[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21714]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO THE JAZZ GREAT, NATHAN EAST

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 28, 2006

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the renowned 
jazz musician, Nathan East, a distinguished member of the music 
industry. It behooves us to pay tribute to this outstanding artist and 
I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing his impressive 
accomplishments.
  Born one of seven children to Thomas and Gwendolyn East on December 
8, 1955, in Philadelphia, PA, Nathan East and his family moved to San 
Diego, CA, when he was 4 years old to accommodate his father's 
aerodynamic engineering position at General Dynamics. As a child, East 
would peck out familiar melodies on the family piano. Music filled the 
home as his sister Cecilia practiced the French horn and their sister 
Gertrude played the flute. When Nathan was in the seventh grade, he 
began playing cello in the junior high school orchestra. At age 14, he 
switched to bass guitar, inspired by his older brother David's mastery 
of the guitar. He began playing for local church groups and folk masses 
with his brothers.
  East played along with the recordings of jazz bassists Ray Brown, Ron 
Carter, Charles Mingus, Buster Williams, Scott LaFaro, Motown's James 
Jamerson, James Brown, Sly Stone with Larry Graham, Cream, and horn 
bands like Chicago, Tower of Power and Blood, Sweat & Tears as they 
came over the radio or out of his record player. The young bassist 
began playing in his high school's jazz ensemble, marching band, choir, 
chorus, and pep band, as well as local Top 40 bands. He also listened 
to Wes Montgomery, Quincy Jones, Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Hancock, 
Wayne Shorter, George Benson, Bob James, Harvey Mason, Lee Ritenour, 
Jimi Hendrix, Santana, session bassist Chuck Rainey, Earth, Wind & 
Fire's Verdine White, and Francis Rocco Prestia.
  East's breakthrough came while he was a member of a band named Power. 
They were hired as the house band for a Stax revue. The recognition 
brought the attention of Barry White, who hired the entire band for a 
national tour. Still a teenager, East became a member of the Love 
Unlimited Orchestra (``Love's Theme'') playing The Apollo Theater, 
Madison Square Garden, Kennedy Center and other major U.S. venues. East 
earned a bachelor of arts degree in Music from University of California 
at San Diego. He began work on a master's degree when instructor 
Bertram Turetzky suggested that he already had enough education and 
that it was time for him to move to Los Angeles to try and start a 
lucrative music career.
  While involved with the San Diego club and studio scene, Barry White 
contacted him to play on many of his recording projects. In early 1980, 
veteran writer/arranger Gene Page, whom East had worked with on White's 
sessions, called the bassist to play on a recording session for a Hertz 
commercial jingle. Impressed with East's ability to read music as well 
as his diverse playing skills, Page used East on numerous projects 
(Dionne Warwick, Johnny Mathis, Whitney Houston, and Madonna).
  As East's reputation grew on the L.A. session scene, so did his job 
calls. From that point on, East worked consistently, He did sessions 
for Lionel Richie (``Endless Love,'' Kenny Rogers' ``Lady'') and Kenny 
Loggins (``Footloose'', ``Vox Humana''). He toured with Loggins 
appearing with the singer at Live Aid in 1985. Eric Clapton heard East 
and invited him to join his band. With keyboardist Greg Phillinganes 
and drummer Phil Collins, they toured the world over and performed 
multiple concerts at London's Royal Albert Hall which resulted in the 
release of Clapton's ``24 Nights'' CD, 1988.
  In 1990, East was one of four musicians that formed the supergroup, 
Fourplay. The group had phenomenal success: albums selling millions of 
copies, several times charting at No. 1 as well as remaining on the 
chart as long as 90 weeks and a Grammy nomination.
  East was voted the Most Valuable Player in the bass category at the 
International Rock Awards. He also won Britain's most prestigious Ivor 
Novello Award for co-writing the number one hit song ``Easy Lover'' 
with Phil Collins and Philip Bailey. East has developed his own Yamaha 
Signature Series bass guitar (the BBNE-2) available in stores 
worldwide. He also has an instructional VHS video, Contemporary 
Electric Bass and instructional DVD, The Business of Bass, (distributed 
by Hal Leonard Music Publishing Co), a behind the scenes look that goes 
into considerable detail on the steps he has taken, the choices and 
decisions made and the mindset that has successfully earned him both 
the profile and a respect many players would be pleased to call their 
own.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is incumbent on this body to recognize 
the accomplishments of Nathan East, as he offers his talents and 
services for the betterment of our local and global communities,
  Mr. Speaker, Nathan East's selfless service has continuously 
demonstrated a level of altruistic dedication that makes him most 
worthy of our recognition today.

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