E. Doctor Smith's Blog

Growing up, one of my favorite instrumental groups was the Seattle based combo, "The Ventures". I'll never forget my first album, "Hawaii Five-0" and their "10th Anniversary" double record set in 1970. Bob Bogle, lead guitarist and co-founder of The Ventures with Don Wilson, were known for 1960's instrumental hits including "Walk, Don't Run." Bogle died this week at age 75. The Ventures sold millions of albums and heavily influenced a generation of rock guitarists and in 2008, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Hall's website hailed The Ventures as "the most successful instrumental combo in rock and roll history." "Walk, Don't Run" reached No. 2 on the Billboard chart in 1960, and a revised version, "Walk, Don't Run '64," reached No. 8 in 1964. Among the band's other hits were "Perfidia" and the theme from "Hawaii Five-O." The ba...

In 2001, I had the privilege of working with the incredible, incomparable Koko Taylor at the State Theater, just outside Washington, DC. Koko arrived for sound check right on time and I graciously invited her upstairs to the theater's modern "green room". Koko took one look at the two flights of stairs and said, "Oh no baby, I can't go up and down those all night." Faced with a "MacGyver moment", I quickly fashioned an all new "green room" just off stage, with comfy chairs, a Japanese screen for privacy and a wardrobe rack for her change of clothes. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about baby", she said. "You gonna take care of Koko tonight baby?", she asked. "Trust me Koko, a dash of digital delay and a spoonful of reverb and you'll be good to go", I told her. Dressed and ready to go, Koko thanked me, took the stage and proved she could still bring it with the best of them. Sadly, Gra...