Trying to classify Little Feat is a feat of its own
Rock — absolutely; funk — don’t mind if we do; folk and jazz — add some heaping scoops; country — sure, let’s have some of that too and rockabilly and New Orleans swamp boogie to top it all off. And you’ve got one funky, mixed-up, amazing band that’s been performing off and on for more than five decades.
“We were always outsiders,” said Bill Payne, the band’s keyboardist and one of the founding members. Little Feat will be at the Miller Theater April 26.
Payne said members of Little Feat played with the clique but were never part of the clique itself.
And Payne has definitely played with the “in” music crowd over the years.
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He’s got a long list of great bands and individual performers he’s worked with over the years — the Doobie Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Bryan Adams, Bob Seger, Toto, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Stevie Nicks, Pink Floyd and Bonnie Raitt.
According to Payne, however, you can’t just listen to a Little Feat recording and get the true experience.
“We could really play live,” he said. “But we have trouble in the studio.”
That means a trip to the Miller would be in order for any fan.
According to Little Feat’s website, it really started in 1969 when Frank Zappa “was smart enough to fire Lowell George from the Mothers of Invention and tell to him to go start a band of his own.”
George, who died of a massive heart attack at the age of 34 in 1979, recruited Payne as the piano player for the band
After George’s death, the band split up for about a decade, but the music brought them back together. And a grassroots’ effort by fans helped to put the band back on the map.
Little Feat’s current tour is the 45th anniversary of the “Waiting for Columbus” album.
“In August 1977, the band brought along a recording team to four shows in London and then three in Washington, D.C., and they captured sonic gold,” according to a concert description at the Miller Theater website. That recording featured backing by the Tower of Power horn section.
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The band still features some of its original members including Payne, but there’s a newer generation of musicians who grew up listening to the band and are now part of it.
Payne said they’ve got a good group of songwriters and a lot of songs left to write
The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. April and tickets are $49.50-$79.50 and are available at millertheateraugusta.com or by calling (706) 842-4080.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor of The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
