By Fred L. Jones, Jr.
Staff Writer
Commentary
It was the summer of 1995 and I had just arrived in Sacramento, California. My best friend, Wayman Tisdale, had decided he was going to really go hard musically and put out a smooth jazz CD. When I had my first chance to listen to the band which he named the 5th Quarter, it was smooth, but to me it was missing one dynamic. I though we needed a good clock, for timing purposes; a drummer with a natural jazz flow. Now our current drummer was awesome, he was Bobby Brown’s drummer, so he had a good foot, but I wanted Tiz to have that awesome clock that would really lock the band in the pocket of the groove.
Sacramento had a Jazz Club called The Broadway where many national artists would come and sit in occasionally. Late one summer night I happened to stop by for a moment just to see what was up, and I was treated to a group of musicians who all happened to be in Sacramento at the same time and they all had performed with national acts across the country, it was like a band/tour managers’ smorgasbord.
As fate would have it, halfway through the second set, the power went out on the stage, and the drummer, John Paris, and the Saxophone player, Eddie Minnifield, from Prince and Sheila E, took over for more than 20 minutes of straight musical bliss. I was blown away by their timing, precision and stage presence, I got home and told Wayman what I saw and heard, and within a month both guys were hired as 5th Quarter band members. Paris performed with Wayman Tisdale and the 5th Quarter band for two years.
Paris stated “The first show for me was so exciting because I’m a basketball fan an have been a fan of the Lakers forever, so to actually be playing in the band with Wayman after he had given the Lakers the business basketball-wise was awesome”
Paris went on to say, “Being with the guys was incredible, playing with a guy you love is also incredible, because this can be a crazy business, being with Wayman, seeing a professional basketball player smile and record music was humbling because he transferred joy threw out the room”.
Paris is a professional drummer, saxophonist, arranger, singer, songwriter and electric guitarist, and since 2001 has been the drummer for the band Earth Wind & Fire. Paris currently plays and endorses Drum Workshop Drums, Remo Drumheads, Vic Firth Drumsticks and Sabian Cymbals.
Paris has also composed and performed songs for the independent released Gruvdisciples, “Move It On” CD, produced by Loud Sunday Music.
He has also worked with Bob Dylan, Jimmy Cliff, Wayman Tisdale, Sheila E, Patti LaBelle, Karen White, The Dazz Band, and Eric Benet.
Paris will be performing with Earth Wind & Fire on Friday, March 2, 2018 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
