants me

Because he heard some of the voodoo stuff or whatever And I'll play like Questlove But I thought I was going there To Try my dip my toe and like proto-German disco. But you mentioned something to me here that I want to ask Boney about, to the both of you guys,

a person you both have in common in that way is Marcus Miller. And I'm curious how this relationship started and how you guys continued to nurture it because y'all been together ever since. Marcus had played on another song on a previous album. That was through Paul Brown, who was my co-producer at the time. And Paul had a connection to Luther

because he had been the engineer that recorded Luther's vocals for many, years. And that was how he hooked up with Marcus. And I can't remember what record of it he played. It might have been my second record, backbone, or maybe it was the same record. But we got Marcus to play on a track. And that was how we met. And then we called him again to do the thing with you, which we didn't actually end up using the bass on the track that he played on with you. I ended up replacing it. Oh. It was something else. But then Marcus and I fell out of touch for me. many, many years.

But we'd see each other maybe at festivals, and then we started co-hosting these cruises, these jazz cruises about 15, 20 years ago. And so now we take these music-themed cruises twice a year where we're the host and there's 20 artists and like 2,500 fans. And so we've been doing that. And that's why I was really excited to get Marcus on the new record and he's playing on two tracks.

Acoustic bass solo on one track on the new album, because we were in the dressing room on the ship. He was messing around with the acoustic bass. I said, I didn't even know you played acoustic bass. He said, man, that's all I play at home. And I'm like, huh. So he played an acoustic bass solo on my new record, which I don't think a lot of people have heard him do.

But that... I've never heard him do that. The Marcus thing. First song on the new record, there's a Marcus Miller acoustic bass solo. Is that? You talked about the cruises. I recently went to the Monterey Jazz Festival, and I'm curious, you know,

I didn't realize how much of a, nice mix it is of legendary musicians a lot of times with these jazz festivals and also the newer ones that are popping. Is that sometimes for you, how you find some of these folks that you want to put on your projects in a way? Not so much. Most of the people that are on these cruises are people I know. It's more established artists that they book on the cruise. But I just try and keep my ear out for collaborations quite often. You have a good ear for new talent. And I always wonder, Like even with October London, I was like, why him out of, even though he's perfect for that record, but. You know, I just try and keep a list going, honestly, for collaborations.

This is a whole other topic. But I kind of have a list in my phone ideas, you know, of various kinds of things. And if I hear somebody, I'll think, maybe someday, you know. And then if I'm working on a track, and whenever I start writing a track, I'm always trying to write it for me as the artist. But every now and then I'll come up with something I think, you know that. That's got a vibe. It could be a vocal. You know, maybe this could be a collab with someone who should be the person that I reach out to to, you know, co-write or sing or whatever.

And then you just kind of use your intuition. And I've had some luck doing that. Who's at the top of the list down? Oh, my gosh. You know, I don't know. You know, it's all song specific. In your phone, Boney. Boney.

Boney. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Wait. Wait, we kind of skipped, though, because I do want to know what is the journey that led to the trust album? Like, what was the journey of you not being a sideman anymore and you being your own man and starting this project? Because you also have, like, your knack for playing with, like, air quote, The Cats.

You know, you have Freddie Washington on this record in Paul Jackson, Jr. So the first question is, tell me about the steps that led to the Trust album. All right, well, so, you know, I was frustrated in my, I'd been doing the sideman thing for like seven years, and I was really frustrated with it. Just not artistically satisfying in any way. I felt like I might as well be back delivering pizzas, you know, quite often. I mean, one of my very last gigs that was really a catalyst for me to work harder

at trying to become a solo artist. was Martika. Toy Soldiers Martika? Boy Solter's Martika. Ah, nice. So I was playing second keyboards and had one sax solo and I was triggering

vocals. Right. On an emu, I think. Right. And it was just so boring and I thought, you know, I just was not happy. And I thought, I should,

and right around the same time, you know, because this contemporary jazz had had a fallow period for a while. And then it was starting to resurge. And nobody was really doing. And then all of a sudden, I heard people doing it. I was in a record story. I heard a Kirk Whelham record called The Promise.

And I thought, oh, people are doing this again? You know, and it was a pretty dope record. And I thought, well, maybe I should really try and start to write songs for me again. And that's when I did that. And then I got into Bobby Caldwell's band soon after. And that was a great gig. A lot of saxophone, great songs. The mixer, front-of-house mixer for this Japan tour we did was the same.

cat, Paul Brown. Ah, okay. A small production deal with a label called Spindletop Records. They were making a Sam Rine record. He was about to make his third Sam Riney record. That's another sax player from that era, early 90s. And Sam said, I can't deal with working with these cats at Spindletop anymore. It was a little bit jivey.

So he backed out. Paul had the budget. So we had been on the road and he said, hey, out of the blue one day, he called me up and said, have you ever wanted to make a record? And I'm like, man, I've been trying to make my record for years. So we got together, I played in my songs, and like two weeks later, we were in the studio making trust. That's how that happened.

And he had, from working Spittletop and Sam Riney, was in with Freddie Chatt. Oh, he had all the contacts. Okay. Paul Jackson, Jr., and, you know, who was playing drums on that record? Carlos Vega played drums on that first record. Carlos Vegas, yeah, and Lenny Castro did percussion. any Castro. And that was my first record. And then, you know, like a few months later, I was on the radio. It was a trip. Okay. So I always wanted to ask this, your second album, once you get

established, and I think the first time I've heard your name, you were nominated for, I believe, like a Soul Train Award. Probably Sweet Thing. That was like my fourth record, I think. I got the Soul Train Award. Oh, yeah, sweet thing. It wasn't Backbone nominated, or? Maybe I don't remember. Could be. That's a long time ago. So in that environment, especially when you're in the heavy traffic of smooth jazz.

Is that okay to say? I forgot to call it that. That was one of my questions. They weren't calling it that back then either. That was pre-smooth jazz radio. Kind of, that was having my question. have my question is those that are involved in a genre never own that like i've never your soul yeah dr dr dr drs never like gangster rap and i'm certain you don't own smooth jazz

but once you once you start to stick once you're just not the guy that's like hey i got my cd oh yeah i'll take it i'll listen to your little cd like you're you're actually putting numbers on the board first of all are you Because I know that there's no type of snobbery, like jazz music snobbery. I mean, there's so many New York musicians looking down on, you know, Joe Sample told me a gazillion stories of how, like, New York Cats used to look down on them and whatever. Marcus had stories.

M2 made told us stories about leaving Miles and, yeah, we're going to write some poppits and them catching flack and all those things. But, you know, is the jazz world like high school or is different cliques and whatnot? Like, when you first entered the game, how did you find your click? Like the Warriors. Who are the bully?

Well, you know, I don't want to you give me names, but like there has to be bullies. There has to be the cool kids. They have to be the, hey, let me, let me, you know, the person that you meet on your first day of kindergarten shows you. I might be unique in this respect a little bit because I'm kind of a loner and I tried very hard not to get caught up in that. I mean, definitely there were frustrations at times when I was making what I thought were really great records. Right.

And I'm getting, you know, the attention or, you know, the kind of attention I thought I deserved. And, you know, honestly, that always just made me try harder. And I'm still just honestly, my main focus is to try and make better records and be a better sax player. still a student. I don't think I'm 100% formed. And, you know, I'm just going to keep doing this until I croak and just try and get better and ignore people that don't love it and know that there's some people that love it. I mean, I truly feel that music is so subjective and I try not to be judgmental about people that are judging other musicians. To Amir's point, has there been someone who said to you that you were unexpected that walked up to you and really was like,

I respect what you're doing. I love your work. And it was somebody who we would be surprised because they might have been considered one of those kind of snobbery people. I don't have too much contact with a lot of jazz. So many people have told me they love my music and I'm always really grateful.

You know, I mean, I remember Nate Chinen wrote an article in the New York Times had come to see us play and said, you know, it's not my cup of tea, but they're doing it really well. And I thought, oh, that's a nice thing. Who said this? Nate Chinon. Yeah.

So I thought that was nice. but generally I try as hard as I can to ignore all of that noise because I'm just trying to make music and I don't know that jazz argument thing. I mean, I know it's out there, but is it hard for jazz radio? Like, as a guy that's constantly traveling city to city, I'm pretty much familiar with like every, I don't like, I'm not a, you know, I'm kind of out of my zone. when it comes to contemporary radio,

like what I would listen to when I was 20, you know, the hot 97s of the world and whatnot, like I'm kind of out of that range. So nine times out of 10, I'm either listening to like NPR or the local jazz station. And oftentimes I wonder, uh, okay,

for instance, I live in the New York area right now. So I think like our main station here is a WBGO. Uh, in New York, they were kind of locked into an extremely traditional, you know, one-era-only borderline almost like went and approved left level of, and I say that were air quotes and sarcasm, kind of format. And then I think around, they got new management.

in 2018 and not only did they let the air quote SJ end quote format on but then also like

I'm starting to hear my music like they're playing Neo Soul and they're playing break beats and they're like really opening up more urban ACs kind of stuff huh? Yeah so it didn't feel like it was a curse word or like all right let our stuff cousins in

it felt like a really all-inclusive almost close to what Radio was like when I was a kid where you're hearing a bunch of stuff. You too. But, you know, because you started professionally in 91, like, I know it's one thing to just make a mark in the world in general. But it's like you kind of also have to make a mark within the bubble of your world of jazz also. Like how hard was it, at least with radio, to embrace you in the first part of your career? Back in the day, well, I recall that I made kind of a splash when I got on the show.

Yes. That's my recollection. I think what I was doing and hopefully what I'm still doing has a distinct sound as compared to say like the ripping tins or some of the other guys that were really big back then. And it had a little bit more of a, you know, an oomph behind it, a much more of an R&B influence than some of the cats that were big at that time. and they dug it at radio. And I remember that first record, there was no distribution at all. I mean, you know, but I was like, I play gig and people come up to me with like an angry attitude like, man, I can't find your record. And I was then very fortunate to, as that company was going under and trying to sell their catalog to another bad label, Warner Brothers was come in and buy just my contract off of the label.

And this was a very tense period as Spindletop was going under, and I had already made the backbone CD and had it in the can. And Warner Brothers was able to sort of rescue it from what had been probably obscurity. And then the second record came out on Warner Brothers, and after that, things kind of really opened up. I was still working as a sideband, though, until like 94 to pay my bills. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skiseper. It's the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right what you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that, trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man.

A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target.

He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodom. My next guest, you know from Stepbrothers,

Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Farrell. Woo-woo, woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with him one day, and I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up-and-coming talent.

He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there.

Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar, this is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode.

Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in someone's, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case.

I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Alesbian, Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap.

Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I was going to ask you, it seemed like there's always been a relationship with Urban AC Radio that a lot of jazz musicians don't have the honor of having. Like, Boney was never just jazz radio. You have great, you have real, like, urban AC singles that I've always heard on the WHURs, the DASs, the BLS.

Yeah, yeah. Very grateful and fortunate that those stations play on music. In fact, on the new CD this October, London, is my second highest charting urban AC hit in my career. The biggest, it's like 2001, which is a beautiful thing. It's top 10 single. you know, for a guy playing saxophone, it's an accomplishment. It's a music.

I was like, he's in the music video. Like, this is. Right. My song, I think it's a really good track. So I'm really proud of the music. The fact that people are playing it on the radio and streaming it, it's all good, you know. Well, I was going to ask, what made you want to,

because for me, that was unprecedented. Especially my first three, four years in the business where, you know, it took us like four albums to catch on. So thus, the roots would often be on these shows, a lot of jazz-related shows and whatnot. And again, it was kind of the rule of the red-nosed reindeer thing. Like, they're letting rappers in here and then, you know,

they don't know we're serious musicians. And so even the fact that, you know, when you started working with like Pino and Bilau and myself and like, air quote, the cats. Yeah, you were the cats. You were early out the gate in that kind of a cosine that would take, you know, other people around like 2006, 2007 to catch up on. But what is it about you?

Are you always looking towards tomorrow? Are you always looking towards like who the new cat is now? Because you are early in terms of the cosine. In the moment of me hearing what you guys were doing and digging it and wondering in my love for music and creating things, what would it sound like if I hooked up with these cats? Got it. That was really what it was. You know, it's like, damn, I love what they're doing. And, you know, my music has a R&B tinged to it.

But these guys are playing like cutting edge. I thought at the time and still, you know, it's just really dope, interesting. creative R&B music that's modern and retro at the same time. And what would it sound like if I put my sound on top of that? And just in the sense of having fun making shit, you know? Of your many collaborations with singers, give me, and I know it's like, you know, who's your favorite child or what's your favorite breath you ever took?

what would you say is singer-wise a moment that pleases you in terms of who you collaborated with? Oh, man. I mean, that's a, you know, like you said, they're all like children. I've got like 30-some-odd collaborations now. I know. So is it Al Jero? Delilah, is it Trina Broussard? Is it? I don't know. It's so many. I think every single one of those tracks has something cool about it. And maybe some. succeeded more than others. Very diplomatic. Okay.

Yeah, man. That's totally honest. I mean, can you look back at your catalog and say this is my favorite song or something? You know, when I... Good question. Good question. Dude, I will say this to the grave. That 96 to 2000 period of making voodoo was such an eye-opening moment for me in terms of like realizing my power and, you know, all these mistakes I've made are now.

this is what you want me to do? You want me and play fucked up? Like, my fond memories is that period. So I would say like, collaborating outside of my own group, collabing with DeAngelo, there's always a mind-blowing two kids in the candy store thing that excites me.

So, you know, but you're also allowed to not have favorites, you know what I mean? Experience of recording the co-asting track with Layla was a great thing. because I didn't really know her that well prior to that. And then that was one of the very few times in recent history where she's actually came over here and we cut it together,

just the two of us in this room over the course of, you know, five or six hours of layering all the vocals. And I had never even heard what she had come up with until she came over that day and sang along with my demo on her phone. Like, I'm thinking something like this. And that was just a really joyous experience, getting to know her and collaborate with her. And the song turned out great.

and then we did some touring together. And so now I feel like, you know, we're friends, which is a nice thing. I have such respect for her. You did good, but I only see it, that was hard. That was easy. I mean, it was easy. It wasn't hard. But this October 11 song, honestly, when I hear it back,

I think this might be the most integrated saxophone vocal collaboration in terms of it doesn't sound like it's two separate songs or maybe, you know, it's not easy to work the horn into an R&B, contemporary R&B hit and have it sound like it belongs there. And to get October his second single that doesn't still, you hear the Marvin, but you not, that's what me and Bill we're talking about, but it's not the karaoke. It's still, I didn't produce his vocal though. You know, I sent him this track and they sent me this thing back. And, you know, we didn't even meet till well after the record was done. So that's

so who is it that, like, is there still anyone on your bucket list? or that you hope to collaborate with or, you know? Sure. I mean, look, you know, Stevie Wonder's still my favorite artist, I would say. I'd love to work with Stevie someday, you know? Right. Even just the harmonica would be nice. Okay.

Steve's accessible. He's accessible. You got to know the cats that know the cats and know the cats. You know, I did a bunch of benefits for him with him. You know, he's got the Toys for Tots things that he does. Oh, for Christmas. I've done it a few times. And so he gave me his number once and said, you know, have you ever wanted?

Oh, good luck with that. I called him and left messages over the years, but I've never been able to look. He's world famous. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have a kind of a hilarious system when they desperately need Stevie Wonder. It's like they tag team. Like, okay, are you going to go straight to his house and just knock on his door or is it us? Like, you might have to literally. He don't even know you called.

Right. Yeah. No, he's good with his phone, but he also just, you know, sometimes doesn't do that. Jazz being the ever-morphing art form that it is, you know, is there things that you have yet to do musically that you would like to try that's sort of different? I think, you know, what I've been asked that question before and what I normally say, and I think this is true is that I'm really just trying to do me. and in each moment, I never know ahead of time what's going to come out. You know, I'm just really trying to connect with whatever music is in me. You know, I get ideas still, luckily.

And then it's my job to try and get the ideas that float into my head out so the people can hear them and to realize them so fully that I feel like, okay, that's done. And that's just an ongoing process. I don't have any sort of extraneous goals of things like, I'm going to do this or that or the other thing. I don't think of it that way. I'm just always trying to respond to the music that is in front of me and where those ideas come from. It's mysterious, but luckily I'm still getting them. So that's the best I can answer that.

But I have no plans to do like a straight-ahead record or a polka record or something like that. All right, well, let's do a poker record together. People pay money for that shit. You mentioned that we should maybe do something the other. Now, that would be a nice goal. I mean, I never met a challenge I couldn't handle. This time you walk in knowing that it's a Boney James. And this time I would know it.

Unlike you, um, pay Bill not telling me you play saxophone. Well, Boney could get back to the clarinet if we're doing polka. I mean, that'd be some shit. There you go, man. Our triple, and it'll be on JMI records. So. Yeah, absolutely. I still do go and study things, you know, like if I hear something that I couldn't play

when I was younger now, I'll sit down. and like learn it, and that's good for me just as a sax player, because I'm always still trying to improve my connection to the instrument. But in terms of making a record, I think that the thing I like about my music is that it's honest to just me. So do people ever suggest to you folks that they would love to hear you with? Sure. Oh, yeah, all the time. Okay, good because I have one. Oh, yeah?

Oh, yeah. Oh, should I put it on the list? Yes, and I don't know if you've already done it before. So excuse me if you have, but Boney, your catalog is, you know, nothing. Michael Franks Oh yeah Nobody like They're playing shows every now

I know He's got to be In his late 70s I'm assuming But he still sounds amazing I've been hearing About his shows That he still does

I'm just saying Make it happen like Corponi Who are your desert island Tenor players Just asking like Like because you run in so many Different avenues and things

Like who are your like top three Favorite like guys who I really have the sound I'm sure you get asked that a lot But I don't listen to much music anymore, except when I'm making my own music. But I still love Grover, you know. Wilton Felder was a big influence on me.

Sean Coltrane, you know, he's got a thing. You don't say. Yeah, but more of the lyrical ballad type Coltrane rather than the more experimental, you know, screaming kind of stuff. I mean, I love Stan Gets. I mean, I love Paul Desmond. I love guys that were lyrical and, you know, that's kind of more my thing. You didn't like to be punched in the face. You're like, I like, I like to be. I just like a sound. I like when I listen to the saxophone, I like a saxophone that envelops you and that's what I'm sort of trying to do, you know, it's like a warm hug. I mean, it can still dig in and make you feel something, but it's

coming from a, from a kind place. Got it. Well, brother, again, I'm so glad we finally got to tell that story. Steve, are you satisfied? I finally said it. Boni M. Yeah, that was cathartic, I think, for everybody. Set up, Steve.

I was going to say, we were making a Hamilton record. We wanted G-love, and we got Questlove, so it was a bit of a, you know, left-down too, so there you go. We end up getting together and working at Electric Lady on a later couple of tracks as well. I don't know if you remember that. Of course. I told you, I remember my work. Absolutely.

I mean, once I did that, of course, I remember. No, but thank you, man. You know, you've been a stand-up cat. Really good to us over the years, supporting the community. And, you know, we thank you for doing the show with us. And, you know, much success to you. And thank you.

Thank you for joining us. On behalf of Laia and Unpaid Bill and Shuka Steve, This is Questlove and our guest today, Bonie James, not Boni in. Thank you for doing this with us and we'll see you on the next go-round. Peace. Peace. This is Sugar Steve. Thank you for listening to Questlove Supreme.

This podcast is hosted by Amir Questlove Thompson, Laia St. Clair, Sugar Steve Mandel, and Unpaid Bill Sherman. The executive producers are Amir Questlove Thompson, Sean G, and Brian Calhoun. Produced by Brittany Benjamin, Jake Payne, and Laia St. Clair. Edited by Alex Conroy. Produced for IHeart by Noel Brown. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. For more podcasts from IHart Radio,

visit the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits.

my basketball and college football journey or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, It's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest.

The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make, to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Owens, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives

to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Gillespie and Michael Ranciini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed, I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodom. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall, and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration.

It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.