Smooth Improvisation

Nathaniel Townsley

"Quiet Storm"
A Profile of Nathaniel Townsley -- drummer -- of Smooth Improvisation.

At the age of three, Nathaniel began playing drums at the church where his father was the pastor. He grew up with a love of Gospel music, which grew into a love of all types of music. But his parents didn't tolerate a lot of noise so Nathaniel wasn't allowed to bang drums in the house. He got into a habit of not practicing at home. So what do you call a drummer who doesn't practice? Try highly successful.

Trying to converse with Nathaniel is like holding an oyster. You know there's something in there, you're just not sure if it's a pearl or not. He's a quiet man, even by his own admission, but man can he play those drums.

"It takes time to learn music," Nathaniel says. "Music has a language on its own."

Nathaniel learned a lot of that language by the time he was a sophomore in Erasmus Hall High School. He was the trumpet player for their jazz band when the band's highly touted drummer at the time – Gregory Hutchinson – took a two-week leave. By then Karl Browne was accomplished in the band and suggested Nathaniel play the drums. Nathaniel was asked to play and so he did, albeit reluctantly.

"We were worried about the shows and what-not," says Karl, "but he more than held his own. He amazed us all including our band leader Mr. Storniolo."

Nathaniel is now the lead drummer for Smooth Improvisation. And that not practicing thing? Well...He performs so much that his practicing is done on stage. He’s performed all over the world in jazz clubs and with such stars as Mariah Carey and Stevie Wonder.

"I'm blessed and my parents are really proud," Nathaniel says quietly.

Jerry Brooks

"The Roof is on Fire"
A Profile of Jerry Brooks -- bassist -- of Smooth Improvisation

Somewhere in a club near Manhattan's South Street Seaport, Jerry Brooks was performing with his electric bass. The year was 2000, the club packed, the vibe good. Across from him was a refreshing young pianist who obviously knew his stuff. As Jerry and Karl Browne entertained the patrons, they tore the roof off – literally.

"The roof caught on fire," Jerry, 42, says. "But we kept playing anyway. We figured that if we stopped playing then people would panic. So we were looking at the roof burning, the firemen coming in and we kept playing. That's the night I met Karl Browne."

Add Karl to an impressive list of talent that Jerry has played with or toured with. He's made music with Special Efx, Alex Bugnon, Cheilie Minucci, Lenny White, D'Angelo, Chico DeBarge, Omar Hakim and Lionel Richie and even performed in a VH1 Divas 2000 tribute to Diana Ross.

Jerry has played on a number of gold records, and is endorsed by Hartke, Ken Smith Basses, and D.R. Strings. He's become a bass legend – someone whom bass players name when they are asked to name their influences.

Jerry has come a long way. He started out being fascinated with the guitar when the uncle of his next door neighbor, Arthur "Buttons" Williams, played the guitar on Sesame Street. By 13, Jerry says he was pretty good on the guitar, even playing in nightclubs. Somewhere along the way, one of his well wishers had given him a bass guitar.

"So I started messing with it," he says.

One of Jerry's friends needed a bass player for his band, "Taste" (A name that Jerry later changed to "Doc Ice"). Jerry offered to substitute, making it clear that the bass was his second instrument. But, he says, the guitar player and the drummer told him to give up the guitar. And so St. Albans, Queens had another talented musician in its midst when Jerry Brooks found his calling.

"St. Albans was a mecca for musicians," he says. "I lived on 198th street. On 199th street was Omar Hakim who played with 'Harlem River Drive' and Marcus Miller, their bass player for a while.

While growing up in Queens, Jerry says three people heavily influenced him.

Jimi Hendrix: "When I seen him on tape in 1970 playing that guitar behind his back so effortlessly, I said, 'That's it! I know what I’m going to do for the rest of my life!' "

James Jameson: "He was the Motown bass player. He played on most of those Motown hits from the Jackson 5 and Diana Ross. He was the cornerstone for Barry Gordy's label.

"The bass guitar was invented in 1951. It's a new instrument but he perfected it in 1954. His technique with open strings wore me out."

Anthony Jackson: "He introduced the six string bass. He's the real bass god! That is the cat up and down. I pattern my style after his in muting the strings so they don't ring."

The bass, he says, is a "support instrument" and he advises young bass players to seek a good teacher, learn to read music and theory and keep the playing subtle and clean.

"Not everybody's a Marcus Miller," he says. "If you play bass and want to be in the forefront, then get your own band. We're supposed to be like blockers on a football team. We don't get any praise, but without us the running back can't go anywhere!"

The contagious, I Want to be the Man disease is the reason he doesn't enjoy most contemporary musicians. But he was impressed with D'Angelo and loves the music of Pancho Sanchez. He also loves Karl Browne.

"I like Smooth Improvisation," he says. "It was refreshing for me to meet a young player like Karl. He's huge in the New York scene and he stacks right up there. He could be one of the great ones, I know he could."