Slate and Pearl band was Vince's first full time drumming job

Common Laugh Productions Music Resources

Evelyn Glennie -
Mallet Keyboard Specialist

Edgard Varese -
"I long for instruments obedient to my thought and whim, with their contribution of a whole new world of unsuspected sounds which will lend themselves to the exigencies of my inner rhythm"

Ferruccio Busoni -Prophet of modern electronic music

Ruth Underwood - Mallet Player for Frank Zappa

The Slate and Pearl Band, was the creation of bandleader/guitar/singer Carl Black, (Danny and the Jrs.) who I met at The Pink Poodle Jazz Cafe. My first full time professional drumming job which included friends I toured with in drum corps: Keyboard player Joe Schmidt, Vibraphone player and percussionist Gary Lavalle and eventually percussionist Doug Jefferson and Trumpet player Greg Eggert.
The bands originals were always requested tunes at the gigs and got some radio airplay, and reinforced the anti-racist sentiments of the band name. (way before "Ebony and Ivory" obviously) Everyone in this band was a master at getting the notes and sound and vocals exactly like the record, which was what the agencies wanted at that time. The band was large and everyone sang making us an immediate hit. My friends and I were the young guys in the band, though touring 60 days every summer previously in drum corps, had prepared us for the rigors of the road.
Real Audio samples, below!
Sweet Baby was a George Duke tune taped at the first practice while learning the song.
What is Color was one of the defining original tunes that we played; while I played that tune live over 150 times, this real audio example was a demo they cut using Dougy J. drumming.

We played top-40 music, funk, and R&B, 6 nights a week at Holiday Inns usually within a three or four hour drive of home. Other members included Curtis Washington on Bass and vocals, Mike Smith on guitar and vocals, and Jackie Harris on front vocal. I remember tunes like: Jammin (Bob Marley), Sweet Baby (George Duke), Super Freak (Rick James), as well as all the popular dance tunes out at the time.
This band was playing 14 days after I joined the band and worked very hard and fast at developing a large repertoire. Later in life I hired Carl to play guitar and direct the singing of my RX band. Later we worked in jazz fusion groups and on demos for his super star daughter: Shanice (I Like Your Smile).

Click here for more information about
Vince Schaefer

When the band was going through many personal changes and not working, I had to give more time to teaching Carrick high school band, (had to pay the rent) and moved on.
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