They’re old, but they can still rock ‘n’ roll. And they are as funky and soulful as bands a quarter of their age. The Malibu Times caught up with The New Old, one of Malibu’s most popular live acts, at a corporate gig they played at The Ritz Hotel in San Francisco.
Lyn Christiansen got the idea to have the band perform at the party when she heard The New Old play at her Malibu neighbor Richard Gibbs’ New Year’s Eve party. “They were amazing,” she said. “I recommended them for my company’s event. They’re not just a band, they are performers. There’s so much soul there. They exude an energy that makes people want to get up and dance.”
Fourteen musicians played in the band the night of the party. Most have been professional for years and were semi-retired, supplementing their skills and passion for music with “jobs.”
Lead singer, band leader and Malibu resident Lenny Goldsmith, 68, said, “It was never intended to be a 14-piece soul band. It was meant to be a pop group that played a bit of everything. I always wanted it to be guitar-based. We have Colin Ryan and Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watkin on guitars. I was the keyboard player until Tom Canning, 67, joined us. He was Al Jarreau’s musical director for years and played all over the world with French superstar Johnny Hallyday.”
Jerry Peterson, 69, plays alto and tenor sax … at the same time. He and Goldsmith have been friends for 55 years. “Musically, Jerry is just wonderful,” said Goldsmith “I’ve never heard a tone like his. He’s the horn player on Kim Carnes’s ‘Betty Davis Eyes.’ We’re all about getting people up and dancing and spreading the joy. Soul music moves people of all ages.”
As well as two guitarists, the band has five singers (including Goldsmith), three horn players, Bruce Greenspan on percussion, Canning on keys, usually Dave Batti on bass (or sometimes Greg Kage) and Dennis Kenmore on drums.
Kenmore was the original drummer with Three Dog Night. “The New Old is one of the best bands I’ve ever played in,” he said. “And I’ve played in some good bands. The energy is really amazing. It’s a collective love affair with music. To have this project at this stage in our lives is just great.”
It’s a family affair for the backing singers. Dakota Martinez and his wife, Sandra Pehrsson, bring youth as well as talent to the vocal section with Dakota’s mother, Leslie Martinez, helping to bring the band’s average age back up a bit.
Carol Casey is the newest member and has been singing in bands around Malibu all her adult life.
Johnny “Guitar” Watkin, co-owner of Planet Grande Pictures, a multiple Emmy-winning TV production company based in Malibu, said, “Lenny Goldsmith is a ball of fire wrapped up in a 68-year-old body with the energy of a 21-year-old. He’s the chubbier, shorter, whiter version of James Brown. And frankly, he’s astonishing. Lenny writes, produces, sings and has his finger on the pulse of every single detail of the band. He can tell the drummer to play a different hi-hat pattern. Or tell the bass player to shift his approach slightly. He can find little inversions that make the songs better. He’s a complete perfectionist. I love him to death.”
Goldsmith was the lead singer with Tower of Power for two years and other notable bands before hanging up his microphone to raise a family. He urges everyone to follow their passion. “I didn’t play music for a long time. I’ve never met an older player who didn’t want to be in a band again. Do stuff. Be the New Old in the anything you feel passionate about.”
The New Old plays regularly at Casa Escobar on PCH opposite Malibu Pier. Their next gig is at Sonoma Wine Garden in Santa Monica on Friday, March 27.
