Behind The Green Curtain

Searching for the facts behind the push to Electric Vehicles

UPDATE: After writing this post, I continue to find more articles and stories related to this topic. So at the end of my original article below, I will provide all the new links. – JC

Our politicians and environmental lobby are pushing the public to switch to Electric Vehicles as soon as possible. The switch to EV was the White House’s official answer to reporters when discussing high gas prices earlier this summer. And just recently California announced it is banning new gasoline powered cars by 2035. 17 states have their emissions standards tied to California’s so it will be interesting to see where this all ends up.

But is the technology ready to changeover as quickly as they say we need to? What about the economic impacts? And even more basic than that, is it in fact, “cleaner” to operate an EV than a traditional car? Let’s take a look at the various aspects of this.

How much more does the EV version of a car cost than the gasoline-powered equivalent?
Direct comparisons are hard to find, but expect to pay at least a 10% premium on a compact size. But more and more we are seeing that EVs are skewing towards luxury models with the average price now being $66,000.

Is car insurance the same for EVs compared to their gas-powered equivalents?
According to MoneyGeek, on average, electric vehicle models cost 15% more to insure than conventional gas-powered vehicles. The actual range is 6% to 40%. Teslas are on the higher end of that spectrum.

But “total cost to own” is lower for EVs, right?
“Operating cost” makes it seem lower when comparing the cost of fuel to the cost of electricity, but not if you include the purchase price and other considerations. It’s complicated. See the variables in this article from Car and Driver: EV vs. Gas: Which Cars Are Cheaper to Own?

Where does electricity come from?
Although the exact percentages vary by region, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration in 2021 60% of all electricity comes from fossil fuels, 20% from Nuclear, and the last 20% from renewable sources like hydroelectric, followed by solar and wind. So if you’re purchasing an EV with the intent of reducing your fossil fuel usage, you’re lying to yourself. Instead of burning gasoline to power your car directly, you’re burning natural gas and coal to power your car.

Can most homes support regular EV charging?
In order to utilize the most efficient charging process (a Level 2 charger), most homes would need to be upgraded to regularly provide the 30-50 Amps needed for the current generation of EV vehicles. Keep in mind, that is what is required for EACH electric vehicle you own. A lot of homes only have a master 100A panel. You would need at least a 200A panel to routinely charge two EVs and still have enough amps to run the rest of your home appliances, HVAC system, etc. If you have larger family with 3 or more vehicles, well, you can do the math. Millions of homes would need to upgrade.

Additionally, most EVs have a Level 1 charging cable that runs on a standard outlet, but the full charge time can be 20-40 hours (for a Tesla Model 3 for example). You can cut that down to 8-12 hours with a Level 2 charging cable but that requires a 240v connection in the garage (like an electric clothes dryer outlet), which most homes do not have. That would require a new circuit breaker and additional wiring by a licensed electrician.

In response, Tesla’s marketing team says the average commute is less than 30 miles so you should be fine with a Level 1 charger in most situations. (Unless of course you have to drive somewhere unexpectedly or run errands right after work – or you know – have a life outside of your commute.)

Could our current power distribution infrastructure handle a sudden increase in demand so we can all charge our EVs at home?
In short, No. the power grid would need to be significantly upgraded at every level to increase production, transmission, and distribution capacity. In fact, just recently the state of California asked people to limit the charging of their vehicles due to the increased electricity demand during Labor Day Weekend. This is when the state has only 12.5% of all vehicles being electric. What happens as the number of EVs increase?

How long does an EV full charge last? Is a full charge equivalent to a full tank of gas?
There are a lot of misleading websites out there. Often they will average all EVs and all gas-powered models and compare. Or they will include hybrids on one side or the other. One of the worst sites I saw (from the DOE) compared the MINIMUM gasoline range (of all models) vs the MAXIMUM range EV. Basic common sense should tell you these are flawed comparisons. Perhaps the fairest comparison is also from the Department of Energy, which states that on average, EVs have a range equal to 60% of their gasoline-only counterparts. So if comparing apples to apples, if your gas powered vehicle can do 300 miles on a single tank, the EV version can do 180 before needing another charge. You can half that range again if you’re hauling anything heavy (more info below).

What are the current longest range EVs?
1. Lucid Air (520 miles). MSRP $78k-$179k
2. Tesla Model S (348 miles). MSRP $106k
3. Telsa Model 3 (358 miles). MSRP $60k
4. Mercedes EQS (350 miles). MSRP $103k
5. Tesla Model X (348 miles). MSRP $122k
source: Car and Driver. For reference, a standard Nissan Leaf’s range is about 149 miles, a Chevy Bolt is 259 miles.

Can an EV handle longer trips and vacations?
If you plot your course carefully for supercharger locations and build in waiting/sight-seeing time at those same locations.

What happens if you run out of charge on the side of the road?
You call a tow truck. For 2021, The national average cost of a tow is around $109, but rates can vary, and you can expect to pay between $2.50 and $7.00 per mile. Then, of course, you’ll need to hope they can tow you to a quick-charger and wait a few hours to build up your charge to continue your trip.

Some Tesla owners may be able to call special roadside assistance for a portable supercharger to be brought to you when you are “Out Of Range”, but this service is not free and they don’t publish the cost.

Can an EV handle heavier loads?
It’s going to take a lot of R&D before EVs can take the place of gas engines in heavy duty vehicles. In 2022 Ford started shipping its new EV F-150 truck. After they actually started shipping, real-world tests are showing that when hauling a load such as a camper or trailer, even with the extended range option (bigger battery) and factory-installed tow package, the driving range is between 80-120 miles, or roughly a drive of 90 minutes to 2 hours max.

How does cold weather affect EV performance?
According to Consumer Reports, cold weather saps about 25% of range when cruising at 70mph. An earlier report from Norway found that electric vehicles lose 20% of range and charge more slowly in the cold.

How are EV batteries made? What is the environmental, economic, and social impact of mining battery raw materials?
In his excellent July 2022 article, writer Mark Putzer exposes how the mining of raw materials like Lithium and Cobalt are horrible for the environment and violate human rights. You should read the entire article, but the quick summary is Lithium-ion EV car batteries cause massive amounts of water, soil, and air pollution. “Furthermore, much of the lithium and cobalt mining is in impoverished areas. Miners often work in deplorable and unsafe conditions. Most of them have a low pay level that places them well below the poverty line.” Putzer goes on to say, “as detailed by the Washington Post, the contamination from cobalt mining [in the DCR] resulted in health ailments for people in the surrounding communities, such as birth defects and breathing problems.”

Going far beyond that, CFact writer Ronal Stein recently detailed the horrors of lithium mining in his expose, Is It Ethical To Purchase A Lithium Battery Powered EV? Please take the time to read the entire article, but here is a sobering quote: “

“Today, a typical EV battery weighs one thousand pounds.  It contains 25 pounds of lithium, 60 pounds of nickel, 44 pounds of manganese, 30 pounds cobalt, 200 pounds of copper, and 400 pounds of aluminium, steel, and plastic. Inside are over 6,000 individual lithium-ion cells.

It should concern you that all those toxic components come from mining. For instance, to manufacture each EV auto battery, you must process 25,000 pounds of brine for the lithium, 30,000 pounds of ore for the cobalt, 5,000 pounds of ore for the nickel, and 25,000 pounds of ore for copper. All told, you dig up 500,000 pounds of the earth’s crust for just one battery.”

What is the average lifespan of an EV battery? What happens when it needs to be replaced?
The average battery warranty for EV’s is 7-8 years and/or approximately 100,000 miles. That tells you what the manufacturer’s risk-management bean-counters really consider as the expected lifespan, although individual cars may go longer. A reasonable person might assume if your car battery dies you can just replace it, right? Well it’s not that simple. That battery is far more integrated than you’d think and the manufacturers have adopted a disposable mindset. According to Nissan executive Nic Thomas when discussing the Leaf, “Taking the battery out [of an electric car] and putting a new battery in is not a viable proposition. It’s more sustainable to take the battery pack out of the car after 20 years, recycle the car, and reuse the battery.”

In a related example, New York Radio/TV host @marksimoneny posted a picture of an invoice from a local Chevy dealership to replace the battery in a Chevy Volt. The bill was nearly $30,000!

How does this affect the used car market?
Based on those expectations, a wise person would avoid buying a used EV that is approaching the end of the battery’s useful life. Because as the manufacturers have admitted, when the battery dies the car is basically disposable.

Can car batteries be recycled?
Yes, but there’s a major problem. In an Aug 1, 2022 article in Forbes magazine, writer Carlton Reid states, “Reclaiming cobalt and more through recycling makes ethical and environmental sense, but the financial case is often poor. The retrieved raw material—reclaimed through a hydro-metallurgical process that produces salts or metallic hydroxides which can be used as precursors—doesn’t always even pay for the labor involved, which includes collection, transport, battery chemistry sorting, shredding, separation of metallic and non-metallic materials, neutralizing hazardous substances, smelting, and then purification.” He then goes on to say, “It’s impossible to compile accurate figures for what percentage of lithium-ion batteries are currently recycled, but the value usually quoted is about 5%”

What happens to the rest of the dead batteries?
They end up in landfills.

Do we even have enough capacity to recycle EV batteries?
Carlton Reid continues, “The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the world currently has enough capacity to recycle 180,000 metric tons of spent EV batteries annually. This is nowhere near enough: recycling experts estimate that the EVs bought in 2019 alone will eventually generate 500,000 metric tons of battery waste. By 2040, there could be 1,300-gigawatt hours’ worth of spent batteries in need of recycling, warns the IEA.”

If we all switch to EV’s, what will replace the gas tax to pay for road construction and repair?
According to Consumer Reports, “the federal tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents per gallon. The average state gas tax is 31 cents; it ranges from 8 cents per gallon in Alaska to 51.1 cents per gallon in California. 

“The road tax is built into the price of gas. That money goes to support road infrastructure. And EVs don’t fuel up, so electric car drivers don’t contribute in that way,” says Gabe Shenhar, associate director of Consumer Reports’ auto test program. “For now, EVs are a small portion of the market. But this is something to consider, as EV sales increase.”

Some states have compensated for that lost revenue by doubling the registration fees for EVs, for instance. Another approach is to increase tolls on roads and bridges, with every driver paying the same toll, no matter what type of car they drive.

There are proposals for adding a tax to EV charging stations so that drivers are paying when they fill up, similar in spirit to what is done with gas-powered cars. The problem with that is EV drivers mostly charge their vehicles at home. States would be capturing that tax only when drivers charge up at public charging stations. 

“The additional fee at registration may be the easiest method of recouping some of the lost gas tax revenue,” explains Kelly Funkhouser, manager of vehicle technology at Consumer Reports.”

What happens to small, hometown car dealers who can’t invest in the infrastructure to switch to EV support?
We’re seeing it play out right now with Buick. They will adapt or die.

Conclusion
I don’t think an overall conclusion on my part is particularly helpful. I’ve just tried to share my own research into the various aspects of EVs. The facts speak for themselves. And I would also like to point out that a major technological breakthrough could render much of this old news. What if tomorrow someone invents a new type of battery that gives you extended range, more horsepower, and can do a full charge in 10 minutes? it would change the world and make most of my article obsolete. But even if that happens, we should still tell the truth about environmental impacts. Zero emissions is a nice marketing platitude that makes it sound like you’re doing something positive for the environment, but does not convey the truth about how mining for lithium and cobalt rapes the earth and endangers humans and animals.

Keep asking questions. Peel back the curtain.

MORE LINKS:

Electric Vehicles ‘Laughable” Proposition For At Least A Decade: Expert

“Get an EV.” they said. “It’ll be fun.”

LITHIUM mining for electric vehicles is incredibly destructive to the environment and about as far from “green” as you can imagine

Snarky Puppy destroys the genre of jazz fusion

The genre of jazz fusion has always been controversial. On one extreme you have jazz purists who feel electric instruments are a bastardization of what jazz is all about. On the other side are pioneers who feel that for jazz to progress forward it must embrace technology. This has been debated ever since Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock invented the genre. But if we take a step back and look at the big picture, we can see that this controversy is actually good for music lovers. It creates an environment of self-evaluation where each artist creates it’s own answer to the question, “What is jazz and what role should technology play?” But the answer to that question, it seems, varies from person to person.

If one were to draw a flow chart of jazz fusion, it would obviously include the greats like Miles, Herbie, Weather Report, Pat Metheny, Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the Yellowjackets. But how far towards mainstream genres can you go before it isn’t jazz anymore? Would that chart include rock bands that lean jazz like Steely Dan, Toto, or Aquarium Rescue Unit? Or pop instrumentalists like George Benson, Chuck Mangione and Kenny G? Does it include R&B jazzers like Stevie Wonder, Al Jarreau, or Marvin Gaye? (“What’s Goin’ On” contains many jazz elements.) Most would agree the line certainly would stop before you get to Yanni and John Tesh, but how far? At what point does it cease to become anything resembling jazz and it just instrumental pop?

It is in the context of this tension and controversy that all jazz fusion artists are evaluated. And the jazz community is relentless is their elitist classifications and dismissals. I, myself, tend to have a very dim view of any new release which sounds heavily sequenced and programmed with MIDI tracks and drum machines, or sounds like it follows the “smooth jazz radio” formula. Although I champion the use of electric instruments and synths, I still want the musicians to play LIVE and with each other – not by themselves and their computers. I am always on the lookout for bands that are true masters of their instruments, have great song ideas, and can play as a real ensemble.

Enter Snarky Puppy.

In case you’ve been living in a cave the past few years, Snarky Puppy is a Brooklyn-based instrumental fusion band led by Grammy Award-winning bassist, composer and producer Michael League. Formed in Denton, Texas in 2004, the band features a collective of nearly 40 musicians, referred to as “The Fam” on their recordings and tours. The musicians perform on a variety of instruments including guitars,pianos, keyboards, woodwinds, brass, percussion and strings. Many of the current and former band members were once students at the University of North Texas.

And they are increasingly blowing the genre of jazz fusion away. They are going the opposite direction of the established jazz community. They are young. They have a grueling touring schedule based on their belief that live is the best way to enjoy the music. In fact all of their albums are essentially “live” albums recorded all together as a group and mostly with a studio audience. And even though they have a large ensemble with many keyboards and horns they perform old-school without in-ear monitors and without clicktracks. Their fans are a Godin-esque Tribe that is rabidly loyal and evangelistic. They are humble and accessible and utilize social media. They embrace collaborations with other artists in different genres. They are all really good. And the most interesting difference – they always look as if they are having a blast playing music together. They are having FUN onstage. They visibly challenge and surprise each other, which I would suspect is hard to do when you are with each other practically ALL the time when touring.

A great comparison framework that works well for me is Snarky Puppy vs. the Dave Weckl Band. Dave Weckl is a world-class jazz fusion drummer who gained notoriety as the drummer with the Chick Corea Electrik Band. In the 2000’s he created his own jazz fusion band called the Dave Weckl band. The band was a hit among fusion lovers and the band made seven memorable albums 1998-2005. Weckl is the master of a technique called “displacement.” Bassist Tom Kennedy is blazingly fast and is a great match for Dave. Jay Oliver on keys is basically a Chick Corea clone. Guitarists Buzz Feiten and Frank Gambale brought fire and intensity, and Brandon Fields’ light touch on the Soprano saxophone brought great balance. In short the band was full of technical virtuosos who could play anything. But as good as this band was, there was just something… missing. The band lacked heart. It was cold and sterile. It was like watching 5 brain surgeons. It was impressive but it didn’t move your soul. This has always been the danger of the genre, but this particular band is a singular example.

Snarky is the exact opposite. They are fresh. They are innovative. The fall into a groove and let it breathe for a while before someone wails a solo. They are very dynamic. They let songs build intensity naturally. It is organic and free and emotional. It feels GREAT. And everyone in the place knows it is happening. They also challenge the audience, stretching them along for the ride and not just relying on rote repetition. They are employing the best of jazz traditions – improvisation, mastery, collaboration, the cerebral intellectual challenge but also the emotional heart and soul that connects with people.

In summary, they are completely redefining the genre of jazz fusion. Or in the recent words of David Crosby, they are “the most advanced band in the world.” I totally agree.

All Star Band Fantasy Draft

OK, here’s a fun project for anyone who wants to participate. You are invited to select an All-Star band, which will be made up of the following members:

(2) Drummers
(2) Bass Players
(2) Keyboardists
(2) Guitarists
(2) Horn/Auxillary Instrumentalists
(2) Guest Vocalists

You are drafting a starting lineup and a bench. You may only select one player at a time, and we all take turns. I will moderate the draft, letting you know when it’s time to select again. DO NOT enter your entire band at once. (The point is to have some fun discussion along the way). You can start with any instrument you like. For this edition of the fantasty draft, you must select members who are LIVING. In a future edition, we will do an all-time draft. When you make your selection, give a brief description of why you made your pick.

ROUND EIGHT IS ACTIVE!

Round Seven Complete

The Return of ‘JermTech’

I’m excited to announce a job change – in a couple of weeks I will be a Senior Event Technology Specialist at Opryland Hotel!

One of the large meeting rooms inside the hotel.

I will be joining a team of about 60 full and part-time techs who provide Audio-Video-Lighting-Presentation support for business meetings, conventions, banquets, receptions, fundraisers, exhibits, and concerts in their 300,000 square feet of meeting spaces. (I will technically be working for the company PSAV which has the technical contract for all Gaylord owned properties.)

The Atrium inside the Opryland Hotel. This space connects the hotel and the meeting spaces.

In my new position I will be one of three Senior Techs who manages all the other technicians and sets schedules for them.

http://www.psav.com/

Music and Audio Company Consolidation

HEADLINE (Dec 5 2011): Gibson Acquires KRK, Stanton, and Cerwin-Vega.

I’m not a fan of this. It leads to decreased competition, price controls, and a decrease in innovation. Take a look at the handful of companies that now control a majority of the Music and Pro-Audio world:

HARMAN INTERNATIONAL

1. AKG microphones
2. BSS signal processors
3. Crown amplifiers
4. dbx signal processors
5. Digitech guitar products
6. JBL pro audio
7. Lexicon digital processing
8. Soundcraft mixing consoles
9. Studer mixing consoles

LOUD TECHNOLOGIES

1. Alvarez guitars
2. Ampeg bass guiar amps
3. Crate amplifiers
4. Blackheart guitar amps
5. EAW pro audio
6. Mackie mixing consoles
7. Martin Audio

FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION

1. Charvel
2. Genz-Benz
3. Gibralter
4. Gretsch
5. Guild
6. Fender
7. Hamer
8. Jackson
9. LP
10. Ovation
11. Sabian
12. Sunn
13. SWR
14. Tacoma
15. Takamine
16. Toca

GIBSON GUITAR CORPORATION

1. Baldwin
2. Epiphone
3. Gibson
4. Kalamazoo
5. Kramer
6. Slingerland
7. Steinberger
8. Tobias
9. Valley Arts
10. Wurlitzer

BOSCH

The Bosch Group is the parent company of Electro-Voice, Telex, Memorex, Dynacord, RTS, and others. It actually has 350 subsidiaries in 60 countries.

NOTEABLE EXCEPTIONS

I salute the following companies, who brave out the free market on their own terms:

1. Ashly signal processing
2. Meyer pro audio
3. DPA microphones
4. Shure microphones
5. Radial Engineering

The things I look for in a political candidate

This upcoming election season is proving to be quite interesting, at least on the Republican side. There are still quite a few candidates that genuinely have a shot at the nomination. I’ve had lots of discussions with a variety of people on both twitter and facebook.

I’ve had the “Paulies” come after me (the overzealous, cult-like Ron Paul supporters who gradually become more forceful until they are nothing but a barrage of insults and name-calling); I’ve had the intellectuals come after me (ivy leaguers, law grads and students, etc.) who pretty much tell me I’m too dumb to understand politics; I’ve had your standard leftists argue with me (journalists, art students, musicians, entertainment industry folks, etc.) who think all Republicans are Satan himself; I’ve been bullied by a few blue-collar union types for siding with the “rich” who have sent our jobs overseas; and I’ve also been attacked from the right by tea partiers and single-issue social conservatives who say my particular brand of politics “isn’t Christian enough” for their taste.

In my experience, when someone just can’t understand why you would choose a particular candidate, they just fall back into saying you’re dumb or that you’re naive, or misguided, or they’ll just call you names and get angry. Wow. So touchy. So much hate going on.

I’m not an ill-informed citizen. I try to stay on top of current events. I actively pursue various sources of news each day (traditional sources, news aggregates, talk radio, and social media). I pay attention to who the candidates are, what their positions are, what their background and experience is, and what their stated plans are. So, I’m sorry internet trolls, but I’m not dumb, naive or ill-informed. You just don’t like my selection. But that’s OK. I probably don’t like yours either.

During one of these discussions, I outlined for someone my priorities for selecting a candidate. I thought it turned out good enough to share here (with a few tweaks) – something I could personally refer back to and also point others to in the future.

1. Idealogy.
   Currently in my case this means conservative with federalist leanings and an economic libertarian streak… I’m looking for a person who truly understands the Constitution and values the wisdom and heritage the founding fathers left us.
2. Character
   This doesn’t mean that the candidate has never had a failing. But I’m looking for someone who learns from their mistakes, who can be honest about them, and can move forward in a healthy way.
3. Leadership
   Does the person actually have the skills to lead and has demonstrated that effectively before in other roles? Or are they just obsessed with power or money? Or are they gifted more as a diplomat, an orator, soldier, manager, professor, or theorist?
4. Likeability
   This can be a slippery slope, I know. But if you have a gut reaction where you just don’t like someone – I have found that there’s usually a good underlying reason for that feeling.
5. A Bias Against Career Politicians
   I’m not ashamed to admit that I do not trust long-time politicians. It is an inherently dirty business that tends to corrupt even principled, well-meaning people over time.

This list doesn’t really change from election cycle to election cycle (though its entirely possible my idealogy adapts and grows and changes.) In 2008 I supported Fred Thompson. That is entirely consistent with this list. For 2012, I haven’t fully decided yet, but I’m leaning heavily towards Herman Cain because of this list.

Get To

There used to be a lot of things I felt I had to do. I had to go to work. I had to attend meetings. I had to produce something. I had to edit something. I had to contribute something on a schedule. I had to design something. I had to play music.

Have To is not a very fun place to be. Have To has an inherent “I’d rather be doing something else” to it. Have To sucks to joy out of the experience.

In the movie, Gladiator, Russell Crowe’s character, Maximus, asks his slave Cicero, “Do you find it hard to do your duty?” Cicero replies, “Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.”

Now, I certainly wouldn’t compare my life to Cicero’s; I have lived a very sheltered and blessed life in the suburban midwest. But I think at some level, we all have felt what Cicero expressed. We pile up obligations and commitments and before you know it – we are a slave to our own schedule.

But in the past few months I’ve experienced the freedom of “Get To.” I Get To play music in a wide variety of formats. I Get To serve at a cool church. I Get To produce things for a solid company. I Get To take side jobs that are interesting and challenging.

Get To is a lot more fulfilling than Have To.

Would I attribute that change to a difference of location? of vocation? or is it mental? I’m still figuring that out. But one thing is clear – life is a lot more fun this way.

All Things New

I was honored to be part of a live cd recording project from my home church in Kokomo, Indiana this past weekend. Oakbrook’s “All Things New” is a project that was the idea of a congregation member who wanted a tool to give to friends and coworkers to demonstrate to them what a different kind of church could look and sound like. The finished CD’s are going to be invitations to come to the church. Cool idea!

The set list was as follows:

1. All Things New (Oakbrook original)
2. Glory To God Forever
3. Jesus Reigns (Oakbrook original)
4. Our God
5. Worthy (Oakbrook original)
6. Revelation Song
7. Your Name (Oakbrook original)
8. O This God
9. You Are God
10. Holy
11. Our Everything (Oakbrook original)
12. How He Loves
13. Resurrection People (Oakbrook original)
14. All Things New (reprise)

Here’s a few pics of the night:

Motown Homages (Throwback Songs)

I love the old Motown Detroit-era sound. Apparently, so do a lot of artists because they keep dipping into that sound again and again. Here is my list of songs that appear to be obvious homages to the Motown sound.

Note: To make sure these were true homages, they couldn’t be actual covers, and they had to be recorded after 1972 (when Motown Detroit closed its doors). I also excluded any obvious parodies (The California Raisins) or original songs from period movies (like Dreamgirls, That Thing you Do, etc.)

THE LIST

• Money Grabber, Fitz & The Tantrums (2011)
• Rumour Has It, Adele (2011)
• The Song Otherwise Known as Forget You, Cee-Lo Green (2010)
• I Learned The Hard Way, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (2010)
• Summer Days, Sheryl Crow (2010)
• Dog Days Are Over, Florence & The Machine (2008)
• Then The Morning Comes, SmashMouth (1999)
• Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman (1996)
• Waterfalls, TLC (1995)
• The Motown Song, Rod Stewart (1991)
• Good Thing, FYC (1989)
• Two Hearts, Phil Collins (1988 – produced by Lamon Dozier!)
• Roll With It, Steve Winwood (1988)
• I Can Dream About You, Dan Hartman (1984)
• Uptown Girl, Billy Joel (1983)
• Tell Her About It, Billy Joel (1983)
• Maneater, Hall & Oats (1982)
• Giving Him Something He Can Feel, Aretha Franklin (1976) and En Vogue (1991)

Good Musicianship is a Bygone Thing?

On the Dan Patrick show just moments ago:

DP: If I brought in other musicians – pianists and keyboard players – to have a “Piano-Off” – who would make you the most nervous?

John Legend: Well, I think most real pianists would make me nervous.

DP: Just in pop music. If Elton John and Billy Joel came in…

John Legend: Yeah, yeah – they’re better than me. Stevie Wonder. All the older guys are better. But I don’t know that there are very many newer artists that play the piano that are great pianists. I think that might be a bygone thing.

In other words, John Legend, you are saying that fame and money and slick production are more important than woodshedding and becoming a good muso in today’s music business?

Somewhere, Allen Iverson is shaking his head and saying, “Practice? We talking about practice?”