Kootch! Worth waiting for! Timing is everything, and his was perfect. It’s taken years to get Danny Kortchmar alone in the Game Changers guest seat, having paid us a couple of previous visits with his Immediate Family brothers. This Danny is kinder, gentler, and oh, so fun. He’s been leaning more and more in this direction to my view since falling in love with Lisa Roy, even after surviving the devastating loss of her life. She was the love of his, and it appears she did him a world of lasting good. Danny will be the first to admit he can be serious and… cranky. No sign of that guy this evening… just great stories of some of the greatest musicians of our time, from one of them, all wonderfully, entertainingly, told. We may have even heard a few previously undocumented firsts… starting as a kid discovering early rock ’n roll, to very soon playing it, summering on Martha’s Vineyard, and the early teenage friendship that would change his life. Jamie, as Kootch calls James Taylor, who talked him into some questionable behavior, then blamed him, classic! Not something I’d imagine or associate with sweet baby James. Their lifelong friendship, their musical collaboration, how it started, and why it ended. Meeting, working, and loving Peter Asher, Lou Adler, Carole King, Russ Kunkel, Leland Sklar, Waddy Wachtel, Linda Rondstadt, and Jackson Browne. The story behind Somebody’s Baby. We talked about his extensive successful producing career (although he has a caveat which was fascinating to hear) - including Jon Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Toto, and his extensive collaboration with Don Henley, the great and the tough of it. There are no endings with Kootch. Once family, always family. He remains close to all of them. And speaking of family, Danny spoke to the birth, development, and current state of affairs of The Immediate Family, his beloved creation. His frustration with the pandemic’s impact and the conflicting work schedules of his brothers doesn’t dampen his passion for their new album yet to drop, and their soon-to-be-released brilliant Denny Tedesco documentary, Immediate Family. There is remorse that Waddy Wachtel’s commitment as Stevie Nick’s musical director, a position he’s held for 25 years will keep him from 5 scheduled live shows, but Danny did drop some news… The Cars Elliot Easton will be jumping in for those shows, certainly softening the blow.
This time with Danny was a joyous romp through the musical soundtrack of so much of my life. His songs, and his playing, are forever etched in my heart and soul. The man sure do know how to rock ’n roll. Good God!
