During my high school years I would often visit my older brother at his university, sometimes hitchhiking across the mountains of southern Vermont to the town where I could catch the Friday evening bus south to reach him in Connecticut. Dave has been driven by music since he was a little boy, so it was typical for me to do my homework in a corner while he practiced his saxophone or rehearsed with a band.
The musical experience that stands out from this period, the mid-1980s, came when Dave joined a group called Talking Drums. Talking Drums brought together an extremely talented bunch of Ghanaian and American musicians. They created unique music that brought together traditional African rhythms, contemporary African Highlife, and American jazz influences. The music was energetic, beautiful, and exciting, and the band began to ignite. They played at big festivals and famous jazz clubs, and recorded two albums, "Talking Drums" and "Some Day Catch Some Day Down." It was a treat to sit in while the group rehearsed – and I don't think I got much homework done.
