In January of 2009, TheParadiddler.com covered Sabian Live at NAMM, via DrumChannel.com (I would have loved to have been there, but since I couldn’t, thanks Drum Channel!).  Both the performances and backstage interviews were covered (as best as could be done).  One of the artists that dropped by was Walfredo Reyes.  No, not Jr. – Sr.

It was very interesting to hear from him and his son Danny what it was like at dinner time at the Reyes household (you can read all about it in the article).  It was a very musical environment, the result being a fine ‘batch’ of musicians!  Little did I know that covering this event online was a foreshadowing of things to come offline.

Almost a year and a half later (more specifically, May 27^th, 2010), Ken Stanton Music in Stone Mountain, GA hosts a drum clinic by none other than Walfredo Reyes, Jr. The family circle is complete! 

The location was familiar enough.  TheParadiddler.com also covered Will Calhoun’s clinic there, and it was a sensational experience.  It’s not a huge store, which allows for close proximity to the drummer, and a more personal experience.

I was not familiar with Walfredo before the clinic, but I knew he was very well known in the drumming community, having played with many big time artists, such as:

• Santana
• Gloria Estefan
• Toni Braxton
• Lindsey Buckingham
• Christina Aguilera
• Ricky Martin
• Smokey Robinson
• Steve Winwood

…oh my goodness, and on and on and on.  That’s just the short list.  A session drummer like this must have a wealth of experience to impart, so I knew I it would behoove me to attend.  I didn’t go alone this time, however.  My partner in crime came with me, my son Devin (the star of the Off-Set pedal review).

We arrived about 40 minutes early or so.  I like to take a ‘lay of the land’ so I can know where the good camera shot angles are (plus I like to sit in the front row ).  I like to mess around with the gear, not just the drums.  I didn’t get too much of a chance to set up right away though, because when I walked in, Walfredo was already practicing at the kit!

The gear he was playing on was a beautiful Mapex Meridian Maple kit (I’m going to say the finish was transparent cherry red), with Sabian cymbals and an assortment of ergonomically placed percussion gear (LP bongos, blocks, cowbells, and the like).

Walfredo was practicing with brushes, then with sticks.  His playing was very controlled and fast, easily flowing over the whole kit.  It’s not that I was surprised, but I was definitely impressed.  He made all the fills look incredibly easy.

In addition to practicing by himself, he had a couple of other musicians he was going to play with that evening: Gabriel Monticello on bass, and Myron Feltner on keyboards, two local musicians.  The thing to note is that Walfredo had never jammed with these two at all – it would all be spontaneous, improvised.

While the musicians were discussing which direction to take the improvisation, Walfredo demonstrated a few of the more famous drum licks of all time:

• the beginning of “Rock With You”
• thunderous drum fill in “In the Air Tonight”
• Jeff Porcaro on Toto’s “Rosanna”

After practicing, Walfredo got up and greeted some of those already there, myself and my son included.  Wally (as he referred to himself) was very friendly and down to earth, very approachable.  After the pleasantries Wally went off to prepare for the actual clinic, so that left my son and I to peruse the store.

Sometime after 7pm, Wally re-enters the scene to a most receptive crowd and starts explaining in detail what to expect from the clinic.

He mentioned that he had just recently flown in from Hong Kong, and had just met the two musicians he’d be playing with.  He’s very keen on being creative, not being structured when not necessary (although structure is very important too – more on that later).  He went on to talk about how music is the ‘universal language’, that even though we may speak different languages, we can all groove to any style of music and ‘get it’, no matter where we’re from.  And speaking of where we’re from, he made it a point to stress how grateful we should be in this country that we can so easily go to a local music store and have a wealth of instruments and gadgets to choose from, and people willing to give us lessons.  He had been to parts of the world where none of this was available, and anyone interested in percussion would have to fabricate their own sticks.  Of course, these sticks would not last for any length of time.  Some of those players had such great groove, but could not play for more than a few minutes.  So Wally ended up giving out some actual drumsticks so they could at least play for ten minutes straight.  Again, we need to appreciate the availability of the instruments here (and the accessibility of music stores, and artists themselves!).

Wally stated that he was going to start playing himself, and then later have the other two musicians join in.  He was going to display different styles, from rock, to Latin, Afro-Cuban rhythms – Wally called it the “Wally World Travel Agency”, and boy were we in for a ride!

He started his solo with just his hands and fingers, to something like a world beat, an amazing groove.  He then conspicuously incorporated brushes while never losing the beat.  He steadily maintained the beat while cleverly alternating between the snare and toms (snares down, by the way).

The Latin beat was ever present, especially when playing the bongos on his left.  The ‘woodblock’ and cowbell were prominently played as well.  While not skipping a beat, his snares went up and he switched to the regular sticks, and that’s when it got crazy!

Now Wally was playing very fast 32^nd’s (who knows, maybe faster ).  As he varied the tempo, he incorporated the cowbell with a steady beat.  It was ever present, even while he was alternating beats between the snare and toms.  It was an excellent application of a Latin-type structure in a solo setting.

By this time Wally was on a rampage of dizzying fills, double bass onslaughts, and his arms flailing away all over the place (organized chaos, you could say).

After that fantastic opening, Wally went on to explain some of the origins of the different parts of the kit, particularly the cymbals, which as currently configured on drum kits are really Turkish in origin.  The drum kit itself relative to other instruments is a recent development, as in within the last 100 years or so (whereas other instruments have been in existence for centuries, and even drums themselves as individual instruments for as long as humans can remember).

Next was a demonstration of how Wally uses the drum kit to essentially play two parts – the part of the drummer, and of the percussionist.  Different parts of the kit could mimic the percussive counterparts, for example:

• hi-hat --> shaker
• snare drum with snares down, and toms --> timbales
• cross-sticking --> woodblock

A drummer in his kit could also incorporate the actual percussive instruments, like the cowbell, woodblock (clave), timbales (or mini-timbales), bongos, etc.  Here’s Wally’s kit from behind, where you can pick out the different percussive instruments incorporated into the kit.

With this ‘practical’ percussive kit, Wally demonstrated the samba beat.  He made it sound like a percussionist more than a drum kit player, but then that was the point.  The drum kit player can be both the percussionist and the kit player (even simultaneously!), while the percussionist is just that.  Of course, that’s not a knock on the percussionist, but it’s a specialty.  The kit allows for more flexibility.  Wally also talked about the ‘bossa nova’ and described it as samba played on a drum kit with jazz.

Wally told a story about when he played with Santana and that for some reason (I don’t remember why) the percussionist was not there.  So Wally had to improvise the percussion while still holding down the beat with the kit.  Having at least a fundamental knowledge of both the kit and percussion allows for more flexibility (and more gigs!), as has been the case with Wally.

Subsequently, Wally started playing a ‘percussion’ solo, which then slowly morphed into a whole kit solo.  It was amazing how the transition was so fluent that you hardly noticed it until he was playing on everything.  Great example of using ‘what you got’.

Wally mentioned that he considers himself a ‘rhythmist’.  This makes perfect sense because if you look at drumming from a ‘rhythmist’ point of view, your view expands to other percussive instruments beyond the kit.  I think that, after seeing this clinic, Wally is the ultimate ‘rhythmist’!

He went on to mention something that I hadn’t thought of before, but it’s very true:  ‘Acoustic drums are a reflection of what you put in it.’  You can get a lot of different sounds from an acoustic kit (like getting percussion-like sounds out of the kit, as previously mentioned).  Just using the sticks, he struck different spots around the entire kit, and there were so many different sounds generated, very melodic.  When you buy an electronic kit, you’re buying specific sounds; you’re playing samples.  And even though there have been a lot of developments over the years in percussion and electronics, the mainstay, the acoustic drum kit, has always been the foundation.  It’s always there, always needed.

Wally then proceeded to start the next jam with the keyboardist, and then the bass player came in afterwards.

After this jam, Wally demonstrated the dynamic range that the drums have, particularly with brushes.  He demonstrated the ‘abanico’, which is the Spanish word for ‘fan’ (as in the device that keeps you cool).  It’s like a buzz roll incorporated into a beat.

But one of the coolest things Wally displayed was how to make the drums talk.  He made each drum a different member of the family:  the kid, the mother, and the father.  I call it the ‘Ice Cream Bit’.  The kid was asking for ice cream, but the mother had reservations about it.  The father emphatically said “no!”  The father was the floor tom, while the mother a higher pitched tom, and the kid higher still.  It was hilarious.  It was very similar to what Marco Minnemann displayed in his drum clinic when he drummed to “What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?” from the Monty Python movie “Life of Brian”.  Both examples displayed how versatile the drum kit is and how it can convey a wealth of moods.  Outstanding.  This led to another Latin-type jam with the other two players.

Wally then went on to discuss the flexibility that is needed to play to different audiences.  You may have great chops, but if your audience is a group of older folks expecting swing, then don’t play rock!  Someone once told Wally, “Do not disturb the groove!”  If your audience is more a dance-type audience, then play that kind of groove.  If your audience is all drummers (say, at a drum clinic), then all bets are off and just go crazy – do it all.  That’s what the audience expects!

He then went on to say that it is good to be open to different genres of music because it can have a positive effect on your growth as a musician.  He mentioned a funny story about when he was younger and he liked Alice Cooper, but when his father saw “that” he said, “I don’t think so!”  Then later Wally’s son is liking Slipknot and Wally said that every song is like Halloween!  How the tide turns.  But later his son presented him with a very melodic song, and Wally was surprised to find that it was Slipknot!  So basically he’s saying that it’s good to have an open mind as far as what effect different genres of music can have on our playing.  Of course, he then went into a little reggae jam (sweet!).

There were questions from the audience as well, so one of the questions asked was who were other drummers that influenced him (besides his father, which is an obvious one).  It was interesting that he not only mentioned drummers that influenced his drumming (Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, Ringo Starr, John Bonham), but musical genres, such as salsa.  Growing up in Puerto Rico, you can’t help but be surrounded by salsa, and that genre had a big influence in his playing.  It shows in how Wally masterfully incorporates percussion into the drum set.

On that note, as far as influences go, Wally said that ‘if you want fresh rhythms, dig deep into the old rhythms’.  Many of today’s rhythms are based on different genres of the past, and one would be surprised to find out how diverse and complex some of the older music is, especially in genres like salsa.  A plethora of knowledge to say the least.

Wally started drumming at the age of 12, but it was not on a kit.  He was ‘forced’ to use just sticks and a practice pad for a full year before he got his kit.  This really helped him get the fundamentals down.  Nowadays he doesn’t go anywhere without his iPhone and a metronome.  You know what they say, ‘timing is everything’!  Playing to songs and to a click is essential in learning how to maintain a solid tempo when playing in a band.

Wally told a story about playing with Steve Winwood, and that he was told that a certain song was to be played at 87bpm (I believe the song was “Higher Love”).  Sometimes towards the end of a show the band’s adrenaline is pretty high, especially after a receptive crowd.  This could be problematic in the sense that the band may tend to speed up the tempo.  It’s the drummer’s responsibility ultimately (not exclusively) to maintain that tempo.  Even if the band complains later, you can tell them, “You guys said 87bpm, so I stuck to it!”

After the Q&A session, Wally finalized with a freestyle and funk-like jam, and an all out solo to top it all off.

After the drumming and the thunderous applause, Wally stuck around for a long time talking to those in attendance, taking pictures, signing autographs, and answering questions.  Very accessible, humble, a class act.

In conclusion, for me it was an unexpected pleasant surprise.  In the article “Beyond the Drum Kit”, I mentioned that even though I, like Wally, grew up surrounded by Caribbean music such as merengue, bachata, and salsa, I simply was not interested very much in percussion.  My interest was solely on the drum kit side.  Wally has completely changed that for me.

I see now that you can have the best of both worlds.  You can be a kit player and tastefully incorporate percussion, and still look and sound like a power drummer.  There are so many ways to express yourself, so many different tempos, so many different genres, that one is capable of playing if we just open our minds to the possibilities that drum kit percussion provides.

As far as Walfredo Reyes, Jr. goes, he’s made a major impression on me.  I was floored by his ‘controlled chaos’, his total control when he played his dizzying array of fills, both hands and feet.  He played with such power, but displayed an incredible sense of dynamics and grace, making the drums virtually speak.  The fact that he has so masterfully incorporated percussion into the kit solidifies his place, in The Paradiddler’s eyes, as a premier percussionist, a premier rhythmist, of our time.  He taught me how to incorporate percussion into the drum kit in a way that’s, well, just dang cool! I think when I grow up (drummingly speaking), I want to be Walfredo Reyes, Jr.




Interesting? Then pass it along!

]]> http://theparadiddler.com/2010/06/13/drum-clinic-walfredo-reyes-jr/feed/ 2 http://theparadiddler.com/2010/04/04/the-paradiddler-wish-list-for-rush-next-tour/ http://theparadiddler.com/2010/04/04/the-paradiddler-wish-list-for-rush-next-tour/#comments Sun, 04 Apr 2010 19:09:26 +0000 Omar http://theparadiddler.com/?p=1586

Rush fans are a unique bunch.  There are so many idiosyncrasies attributed to them, too numerous to mention here (and beyond the scope of this article).  But what is within the scope of this article is that Rush fans seem to think they know what songs Rush should play on the next tour.

In different forums related to Rush, you’ll see fans put up entire set lists sometimes; others, just particular songs they’d like to see.  Some are songs we know Rush will never play live, but it’s always fun to dream.

Now before I continue, I have to make the obvious known that I too am a Rush fan.  Although, you wouldn’t know it by looking at me.  Even in my younger years, I never made obvious my taste for music, unless I was talking about it.  I never wore Rush t-shirts, I didn’t have a poster of Neil Peart on the wall, I didn’t brag about Neil Peart being the best drummer in the world (ok, maybe a little – but not that much!).  I pretty much kept to myself except with those I knew were also fans, or at least could carry on a decent conversation about music.  I made it a point early in life that these guys, just like any other human being, go to the bathroom, catch colds, get hungry, need sleep – all the things that make everyone the same.  I never worshipped them, but I did, and do, greatly admire their musical prowess, so the emphasis has always been on that.

I also realize that not everyone who visits TheParadiddler.com, or even some of those subscribed to the newsletter, is a Rush fan.  But I hope you’ll indulge me, just this once, as I deviate a little from the complete emphasis on the drums and more towards an ensemble, if you will.  That ‘ensemble’ being Rush, which of course who’s drummer is my favorite of all, Mr. Neil Peart.

So back to the lecture at hand.  Yes, even I, The Paradiddler, have a wish list for Rush’s next tour.  What Rush fan doesn’t?  But, instead of just listing them, I’m going to explain why they should play them.  It’s not a huge list either, just songs that I think would make the concert ‘complete’, at least for me.

I do admit that Rush has a knack for putting together an incredible set list for each tour.  If you watch the documentary “The Boys in Brazil”, which is the second DVD in the Rush in Rio 2-DVD set, Geddy explains the process of putting together a set list for the tour.  It’s a painstaking process!  They have so much material to cover, that in each tour some record (or records) get overlooked entirely, while others get a lot of attention.  A good example of this is their latest Snakes and Arrows tour.  While records such as Counterparts and Presto got no play at all, it almost seemed like a Permanent Waves II tour, because they played so much material from that record (even pulling out “Entre Nous”, which was never played live before!).  But as usual, the set list worked.  It was a great show, with a great song selection.

But what prompted me to do this listing?  After the Snakes and Arrows tour, I started thinking about what I would love to see Rush play in a subsequent tour.  Purely subjective, of course, but I know that if they played my requests, I know everybody would approve.  I decided that I’d hold off mentioning anything until I heard any news of Rush touring again.

Well, just recently Alex Lifeson told The Globe and Mail the following:

“We were off for a year and a half, and now it’s just pouring. Everything is totally crazy and there’s not a minute left in the day. We’ve got these half-dozen songs, and we’ll probably go in the studio and work on a couple of them and see how it goes, perhaps release something – and I say perhaps – and then we plan on being on the road in the middle of June. Ideally, we’d like to showcase a couple of these songs on the tour, come off tour in mid-October, go back in the studio and continue writing, then record through late this year and early next year, and then release the album in the spring of 2011 on a slightly more substantial tour. This [year’s] tour will probably be about 45 dates. Most likely summer, 2011, would be more like 70.”

This is exciting news indeed!  I would love to be totally surprised by a song (or songs!) I’ve never heard.  If that’s the case, and if Rush is going on tour soon, well, it’s time I reveal my wish list!

Before I go into my list, I’ll admit that I realize this could all just be an exercise in self indulgence, that of course I’d love Rush to play what I want, but like I said, it’s fun to dream!

My list is not long.  I’ll leave it up to Rush (like if I have a choice) to determine which new songs to play.  These are the ones they’re most passionate about, since they are the newest, so I won’t go there.  I got burned a couple of times trying to predict what song they’d play from their latest release.  For example, when I saw them on the Roll the Bones tour back in December of 1991, I for sure thought they’d play “Face Up”, because I thought it was a hip song, but they didn’t play it.  After reflecting on it, I think they made the right choice.  For the Counterparts tour (which I missed – grrr), I thought they would play “Cut to the Chase” for sure, but they didn’t play that one either.  I’m still wondering why they didn’t play that one, because it just rocks. Neil even sounds like John Bonham on that one, but anyway, a great song.  So the bottom line is I won’t even recommend what new songs to play (once a CD comes out, that is).

And of course, there are some songs that must be played on every tour.  “Tom Sawyer” is the prime example.  That song will forever be tied to Rush, so I don’t think they can avoid it.  It’s ok though, I never get tired of hearing it anyway!

So here goes:  What I’d like Rush to play on their next tour, in no particular order (unless otherwise stated).

This might be Rush’s most underrated song.  It is so epic, so grand in scope.  The theme of the song prances at a quickened pace; the lyrics play to the mood of the chords and vocals with uncanny precision.  It makes me want to go to New York and London!  Some of my favorite lines in all of Rock are in this song, sung so perfectly within the context of the mood of the song:

Pavements may teem
With intense energy,
But the city is calm
In this violent sea

Lyrically, it’s a masterpiece.  It stands the test of time.  And I think the music captures what the lyrics are portraying.  I just love it.

For those who’ve heard the song, the beginning begs for this song to be the opener of a Rush concert.  We got a snippet of it on the Exit… Stage Left DVD, where the beginning of “The Camera Eye” is used to intro the DVD (VHS at the time of release).  Geddy and Neil talk a little about entertaining and the ‘electricity’ of the live show.  The song starts off slowly, then builds up in intensity, more and more, and then just explodes into the scene with power. The whole crowd could be kept in the dark until the moment the band crashes into the song after the rising crescendo.  Lights blaring, the crowd roaring in approving applause – I could just see the whole thing.  Rush could use the song as a ‘warm-up’, per se, and play the whole ten minutes, which they could then go into their pleasantries, as they are apt to do.

So this song is my pick for the opening song.  Of course, anywhere in the set they play it would be fine by me!  Now tell me, is there another better song to start the show?

Let’s keep the ‘bring out a song never played live’ gig going!

I’m not sure this song was ever played live.  On the Snakes and Arrows tour (what I like to call the Permanent Waves II tour), they played “Entre Nous”, which was never played live.  That’s a song I never expected to see live, but it was beautifully performed.  It almost seemed like they played it like they’d never play it again.  For me, it had a sense of finality to it.

I actually think “Different Strings” is a better song.  It is ‘complicatedly simple’, or ‘simply complicated’ – take your pick.  I think it’s a wonderfully crafted song, and somewhat thought-provoking.  I think Dream Theater covered this song for a time.  I think the song would lend itself to be played live, be it how it was originally recorded, or as an acoustic break, a la “Resist”. In any case, lighters and cell phone lights would be on full display during this one!

Ok, seriously, it is time.  This song must come back to the set list.  Ok, I’m not one to make demands, but I can already hear the ominous brooding of this song demanding to be played again.  I love playing this song on the drums (hm, I think I’ll cover it someday soon!).  It displays several moods:  foreboding, tension in the air, suspense, urgency, and a triumphant finale.  And strangely enough, I’ve never bothered to think about or inquire what this song is about!

In any case, my feeling is that it’s a favorite among Rush fans, and I’m not sure it has been played since the Permanent Waves tour.  Looks like this song is getting the “Between the Wheels” treatment:  played for one tour and then dropped.  But it was brought back after Rush realized how good a song it was.  I hope they do the same for “Jacob’s Ladder”.

Looks like the Permanent Waves spell will continue!  At least if I get my way. 

It can be said of many Rush songs that they are ahead of their time.  They could easily have appeared on a future album, or whose lyrics transcend time.  “Losing It” is one of those songs.

This is one of my all time favorite Rush songs.  Lyrically it speaks to many of us that may hit a wall in life, be it physically or mentally, and find it insurmountably difficult to overcome those walls.  Or, as extolled in the article “Cheering Them On”, many dream about what they’d like to be, but for whatever reasons never achieve it.

In addition to being a wondrous song lyrically, it is also thus musically.  The mood portrayed by the music complements the words perfectly, something resembling a wistful longing.  The violin exponentially adds to the ambiance of the song, giving it an almost orchestral presence.  Simply beautiful.

I think Rush opened ‘Pandora’s Box’, as it were, by bringing to a set list a song that was never played live (“Entre Nous” on the Snakes and Arrows tour).  Now they’re gonna have to do it again!    “Losing It” is a prime candidate.  The grandness of the song lends itself to a live setting.

As far as the violin goes, I think technology has come along enough for them to be able to trigger it when and where they need it.  They’ve been doing stuff like that forever, so it shouldn’t be a problem (sure, easy for a fan to say!).

In this fan’s eyes (and ears), the best song on Power Windows (1985 release) is “Territories”.  However, when said record came out, the songs I liked the most were “The Big Money”, “Manhattan Project”, and “Marathon”.

Unfortunately, I missed the subsequent tour (I was living in Phoenix, AZ at the time, but that’s a story for another day).  If I had gone, I would have known why I think “Territories” is such a great song.  It was meant to be played live.

I didn’t discover this until I saw my first Rush concert in December of 1988, during the Hold Your Fire tour, and later when I saw the A Show of Hands VHS.  The song exhibits various ambient changes, and the music fits so well with the theme of the song.  Some of Neil’s most creative drumming is in this song as well, especially during the chorus.  The song has a triumphant conclusion, an apt ending to the animated documentary.  Just a very well constructed song that I would personally love to see live.

Where’s my instrumental?  Many years had passed after “YYZ” until Rush recorded their next instrumental (ten years!), but “Where’s My Thing? (Part IV of the “Gangster of Boats” Trilogy)” delivered.

I love the jazzy riff it implies, with the power of a rock beat.  The many dynamics of the song make it incredibly interesting to listen to.  All three contribute technical virtuosity to what I think to this day is one of their best instrumentals.

But when I saw it live, it went to a whole other level.  If any Rush song was meant to be played live, it’s this one.  It has a grandness to it when played in a concert hall, the chords making powerful statements of sound, especially during it’s ‘chorus’ parts.  Not only that, but during the Roll the Bones tour they played an extended intro to the song, an ethereal suspense which ended with Alex’s piercing chords to mark the beginning of the actual song.  I was blown away.

So what happened?  They made another instrumental (“Leave That Thing Alone!”) on their next album, and yet another instrumental (“Limbo”) on the next album after that!  So “Where’s My Thing?” fell by the wayside, so to speak, even though I think it’s better than the subsequent two.

So it’s time to bring back this great instrumental.  The ‘thing’s’ right here, so leave it alone!

This one’s just a feel good song.  For some reason unbeknownst to me, it reminds me specifically of walking the streets of Montréal or Toronto.  In any case, it’s a lovely song, very fitting as the last song on Counterparts.

In fact, that’s why I think it should go somewhere in the encore.  It’s also somewhat of a triumphant sounding song, which makes it fitting at the end.  Again, yet another song not played live before, but like I said, Pandora’s Box has been opened!

When the ‘Fear’ trilogy concluded with “The Enemy Within” on Grace Under Pressure back in 1984, we thought that would be the end of it.  Rush went backwards, actually starting with part three (“Witch Hunt” from Moving Pictures), then part two (“The Weapon” from Signals), then ‘concluding’ with “The Enemy Within”, part one.  They play all three parts live on the Grace Under Pressure Tour DVD, and it’s fantastically done.  “The Weapon” especially showcases why Neil is one of the best drummers around (you’ll have to see it for yourself!).

After that tour, “Witch Hunt” was played most of the three, even as recently as the Snakes and Arrows tour.  But ‘fear’ doesn’t sleep...

On Vapor Trails, part four of ‘Fear’ appears:  “Freeze”.  This song may have gone under the radar as far as great Rush songs go, but it certainly belongs in that category.  It is a complex song, with several mood and dynamics changes.  I see it as an undiscovered gem.

When I saw that “Freeze” was part four of ‘Fear’, I thought ‘Fear’ was coming back for the Vapor Trails tour.  It would have been nice to see Neil tackle “The Weapon” again.  But to my surprise, they didn’t play it!

So here’s another chance.  Now that the ‘Fear’ anthology has come full circle (can’t call it a trilogy anymore), it’s time for Rush to conquer their ‘fear’!

When a new Rush CD comes out, I try to guess which songs will be selected for the tour.  There are always misses (see above).  Sometimes I’m left wondering why the song wasn’t selected, because I thought it was that good.  When Rush released Vapor Trails, I was sure that “Nocturne” would be selected.

This is a great song!  It’s kind of different from other Rush songs in a sense:  the trebly bass riff, the wailing background vocal - it’s like the band went off on a tangent on this one (a good tangent!).  Neil’s drumming sounds youthful as well.

I could see this song being played on rock stations because to me it sounds radio friendly.  Again, it surprised me that it was not selected for the tour, because it’s such a unique song, even by Rush standards.  I think it would sound fantastic live.

So where in the concert should “Nocturne” be played?  Easy:  as prelude to the ‘Fear’ anthology.  Perfect.

Could it be time for Rush to consider playing another ‘side-long’ again?  I would guess that almost all Rush fans would love to see them play “Hemispheres” in its entirety.  Hemispheres is a favorite of many Rush fans, and this would surely please.  But I see a couple of difficulties with this choice (even though, again, I’d love to see it!).

One, Geddy’s voice is lower now than in yesteryear.  It is very rare that a singer who’s been around for decades that can still sing in the same register as when they were young.  Jon Anderson of Yes is a rare example of this, even though he may struggle a bit to still reach those higher notes.

This song would be one of the most, if not the most challenging of the older songs for Geddy to pull off live.  There are many notes sung in higher registers that, if Geddy were to sing them, he may need to sing alternate lower notes (like singing harmony).  Or, a la “2112” on the Test for Echo tour, the band could play the entire piece a key lower, allowing Geddy to reach those higher notes, which wouldn’t be so high at the lower key.  (They did this with “Circumstances”, which appears on the Hemispheres record, on the Snakes and Arrows tour).  But if they go that route, that presents another potentially big problem.

Alex’s opening chord played at the introduction of the “Hemispheres” suite is arguably his most famous chord.  It’s so unique, it’s practically patented by him (the suspended F-sharp chord).  As far as I know, it wasn’t used again (at least in a very recognizable kind of way) until the beginning of “Far Cry” on Snakes and Arrows, almost 30 years later!  If they play Hemispheres tuned down, that recognizable chord cannot be used.  Alex would have to come up with another chord that’s just as impactful.  Does that chord exist at a lower key?

These are the issues Rush would be faced with if they go with this piece.  If anyone can figure it out, it would be these guys.  I’m hoping!

And that, folks, is The Paradiddler’s wish list for Rush’s next tour.  I’m sure you have your favorites you’d like to see.  Please let everyone know here!  Or you can tell me how crazy I am, whatever.  In any case, let all know what you think!

By the way, I do have a couple of other items on my list that are so good (again, at least I think so!), that I won’t reveal them here.  I have special plans for those, and if they come to fruition, trust me, you’ll find out in due time.

In the meantime, have fun with my list, and yours!

Interesting? Then pass it along!

]]> http://theparadiddler.com/2010/04/04/the-paradiddler-wish-list-for-rush-next-tour/feed/ 3 http://theparadiddler.com/2010/03/07/drum-clinic-marco-minnemann/ http://theparadiddler.com/2010/03/07/drum-clinic-marco-minnemann/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:40:03 +0000 Omar http://theparadiddler.com/?p=1546

When I received the e-mail from Ken Stanton Music saying that Marco Minnemann was going to put on a drum clinic at their superstore in Marietta (Atlanta), GA on March 2nd (2010), I immediately started making plans to be there.  But it may not have been the case otherwise.

Until recently, I knew very little about Marco.  I had seen his name mentioned at times, but never enough for me to notice (so many drummers, so little time!).  But recently, DrumChannel.com had both Marco and Derek Roddy (Serpents Rise and Hate Eternal) together for a chat and drumming session, and I was blown away by both drummers.  It may be because I'm not into 'blast beat'-type music that I've not heard much of these guys, but there's no denying the incredible talent these drummers possess.  It takes an incredible amount of technique and energy to play what they play, but the duo solos they performed displayed an incredible array of power, finesse, creativity, and melody.  Here's a link to the rebroadcast of that show.  Put it on your calendar and watch it, because not only are they extraordinary drummers, but they have very refreshing insights as far as their approach to drumming that drummers of all styles can learn from.

So after watching that show, I decided that I may need to pay a little more attention to Mr. Minnemann!  Then comes the news that he's putting on a drum clinic locally and, well, a perfect storm of sorts. I started making preparations to cover the event.

I made contact with Jeremy Truitt, Drum Dept. Manager at Ken Stanton music, to come by the store and talk about the particulars of the event.  He was most helpful, showing me where the stage was going to be, audience location, even showing different spots where I could get some great camera angles for some unique shots.  This was gonna be good!

So the day comes, and now I’m really into the event.  I’m very much looking forward to seeing an incredible display of chops, and learning whatever I can.  With much anticipation, I head on down to the store.  I wanted to get there pretty early so I could situate myself, get a ‘lay of the land’, so to speak, make sure I had a good seat, and see where I could take some great photos.

The clinic was cancelled.

Winter decided to dump a snow storm to the Atlanta area, and for the safety of the drummers and all who would attend, it was decided that the show would be a no-go.  The guys at the store were obviously very disappointed, and rightly so.  It is not often that a world-class drummer can be in the area to put on a drum clinic.

But all was not lost!  Fortunately, that was not the only clinic that Marco had scheduled.  The Atlanta Institute of Music (AIM) had also scheduled a drum clinic on March 4^th.  No snow storm scheduled for that day!  It was a little further out, but that didn’t matter – I would be there.

I suspected that the vibe for this venue would be different than at the store, and I was correct.  When I attended Will Calhoun’s drum clinic, there were drummers there of course, but there were also people of all ages, very young kids included.  But AIM had more of a classroom, college-type feel.  Most in attendance were young adults, with a few older cats sprinkled around here and there.  I didn’t prepare so much for this event since I wasn’t planning on coming, so I was more like a spectator like everyone else, instead of a ‘reporter’.  The campus halls were boringly decored, but fortunately the action is in the classroom, and AIM teaches classes in drumming, guitar, bass, and recording.

I arrived about an hour early, again to make sure that I at least got a good seat.  There was definitely a buzz in the atmosphere waiting for the clinic to begin.  These guys knew who they were there to see, and they were excited.  There was lots of talk about cracked cymbals, trying to get drumming endorsements, recent and upcoming gigs - a real drummer’s event.

There was a sound check going on while we were waiting, and if it was any indication of what the show was going to be like, we were in for a real treat.  The drums sounded just fantastic (even being on the other side of the door).  The bass drum was very boomy, but it sounded so full and rich.  When the drummer played double bass drum fills and combinations all over the kit, the boom of the bass drums blended in with the combinations and produced very powerful and clean, piercing sound.  Now I couldn’t wait to hear what these drums sounded like while in the same room!

I think artists are good at sneaking by people because as we were all waiting outside the door, an inconspicuous Marco and a companion whizzed right by us, almost without us knowing it!  By the time we did notice, he was gone.  Guess it was time to get ready for the show!  After that little episode, all were invited to enter the performance hall.

First thing you notice as you enter the hall is Marco’s drum kit.  It was a beautiful 7-pc DW Gold Glass FinishPly^TM Collector’s Series kit, with Zildjian cymbals and DW hardware.  In addition, Marco had an additional snare (which I believe was also a DW) to the left, and another suspended tom to the left of that (ok, a 9-pc kit).  Just a beautiful setup.

After everyone coming in finished going gaga over the kit, those in attendance started settling into their seats.  I was fortunate enough to get a front row seat stage right, which was a great view.  Marco did not aim the bass drum directly to the audience, as is typically done, but instead faced himself straight to the audience, and positioned the bass drum to his right (similar to the positioning when playing two bass drums).  This allowed for an excellent view of both his hand and foot technique.

After being seated for a little while, Mr. Minnemann was introduced and out he came to the stage.  Very humble to his applause, he looks just like any other guy (he is tall, though!), very unassuming.  You’d never know he’s a famous anything.  But once sitting behind the kit, look out.

After thanking those in attendance and mentioning what he was going to do for the night (songs, solos, Q&A, etc.), he started playing to one of his songs.  Since I hadn’t followed Marco before this, I didn’t know the names of several of the songs he played to (nor did he introduce them).  But it didn’t matter, because he was playing masterfully right off the bat.  The sound of his drums were so clearly defined, and incredibly powerful and full-sounding.  Although there was amplification set up for the drums, it was clear that he was hitting them hard and with authority, but with pinpoint accuracy.  He absolutely didn’t miss a beat; his timing was flawless.

During the first song, the knob on one of the stands keeping a splash cymbal in place slowly started to give, but mid-song Marco adjusted it while not missing a single beat in the song!  It was a great display of concentration (and persistence!).  This first song had quite a jazzy flavor to it, but it was played with a lot of power.  I don’t remember hearing jazz, or what to my ears appeared to be jazz, played that way.

He went right into the next song (amidst a roaring applause of approval from the audience), and this one was a more ‘straight at you’, more aggressive type piece.  Although it did have its jazzy fills interspersed within, it definitely had more of a rock feel.  The combinations and patterns he played were dizzying, but at the same time it was never exaggerated.  As fast and as many fills he incorporated into the song, it was never too much.  It seemed to all fit seamlessly into the song, without being overdone.  This takes a great mastery of composition to accomplish, and Marco was exceptional.

The third piece was even more aggressive, starting as a straight-four rock piece, with lots of ‘double bass onslaught’ fills thrown in.  This was the shortest song of the set.

The fourth song was more melodic, almost electronic-sounding, robotic-like.  I was amazed at how different his drums sounded in this piece just by the patterns he was implementing.  It eventually went into a very fast tempo.  He was just all over the kit at this point, as he entered into the first solo of the night.

Marco showed incredible interplay between the drums, with a prodigious display of independence.  But throughout the initial songs and this solo, what impressed me was the force with which he played.  So much power, yet it didn’t seem like he was over-exerting himself to play that way.  The notes were even, and the dynamics he employed gave such life and a personality to the solo that it was a song within itself.  Instead of just displaying chops or fast rudiments, he combined these elements plus an incredible knack for composition that, as lengthy as the solo was, it was never boring.  But through it all, it was hair-raisingly powerful, and the audience hooted and applauded many times over.

With all that going on, many times Marco employed his stick-twirling techniques that left your jaw dropped.  Because as all of the previously described was going on, on occasion he’d dazzle with his flawless stick-twirling.  And it wasn’t just the twirling in the air – the sticks would strike the cymbals and drums while twirling.  He dropped his stick once, but he recovered so quickly that it almost seemed like it was part of the act!  He smiled many times throughout the playing (including when he dropped the stick), and it was great to see how much fun he was having.  No doubt the audience was having a blast as well.

There were several styles exhibited during the solo as well, from funky grooves, to complex jazz patterns, to straight out double bass combinations with every part of the kit.  Eventually the solo featured a very specific part of the kit – the cymbals.  A solo of cymbals ensued, showcasing the various pitches of each cymbal, and even the different sounds that each cymbal could produce, based on how the cymbal was struck.  He then performed some stick-twirling tricks with the hi-hat which was just awe-inspiring (difficult to describe!).

There were many, many favorite parts to this solo for me, but near or at the top would be the ending.  Marco crescendoed with a dizzying array of speed and dexterity, face-bashing power combinations, to all of a sudden slam to a halt and play “La cucaracha” on the toms.  It was such amazing and unexpected comic relief that everyone was just laughing, it was so hilarious.  He’d play the first part of that song, then go back to an incredibly fast power combination of fills and patterns, then slam to a halt again and play the second bar of “La cucaracha”.  Then he again played yet another powerful combination of complex fills and patterns, then slammed to a halt again to repeat the first bar of “La cucaracha”.  And that’s how that solo ended, with thunderous applause to follow.  Definitely one of my all-time favorite solos.

Marco then grabbed the microphone and started discussing some of his approach to playing, and his main point was that he doesn’t like repeating things very much, that he likes to be very creative and try new things, and challenge himself.  There was a certain cartoon project he was involved in where he was discussing with a colleague how to come up with something new, some type of pattern that never repeats.  Marco had an idea already brewing, so he proceeded to play a pattern which seemingly had no rhyme or rhythm.  Then he asked his colleague to repeat the pattern.  Obviously, he objected, because there was no apparent pattern.  Then Marco went on to tell the colleague that in fact the pattern was played exactly to the lyrics sung to “We Will Rock You” by Queen:

Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playin' in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on yo' face
You big disgrace
Kickin' your can all over the place

Now the colleague could play it immediately!  A seemingly random pattern was now associated with a familiar rhyme, and now the pattern made total sense.  Marco went on to show the audience another example, “Tom Sawyer” by Rush:

A modern-day warrior
Mean mean stride
Today's Tom Sawyer
Mean mean pride

So Marco figured out a way to create a pattern that doesn’t repeat, but made total sense.  So how could he apply this another way?  What if the words were not sung, but just spoken?  Could a drum pattern be, well, “patterned”, after that?  Marco came across a section of the Monty Python movie “Life of Brian” called “What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us?”  To our delight, a screen came down in the performance hall, and while the dialog of that scene was going on, Marco drummed a solo precisely to the dialog!  It was one of the most creative things I’ve ever seen done on drums.  Each character seemed to have a corresponding drum or combination of drums and cymbals.  A rumbling of drums would sound when all in the scene would mumble, and it was just hilarious.  Marco said that it took him about four days to figure out all of the spoken parts, first transcribing them to guitar and keyboards, and then to the drums.  Masterful.

He then went on to discuss independence, and started by playing a five pattern on one hand, while playing a nine pattern on the other.  Playing them simultaneously made for a sympathetic pattern that made sense.  He then went on to play a different pattern on each limb, and when played together it also made perfect sense!  This he says is how he comes up with patterns he ends up using later on.  If the pattern doesn’t work (meaning it sounds like crap ), he discards it.  Otherwise, he keeps it.

Next he played a double paradiddle using his feet on the two hi-hats in the kit, one on each side.  While that was going, he played a solo over it.  Independence indeed!

Next were some questions from the audience that Marco fielded.  Here’s the gist of them:

Q:  ‘What’s your favorite rudiment?’
A:  ‘Probably the 5-stroke roll’

Marco went on to demonstrate how versatile this rudiment is, and played over a 4/4, at different modulations, and different accentuations.  I never thought of the 5-stroke roll that way before!

Q:  ‘What’s your favorite genre of music?’
A:  ‘All kinds’

Marco emphasized specific bands more than different genres, and that these bands fell into all types of genre categories.  He likes music from Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, The Police, etc.  These helped with his playing because he liked them.  To him, it’s all about playing the right note.  “Whatever you like, you’ll learn it,” Marco said.

Q:  ‘What’s your musical background as far as family influences?’
A:  ‘Was one of the first in my family to play an instrument’

Even though his father was heavily into music, he did not play an instrument, but was very encouraging to his son.  Hearing metal music was what inspired Marco to pursue the music business.  His first gig was when he was about 12 or 13 years old, which he chickened out of.  But when he did actually get to play, he loved the response of the audience, and there was no turning back.  Even at the clinic Marco looked so excited to be playing to an audience and being very appreciative of it.

He always wanted to do his own thing and be as creative as possible, even regarding his kit setup.  That’s why, for example, the toms on his bass drum go 10”, 12”, 8”, instead of the typical 8”, 10”, and 12”.  This allows him more melodic possibilities for certain patterns he likes to play (I got this information out of him after the show with a little one-on-one time ).

It’s interesting that, as good a drummer as he is, when creating music Marco usually adds the drums last. He also plays guitar and keyboards, and after these parts are down is when he adds the drums.  To him this method allows him to be as creative as possible.

After these questions, Marco played a couple of his speed metal-type songs, “Diminished to b” and “Epitaph”.  It’s amazing to see what energy and endurance is required to play such songs.  “Epitaph” was more of a request from the audience, and I’m not sure Marco was planning on playing it.  He hadn’t played it in a while, but he did have it on his music player.  So off he went!  There was a section in the middle of the song where he seemed to forget what to play, but while he was thinking he just played some other pattern.  You could tell on his face when he remembered what to play, and it was smooth sailing till the end of the song.  That’s how a pro handles forgetting a drum part!

After these two songs, Marco fielded a few more questions:

Q:  ‘Where do you get all that energy from?’
A:  ‘I play every day’.

To Marco it’s a matter of dedicating a certain amount of time to practice.  This keeps your body in playing shape, especially if you play such demanding pieces as “Epitaph” night after night.

Q:  ‘How did you develop the foot speed you have?’
A:  ‘By practicing 16^ths and 32^nds, and rudiments’

Again, it’s a matter of practicing.  Once you reach a certain level, you can push yourself by just practicing faster.  Practicing rudiments with the feet also help with developing foot speed.

What was interesting is that Marco doesn’t consider himself a blast beat expert, even though he plays like one!  He basically heard it, and tried to imitate it in his style.  So it’s good to develop a musical ear to pick up on how to play certain songs or patterns.  This allows us to be more creative, until we actually learn the specifics on how to play these patterns, or make up patterns of our own that work for us.

Q:  ‘Who are your favorite drummers?’
A:  ‘John Bonham, Buddy Rich, Stewart Copeland, Vinnie Colaiuta, others’

Having these drummers as in influence allows for playing virtually any style that requires a drum kit.  In order to prove this, Marco finished the clinic with one last song, a Buddy Rich jazz tune called “Time Check”.  He played this song in a way I’ve never seen before, something I liken to ‘hard rock jazz’.  He played it with such power, but you could hear all the jazz nuances.  I’ve seen Buddy Rich (well, not in person) play this song, and I think these two drummers played it as good as it can be played.  An awe-inspiring, powerful way to conclude the clinic.

There’s a new drummer in my short list of favorite drummers, and that’s Marco Minnemann.  He sort of embodies what I like about my other favorite drummers:  the speed of Thomas Lang, his dominance over different genres, such as rock and jazz (Steve Smith), the power of John Bonham, and the creativity of Neil Peart.  That may be saying a lot, but these are the drummers that were around before him, so he had their styles and influences to draw from.  What we have is a multi-talented drum kit player who knows how to ‘overplay’ without overplaying, so to speak.  He’s very fast when he needs to be, has impeccable timing, has complete control over his kit, is extremely creative, and is just a downright humble guy.  And he loves to share how he plays with others – he holds nothing back.

If you’re fortunate enough to have Mr. Minnemann put on a drum clinic in your area, you do not want to miss it.  As much as I’ve written about here, it is nothing compared to seeing this world class drummer in action.  Hopefully he’ll come around my area again.  If so, I’ll be there!

Interesting? Then pass it along!

]]> http://theparadiddler.com/2010/03/07/drum-clinic-marco-minnemann/feed/ 0 http://theparadiddler.com/2010/01/16/sabian-live-at-namm-2010/ http://theparadiddler.com/2010/01/16/sabian-live-at-namm-2010/#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:09:13 +0000 Omar http://theparadiddler.com/?p=1410

NAMM is one of the busiest times of the year for the music industry.  Every January, the largest music products trade show in the world hits Anaheim, CA, and droves of enthusiasts go to check out the various products, or show off products of their own.  Then there are others who go for the music.  And at The Paradiddler, the focus is drums.

Once again, I did not have the opportunity to attend in person (maybe next year?).  Fortunately, we have sites like DrumChannel.com that streams the event.  It’s Sabian’s yearly “Sabian Live”, with live entertainment from some of the best drummers that use Sabian cymbals.  I, for one, use Sabian cymbals myself, and I’m very happy with them.  Of course, the pros make them sound phenomenal.

Similar to last year, DrumChannel.com had various camera angles during the show that you could switch between (five to be exact), with the fifth one reserved for the backstage interviews.  In reviewing DrumChannel.com’s Sabian Live 2009, I tried to glean from the interviews what I could while at the same time watching the live performances.  That was a tall order!  I missed some really great stuff on both sides, so I took a different slant this time.  I decided to be more of a photographer, taking video stills from the live stream of the musical performances, and presenting them here for your viewing pleasure.  Alas, I could not get the whole show (more on that later).

The event was co-hosted by Dom Famularo, drumming ambassador to the world, and Dream Theater’s own Mike Portnoy.  Dom reminds me of Terry Bozzio, in the sense that they’re both so enthusiastic about drumming that it’s infectious.  You can’t not like drums when you’re around those guys.  And that’s just from watching them online!  The only thing wrong with Mike Portnoy was that he didn’t play.  Well, he was there to host and MC, so we’ll let it slip (this time).

Musical guests for Sabian Live were:

• Little Kids Rock – students from the organization dedicated to putting music back in schools
• Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats
• Terry Bozzio, Tony Levin, David Torn and Pat Mastelotto
• Steve Ferrone with The Master Volume All-Stars featuring Steve Postell, Leland Sklar, Kevin Ricard and other celebrities

Here are some highlights from the performances.

Here’s the scoop on this fine organization, taken from LittleKidsRock.org:  “Since 2002, Little Kids Rock has been dedicated to putting music back in schools. We provide students with free musical instruments and instruction that focuses on their favorite popular music styles, including rock, blues, rap and hip-hop. So far, over 1,200 schools in more than 23 cities nationwide have benefited from a Little Kids Rock program, and the response from kids, parents and teachers has been phenomenal.”

The kids at NAMM put on a pretty good show.  They played two songs:  “Aces High” from Iron Maiden(!) and “La Grange” by ZZ Top.  Ok, I don’t even remember if I’ve ever heard “Aces High”, but these kids’ rendition of it was very well performed.  I’ll have to give it up to the bass player, though:  anyone (especially a kid) who can play bass like Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris is fine in my book!

Their rendition of “La Grange” was a little fast for my taste, but they got through it well enough.  I think that’s a song that has to be enjoyed at the original speed, but that’s just me!

Here’s a pic from their performance:

I had not the chance to see any of this band’s performances until tonight.  This was a real treat, because this group was fantastic.

I like Chad’s playing in Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I like his performances outside of that band more than inside.  In the 2008 Buddy Rich Memorial concert review (2^nd article), I talked about Chad’s excellent performance in the show, one of the best of the night.  I think his performance with the Meatbats was even better.  It seems like he plays more liberated when outside of RHCP.  That’s not a bad thing, however.  When you’re in a band, it’s always about the song, and the best songs are those where the musicians put the song first before themselves.  But with the Bombastic Meatbats, it’s more about jamming, and boy did they jam.

It was a very spirited set, six songs in all.  At least, that’s what I counted.  One of the songs sounded like a medley of three.  Chad introduced the second song called “Oops I Spilled My Beer.”  I’m positive many in attendance could relate J.  The Bombastic Meatbats to me were the best part of Sabian Live.

Here are some pics from the performance.

If Terry Bozzio’s going to be on the bill, you know you’re in for, well, complexity. This night was no exception.  I should have timed the first song, because it took forever! It was a brooding, dark, menacing piece.  The next day during DC at NAMM Terry mentioned that it was all improvised, and that for a lot of the performance he could not hear at all at least one of the other musicians.  It sounded all in unison to me, which was very impressive.  It seemed more like a progressive rock piece, kind of self-indulgent (in a good way though!).  Tony Levin’s playing was just sick – it amazes me how he’s flailing away on his ‘bass’ and creates such beautiful melodies.

Unfortunately, it was at this point that the Drum Channel feed dropped for the longest time.  But I did catch some pics of the performance, so here they are.

Well, it was getting very late at this point, and the feed from Drum Channel was a little shaky, but I did get a few pics from this performance.  I have to say that this was my least favorite part of the show, even though the drumming was very good.  Steve had a very nice pocket going.  He swears like a trooper, though!  The song selection was not my cup of tea, but I like anything live!

Here are a few pics from this performance:

And that was the show!

As far as the sound goes, it was much, much better this time around than last year, so Drum Channel got that right this time.  Chad Smith’s drums sounded just fantastic.  Like I said, that was my favorite part of the show.

In a future article, I’ll put out pics from some of the interviewing that went on backstage during the performances.  It’s very difficult to cover everything from afar (hm, I’ll have to assemble a team for the next one!).  In any case, it was a good time, with very good performances.  I believe Drum Channel will be posting these performances on their site in the near future, so watch out for those.

And that’s a wrap!

Interesting? Then pass it along!

]]> http://theparadiddler.com/2010/01/16/sabian-live-at-namm-2010/feed/ 0 http://theparadiddler.com/2009/07/07/perry-peart-and-bozzio-pearls-of-drumming-wisdom/ http://theparadiddler.com/2009/07/07/perry-peart-and-bozzio-pearls-of-drumming-wisdom/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:04:17 +0000 Omar http://theparadiddler.com/?p=961

I eagerly awaited June 18^th, 2009. DrumChannel.com was going to feature Doane Perry (Jethro Tull), Neil Peart (Rush), and Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons, DrumChannel resident). So many years of drumming experience, coincidentally from the so-called "progressive rock" genre. In any case, it was an event I couldn't miss.

Those who have followed TheParadiddler.com can deduce who my favorite drummer is, so I thought that this would be a good opportunity to get to know Perry and Bozzio a little more. Doane Perry I knew the least of, and I remember Terry from his Missing Persons days (crazy hair and all). Unfortunately, I missed Terry during his Frank Zappa days as well (boy, do I have a lot of homework to do!). But I can always catch up.

I had no expectations about this event. Maybe some thought that the three would at some point break out into an all-out jam, going crazy all over whatever drum kit they were presented. I for one, merely wanted to be a spectator and try to glean from them whatever pearls of wisdom I may not have heard before, and find a way for them to fit into my philosophy of drumming. I did submit via the chat room a couple of questions, but there were so many questions, and some most likely submitted theirs even days before the event, that mine were not asked (if anyone wants to know, and if I remember them, just let me know!).

So with paper and pen in hand, I listened, and waited. It actually was a little mesmerizing to see such great drummers altogether, like old chums, yapping it up, laughing with (and at!) each other - it was a lot of fun. From what I gathered, some people still seem to think that Neil Peart is a very moody, somewhat somber person. Maybe because he's so serious when he plays, that transfers to other parts of his life. Now I don't know him personally, but he seemed the most jolly and affable of the three (well, four if you count Don Lombardi, who was conducting the interview). Terry's just a nut (in a good way). His enthusiasm is so contagious - you can't help but get excited when you hear him speak. Doane was more the passive one, slowly doling out his story (even to the point of Neil 'mock' dozing off during one of his stories). They just all got along and had a good time.

Ahem, back to the paper and pen. So I thought I'd jot down the 'pearls of wisdom' that any of these guys might say that we would want to think about and remember. Of course, we can go to DrumChannel.com and watch the rebroadcast of the show, but for those who either missed it, or would like somewhat of a summary, the following is what I found most interesting. I'm sure I'll miss a few (or several) things, but hey, we can watch it again! I'll mention what the drummer said, and what I think about what they said. I'll be paraphrasing for the most part.

• Neil Peart: 'No other instrument is like the drums. There are as many different setups as there are drummers.'

  • The Paradiddler: How many instruments can you tinker with different positions to tailor to the individual player? Very few if any! But with drums, configurations are limitless. You have different piece counts, cymbal counts, throne height, tom angles, hi-hat height, how open you have the hi-hats, drum tuning possibilities (don't even get me started there!), percussion, etc. Really, how many ways can you configure a saxophone?

• Doane Perry: 'Drums are misunderstood. They seem easy, but most struggle past a straight four-beat. Drummers sympathize with each other.'

  • TP: I totally agree with this! Many look at drummers and think what they do is easy. "Oh, anybody can sit down and do what that guy's doing." But sit them down and have them play something simple as "Back In Black" by AC/DC, or almost any Creedence Clearwater Revival song, and they will always flop. I alluded to that in my article "A Perspective On Drum Covers". Even though I still think the drummers in the aforementioned bands could have done more, their simple beats served those songs. Plus, it's a lot harder to keep a solid beat than most think!

• DP: Doane said he at one time took lessons from Billy Cobham.

  • TP: This might have been the funniest reaction of the whole show. Both Terry and Neil were like "Whoa, wait a minute, back up - what did you say? Lessons with Billy Cobham? When did this happen?" Apparently nobody knew that! A little trivia for us drumming buffs.

• Terry Bozzio: 'The music you want to play should dictate what skills to practice. Also, practice what you don't know. Don't waste time practicing and warming up with paradiddles if you already know them."

  • TP: Ok Terry, quit bashing paradiddles! (Just kidding). What he says make perfect sense. If you're going to be playing more jazzy stuff, you might be wasting your time practicing blast beat double-bass drumming. You may want to hone your skills with traditional grip, for example. Or if you're going to cover rock bands, where most bars are straight fours, practice timing. Well, timing (or groove, maybe) is good for all genres, but that's just an example. I'm still practicing single and double stroke rolls!

• NP: 'The 9x13 drum is my benchmark drum size. I love the tonality.'

  • TP: In my article "Neil Peart Solo Number 3 - Rush In Rio, 2003", I called Neil's 9x13 tom the 'magic tom' (you'll have to read why if you haven't!). Little did I know what Neil thinks of this particular drum! It is a beautiful sounding drum. I'm sure for Neil this tom and his snare have a very good relationship!

• DP: 'The more you practice, the more things "come to you". But you have to sweat it; you have to practice a lot.'

  • TP: Personally, I've found this to be true. On a particular practice session that I recorded of myself, when I watched it I was actually dumbfounded that I could play what I was playing. I didn't realize until afterwards that I'd been trying to play specifically that way for some time, and I actually did it! And it came with practice.

• TP: "Gadd is in the details"

  • TP: Ok, this was me in the chat room, but I was actually surprised that I said it! Someone had commented that Steve Gadd's style of drumming, at least for this chatter, was boring. I then said the above. I got some compliments on that, but I do believe it's true. Many will swear by Steve Gadd's technique, so much so that most will agree that, well, "Gadd is in the details." I haven't followed Mr. Gadd as much as I'd like, but that's the great thing about all these great drummers: so much to look forward to!

• NP: "You don't have to keep the time; everyone's keeping the time."

  • TP: I find this to be true even when playing a drum cover. When I was recording my drum cover of Rush's "Dreamline", I found myself at times following Geddy Lee's voice more than Neil's drumming! Maybe Neil does this as well. Yes, everyone's keeping the time, but drummers, make sure you don't lose time, ok?

Well, there was a lot more said, but you can view the encore presentation at DrumChannel.com. This was more of a highlight list, the things I found most interesting, the 'pearls of wisdom'. But of course, the drummers had to jam, and jam they did. It wasn't a bombastic display, as some expected. But is was more a melodic approach. Well that went on for along time, and Don Lombardi had to stop them! Time flies when you're having fun, I guess. Here are a few photos from the show^*. I hope you enjoy them, and if you missed it, go to DrumChannel and hear it from the boys themselves!

The trio at work

Terry's in there somewhere!

Terry Bozzio at home

"Even I don't know what to do with this kit!"

...and scene. That's a wrap!

If you've read my three-part series on my origins (The Paradiddler, Origins), then you'll already know that, at least for the moment, I'm mostly a self-taught drummer, and I learned how to play by air drumming.  You also surmised that I'm a big fan of Neil Peart, Rush drummer extraordinaire.  So when DrumChannel.com came out with the "Chad Smith Air Drumming Contest on YouTube", well, you know I had to enter!

I chose a song I'm pretty familiar with, since I've been hearing it since it came out in 1982 - "Subdivisions" by Rush.  In real life, I'll need a couple more drums and cymbals to play it to my satisfaction, and that's where air drumming comes in!

For now, I'm a pretty good air drummer (if I must say so myself!).  My real drum playing, at least by my standards, has much room for improvement, which is a nice way to say 'it's all uphill from here'!  I've gotten a hold of some drum instruction videos and documents on improving your play, and will be reviewing them extensively in the near future and letting you know what I think.

You can click on the previous link to go to DrumChannel's air drumming challenge.  Of course, anyone can enter (the details are there), but if you're not, then view my video!  The winner is the one with the most views by July 15, 2009 at 3pm EST.  And of course, for your convenience (or mine!), I've included the video here.  Tell all your YouTube-viewing friends!  And thanks for viewing.  Let me know what you think as well!

This is Omar Alvarado reporting live from Anaheim, CA, site of Sabian Live at NAMM 2009…

Ok, I actually wasn’t there, but I did watch it live! Yes, DrumChannel.com was at it again, streaming their second live event (their first was the Buddy Rich Memorial Concert (BRMC) held last October, of which you can read my reviews of the show; just click on the Articles link at the top of this page). The Paradiddler made sure he saw the show, so as to report back to you all. If Sabian, my cymbal manufacturer of choice, is gonna put on a show, you know I want to see, and tell you all about it!

When I first saw the ad for the event on DrumChannel.com, I noted it said from 7pm-12am, including pre-show and performances. What I didn’t notice until later was that those times were West Coast! And since I’m on the East Coast, well, let’s just say this was going to be a long night. So for the benefit of those who missed the show for whatever reason (i.e., sleep), I’ll try to sum up, or maybe even a little more than sum up, the events at Sabian Live.

For those of you not in the know, “the NAMM Show is considered the largest music products trade show in the world, its only major competition being the Musik Messe in Frankfurt. It is held every January in Anaheim, California, USA at the Anaheim Convention Center. The January 2008 show had 1,560 exhibitors and a record-breaking 88,100 attendees. The NAMM Show is not open to the general public, only to members of the music trade. The acronym NAMM originally stood for the National Association of Music Merchants, but has evolved from a national entity representing the interests of music products retailers to an international association including both commercial, retail members and affiliates. Therefore, the long form of the name is no longer used, and it is simply known as NAMM, the International Music Products Association.” (quote from Wikipedia).

The performers that were scheduled for this event were:

• Richie ‘Gajate’ García with Oscar Cartaya’s Enclave featuring:
  • Walter Rodríguez
  • Tal Bergman
  • Joey DeLeón
• Jojo Mayer with Nerve
• Jimmy DeGrasso with F5

The pre-show started at 7pm, and the performances lasted from 8pm to about 12am. Similarly as before, DrumChannel.com had their four camera angles for the event, with a fifth camera for the backstage show. The angles were:

1 - Concert: the main edit

2 - Covershot: front wide shot of the stage

3 - Overhead: overhead view of the drums

4 - Footcam: shot of drummer’s feet

5 - Backstage: DrumChannel interviews with artists

During the show, I found that cameras three and four had better sound than cameras one and two. I really had no use for camera two, since this was just a panoramic-type view from afar (too far). You had a good view of the drummer’s feet (the camera was on the drummer’s right side), but I wished the camera was angled a little better to catch the action of the left foot as well. Maybe this was the best angle attainable, though. The main edit cameras captured the show exceptionally well, however. It might have even been a better job than the Buddy Rich Memorial Concert main edit. But that might have been due to the accessibility to the performers in this setting. All in all, the camera work was very good.

The Pre-Show

The pre-show, as before, consisted of Don Lombardi yapping it up with fellow drummers, whether they were participating in the show or just spectators. He had a couple of helpers this time. One was Johnny ‘Vatos’ Hernández of Oingo Boingo fame, and Don Famularo, the master of ceremonies for the show. These were talking on and off with various artists that came and went, and they were also taking questions from viewers via the chat feature of DC’s web site. Percussionist extraordinaire Walfredo Reyes and his son Danny Reyes were one of the first guests.

Walfredo talked a little about his coming to New York from Cuba, and his desire to incorporate percussion (congas and such) with the drum set.

Danny talked about what dinner was like in the Reyes household. On one hand you’d have Mom saying ‘Eat your dinner!’, while on the other you’d have Dad saying, “Practice your rudiments!” And this went on for years! Walfredo also said that learning piano and keyboards is a good foundation, a great aid for gaining musical knowledge that can be transferred to other instruments, such as percussion and the drum kit. I never thought of it that way, but that’s very true!

Danny strongly recommended learning as many aspects of drums and percussion as possible. The more you expand in this area, the more possibilities are available to you. Learn different genres and styles, and also educate yourself on the business side of music, if your goal is to make a living from it.

Next in was Bob Zildjian, head of Sabian! He spoke some about the history of the Zildjian family moving from Western Armenia (now Turkey) to the States and what not, but what really interested me was his explanation of how they came to the “Sabian”: it is comprised of the first two letters of his childrens’ names: Sally, Billy, and Andy. Sabian! I thought that was clever.

Richie García came in with Chad Wackerman, and briefly mentioned their collaboration on a project. Chad went on to explain that, to be a musical drummer, you have to learn to play well with the other musicians, and you must learn how to control your volume. A drummer has a mostly unrecognized power in a band, and he should use that power wisely.

Others came and went, including Nick Rich, who talked about his participation in the BRMC. He said he only practiced the previous weekend to said event, but he played phenomenally!

I would like to suggest that for the next live show, for the backstage interviews the name of the artist appears for a bit when the camera’s on them. Don’t always know the faces!

Richie ‘Gajate’ García with Oscar Cartaya’s Enclave

At about 8pm, I switched over to the show cameras for Richie García’s performance. Richie’s a great percussionist, playing the timbales in Oscar Cartaya’s band. They played a few songs (very percussive, heavy dose of Latin influence, of course!) which featured three different drummers/percussionists: Walter Rodríguez, Tal Bergman, and Joey DeLeón. All performed very well, but I particularly liked Tal Bergman’s little solo before one of the songs he performed. It was so smooth and effortless, and the way he alternated between the hi-hat and snare at a very high speed was most impressive.

Now for the last song, Oscar wanted to liven up the crowd a bit, so he called to the floor a Latin dancer named Lisa. Let’s just say that it got, well, muy caliente.

After Enclave finished, I went back to the backstage camera. Interviews had been going on throughout the entire show till the end, so you had to make a choice: watch the band, or watch the interviews. I tried as much as possible to watch the music, because I always want to see if I can learn something new. Among the guests there was Joey Heredia, who made a very interesting point. He said that even if you don’t use all the rudiments in your playing, just knowing them gives you the confidence that you know what you’re doing, and you can plug them in whenever you need them. That’s good advice, because the rudiments are, as we know, the foundation, the vocabulary, for drummers.

Jojo Mayer with Nerve

I wish the backstage folks would say when the performance started! Nerve had already begun, but I actually didn’t miss much. Let me tell you, I was very impressed with Jojo. I hadn’t seen him play before, but I won’ forget it. He played with such intricacy. He had so much going on that, not only did he hit all the notes, but it seemed like he filled the spaces between the notes. All the notes seemingly had ‘ghosts’, drums and cymbals included. It seemed like his motto is “just keep moving,” because it seemed like that’s all he did. He was so busy and fast, but it seemed effortless as well. The musical bar is his playground, and he plays all over the place.

I did find the songs somewhat “spacey” (as in outer space), so I started drifting to the backstage camera just to see who was on. Low and behold, it was Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater! I was glued.

He was asked about his influences, which he’s spoken of a lot previously. Drummers like Ringo Starr, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Neil Peart, and from an overall musical perspective, Frank Zappa.

So Mike was asked one final question, a parting question. ‘What would be the best advice you could give to all the drummers and musicians out there watching online and in the audience here?’ And right when he was about to speak, the audio dropped! I scrambled and went to another camera and back to the backstage camera, but it was too late. He said what he was going to say. Hopefully DrumChannel can replay that interview somehow, because I want to know what he said!

Jimmy DeGrasso with F5

Last on the bill was Jimmy Degrasso with F5. This was a performance in the metal genre. Jimmy’s performance was very ‘linear’, with lots of double-bass fills typical of metal. Not that it was a bad performance by any means. Jimmy was spot on. I believe F5 had the longest set list, and the crowd seemed to be into it.

I switched over to the backstage camera again to see what was going on there. There was a lot going on back there the whole time, and I know I missed a lot of interviews, but hey, I chose the music! Todd Sucherman of Styx was there, and he said “Fooling Yourself” is his favorite Styx song because of all the time changes it has – makes for a very interesting performance. Also, he had some advice for drummers out there: put your whole heart into your playing, and be involved in the Arts – any art, be it painting, guitar, what have you.

After a bit Jojo Mayer joins in, and I have to tell you, I didn’t understand 90% of what the guy was saying! He was rambling about movements in music from jazz, to rock, to hip-hop, on and on – it was crazy! It was entertaining though. It might have been his accent. The more he spoke, the more excited he got about his topic and started loosening up, and the less I understood his point! But mainly, I did get that he likes to try new genres and incorporate that into his playing.

And finally Jim DeGrasso comes in after his performance with F5. He said something very interesting that will stick with me. He said that he would rather play 2/4 with no fills on a great song, than play a bunch of cool fills in a lousy song. I agree totally with that!

And that was the show! I did like the BRMC show better than this one, but this one was very good nonetheless, with some great performances that would be much better to see than to have me try to describe them. Hopefully DrumChannel will make some or all the show available for those who missed it.

Interviews were a big part of this presentation (they never stopped). From all the interviews conducted, there was a similar theme throughout that all the artists seemed to be in agreement on. One, learn to listen. If you train yourself to have a critical ear, that will enable you to discern what the drummers are doing, and you will more likely be able to incorporate that in your playing. And two, learn as many genres as possible. This will make you a more complete (and in demand) drummer.

As for me, well, I hope to repeat the line opened this article with, except hopefully I’ll actually be there!

During the show, there were many interesting tidbits that were presented for each artist, so for those that were not there (physically or online), I’ll list some of them here. Enjoy – till the next NAMM!

Richie García

• Has played with Sting, Diana Ross, Don Henley, Phil Collins, Tito Puente, Amy Grant, and more
• Recorded soundtracks for The Italian Job, I-Spy, Maid in Manhattan, and The Mummy Returns
• Modern Drummer’s 2004 Best Hand Percussionist

Oscar Cartaya

• Has played with Herb Alpert, Jennifer López, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Robbie Robertson, and more

Walter Rodríguez

• Plays with Yanni and is endorsed by Gon Bops

Tal Bergman

• Has toured and recorded with Herb Alpert, Billy Idol, Joe Zawinul, Simple Minds, LL Cool J, Rod Stewart, and Chaka Chan
• Associate producer and drummer on the Grammy nominated platinum album It Had To Be You… The Great American Songbook by Rod Stewart

Joey DeLeón

• Been playing drums since he was three years old
• Has played with Queen Latifah, The Banda Bros, Lucky 7, Tito Puente, Al Jerreau, Cindy Lauper, Luckman Jazz Orchestra, Joey DeFrancesco, Juan Gabriel, Alex Acuña, Giovanni Hidalgo, Pancho Sánchez, Joan Sebastián, Al McKay (Earth, Wind and Fire), Ricky Martin, Jazz on the Latin side All Stars, Strunz and Farah, and many more

Jojo Mayer

• Mostly self-taught, although he had two informal lessons with Jim Chapin on Moeller Technique, one lesson with Freddie Gruber on balance and projection, and one from Ed Thingpen on basic brush stroke technique
• Won the #1 spot on Modern Drummer’s Reader poll for Best Educational DVD in 2008

Jimmy DeGrasso

• Previous to F5, Jimmy and bassist David Ellefson played in Megadeth; Degrasso performed on 10 Megadeth albums starting in 1999
• Has played with Lita Ford, Ozzy Osbourne, White Lion, Suicidal Tendencies, Y&T, Stone Sour and Alice Cooper

While I was perusing the different music store web sites for some new gear, I came across the Ken Stanton Music web site, and I saw their ad for a drum clinic scheduled for December 4^th.  The drummer was Will Calhoun.  You may know him from Living Colour fame.  This would be interesting!  I'd never been to a drum clinic before (shame on you, Paradiddler!), so this would be an educational experience for me.  That's what clinics are for, right?

Actually, I didn't know what to expect.  Would he be distant, like if I went to see Living Colour at an arena, flailing away on his kit?  Would he have bodyguards surrounding him?  Maybe I was exaggerating the whole thing in my head, but I sure was going to find out.

The event was to take place at 7pm, but I got there about 45 minutes early.  You know me - I love to look around.  Hmm, maybe I'll upgrade my Sabians (focus, Paradiddler!).  When I got there, straight ahead was Will's kit.  It was beautiful in its simplicity.

The kit was a Mapex Saturn series 7pc.  Although it looks like a double bass drum setup, the left foot drum is actually an 18" floor tom lying on its side, with the hoops to make it look like a bass drum (at least that's how I saw it).  He does use a double bass pedal, the Sleishman twin pedal.  Below is a view of the kit from behind.  You can see the right side of the pedal.



The cymbals are Sabians, mostly custom-made for Will.  More on that later as well.

While I was admiring the kit, out of nowhere and inconspicuously appears Will Calhoun!  You know, just another guy taking a look at his stuff, no big deal (yeah right!).  He was chatting with a couple of people, and right away I could tell he is a really down-to-earth fellow, very friendly.  A relative he hadn't seen for about 20 years popped in, and it was nice to see his reaction.  Just a little episode to show that many musicians (especially drummers, I think) are really just like you and me, just one of the guys, well, until you put them behind the kit!

A little later, Will sat down behind the kit to warm up, perform a sound check, and the like.  If this was all he did, I'd be satisfied.  He was very fast!  And he hit the drums and cymbals with a lot of authority.  Oh, I didn't mention that he was using brushes, not sticks - and it was loud.  I was going to have to brace my ears for when he picked up the sticks!  After the warm-up was over, he went to the back.  Now we waited.

Let the Clinic Begin

While we waited for Will to come back out for the clinic, I decided to stand against a column which was right next to Will's kit ("stage right", as it were).  I thought to myself, "maybe I could get away with staying right here instead of sitting."  Well, it ended up not being a problem at all!  I had the best seat in the house (well, I never really sat - you know what I mean).  I was about to receive the full brunt of Will's sound.

Well, he came out to an applause (I would say there were about 50 or so in attendance), and started with a solo.  Now I never was into Living Colour that much, but I do remember that I loved his sound on "Cult of Personality," and the way he played that song with controlled aggression.  I also liked the little nuances, like when he hit the open hi-hat ‘in between' the beats, which I thought was cool (i.e., right after the John F. Kennedy sound bite).

Will started out with an explosive solo.  He actually used his hands and fingers to produce some unique sounds from the drums.  Of course, when he grabbed the sticks, it got loud. The cymbals had a curious arrangement, with some of them being very close together.  With the force that he hit them you would think they would pound against each other, but that didn't happen, or at least their sounds didn't interfere with each other.  During the solo he kept a steady beat with his left foot on the lying floor tom, which showed incredible independence skills.

Next he played to a song, which I don't know the name of (sorry!).  In fact, he played a couple of songs of which I don't know the name, and I actually forgot to ask (and I could've!).  I was too mesmerized by his playing.

He then broke into another solo where he used a mallet and what looked like a tala wand (could have been his Rute 505 - you can link on over to Vic Firth for more info on these).  In any case, he was playing a constant triplet-like beat with the bass drum throughout.  He later grabbed his sticks and showcased an incredible Latin beat.  It was an incredible show of dexterity all over the kit, and his endurance seemed boundless.

He then played yet another solo, where he started using the ddrum triggers this time.  I have to mention that Will hits those drums extremely hard - I actually thought he was going to break a head or two.  But I loved it!  It was such a rush to be right next to so much loudness and not have to worry about the neighbors!

Next Will introduced us to the Wave drum, an instrument to which Will showed he has an affinity for.  He was getting a lot of keyboard-ish type sounds out it, which sounded great.  Then while the track he started was going on, he went back to the kit and exploded into another solo.  But this time it seemed like you could intimate a steady beat right below the solo that never waivered.  That was one of the most impressive feats of the night.

I didn't get the name of this instrument, but to me it looks like an inverted steel drum, of which he used his hands and fingers to play.  By this point I was blown away by Will's versatility, not as a drummer only, but as a musician. But if that wasn't enough, he had another surprise up his sleeve...

He pulled out a flute-like instrument and played it expertly.  I didn't catch the name of it, but he said it was from south China.  It was a pleasure to see his many talents.

Next was Q&A with the audience.  I'll go through a few highlights:

• Will switched from traditional to matched grip throughout the clinic.  He mentioned that that really started off as a bad habit, because his original teacher taught the traditional grip, but he first played percussion with matched grip, so over time he ended up switching between the two. But he prefers playing matched grip most of the time, especially when playing in Living Colour, and for setting off the triggers matched grip is much easier
• He loves his Wave drum, and stressed that drummers should strive to be more educated beyond just the sound of the drums; they should know what frequencies their sound resides in, and to know what space their drums occupy in the grand scheme of the music being played.  This will not only make you a better drummer, but a better musician
• Will got tired of using cowbells and woodblocks (not saying that they don't have their place, however).  He likes to get as many sounds as possible from the actual kit, like playing rim shots off the tom while resting the stick on the snare, playing the bell of the hi-hat cymbal, etc. Don't just hit the heads. Really get to know all sounds your kit makes without the extra stuff
• Great quote from Max Roach:  "The instrument always wins"

Will went on to talk about his cymbals, which are Sabians.  A few are prototypes made for him, such as what I call (or he called, maybe!) the ‘desert' cymbal.  It has a nice ride sound, but hardly any wash even when you hit it hard - very short sustain.  His ride is ‘washy', however.  His hi-hats are pretty much separated, so they can be played independently from each other when open (‘as much sound as you can get from your kit').  He has three of what he calls ‘alien disks' stacked one on top of the other, which are to the left of his ride cymbal and really close to a crash cymbal right above.  These ‘alien disks' cymbals range in sizes from 4" to 14".  And let's not forget the gong/china cymbal to his right, with a hole in the middle!  It was a great sounding cymbal.

Will doesn't like to use muffling very much.  There was no muffling on the bass drum, except for the minimal muffling that the Remo Powerstroke head has.

I have to say, I learned a lot from attending this clinic.  Will Calhoun is a masterful drummer, one I would like to imitate.  He has great power, but only when needed.  He plays with finesse and seemingly effortlessly.  He showed me that I shouldn't be afraid to pound those heads as hard as I want - they'll be ok!  But most importantly, he showed that drummers need not be just timekeepers.  They are an integral part to the song, and that the drummer should serve the song, by knowing what space in the musical piece their instrument occupies.  This will garner more respect from the other musicians.  Learn other instruments as well and try to transfer those skills to the kit (and vice versa!).

A very big honorable mention goes out to Ken Stanton Music in Stone Mountain, GA.  They were very friendly throughout the whole event, and were always available to answer any questions.  I believe the drum tech at hand was Kevin Charney (I hope I spelled the name correctly), but he did a great job assisting Will even during the performance.  Great job!

Well, so the event ended.  It was after the clinic, and maybe Will was tired, but he stuck around and made himself available for any other questions.  I got me a pair of Vic Firth 5A's, and without hesitation and with a huge smile, he autographed both for me.  I thanked him profusely, and made a note to catch their show when they hit Atlanta.  Ten out of ten paradiddles for this event, and major kudos to Will Calhoun.

For more information as to what Will's up to, you can go to his web site (willcalhoun.com).



Interesting? Then pass it along!

]]> http://theparadiddler.com/2008/12/11/drum-clinic-will-calhoun/feed/ 0 http://theparadiddler.com/2008/11/24/not-just-about-the-drums/ http://theparadiddler.com/2008/11/24/not-just-about-the-drums/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:05:09 +0000 Omar http://theparadiddler.com/?p=341

As many of you may do, I often go through some videos in my stash to view some of the drumming performances again.  I may have missed some nuance that I didn't notice before, or maybe I might want to see how the song was, well, drummed, so I might play it and put my little spin on it.

I ran into a couple of performances, however, that the more I saw them, the more I realized it's not just about the drums.  It's about the whole musical experience.  The music may take you somewhere you've been before (or thought you've been before), or it takes you somewhere where you'd like to be.

Journey:  Revelation

A few months back Journey appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show.  My wife is a fan of the show, and when Journey played "Separate Ways," she remembered how much she likes the song and others by them.  This was much to my liking, since I liked Journey very much when I was growing up.  Some time later, they came out with their Revelation CD/DVD, which contained a CD with new songs, one with remakes of some of their classics, and a DVD with a concert they performed in Las Vegas.  So I bought it for my wife, which she loved.  But I was very interested in their DVD performance.

Journey has a little spot in my heart in that they were the first concert I ever went to, during their Frontiers tour in 1982.  I was a very impressionable little lad then, so you can imagine how blown away I was by the experience.  We sat way in the back of the arena way at the top, so they weren't the best seats.  But that didn't matter to me.  Bryan Adams was the opening act, and when he came out for an encore I thought it was Journey (well, I couldn't really see them!).  I liked Steve Smith's drumming very much, but I was blinded by Neil Peart at the time so I didn't notice Steve as much as I should have (that would come later).

Back to the present.  So I slip the DVD into the player to watch the concert.  The band was excellent. I didn't know their new tunes very well but they sounded very good.  The ‘oldies' were spot on.  If any of you were Journey fans at one point and maybe lost interest over the years, I strongly recommend you watch this DVD.  If you close your eyes, you might not tell that Steve Perry was not the singer - their current singer (Arnel Pineda) sang brilliantly.  I've always thought that Neal Schon was an underrated guitarist, but to me he is a complete guitarist, rhythm and lead.

But of course, The Paradiddler is going to observe the drumming most intently, and that is being handled these days by Deen Castronovo.  I never heard of him until he started playing for Journey, but from what I see he's very, very good!  But not only for his drumming.

This guy can sing!  I was in for a surprise, because the song he sang was "Mother, Father", from they're Escape release.  Coincidentally, this is my favorite Journey song of all, drumming and everything.  Not only did he play the song masterfully, he sounded very much like Steve Perry!  The performance brought me back to my younger years in a way I did not expect.  It transcended the drumming performance - it was a grand musical experience that moved me.  I would recommend the DVD just for this song, but I know they perform songs that are more recognizable in the mainstream, which were also great performances as well.

Soundstage:  Fleetwood Mac

Now this is not going to be an endorsement for HDTV per se, but if you don't have it, get it. Not only is the picture better, but the sound is also.  Stereo sounds great, but it sounds even better hooked up to a 5.1 Dolby receiver.  Anyway, the reason I mention this is because the high definition music channel Palladia has the Soundstage series where they feature various artists.  If you have Comcast, it is listed on their On Demand channel, so you can watch whenever you like.  While I was perusing, I noticed they had Fleetwood Mac listed, so I checked it out.

This was a show that was performed in Boston in 2003 and later presented on PBS, and later released to DVD.  But no matter, ‘cause I hadn't seen it!  I have to confess that I am not a huge Fleetwood Mac fan, but there are several of their songs that I like a lot. But I am a huge fan of live music.  You could say that I'd watch anything if it was live.  But this performance was far from "anything".

I wasn't looking so much for the drumming experience, but for the live experience.  I didn't watch the show expecting Mick Fleetwood to wow me with his drumming prowess.  This group is not about the individual performances (well, at least that's my opinion), but the whole musical experience.  And this was a wondrous experience.

They played a mix of some of their older songs, some new ones at the time, and songs from their solo projects (Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham).  I hadn't heard some of the songs they played (actually, a lot of them), but the experience just brought me somewhere that I couldn't exactly define or describe.  I found myself compelled to keep watching, to keep listening - I felt part of the crowd.  The relationship Lindsey and Stevie shared (at least the good times - I'm not privy too much to their history) was implied throughout the performance.  It was genuine.  I particularly felt somewhere else when they played "Gypsy" from their Mirage release.  I was a kid when it came out.  It's not so much what the song says, but the mood it puts me in when I remember how I was when it was released.  All in all, a very good time, a very good show.

So as I mentioned before, it's not all about the drums.  Both shows had very good drumming, both drummers served their songs more than they served themselves, each within the context of the type of music they were playing.  Sure myself, and maybe many of you, will notice a band for the great drumming.  But in the end, it's all about the music, and how it moves you.
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]]> http://theparadiddler.com/2008/11/24/not-just-about-the-drums/feed/ 0 http://theparadiddler.com/2008/11/14/drumchannelcom-buddy-rich-memorial-concert/ http://theparadiddler.com/2008/11/14/drumchannelcom-buddy-rich-memorial-concert/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:00:06 +0000 Omar http://theparadiddler.com/?p=320

Even though I was sitting at my desk, I actually felt like I was there. No, I don’t mean being surrounded by fans in the audience, or the booming of the bass drums, or the loud sizzle of hi-hats. But the fact that I could be a part of the event at all, and not via replay but live, was very exciting. And if I had to go to the bathroom, I could take the laptop with me and not miss a beat (pun intended, couldn’t resist).

I found the interface for viewing the show to be simple enough, with the typical Play, Stop, and Volume buttons. You could also select high or low resolution viewing depending on your connection speed.

But the neatest feature was the camera angles. You had five angles to choose from: the main feed, the drum cam, close-up, the hand-held, and backstage. Before the show you could see the hustle and bustle of the stage crew getting things ready. But the pre-show was on the backstage camera.

Several artists were backstage, exchanging anecdotes, influences, extolling each other’s virtues, and some of their experience with Buddy Rich. You’d have some artists speaking, and then one or two would leave to make room for the next one. A merry-go-round of artists.

Terry Bozzio and Chad Smith were yapping it up, with Chad mentioning that he was mostly influenced by rock, but he did see Buddy in 1986. Buddy even signed his ticket.

Alex González of Maná was on hand as well. He also was mostly influenced by rock, but said that all drummers need to go to the Buddy Rich school. I agree with that assessment. Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction chimed in, mentioning that he noticed Gene Krupa early on, with his emotional approach to playing and sensitivity to the song. But Stephen also mentioned that Buddy was a machine.

Tommy Igoe then joins in. He has a little history with Buddy in that his father and Buddy were friends. Tommy first started playing with knitting sticks, and then got his first set when he was two (mighty small kit!). He also plugged his Birdland Big Band, and that they would be releasing a DVD & CD.

Efraín Toro, percussionist extraordinaire, walks in and speaks some Spanish to the Latino community (lots of great drummers and percussionists there), and says his performance with Terry Bozzio was going to be incredible (and in fact it was!). The audio started to fail a bit at about 8pm or so, but after switching back and forth between cameras the audio was back. Efraín mentioned that he once had dinner with Buddy Rich and Stan Getz. That must’ve been some dinner!

John Blackwell makes an entrance as well, and talked briefly about his childhood and how a kid from his biology class came over and seriously outplayed him. His father then went on to tell him, “There’s always someone better.” I know one thing: John Blackwell is better than me!

Don Lombardi of DW was also present. The DrumChannel.com is his baby, and he and Alex González were going over some of the features the web site would have, such as live discussions, lessons, videos, forums, and a who’s who in the drumming industry participating in performing, teaching, and discussion. Very much to look forward to.

Don and others also were taking calls from the general public on one of their cell phones, which was really cool! I unfortunately could not call at that moment, but the interaction was a great way to show how much DrumChannel.com will be an interactive medium for drummers that has not been seen before.

As far as viewing the show (because up to this point it has been the backstage camera), it wasn’t all so smooth. The main feed lagged behind the audio, so it was almost unwatchable. I found the hand-held view didn’t focus enough on the drummer, so I found myself not viewing that camera feed very much. What I did find myself doing was switching between the drum cam and the close-up cam. The audio on the drum cam was better than the close-up cam. So in my opinion, the best viewing experience was through the drum cam (although I was switching regularly between these two views, depending on which one gave me a better view of the drumming).

And that’s my take on the behind-the-scenes view of the show. If this is a sign of the times, DrumChannel.com will be an awesome medium for the drumming community, and one thing’s for sure, The Paradiddler will be a part of it. Very well done!
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