Wayman Tisdale in the paint at Roberts’ Orpheum Aug. 12
After winning a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics and consistently being an All Star throughout his twelve-year career in the National Basketball Association, Wayman Tisdale turned to the electric bass guitar. All five of his albums to date have hit nothing but net on their way into the Billboard Top 10 on the contemporary jazz album chart, including his latest release, Hang Time, with its #1 smooth jazz radio hit, “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now.”
Tisdale will perform in St. Louis at the Roberts’ Orpheum Theatre on August 12 as part of the all-star touring package “Guitars & Saxes,” which this year includes Jeff Golub, Warren Hill and Mindi Abair. Tickets are $25. For $95.5 per pair you can attend a special pre-event party with Tisdale for hors devours and drinks at 6 p.m. Proceeds from the special event will benefit Harris-Stowe State College.
Tisdale’s sound incorporates R&B grooves, funky jazz jams, spirited gospel and adult pop. Beyond playing, Tisdale also writes, produces and/or collaborates on most of the tracks on his albums.
It was ten years ago that he began his transition towards recording artist with the release of his debut album, Power Forward, which came out two years prior to his retirement from the Phoenix Suns. His fourth album, Face To Face, was his first #1 on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart and spawned the #1 radio hit, “Can’t Hide Love,” an urban jazz cover of the Earth, Wind & Fire classic.
Over the years, Tisdale has recorded with David Sanborn, Jeff Lorber, Brian Culbertson, Philip Bailey, Everette Harp and sax sensation Dave Koz, who is co-founder of the Rendezvous Entertainment record label that Tisdale now records for after stints with Atlantic Records and Motown.
As for his new Rendezvous release, Hang Time, Tisdale says it is “the perfect summertime BBQ CD, so get ready to hang!”
On the record’s 12 songs, Tisdale’s bass takes the lead. “I feel like I’m a melodic vocalist on the bass,” Tisdale explains. “I’m not playing bass – I try to make it sound more like a singer. I don’t think it’s been done this way, being more in tune with singing than with just chops.”
Hang Time’s mix of funk, old-school cool and up-to-date R&B includes collaborations with Koz, super-producer Jeff Lorber, longtime friend and gospel music producer Tracy Carter and Pieces of Dream co-founder James Lloyd, who wrote and produced the title track.
As he did with “Can’t Hide Love,” Tisdale reaches back into the ‘70s for two cover songs: the McFadden and Whitehead dance classic “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” and Smokey Robinson’s seminal “Cruisin’.”
“I’m stuck in that ‘70’s type of groove,” Tisdale says. “I feel like it’s my duty to keep the old-schoolers in the loop for today’s listeners.”
On the Koz collaboration, “Better Days,” Tisdale picks the melodic lead on the bass in time with Koz’s sax. On “My World,” a ballad featuring a passage that mimicks a children’s playground sing-song challenge, Tisdale plays all instruments: bass, acoustic guitar, keyboards and drum programming. The CD closes with “Glory Glory,” a gospel song that spotlights Tisdale’s daughter, Danielle, who is pursuing a singing career while studying at the University of Oklahoma, daddy’s alma mater.
Tisdale was born in Fort Worth, Texas and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he still lives with his wife Regina and their four children. Tisdale is proud of his Bible Belt roots. He fell in love with his chosen instrument while watching the bass players in his hometown church, where his father, the late Rev. Louis Tisdale, was a minister.
“I thought they were the coolest cats,” Tisdale says. “They got to stand and do their thing in the back. I’d watch their fingering and how they played.” One day, his father bought young Wayman and his two brothers a Mickey Mouse guitar each. Although his brothers quickly turned them into paddles and baseball bats, Wayman began teaching himself how to play – and hasn’t stopped since.
Tickets are available at the Pageant, Ticketmaster locations, or by calling (314) 421-4400 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com.
