Questions compiled and edited by Jose Sierra
+ Larger Font | + Smaller Font
From Jose Sierra on behalf of Moonflower Café:
We’re very happy to welcome Tom Coster, the renowned keyboardist/composer who played a central role in the Santana band for several years before going on to further acclaim as a solo artist and a member of the jazz fusion band Vital Information.
Tom, we are very grateful to you for offering to tackle a list of questions from your fans at Moonflower Café, many of whom are fellow musicians. We’ve noted the name of the person asking each question. If multiple Café-goers had similar questions, we may indicate that the question was “from MC” (meaning Moonflower Café in general).
From Jose:
[Tom] I believe that when a person comes into this world he or she already has a personal make up that will dictate that person’s journey through life. Some people are fortunate enough to follow their heart towards this journey while others have no idea they are blessed and put it aside and may never reclaim it. I also believe that the Lord blesses some of us more then others to follow and pursue this journey. I have always believed that I was blessed with a talent for music. I pursued it at a very young age and always loved songs with beautiful melodies. My family listen to big band music & Latin music when I was young. We had no TV, so the radio was a big part of our entertainment.
We also had gatherings every weekend with friends and family and my Dad and my brother Al & I played music and everyone sang. A lot of the songs we sang, I believe, came from South America, Spain & Italy. One in particular which is one of my favorites is “You Belong To My Heart.” I absolutely love this song and songs like this. We also sang folk tunes from Malta, but I don’t remember the names of these songs. They probably actually were songs from Italy to tell you the truth (I am terrible at remembering names of things).
From Park:
[Tom] Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, McCoy Tyner, Victor Feldman, Oscar Peterson, Red Garland, Chick Corea, Joey Calderazzo, Keith Jarrett, Art Tatum… Each one of these gentlemen touches me deeply in different ways. I am sure that I am forgetting many other wonderful keyboard players that have also influenced me over the years.
From Xaman:
[Tom] Thanks for the kind words Xaman. I no longer have the “duck tail” and for that matter no hair at all! Ha, ha! The line up with Doug Rauch, Wendy Haas, etc., had Tony Smith on drums, I believe. I never recorded an LP while in the Loading Zone. We always wanted to, but never were able to find a label interested in signing us.
From Park:
[Tom] Gabor was awesome! He was an amazing musician. He really did his homework when he was younger. He had loads of musical knowledge. To work with him was an honor and I loved the way he played melodies. Such passion! He was also a wonderful person. I can’t say what would have happened to Gabor if he were to have lived longer. He was unfortunately a victim of drugs, as you know.
From Jose :
[Tom] I don’t know if playing with Gabor prepared me in any way for Santana. I always felt that I was a good listener when accompanying other musicians. This is a very important part of being a keyboardist. You have to complement the soloist and lay down a good musical foundation. When playing behind the soloist you don’t want to lead them, but rather support their musical journey.
To me, personally, both Gabor & Carlos played with passion and made their guitar sing when they played. From that perspective I believe them to be similar. They both had wonderful admiration for each other and I loved playing with them both. To me, playing with both Gabor & Carlos “was meant to be” since the music they played and the way they approached it was close to my heart.
From Joe:
[Tom] When I received the call from Santana I also had offers from Malo, Frank Zappa & Elvis. It was an amazing week for me.
The gig with Elvis was in New York and only for two weeks. Personally speaking, I was never much of an Elvis fan. I respected his talent, but it was not my thing. I had heard that the New Santana Band was into some new music similar to Miles Davis & Weather Report and the fact that they were a local Bay Area band was also a factor.
Playing behind singers usually means not much solo space and I know for a fact I would have gotten bored after a few gigs. I just can’t do gigs for the money. There has to be more. It’s really about the music and the chance to be creative.
From Oscar:
[Tom] First of all, I feel the music was awesome even after “Borboletta.” “Amigos” (with “Europa”) and “Moonflower” were awesome LP’s!
Not many people know this, but even though I loved jazz I always had the Santana fans in mind when recording a new project. I felt, and still do, that a musician owns it to his or her fans to carry on the music that made them popular and famous.
I loved the “Lotus” LP. I loved the new direction the New Santana Band had taken.
It was very creative with lots of room for soloing, and you could be creative as an individual. This new music was, of course, why I was asked to join the band in the first place. When the New Santana Band started touring and playing this new music in the set, though, fans began to lose interest in the band and record sales tumbled, and this is a fact.
The problem with all of this is that musicians want to grow, and Carlos & Michael wanted exactly that. They wanted the world to know that they loved jazz and could play & perform this music, that they could go beyond Santana, you might say. They wanted to grow as players and performers. If you look back at Jimi Hendrix’s career you will find that he basically did the same thing and lost his fan base and his record company began to panic. He, too, wanted to do something new and creative and play jazz.
Bottom line, it was a difficult situation for me, to be honest, since I loved jazz but also wanted to please the fans who made it possible for us to be so very successful. Basically, I did what I thought was cool, but always tried to keep it in perspective.
From MC:
[Tom] The “Caravanserai” session came out of the “blue” you might say. I went to the session to pick up Doug Rauch who was recording with Santana. Doug and I were playing at the El Matador with Gabor. (Doug didn’t drive at that point in his life.)
While I was standing around waiting for Doug to finish up, Carlos asked me if I wanted to play a Rhodes solo on “La Fuente del Ritmo.” Of course, I was delighted to give it a try.
Once I was officially asked to join the band there was a lot of indecision concerning my position since management wanted Greg Rolie to remain. They had never heard of me and having a jazz cat in the band was not appealing to them. Carlos, on the other hand, insisted that I be a member and if I was not accepted he would basically leave the band. I will never forget what Carlos did for me.
I told the band that it was okay if they wanted to change their mind regarding me being a member. I had a lot of other offers at the time and getting a gig was not a problem. They finally accepted me and the rest is history. You could very well say it was both an exciting and a very stressful time for me to say the least.
From Park:
[Tom] All three drummers were awesome. I loved them all. They all had their own groove happening and I grooved right along with them.
From Pekka & MC:
[Tom] Doug Rauch was a unique person and a great bass player who definitely had his own thing happening. He was very colorful, to say the least. He was also a troubled man and had some things happen in his childhood that definitely affected his personality and his life in general. I loved him, and he left us much too early. I feel that Doug would have been one of the greatest of our time if he were still with us. Once Doug left the band I only saw him briefly. We were both very busy and traveling constantly.
From: Gil, Xaman, & Jose :
[Tom] Richard Kermode was wonderful, both as a person and as a keyboardist. Having two keyboardists in a band can be awesome or it can be terrible if both are not on the same wavelength. Richard and I came from similar musical backgrounds and had a lot of respect for each other. It was great working with him. I loved him also. He passed much too soon.
From MC:
[Tom] I never really worked with Gregg Rolie, but I have a lot of respect as far as what he brought to Santana. I will always feel he was a powerful force in the original band. As far as asking him to play in a jazz environment, that would not be fair. It’s just not his bag.
Chester, on the other hand, was a lot like working with Richard in that we again had similar backgrounds and worked well together. I also have a very special place in my heart for Chester.
From Jose :
[Tom] It was easy to create and write “Flor d’ Luna.” Once I helped to write “Europa” and saw how the public reacted to the song, I basically just wrote another song that I felt had a similar emotional base. I can write tunes like this all day long. It comes very easy for me.
From Park:
[Tom] At the time Carlos embraced Sri Chinmoy, I personally felt it helped to keep him focused. I thought it was a good thing.
The only thing I didn’t think was positive was that many of the tunes Carlos chose to record had religious connotations which I didn’t feel were necessary or good for the album projects, but Carlos was the boss and called the shots.
The band members had their own views that they shared from time to time, but basically went along with the program and they always gave their all each and every night we played.
From Xaman:
[Tom] Not wanting to be involved with Shi Chinmoy any longer was definitely an issue, but it was really time for me to leave. I needed to play in a different environment musically and also spend time with my family. Remember that I was the only married man in the band with two small children. They needed to have me around more.
From Oscar:
[Tom] I personally feel the work involved to play a show for a larger audience versus a smaller one is really the same from a performer’s point of view. It’s the crew people that have their hands full. “The crew people are the true warriors,” as Carlos used to say. I agree.
I prefer to play for a smaller audience because you can see and feel their response so well. It truly is more exciting for me. I still play for large audiences in Europe when I tour with Billy Cobham, Bill Evans and Vital Information, but I prefer the small venues if I had to choose.
From P.J.:
[Tom] Carlos always hired great players so the various bands, although different, were all great. If I were to choose my favorite it would be the “Lotus” band. I really loved the lineup and the music.
From Scott E.:
[Tom] Thank you for the kind words, Scott. Each album was so unique & exciting that it is difficult for me to choose one over the other.
“Welcome” was awesome because it was my first complete Santana LP I played on and co-produced, but all the others had cool things that happened also. Each one had it’s own wonderful moments that I will never forget, so it is difficult for me to chose one over the other.
As far as the easiest album to make, it was “Moonflower” because a lot of the music was, of course, from live performances.
From Jose :
[Tom] First of all, Herbie Mann originally had nothing to do with the tune from my perspective. Carlos came to me with an idea and I added my part to the tune. Once the LP came out, Herbie Mann called the Santana office and said “Who is this guy Tom Coster?” Herbie claimed he wrote the tune. He didn’t want my name associated with the tune as a writer. I didn’t want to get involved, so I just went along with the program. To this day I maintain that the part I created was original. As far as the recording, I don’t remember there being any special process used in tracking the tune.
From Mike L.:
[Tom] Absolutely not! It was a big surprise to me. A pleasant one, I might add.
From Tony Tone:
[Tom] Thank you for the kind remarks, Tony. My favorites were the Mini Moog and the Arp. Carlos used to say that the Mini Moog was the “male” and the Arp was the “female.” Both had their own place in the music of the band.
From Oscar:
[Tom] In the bands I tour with today, it’s important to have a lot of firepower in a small package. I currently play the new Korg M-3 that gives me all the synth type sounds such as Rhodes, piano, brass, guitar sound etc...and a Korg CX-3 for the organ sounds. I also bring my accordion to play on “Europa” and a few other tunes we play. My son Tommy Jr. has all of my old analog synths in his studio.
From P.J.:
[Tom] The most amazing experience for me was seeing how popular Santana was all around the world. It was mind blowing! To go to any country in the world and see the thousands of fans at the gig was awesome! I have been blessed to have many, many wonderful experiences and memories while playing and touring with the band.
From Jose:
[Tom] Santana will always be a very big part of my life. Playing in Santana and writing for the band has given me international acclaim, which I may not have had otherwise. A lot of my current writing reminds people of Santana. People all over the world still associate me with Santana. It’s a wonderful thing, and I am very proud of this. I will always be grateful to Carlos and the band for having me as a member for all those years.
From P.J.:
[Tom] I have heard this from many people over the years. It really is a wonderful compliment to receive from my fans.
I, too, always felt that I did a great job as far as complementing Carlos guitar playing. It came easy and there is something to say for that. There were so many times while playing that I felt we were “one.” I attribute a lot of this to our heritage and upbringing. “You play what you are,” is my belief.
From Mike L:
[Tom] I thought the project was wonderful, but I had very little to do with
it. I'm not sure, but I think I only played on one track, "Silver Dreams,
Golden Smiles," which I co-wrote. I left the band around that time, so I had
other things on my mind.
From MC:
[Tom] Actually, I recorded three fusion records on JVC that capture my current writing and playing. They are: “Let’s Set The Record Straight,” “The Forbidden Zone” and “From The Street.” The first two have Raul & Karl on percussion and the third has Sheila E on percussion. These are truly some of my best work. Prior to these recordings I did two more sessions on Head First Records and a third on JVC that I refer to as “easy listening” music. These recordings show more of my melodic side: “Did Jah Miss Me?,” “From Me To You” (which has a piano version of “Europa” that I love), and “Gotcha!”.
As for the two recordings on Fantasy that you have referred to, they are based on a lot of the Santana type grooves and Santana sound. Yes, these could be a good starting point for fans.
From Jose:
[Tom] My favorite Vital recording is our latest called “Vitalization.” I can’t say that I have a favorite session as a sideman, but I really liked what I did on the Henry Kaiser/Wadada Leo Smith recordings “Yo Miles!: Sky Garden” and “Yo Miles!: Upriver.” We recorded direct to disk, with no overdubs so you had to “come up with the goods,” as they say, in real time.
From Park:
[Tom] Fans both in the US and overseas have been very supportive, but traditionally jazz and jazz fusion is more widely received & appreciated overseas.
From Jose:
[Tom] You are absolutely correct, Jose. I don’t tour any more for the money, it’s for the music and trying to keep the music alive.
Forget radio, they won’t play anything for the most part except “straight ahead & smooth jazz.” It’s tough out there!
The up side is that there are people out there that care and those people are amazing and very supportive of what we do.
From MC:
[Tom] Tommy Jr is an awesome person. I love him to pieces. He is also a very funny person as well as very talented.
I don’t remember pushing him towards music. He seemed to do it all on his own. He just has so much natural talent. Must have gotten it from his Mother. We always had all the latest keyboard gear so he always had his pick of equipment. He also learned the recording process as well as running the computer and doing digital recording, editing etc....he has truly passed me up with his amazing knowledge. I am a dinosaur next to him.
The times I cherish the most were when he produced my solo projects. It was amazing watching him at work and experiencing his talent while being in the studio with him. He did some very magical things to my solo projects.
I am very proud of my son and proud to be known as “the father of Tommy Coster Jr.”
From Jose :
[Tom] I first met Randy while touring with Billy Cobham back in 1978. He was a wonderful bass player and a very funny guy. I immediately fell in love with him and his playing and flew him out to California to play on my first demo project. I also introduced him to people in the industry and the rest is history. Randy was, in fact, the one who introduced me to Steve Smith.
Since he has been with “American Idiots” I have not heard a word from him. None of the other people in the Bay Area who were friends with Randy have either, I am told. Kind of sad, but whatever, dawg.
From Park:
[Tom] I spoke to Greg some years ago, but have not since. At the time I believe he was singing in a spiritual group of some sort, not sure though. He is another wonderful man. I miss him and wish him well.
From MC:
[Tom] I am now 66 years young. Getting up there in years, as you can see. The thing I think about more then anything, to be honest, is that I have been blessed to have such a wonderful life. To do something each and every day that you truly love and make a living at it is a wonderful gift. I always wanted to make a living playing music and at the same time provide for my family in a way that made me proud, but I never thought it would be this wonderful and that I would be this successful. The support of my parents, wife & children and the wonderful opportunity Carlos has provided have made my life one of great joy and pure enjoyment. I can’t explain to you how grateful I am to everyone who has helped to make this happen.
As far as my fondest moments, there were and continue to be many. Too many to remember and too many to explain. I prefer to think of my life as one big beautiful journey. Just being in Santana was a supreme high. Recording & producing with the band was amazing. Receiving gold and platinum record awards was off the hook. Writing hit tunes like “Europa” & “Flor d’Luna” is beyond words. Touring with Billy Cobham, Bill Evans and playing all these years with Steve and Vital Information is off the hook.
Being married to my wife Donna for 43 years is so beautiful to me. Having two wonderful & beautiful children, Tommy Jr and Kimarie Reese, who has now given us two precious granddaughters LeaMarie and Courtney Ren. What more could a person want?
I forgot to tell you that I also have a place in Mexico where I spend at least four months a year enjoying the weather, people, and doing lots of fishing, which I have always loved. I feel guilty sometimes that I have so much joy! I have been truly blessed.
From Park:
[Tom] All of them!
From P.J.:
[Tom] I would not want to be a member of the band again, but if Carlos put together a reunion tour playing the music from the “Lotus” album I would love to be a part of that tour.
From Jose :
[Tom] I am not interested in recording any more solo projects. It’s too much work with very little return, so my answer is “no one” at the moment.
From MC:
[Tom] I love this question, because everyone asks the same one of me. The touring and traveling is very difficult, but when you see your fans come into the venue and you play the first note of the night, the story is told. I did try and stop playing & touring some time ago and I felt like something died inside of me. It was terrible.
I basically love to play, and playing is so much a part of my life that stopping would break my spirit. I know the day will come when I have to stop and that will be a very sad day for me. I will continue to play & tour as long as my health will allow.
BTW, I am leaving for Russia, Turkey & India on November 9 for three weeks. Then a West coast tour with Vital in November. Please check the Vitalinformation.com web site for details.
From MC:
[Tom] As I stated earlier, I have no desire at the moment to record any more solo projects. And yes, playing with Vital allows me to play without boundaries. Any limitations would be that of my own and not the band.
From Oscar:
[Tom] Many thanks, Oscar. I look forward to meeting you.
[editor’s note: most of Tom Coster’s solo CDs can be ordered directly from him. Please click here for more details, or simply e-mail your order to Tom at vital2tc@aol.com. Also, don’t forget to check Tom’s upcoming performances with Vital Information at vitalinformation.com]
Produced by Gilberto Vera
Moonflowercafe.com/Latinrockcafe.com Exclusive
Tom, you are the son of Maltese immigrants (including a musician father) and have said that the Mediterranean music of your childhood gave you your love of melody. Do you recall any specific artists or songs from the Mediterranean world being played in your home that particularly caught your ear as a boy?
[editor’s note: the widely-recorded “You Belong To My Heart (Solamente Una Vez)” was composed by Mexican songwriter Agustín Lara; Ray Gilbert added English lyrics].
It is also very important for me to say that I was blessed to have parents that supported my love for music. They gave up a lot so that I could study & play music. This I believe was very unique and not the norm for the time and I will always be grateful to my Mom & Dad for their support.
Tom, what keyboard players have had the greatest influence on your playing?
Tom, it was so great to see you back at Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles during the tour after the “Havana Moon” release. You and Carlos were rocking, and you looked cool with your ducktail!
We have read that you were a member of The Loading Zone along with Doug Rauch, Wendy Haas and Linda Tillery. Who else was in the band, other than you four? So far I haven't been able to find any Loading Zone records that you appear on. Did you do any recording with them?
Tom, what was it like playing with Gabor Szabo? Where do you think his career would have taken him if he would have had a chance for a longer career in music?
Did playing with Gabor prepare you in any unique way to become such an empathetic accompanist for Carlos? Carlos must have thought so as he listened to your gigs with Gabor at El Matador, because he asked you to play on “Caravanserai!” Did you feel a strong similarity in the two guitarists’ approach to music and to their instruments?
Hello Tom…thank you for your many years of helping shape the Santana sound!
I have read that at the same time you were offered the chance to play with Santana, there was also an offer to join Elvis Presley's band. Can you share the details of how the Elvis offer came about and why you decided to join Santana instead of playing with "The King?" How different do you think your career path might have been had you decided to play with Elvis?
Many of us here at Moonflower Cafe are very clear on your contributions to the Santana Band and feel much of Santana's best work (in addition to the original band), took place during the years from “Caravanserai” through “Borboletta.” With your extensive jazz background, do you have any comment as to your role in helping Carlos carry out his vision in that context?
Can you share any recollections and anecdotes from the “Caravanserai” sessions? What was this time like for you (uncertain, stressful, exciting)? How did you find out that you were “officially” a member of the band?
Tom, you played with three great drummers during your career with Santana: Michael Shrieve, Ndugu Leon Chancler, and Graham Lear. Which of their playing styles gelled best with your keyboard playing, or were they all equally easy to make great music with?
Tom, you and Doug Rauch worked together in both The Loading Zone and Gabor Szabo’s band as well as in Santana…you must have come to know Doug well. What words would you use to convey Doug’s essence as a person and a musician to his many admirers here in the Café? Were there any other projects or bands you played in with Doug, and did you stay in touch with him after he quit Santana in 1974?
Can you comment about teaming up on keyboards with Richard Kermode? You’ve said that you settled into the organist role because that was Carlos’ preference. Richard, on the other hand, had such a good groove for playing Latin piano, and in the few videos of him with Santana he appears to be having such a good time. It sounds as if you and Richard had a good relationship?
You also had brief opportunities to work alongside Gregg Rolie and Chester Thompson. What strengths did each of them bring to the table that differed from your own approach to playing keyboards? Do you have any stories or comments about your experiences with these two fellow members of the elite “club” of Santana keyboardists?
Tom, without your composition “Flor d’Luna (Moonflower),” title track of the “Moonflower” album, this Café would be carrying some less interesting name…we all owe you! “Flor d’Luna” has one of the most gorgeous melodies, along with a classic feel that calls to mind a tango or danzón, and really inspired an emotional performance from Carlos. Can you tell us how you came to write this beautiful piece?
Looking back, do you feel that Carlos’ relationship with Sri Chinmoy had a positive or negative impact on the Santana band? How were the ongoing ties with and devotion to Sri Chinmoy viewed by the band members at the time?
You left Santana after the “Moonflower” release. We have read about some of your reasons, the religion issue, not wanting to continue being a Sri Chinmoy disciple, and the pressure of being Santana's musical director and having to come up with an album every year. There was also a comment that you made about the lineup that recorded “Moonflower's” live tracks, about making up for quality with speed and energy. Was musicianship becoming an issue and a factor in leaving the band?
It basically came down to the fact that I was burned out.
With “Amigos,” “Festival,” and “Moonflower,” Santana returned to a more "commercial" approach musically. These tours with large audiences seemed to be massive undertakings. Can you comment briefly as to pros and cons with regards to large shows/tours versus smaller more intimate settings (crew support, etc.)?
There were lots of personnel changes during your Santana tenure. Looking back and comparing the bands, was there one particular assemblage of musicians you can point to and say, "...that's when everything clicked just right?"
Hi Tom, It's truly an honor to meet up with you in this format. Thanks for taking the time for we Santana-Coster fans, and God bless you and your family.
I have numerous videos of you with the band in which it was obvious, watching your facial expressions, that you were really "into" that certain musical moment. The ending bridge of “Dance Sister Dance” is one of my favorites. What was your favorite album project with the Santana band or Carlos?
Tom, your song “Mother Africa” was one of my favorite Santana tracks even though Carlos didn’t play guitar on it! The transition out of the percussion break is one of the most dramatic moments I’ve heard in music. I’ve always wondered to what extent “Mother Africa” was recorded live in real time versus being broken up into sections and spliced together…do you remember the recording process? I also found it intriguing that jazz flutist Herbie Mann was credited as a co-author of the song. Did you and Carlos work on it with Herbie?
Did you have any idea when you were writing “Europa” that you were onto something special?
Thanks, Tom, for all the wonderful music! You are my favorite Santana keyboardist of all time...your use of the various keyboard instruments added so much to the band's sound. I know you were a huge Arp user, and of course used the Mini moog and Memorymoog. What was your favorite analog synth to use during your time with the band?
Keyboard gear has evolved so quickly in the last 30 years. Are there any old synth equipment and/or sounds that you continue to use that originated, say, 20-30 years ago?
Aside from the obvious (high profile), was there one unique aspect or element to your Santana experience....for better or for worse...that stands out the most in your mind? If so, please explain.
Looking back at your years in Santana after all this time, how do you feel that the experience changed you as a musician and a person? You’ve returned to work with the band a couple of times and have included Santana percussionists and Alphonso Johnson on a number of your solo dates…do you still identify with the band to some extent? Do you feel that Santana influences still live on in your playing and writing?
Many Santana fans maintain that your collaborations with Carlos were the perfect marriage. Both your tones complemented each other so perfectly and beautifully. Were your Santana parts a collaboration of you and Carlos, or were they predominantly a product of free reign you had?
One of my favorite Santana albums is “Oneness: Silver Dreams, Golden Realities.” What was your feeling towards this project?
Several years ago you said that you felt your two first solo albums, “TC” and “Ivory Expeditions” (now available on a single CD) are the recordings that best represent who you are as a player. On those sessions one can hear echoes of your work with Santana in both the ballads and some of the more up-tempo fusion-oriented tracks. “Let’s Set The Record Straight” is also a really impressive album with a Weather Report vibe on some tracks and Afro Cuban, organ jazz and Latin rock grooves on others. Would you recommend one of these CDs as the best starting point for any Santana fans that are just getting around to exploring your post-Santana work?
Do you have a favorite Vital Information CD? Other than “Vital” and Santana, which of your many sessions as a sideman/band member are you most proud of?
Tom, when it comes to your Solo Career have the fans in the States or fans overseas shown you more support when it comes to the purchase of your CDs and touring?
Is it tough for a jazz-fusion band to sustain itself these days? American commercial radio seems only to have room for “smooth jazz,” and the few public stations in the U.S. playing jazz seem to feature mostly acoustic “straight ahead” artists.
Tom, we first met your son Tommy on the track “Zulu” from the “Moonflower” album. Since then, Tom Jr. has graduated Berklee College of Music and established himself in the arenas of hip-hop, film music and record production, as well as collaborating on some of your solo dates. What advice did you give Tommy when he told you he wanted to pursue a career in music? Which of his musical accomplishments excite you the most as a father and fellow musician? How do you feel about the prospect of becoming known as “the father of Tommy Coster Jr?”
Bassist Randy Jackson established himself as a fusion heavyweight long before he gained wider notoriety as a member of Journey, a record producer and ultimately a judge on “American Idol.” You and Randy worked with Billy Cobham and Pete & Sheila Escovedo together and Randy went on to become your regular bassist during your early solo years. Could he have been the one that introduced you to Steve Smith of Vital Information? What are your memories of working with Randy and your reactions to his unusual path to becoming a household name? Does he call you “dawg?”
Tom, are you in contact with Greg Walker these days? If so, have you guys ever talked about making music together again?
Please share some of your fondest memories of working with Santana. Which of your tours, live and recorded performances with the band were the most satisfying? What have been the proudest accomplishments of your long music career overall?
In your opinion, which Santana album contains Carlos’ best performances?
What would the circumstances have to be for you to work with Santana again? Or is it too much of a "been there - done that’?
You’ve worked with a dazzling array of guitar players including Szabo, Santana, McLaughlin, Coryell, Gambale, and Satriani. Is there one other guitarist that you’d especially like to collaborate with?
One would imagine that you are “made for life” through your Santana earnings. What motivates you to keep recording and touring?
Vital Information has maintained a high level of musicianship over the years…the players can really rip! What’s more, you’ve stated that you have a great camaraderie with Steve Smith and “really get to play your heart out” in the band without too many limitations. Does being a member of such a great group place your solo career on permanent hiatus? If you do foresee any side projects or solo sessions, please share the details…maybe the accordion album you’ve talked about doing (your accordion version of “Europa” is awesome)!
I have attended a number of Vital Information shows in Santa Cruz, CA's Kuumbwa Jazz Center in the past. Am very much looking forward to your return November 12*, cheers!**