Photo: Guitarist Brian Flynn.
The Artful Dodger walks and talks like a grownup man. He has the swagger and an air of the greatest possible self-possession and importance. But he is a lovable scoundrel!
Brian Flynn: A Dickens character if ever I met one.
In many ways, Brian Flynn’s life was a lot like Monty Python’s Life of Brian: “He’s not a Messiah; he’s just a very naughty boy!” He was a charming, silver-tongued devil who could make you believe that the reason he was late – yet again – was because he wrecked his van (the “Blue Turd”) trying to avoid a drunken leprechaun!
Brian had basically bamboozled his way through his musical career and had actually made a name for himself… somehow. The boy could play a lot of notes at twice the speed of sound. It was all a blur; and some of his licks defied logic. He was definitely somethin’ else!
“Every journey begins with a single misstep.”
––Life of Brian
At the beginning of the new millennium, bass player, John June, was at Scoot ‘n Blues in Durango checking out the Kirk James Blues Band. John was with his girlfriend, Jennifer, a one-time girlfriend of Kirk. On break, Kirk dropped by their table and met John and told him that there were a couple of guys sitting nearby who were looking for a bass player.
John strolled over to their table and met Brian Flynn and his rich protégé, who I will call Fagin, the unscrupulous gang leader from Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Brian asked John if he could show up at Fagin’s riverside home the next afternoon for an audition. The next day at Fagin’s, John jammed with Brian who then answered a phone call and disappeared into the sumptuous home. In a few minutes Fagin announced that John was hired and they needed him to start the gig in two weeks – in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. John was handed a roundtrip airline ticket to Cabo . . . and that was the beginning of a longtime, whirlwind association with the irrepressible Brian Flynn!
My association with Brian began at the Bear Creek Saloon in Pagosa. Brian and John, along with their B-3 organ player, Richard Cline, had just made it back to Colorado from Cabo. I was immediately indoctrinated into the wacky ideology of the Brian Flynn mindset. As a member, I was expected to play an array of tunes – mostly Southern Rock Classics like “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” (Songs I had special feelings for…) I was to show up to the gigs – preferably sober – ready to go whenever Brian finally showed up.
(By the way, Brian considered rehearsing a sacrilege.)
DC & Den Mother Pam Grover
Brian’s “support team,” Dale and Pam Grover, who had previously moved to Pagosa, offered their home as the base of operations for southwest Colorado. The Grover place was nicknamed “the halfway house for starving musicians” and the gracious Pam was the Den Mother, eager to please. Dale, a frustrated musician with a huge collection of choice guitars was Brian’s number one devotee. The Grovers gladly provided food and drink, shelter and financial aid to the needy Flynn consortium. They were a selfless, generous couple… and funny as hell. Two lovable characters!
Cabo was Brian’s home and the night club Cabo Wabo was his second home. (Sammy Hagar let him sit in occasionally.) Of course, Brian spoke fluent Spanish. His young daughter Sydney, was a chip off the old block, a female version of Oliver Twist! She was an unofficial band member on many outings to the chagrin of his annoyed managers du jour. We played with Brian anytime he ventured north of the border. We were expected to cancel any previously booked engagements with other bands to accommodate his erratic bookings. Sometimes it worked; sometimes it didn’t. Of course he did have other sidemen at his disposal.
Brian asked me if I was booked for the upcoming 2001 New Years Eve. I apologized and told him that I was. Thank God I was booked – the gig was in New Delhi, India!
On the Road to New Delhi: Brian, John and Oso, their Mexican drummer, piled into the Blue Turd and drove to Chicago where they picked up Richard, our meth-head organ grinder. They caught a plane and finally made it to New Delhi. But soon the wheels fell off the cart. It was an outdoor gig in the rain and Brian was nearly electrocuted to death. Then there was trouble with further bookings, and later they were detained at the airport. The promoter finally sprung them and the quartet finally made it back to Colorado – exhausted – with not much to show for their Indian misadventure.
“Why question the absurd when absurdity itself is so comforting?”
––Life of Brian
Brian, DC, & John June
Over the next several years, Brian brought in diverse talent to augment the band. Sometimes I had no idea who would show up on any given night.
Ms. Lisa Saunders, a bubbly, pretty local, became Brian’s singer, her strong voice fitting in nicely. A lot of the material was foreign to her but she mastered it quickly. But mastering the ins-and-outs of the music business was another story; she hadn’t met the evil mistress yet.
One of my favorite players we used for a while was an incredible keyboard man, Leandro Freixo – all the way from Rio de Janeiro. (Of course, he was here on a visa.) Like so many good musicians, Brian had met him in Cabo. Leandro and I became good friends. And man, could he play sambas and actually employed different rhythms into the music. Unfortunately, Brian wasn’t as enthusiastic about the grooves as I was. Brian would sometimes give the talented Brazilian a hard time on stage, actually castigating the poor guy. He approached me on break and lamented in his thick accent: “DC! Why does Brian yell at me on stage?” I shook my head and said, “I don’t know, Leandro, sometimes he can be pretty mean. It’s probably the blow.” (Brian didn’t ski, but he sure liked that powder!)
Recently, Lisa reminded me that Brian once got in my face and chewed me out for some silly transgression. According to her, I told him in no uncertain terms: “Don’t you EVER talk to me like that again!” And he didn’t…
And then Brian’s friend, Jay Johnson, came to town. Jay is the son of Jimmie Johnson, the owner of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. He is a longstanding member of Blackfoot and the Southern Rock Allstars. Jay is a great guitar player and singer, and took the band to new heights. He was fun to be around and man, did he have some stories!
The Brian Flynn All-Stars
In 2009 a terrific player who blew into town from the lofty heights of celebrity was Puerto Rican percussionist, José Rossy. José had played with Weather Report, Robert Palmer, etc. and is presently with diva, Patti Labelle. Our first meeting was at the Bear Creek Saloon in Pagosa Springs. I had set up in the afternoon, and when I got to the club that evening, José was setting up. He checked out my drums and said: “Oh! We’re gonna have a good time!” And we did. In fact, it was one of the best shows I’ve ever played. We were booked as the Brian Flynn Allstars, including: Brian, Lisa Saunders, Jay Johnson, José Rossy, John June and me. At one point José and I jammed in what John June called “a fucking drum clinic!”
The next year we played a festival called the Band Jam at historic Fort Garland, Colorado. Lisa and I played in our band, Groove Kitchen, along with Bill Hudson on keys & vocals, Robby Pepper on guitar & vocals and Jeff Hibshman on bass.
The Brian Flynn All-Stars played with Brian, Lisa, Jay, José, Dio Musquiz from Grand Junction on bass, Ian Falgout from Morgan City, LA on vocals and my old buddy Buzzy Gruen on drums. Buzzy and I had done a Texas concert tour together in 1975. He was the drummer for Point Blank and I drummed for Jay Boy Adams. He and I stayed up late that night after the show and caught up. Later Buzzy appeared in Pagosa Country for a show at Chimney Rock. My brother, Ross, roadied.
In 2012 The Brian Flynn All-Stars played a festival on the Rio Grand in South Fork, Colorado called Rhythms on the Rio. José and Jay played, as well as Dio on bass, Lisa on vocals and we used two drummers that afternoon: the great Ian Falgout and myself. (Sorry if I left anybody out.) We definitely had some terrific drum jams!
José Rossy & DC
Back in Pagosa, Brian was introduced to the Arringtons who owned the Timbers, a huge restaurant and club on the westside of Pagosa. Both Ron and Janelle Arrington fell under Brian’s hypnotic spell and literally gave him the keys to their kingdom. Before long, Brian was booking bands such as the Southern Rock All-Stars and other national acts.
Late nights, in the witching hours, Brian would stop by the Timbers, let himself in and head to the kitchen to prepare thick, juicy ribeye steaks on the grill. He had it made in the shade like pink lemonade! (Meanwhile Ron was worrying about silly things like cash flow: the cash seemed to be flowing out the door . . .)
At one point (I don’t know which), Brian booked the incredible Sonny Landreth. And as an added attraction, the young guitar phenom, 10-year-old Nick Sterling, to be featured with the Brian Flynn Band, warming up for Sonny. I was really looking forward to this show! And ticket sales were over-the-top.
Both our regular bass players, John June and Dio Musquiz, were unavailable for the show, so Brian hired a bass player from Colorado Springs. On the day of the concert, the sub bass player – and his large, unruly entourage – showed up for sound check. They all started drinking and put it all on the ‘house’ tab. Needless to say, our sound check was not up to par. Sonny Landreth and his bass man and drummer would be coming in later, but the young Nick Sterling was dialed in and ready for his big number.
I went home for dinner, changed and returned to the club, ready to go. Unfortunately, the new bass player drank his dinner and was a bit wobbly. Brian, Richard Cline, our organ player, and I were apprehensive to say the least. Oh well, the show must go on.
We kicked off to a packed audience, and right from the git-go, the bass player started the song off in the wrong key. Brian yelled out the proper key and he had to babysit the drunken fool the rest of the set. To make matters worse, during Nick Sterling’s virtuoso guitar tune, Brian was trying to “help out” the gifted kid, unsuccessfully. Nick had played on national TV and with Alice Cooper – he didn’t need any help. No matter. The kid was great!
Of course, Sonny Landreth was amazing that night. Richard knew the boys and joined them on his Hammond B-3. It was a great show, and afterwords we partied and I schmoozed with Sonny and his hot drummer.
All in all, I had some great times playing with Brian Flynn and his cast of crazy characters. And he and I became brothers; and I can honestly say that I loved the man…
“In the end, we’re all just trying to find our place in the madness.”
––Life of Brian