"A lot of songs can be inspired by social or current events. I want music to be something that takes the listener back to a familiar place or person, when they hear that song or music again."

Rafe Klein: Rock n' Blues Starshine

Veteran rock ‘n’ rollers with the blues in their hearts, The Name Droppers, have toured the world backing blues rock guitar icon, Johnny Winter, and East Coast legend, Charlie Karp, who earned notoriety as a teenager playing guitar with Buddy Miles. When a group of musicians is really grooving and having a wonderful time making the music together , the joy can be heard on every track. This is absolutely the case on the new 4th album "Starshine" (Release Day: June 14th, 2024) from the Connecticut based super group The Name Droppers. The founding award - winning rhythm section of drummer Bobby “T” Torello and Grammy - winning bassist Scott Spray, courtesy of Johnny Winter, are joined by keyboardist Ron Rifkin and guitarist Rafe Klein. The 10-song collection is a set of fire breathing blues, rock and soul as expected from these seasoned veterans. Klein and Torello share the lead vocals on the eight new original tracks and two reworked covers from B.B. King and The Beatles. Special guests include Dave Lowrie on piano with Jonathan Dubose and the legendary Charlie Karp (R.I.P.) sitting in on guitar along with splendid background vocals from Simone Brown and Carol Sylvan. "Starshine" makes a fine addition to The Name Droppers’ vaunted legacy.

(The Name Droppers: Rafe Klein, Bobby “T” Torello, Scott Spray and Ron Rifkin / Photo by Bill Carpenter)

Winner of the 2023 New England Music Awards for "Best Blues Act", the quartet of guitarist Rafe Klein, Hall of Fame drummer Bobby “T” Torello, Grammy-winning bassist Scott Spray and keyboardist Ron Rifkin joined forces in 2019. Their previous third album, Blue Diamonds (2023) was a collection of muscular tunes comprises seven new originals with two beloved blues classics and a bonus live track. Rafe Klein is a songwriter, and no stranger to the music scene, as he played alongside blues legend Charlie Karp for many years and co-wrote many songs that appeared on Charlie Karp’s last album “Back to You” (Courtesy of Red Parlor Records) and “Love” (Carole Sylvan’s album featuring The Name Droppers). 

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Blues/Rock music influenced your views of the world? Where does your creative drive come from?

Blues Rock: they say the blues had a baby and it was called “Rock & Roll”.  Makes me think of Muddy Waters meets The Rolling Stones. Johnny Winter is a huge influence on our band, he defines “Blues/Rock”, and he has certainly been an influence on the world. 

How do you describe The Name Droppers music philosophy? What characterize your lyrics/songwriting and songbook?

Drums and bass play a big part. Bobby T and Scott Spray both played with Johnny Winter, but not at the same time. They have been friends for years, and now that they play together, live, and in the studio, they have become almost their own unit. Tight, and powerful rhythm section. The Name Droppers’ music also features piano, organ, and guitar, which is not overbearing, but can be tasty. 

I think the most important, and hardest thing in songwriting is finding a hook.  The hook, which is usually the chorus, but not always. The hook can be musical, but most of the time, lyrical. Like a good use of a well-known cliche, like “Time Is On Your Side” or “Fake It Till Ya Make It”. Once there’s a hook that is cool, and catchy, something to define the song, then we want to have a traditional order of verses/choruses, and usually a bridge. I like to stay true to that concept, or tradition. Lastly, if it’s possible, try to improve the lyrics. One or 2 simple lyric changes can improve the song. Even if it’s just one word, or clever phrase, it make a big difference.

"Technique can be taught, or learned, but soul cannot. Soul is in you all your life.  Either you got soul, or you ain’t got no soul." (The Name Droppers, rock ‘n’ blues in their hearts / Photo by Mike Strong)

How do you think that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music? What has remained the same about your music-making process?

My musicianship and guitar playing has improved over the last 5 years. Mostly from playing with my band mates more frequently, and working or rehearsing with the band. 

What has remained is the way we record.  It’s all about the song, still.  We look for a good hook, then build around it. Once we have the complete arrangement that is good enough, then we go into the studio. We start with rhythm section, and scratch vocal. Next, overdubs. Ron Rifkin plays organ and piano, so we may overdub either one, or I may overdub guitar. Sometimes Scott Spray may want to fix a bass note or 2. This is rare since he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Then whoever is singing lead, will take a final vocal, then we add the backgrounds. Then Vic Steffens our producer mixes, (right mix) and we listen, and live with it for a while, until we love it, and it becomes the final mix.

Currently you’ve one more release with The Name Droppers. How did the idea of band and name “The Name Droppers” come about?

The name “Name Droppers” came about in the 1980s. Charlie Karp who had already played with Buddy Miles, and toured, and opened for Jimi Hendrix, formed “Charlie Karp & The Name Droppers”. His band consisted of players who also played with some very important and notable musicians. Today, almost a half a century later that concept is still very present in the band. Scott and Bobby both have played with Johnny Winter, also can “drop names” like Edgar Winter, Michael Bolton, Grace Slick, Felix Cavalier and the Rascals, and of course the late Charlie Karp. (That’s my name drop)

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album “Starshine” (2024)?

It was in the fall of 2023. I went over Bobby T Torello’s house with these strange lyrics, and a groove. But I wasn’t convinced it was any good. I started playing this Wilson Picket/Muscle Shoals inspired guitar riff. I started playing and singing it for Bobby. I sang, “Starshine”… Bobby sang, “could have been the moonshine”… We both sang “soul shine”. We looked at each other with raised eyebrows!  We had found a hook, and it seemed to be good. That was the confirmation that I was looking for. We both knew we had something. We built the rest of the song and improved the lyrics from there. That song turned out to be the title track.

"Blues Rock: they say the blues had a baby and it was called “Rock & Roll”. Makes me think of Muddy Waters meets The Rolling Stones. Johnny Winter is a huge influence on our band, he defines “Blues / Rock”, and he has certainly been an influence on the world." (Rafe Klein / Photo by Judith Byman)

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

Not much. I like new stuff; I enjoy pop songs. It is interesting to hear how they produced it years ago, compared to now. Nowadays, the listener will barely hear the whole album. They will listen to just a small clip of your song, and usually on a phone with a tiny speaker with lousy sound. They can’t hear the bass, and get to feel the groove. That’s usually how they make the first impression. When someone buys a movie, do they just watch the last scene? Or just 5 minutes of the middle, and shut it off? When someone buys a book, do they just read chapter 3, and maybe 5 or chapter 6? No, but with music, they select what songs to hear, and usually move on before they have a chance to hear it all, or explore the whole album, or experience the sequence (order of the songs) that the artists spend time on selecting.

I wish that can go back to the way it was, when the listener would actually sit and just listen to ab album and take in the whole thing. But with evolving technology, I doubt it ever will.

What moment changed your music life the most? What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

My musical journey changed when my mentor Charlie Karp died in March 2019. I wasn’t sure how to continue since the whole band relied on him for most of what we were doing. I was incredibly fortunate to inherit his band, which at the time was Scott Spray (bass), Bobby T Torello, (drums) and Ron Rifkin (piano). Since then, we stuck together. They were willing to keep it going with me, even though the leader, singer, and lead guitarist of the band has passed away.

The highlights for me is being able to play up to those guys. It has made me much better of a player. They have stuck it out with me, I’m grateful for that.

"The name “Name Droppers” came about in the 1980s. Charlie Karp who had already played with Buddy Miles, and toured, and opened for Jimi Hendrix, formed “Charlie Karp & The Name Droppers”. His band consisted of players who also played with some very important and notable musicians. Today, almost a half a century later that concept is still very present in the band." (Photo: Rafe Klein & Charlie Karp)

What's the balance in music between technique and soul? Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues?

Technique can be taught, or learned, but soul cannot. Soul is in you all your life.  Either you got soul, or you ain’t got no soul. 

Blues is the blueprint of many genres, but it’s also it’s important to preserve blues as its own genre. That is to stay true to, or stay as close to the progression (1,4,5) as you can. That’s not always so easy to do, if you want an interesting song. It’s simple but not easy. You need really good lyrics, which I think are very important with blues music.

How do you prepare for your recordings and performances to help you maintain both spiritual and musical stamina?

We prepare before we go in.  We don’t rehearse at the studio the day of the recording. That way we shouldn’t have any downtime. We’ve already worked out the arrangement and we each know, individually, exactly how we’re going to play on the intro, verse, bridge, and so on. Usually, Scott Spray charts it out and directs the rhythm section while tracking. Also, we make sure our producer Vic Steffens is familiar with the song.  He’ll add some input, and know what to get out of the band, to get our best performance. 

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

A lot of songs can be inspired by social or current events. I want music to be something that takes the listener back to a familiar place or person, when they hear that song or music again.                         (Photo: Rafe Klein, musician, film maker, and video producer)

"I think the most important, and hardest thing in songwriting is finding a hook.  The hook, which is usually the chorus, but not always. The hook can be musical, but most of the time, lyrical."

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Watching videos of the band, or listening to recordings of rehearsals of the band, and myself, that I hated. It may be a way I played a riff, or my volume on my guitar, or how I sang flat here or there. When you hear it, and you realize how much you hate what you did, and know what you did wrong. Then, you learn very quickly how to (not ever) do that again! You improve. 

You’re also a music video producer. The relationship between music and other forms of art – such as video art - has become increasingly important. How do you see this relationship yourself and in how far, do you feel, does music relate to other senses than hearing alone?

Videos are important. Any smart schoolteacher will use a visual aid in their classrooms.  Large companies, and media outlets always use video or footage as a way to get their message across. Music is different. A great song can stand alone. But in many ways, having a good video, that also sounds good, can make a difference. Social Media is flooded with video. The issue is, since it has gotten popular, almost all bands have videos now, so you have to produce a competitive video as well as a competitive song. 

Do you think there is an audience for blues/rock music in its current state? or at least a potential for young people to become future audiences and fans?

There’s an audience for it for sure. It may not live within the younger generation, but, like any genre, blues, rock, or hip hop, or pop, sometimes songs can become hits, and then become mainstream. When that happens, the younger generation will be drawn to it, and won’t be able to ignore it. If it’s really good music, I would like to think it doesn’t matter the genre, and it will appeal to audiences young and old, and future generations, by standing the test of time.

The Name Droppers - Home

(The Name Droppers: Rafe Klein, Bobby “T” Torello, Scott Spray and Ron Rifkin / Photo by Bill Carpenter)