John
Mahon loves working with Elton John. He got the gig in 1997, originally
to supply simple percussion parts
and background vocals. Over the
years, though, his percussion rig has grown. "I'm not trying to
duplicate what Ray
Cooper did with Elton," Mahon says, referring to the
pop superstar's long-time percussionist. "Try to fill Ray's shoes?
I
don't think so. But I want to bring what I do to the table."
Being
a percussionist and a vocalist has its own
challenges, including how to
sing and use a large setup at the same time. "I had to design my setup
so I could always be
focused around my microphone," Mahon says. "Vocals
are so important. I've been lucky in that singing has always been
a
door to work for me. I've never gotten into a band situation where
someone didn't ask me to sing. I tell every
musician, if they can, they
should learn to sing."
The gig with Elton involves some electronics and standard percussion
as
well, and Mahon plays both with aplomb and style. "Of course, a lot of
the music is basic congas, plus a lot of tambourine
parts and shakers,"
says Mahon, who adds that he loves playing along with veteran Elton
John drummer Nigel Olsson. "Some
of my favorite songs in the world are
songs we play," Mahon says, "like 'Levon,' 'Tiny Dancer,' and
'don't
Let The Sun Go Down.' And Nigel helped make
those songs with his drum parts. He has his
own style, and it's so easy
to play around him. He gives me a lot of opportunities to play. And
when he's getting
into his fills, I let him go."
