Does Everything Stop for Tea?

Tim Gruar

Tucked away in the booth of a classy little cafe in Courtenay Place, Toby Laing, Fat Freddy's Drop horn man extraordinaire settled in for a cup of tea and a nice chat with Tim Gruar about recording, early days, Barracudas and alternative uses for bright green tea cozies.

What is it about musicians and Tea? Last year I talked with Barnaby Weir and Holly Smith, both accountancies by a pot of Earl Grey and now as we settle in a bright green knitted Wool blob appears, flanked by a sugar bowl and milk jug, giving off the distinct aroma of Indian Summers and Tropical Asian Fruits. "Later, I have to pick up coffee for the recording session, so I'm off it for the moment".

Sipping away, we contemplate alternative uses for the bright green tea cozy. Apparently Otago students had popularized them as headwear - "if I was on the Ski Slopes I'd wear one"

Toby Laing's almost an institution in the Capital, playing not only with the "Freddys" and The Black Seeds, but also the long standing Jazz combo, CL Bob and Cub bop Jam Sessionists, the Eggs. He also fronts the Utes focusing his interest in Jamaican Dancehall and Ska, and sometimes with the Scribes of Ra, with Black Seeds' Mike Fabulous, which heads out on a Afro Beat journey, via Fela Kuti. Laing's philosophy is to immerse himself in the music, thus educating and living the dream.

Has Funk always being your main thing? "Initially it was Jazz. Nick Van Dyk was my first proper Teacher. In '95 I learnt at the Welly Polytechnic and he was my first teacher, but first he had to learn and teach me, then he pushed me on". Laing reckons that the secret to good brass is technique. Master that and you can apply it to any style!"

Cutting his chops with Josh Hindmarsh's Vipers, Laing had his "Cotton Club/Jazz Age moment" when the Courtenay Place joint they were swinging at (1930's style) was busted by the fuzz for dealing coke. "They had these wires down the horns and everything. Every Muso should experience this, like Musician 101 or something".

Laing was also jammin' with Mu and Leon, who DJ'd then, before a Dunedin gig rounded up some live artists like Dallas Taimara, formerly Bongmaster. "Yeah, Dallas pretty much crashed us and refused to leave". That was the first "Freddy" gig and the rest is history.

So what's on the new album? Throw us a bone. "Well, a bit of Jamaican Dance Hall and some intriguing elements of Soul and Country, thanks to one party who's obsessed with Bill Withers. Joe (Lindsay), the apocalyptic trombonist got all Dixieland on us with his new tuba and the new saxophonist Scott Towers brings a Country soul man thing".

Towers, Laing and former 'Freddy' Sax man Warren Maxwell go way back to Polytech and have also played in various Wellington bands. So when Maxwell left to form Little Bushman and Towers finally returned back to New Zealand the transition took place. "But it was more a development than out and out change but it was great he came in when he did. Warren left an element of good musicianship and good times, which still continues".

Speaking of musicians, how's Iain (Gordon, Keyboards)? "Yeah, pretty harsh. He got bitten by a big ass barracuda and had to have some surgery on his tendons, so he's recovering slowly. Hah - but we reeled in a couple the other day - so we kinda got our own back".

So when can we expect to see the new stuff? "We've been playing it for a while. But mindful to of doing a good job on the album, so this year we've been concentrating on that. When it's released we'll be touring heaps, but we want to leave a little souvenir and to make album for all those who have supported us. So, it feels like we have to finish the job".

Although they're booked for Paris and London later in the year, there will only be two local shows both at Music Mountain Matakana. "This'll be a great chance to get out in the beautiful pristine bush and road test the new stuff - and Fitchie's happy, there's a golf course next door".