David Garibaldi is one of the funkiest, most influential drummers of his generation.

Those who know, know. They know about his incredible feel, technique, books and instructional videos, interest in afro Caribbean music, and those iconic beats with Tower of Power, the group he joined for the first time nearly 50 years ago.

Those who have had the pleasure to meet him all talk about his positivity, his generosity, his curiosity, and his energy. The moment you meet him, it’s clear that he’s a cultivated person, in the sense that he’s precise, orderly, focussed, almost military in his presentation. But he’s also what musicians might call a good hang. He loves to swap stories, talk about his experience, and laugh.

Those who know, also know that earlier this year while walking to a gig on his home turf, at Yoshi’s in Oakland, California, David and another musician named Marc van Wageningen were actually hit by a train. It was slow moving, but no matter how you look at it, the two of them were hit by a train, and both men survived it.

Here he explains why Oakland is the funky side of the Bay, the work ethic of Tower of Power, the Garibaldi family recipe for happiness and longevity, and why the book is still being written when it comes to his legacy.