Steve Berlin (Los Lobos, The Blasters), Pt. 1

Saxophonist/keyboard player/producer Steve Berlin played with the Blasters before joining Los Lobos, and he noticed a stark contrast between how those two L.A. bands operated. He stuck with Los Lobos and still plays with them 40 years later. A call-‘em-as-he-sees-‘em storyteller, Berlin recounts a crazy Gregg Allman experience, an ordeal with a bad-decisions-prone producer, and his first experience playing what would become his trademark instrument, the baritone sax, on a celebrated Blasters song. He also discusses Los Lobos' sometimes-messy creative process and his co-production—and eventual falling out—with T Bone Burnett on early Los Lobos records. That conflict led to his being diverted to produce the band’s soundtrack for an apparent B-movie. The title? La Bamba. Berlin serves up so much tasty material, you’ll get a second helping next week.