Clyde Lucas
Clyde Lucas is the best example of what I say to everyone: "Good music comes from good people."  Take care of what's on the inside first, then what comes out will be explosive!  Not only did we come away with tracks that were "FANTASTIC!," we all had a great time!  Smiles all around.  Clyde's personality lights up every room and everyone in it.  You can't escape it!  His positive energy is going to get you!  For the first time in my life, I recorded a great big bear hug and smiles.  Let me tell you, they sound great!  It's cool to be able to listen to a smile.  Those sounds came from years of hard work and dedication.  As it seems to me, most musicians worry about the technique before they listen to what they are saying - it's all mechanics.  Clyde's playing comes from a pool of soul and heartfelt grooves.  His respect and reverence for life and his companions travel straight from his soul, through his heart, down his arms, out of his drum sticks, onto the drumheads and cymbals and shells, and send sine waves into the air proclaiming victory, compassion and love.  While so many musicians are trying to take poetry and turn it into an olympic event, Clyde encompasses what it means to "let the music play us."  The skill and technique required comes from simply trying to say what we need to say.  Clyde is a great big patch in the fabric of music.  I had the opportunity to play a show with him about a month ago.  He taught me what it means to play for people.  ...and I don't mean setting up some gear and playing the songs we know in front of some folks; I mean, Clyde looked out at the people to see if they were having fun, gathered the energy of the room and turned it into a groove which was then turned into a song we didn't know we knew.  That's playing FOR PEOPLE.  That's what I'm here to do.  Now, everybody pay attention because Mr. Lucas is where it is at.