The Paul Tillman Smith Interview

·51 min·5 clips

Paul Tillman-Smith reveals how a contest for a Tyler Perry film ended the moment judges heard his song.

The episode features an interview with Paul Tillman-Smith, a drummer and composer with deep roots in the Bay Area music scene. Paul begins by discussing his recent recognition from record labels in England and a song contest win for a Tyler Perry film. He recounts his early days playing R&B and blues on 7th Street in Oakland after high school. Paul describes auditioning for a hippie band in Berkeley with musicians like Steve Miller and Country Joe, but missing out on joining their bands due to others' objections. He then moved to New York to pursue jazz, living in Alphabet City and playing at venues like Slug's with artists such as Lee Morgan and Joe Henderson. Paul shares personal anecdotes, including his father's history as a drummer with Count Basie and his connection to bassist Wilbur Ware. He talks about his return to the Bay Area, where he played with local legends like Bobby Hutchinson and founded the Berkeley Juneteenth Festival in 1987. The conversation touches on his studio work, including recordings with Michael White and unreleased tracks discovered in Japan. Paul reflects on his career choices, such as turning down a gig with Jimi Hendrix, and his current life, including his church gig and non-profit work. Throughout, he emphasizes the liberating aspects of drumming in the 1960s and the challenges of being a musician today.

As heard by us

A loose Bay Area music conversation where scene memory, working life, and unfinished stories carry the rhythm.

The Paul Tillman-Smith Interview works best as a relaxed Bay Area music-history visit, tracing a working musician's path from high-school symphony and jazz band memories to newer music attracting attention from a couple of labels in England.

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Why you'd press play

You can trace Bay Area grooves from high-school jazz-band memories to a vinyl project finding its way through England.

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