Hi You Guys,

Again I’m sorry for being so conspicuously absent but this year has provided me with plenty of new challenges. Actually as a friend of mine calls them, "opportunities for growth". I thought I’d put up a classically eighties instrumental that I’m sure most of you will remember. David Foster had been using me more frequently along with Carlos Vega and Jeff Porcaro at this stage in my career, so I was particularly honored to play on this track which became quite a hit in it’s own right. We actually performed this live with the Loggin’s Band at a show at the Santa Barbara County Bowl when David showed up as a guest. We invited him onstage and the crowd response to the song and David was amazing. He got the bug that day to do more live performances and went on to perform concerts in his native Canada as well as elsewhere. I was flattered that he asked me to join him at these shows but unfortunately my schedule with Loggins wouldn’t allow it. I really just did some over dubs on this track but it is kind of fun to hear it after all these years. I hope you enjoy it.

Well I guess I should have looked first. I thought I had posted details about the session on an earlier blog but I guess I deleted it. Anyway, this is another great Loggins-McDonald written song. It features Michael McDonald and David Foster on Keyboards, Lenny Castro on percussion, and the great David Sanborn on sax. We cut this without a click and so it does float a bit time wise, but I think it's got a nice human feel to it. I hope you enjoy it.

Hey I was finally able to upload this song! I think it is a great one. If you are interested in the details you can find them in one of my earliest blogs. I'm stoked I finally got this one up!

Hi Ya'll,

I thought since it has been the better part of a third of a year since I last added something here I may as well do it today. Don't want to rush in to anything, right? This tune actually put the "Dream Weaver" back on the airwaves. Gary Wright always had this great blend of ethereal textures mixed with RandB in his tunes. This was a strange one to cut though as there was a drum track already recorded that they didn't like. When they erased the first drum track they lost the click track as well. Here again I was flying a little blindly. The groove is a little wobbly as a result. I think it's a nice song though.

Well folks, I was finally able to upload a song again. I chose a song that may be my favorite recording I ever did with Kenny Loggins. It features the late great Michael Brecker on sax and none other than Michael Jackson on background vocals! This was recorded right after Michael's "Living Off The Wall" album had become a giant hit. Michael and I talked drums at this session and he actually sat behind my kit and played a little. I love all the different sections to this song. This was back in the day when we would rehearse a tune for weeks before recording it. I hope you like it.

Hey you guys,

I'm really sorry that it has been so long since I last posted anything new. It hasn't been for lack of trying. I have tried to upload a few tracks and have been unsuccessful every time. What is strange is that this just started happening all of a sudden. I have been following the same procedure that I always have, but it just won't work. Everything was going so smoothly that I had the illusion that I actually knew what I was doing. I am going to have to get with someone who really does know what they are doing. My pea- sized brain has exhausted all it's resources. I hope to have something new for you soon.

Aloha,
Tris

Hey you guys,

In keeping with the sountrack theme I thought I'd post this tune I did with Don Felder,(of Eagles fame), for the movie Fast times at Ridgemont High. I absolutely love this track! It still rocks so hard even after all these years. This movie was the first time I ever became aware of Sean Penn. Being a surfer myself, I went to school with a host of characters exactly like Spicolli. God he was perfect in this role!

This track is of particular interest as it was the first time I ever worked with the Chicago Horns. They were added later so I didn't get to meet them while I was recording my part. Also of interest, Don Felders property and studio was later bought by David Foster and was where the majority of Chicago 17 was cut. It is also were I did a lot of recording for David Foster with many other artists. Another interesting thing is that Felder bought it from Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong fame. The property now belongs to Nick Nolte.

Kenny Loggins co-wrote this tune with Don and can be heard singing background vocals. Dig the great guitar solo by Don at the end. I hope you like it.

Hey ya'll,

Again I'm sorry to have been so quiet lately, but it sure was nice to have a little time off from the road. I thought it might be fun for some of you to hear this old ditty again from one of my all-time favorite comedies "Caddyshack". Kenny told me that the stuff that hit the film editor's floor was even funnier than what made it into the movie! Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray were just brilliant i thought, as was Chevy Chase.
The song was cut with the original Kenny Loggins Band with my old pals George Hawkins on bass and Mike Hamilton on guitar. The other voice you hear in there on "Cannon ball it right away" and "It makes me feel good" is Eddie Money. He just happened to be in the same studio (The Record Plant) that day. There is a live version that was released and that got some airplay from the album "Alive" where I actually sing Eddie Money's parts!

Hey Guys,

I thought I'd upload this tune today as there is, again, kind of an interesting story that goes along with the recording of it. The year before it was recorded I had just joined Chicago. Kenny wrote me a letter explaining that he had a song that he felt really strong about but that he wasn't happy yet with any of the attempted recordings he had done of it. He did have a version that was piano, acoustic guitar, and vocal only that he had recorded a year before while on Maui. He explained that he had cut it without a click and that he knew the time "floated" here and there. But he just really liked the overall feel of the thing and wondered if I thought I could play drums to this somewhat sparce and "rhythm ranging" track. I should probably explain that in the years I had played with Kenny we had become very close. I could literally look at his back on stage and read how he was feeling at any given moment. So I listened to the track and told him that of course I could do it. I just sort of studied the nuances, where it layed back, where it pushed a little, etc. We went in and it ended up being seamless. I think it is a real powerful song both musically and lyrically. Check out the great slide guitar work towards the end by David Lindley of Jackson Browne fame. Also the juicy percussion work by Bill Summers of Herbie Hancock's "Head Hunters" fame. I believe Kevin Ricard and Mynongo Jackson were part of the percussion section as well. I hope you like it.

Aloha, Tris

Hey Gang,

Sorry it has been awhile since my last ramblings but I have been enjoying our few days off from touring and trying to snag a few waves while at home. I thought I'd post Footloose just for fun because there is kind of a comical story that goes along with the recording of it. Kenny had written the song just before going on an extended road trip with the band. Kenny was always very adamant about daily "sound checks" which were actually rehearsals in disguise. At this point in time the Kenny Loggins Band was composed of some of the best players in the world, and I don't say that lightly. First of all was Nathan East on bass who among musicians needs no introduction. Next on guitar was the legendary Buzzy Feiten. On keyboards were the incredible Neil Larsen and my old bro from Honk Steve Wood. Anyway, Kenny had us rehearsing this song daily for a month solid while touring. As soon as we got back to L.A. we went to the Record Plant to record it. We did it literally in two takes! One for sounds and one for keeps. I remember Nate and I walking out of the session saying "well that's the last time we are going to have to hear that piece of crap again". We were just so tired of hearing it over and over at rehearsal. Famous last words. It became number one all over the world at the same! I must admit that I started liking it alot better when I would turn to different stations on the radio and it would be playing on two or three of them at once. I also kinda like the drum break down section. Big juicy Simmons tom sounds. So Eighties! It is a real "period piece".