Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Cheeba

Cheeba part I
The fellow that penned this drawing of my first Connecticut band Cheeba (from a photograph) was 'Bob Bestard,' he was from Eighty Duece and about five years after he presented me with this work (1973) he too would never wake up from a drug overdose. I post this work in Bob Bestard's honor. A sweet, loving man.

During the first year that Cheeba was together we played often at a Brewster, NY 'club' called 'Todd's' (1972). An African-American bank teller who called himself 'Andrew Woolfolk' played a great sax and would often sit in with us.....we soon would ask him to join the group. He declined saying he was going to "head out to California to check out the scene."
To our delight, 'Earth, Wind and Fire' snapped him up.


Cheeba part II
From left to right: Myron Way, Danny Sacharoff (who hung himself in 2003), me in the satin pants, my faithful Sugar Blues mate Howard Knight, my once best friend *Eric Gotthelf (who after leaving Cheeba would head out to California to tour with 'The Hughes Corporation' of 'Rock The Boat' the disco hit,' then start the band 'Wha-Koo,' with Steely Dan's original singer David Palmer), and Mike Leone on drums.

*Eric Gotthelf eventually would find a great job with Warner Bros......and was never the same. Much to my disappointment...and (again) sadness.


Below-'Wha-Koo' doing 'Fabulous Dancer.' Eric Gotthelf can be seen playing bass. This was 1978, the second year of my 'crazy California years.' I am wholly reticent in reliving them here. We shall see.



0 comments:

Post a Comment