On view at The Memphis Drum Shop -- Joe Morello's legendary 'Take 5' ride cymbal displayed in all of its historical significance. The provenance is without question.
Read moreOne Sweet Ride
Mike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Chapter 28
”Fortune is so fleeting yet many of us get caught up in wanting it. I see people doing something and think, I wish I was on that gig or record date... Then all of a sudden I get a call from someone I met twenty years ago asking me to do something really cool and I think - Things ain't so bad.”
Read moreBilly Arnold: Remembering Tony Williams
"I first heard Tony Williams when I was in the army band. That was in 1963 and Tony had just joined Miles Davis. He was only seventeen and I couldn't believe how he expressed himself so differently than other drummers!
Read moreMike Clark: Remembering Tony Williams
“Like many of us, I was pondering Tony Williams' effect on the music world.
I remember how we all sounded before Tony and after. Very Different... Most of us were trying to sound like Max Roach, or Philly Joe Jones but then 'Four and More' came out. Within a year on the West Coast if you wanted to work with guys like Bobby Hutcherson or Woody Shaw - you had to have some sort of answer for this 'new and modern' type of playing. Tony turned the jazz drumming world upside down.
Read morePete Cater: Remembering Tony Williams
“Tony was, in my opinion, one of the few master improvisers of our instrument. He added significantly to the vocabulary of jazz drumming and though his earliest recorded output is now over sixty years old, it nonetheless sounds as ground breaking and innovative as if recorded yesterday."
Read moreGreg Caputo: Remembering Tony Williams
Tony developed under the tutelage of master drummer/teacher, Alan Dawson. Miles Davis opened more avenues for development by stating, “You can’t make any mistakes in my band.” This encouraged Tony and gave him a clear musical canvas to create and develop his improvisational skills.
Read moreFOREST SIGNED TO RECORD DEAL - 44 YEARS LATER!
Drummers Bob Girouard and Gary Stevens See Their Dreams Come True
Editor’s note (Bob Giroaurd has written many articles for Modern Drummer and other drum publications)
In what might be the longest delayed record deal in history, Forest, the Massachusetts-based eclectic blues/rock/jazz band that broke up back in 1979, has signed a distribution deal with BBE Records of London, England, who is re-releasing on vinyl Forest’s eponymous and only LP, recorded in 1978.
Read moreTerry Silverlight Presents New Music Video Album - 'In My Own Silver Light'
Previously, Terry has made several solo albums featuring himself in various musical styles and settings... Including ensembles, duets, songwriter collaborations with guest instrumentalists and vocalists. He's had the opportunity to perform and record with some of the world's most outstanding musicians... Including, Vic Juris - Eric Kloss, Phil Woods - Barry Miles, The Manhattan Jazz Orchestra - Billy Ocean - George Benson -Laura Nyro - Natalie Merchant - Freddie Jackson and Jeffrey Osborne...To name a few.
Read moreTim Smith: Remembering Tony Williams
Tony performed with such energy you could feel it propel the rest of the band. Miles himself said that Tony was “the center that the group's sound revolved around.”
Read moreAl Dimeola In Concert Featuring Richie Morales Review
Less was definitely more as Al and Richie burned through sixteen tunes with only a brief intermission. Both complimented each other with amazing displays of virtuosity throughout the show. On numerous occasions Al would smile at Richie giving him a nod of approval at some complex patterns they had just played. Sometimes it seemed to border on telepathy when they each unleashed something totally unexpected, yet it was somehow perfectly synchronized.
Read moreRay LeVier: Remembering Tony Williams
I only got to see Tony play on two occasions. Once at The Blue Note and again at Birdland. Both nights, I received the drum lesson of my life and learned firsthand about control, finesse, and confidence. He played that massive canary yellow drum kit with the three floor toms and used every drum melodically and musically. His flams and single stroke rolls knocked me out on the spot. Looking back now, I wish I would’ve checked him out live more, but am grateful for the two times I did.
Read moreGoing Back In Time - Buddy Rich - 1932
In 1919 at the age of two, Bernard 'Buddy' Rich was already traveling the country with his parents' vaudeville act. By 1932, Buddy had already been performing for 13 years as 'Traps The Drum Wonder'. At 15, he was already headlining with his own group earning up to a thousand dollars a week. That same year he also received a Slingerland endorsement deal. The accolades began rolling in... The year 1932 was an early indicator of all the great things to come for drummer Buddy Rich.
Read moreDom Famularo: Remembering Tony Williams
Several months before he passed in October of 1996, we played The Florida Drum Festival to 2,000 drummers. Tony was at the top of his game... Expressive, powerful, creative and you always expected the unexpected. We had the chance to talk for a while before his performance. He had an album coming out, 'Young At Heart' which he was excited about. He talked about wanting to be known as a composer and an individual artist. I told him, you are already there! Tony really appreciated that. He was, and still is such a powerful force in drumming and music.
Read moreMike Clark: Words of Wisdom - Chapter 26
"I love the hi-hat…Since childhood it’s had me in its clutches!"
Eric Roy - The Power Of Inspiration
Recently, Eric was the subject of a podcast where he discusses ALS. He explains how the disease is common in his family, and how it attacks the body. Eric also mentions recent medical trials which have shown some promising results... But more research and funding is required. During these challenging times, Eric and his family need our support and have started a GoFundMe page. Funds collected will provide additional medical care, and medications not covered by insurance. Any donation would be greatly appreciated.
Read moreWood and Weather Drum Shop
Joe's new address is a large two story building housing an enormous array of vintage snares, sets, and cymbals literally stacked up from floor to ceiling... It reminded me of the first time I walked into Charley Donnelly’s Newington, CT Drum Center in the mid - 1970’s -- Only on a much larger scale.
Read moreRichie Morales: Remembering Tony Williams
…the tricky syncopation and meter change in the seventh bar, the minor blues form and the improvisation of the piece still blow my mind to this day and served to open my young ears to form and melody in Jazz. Tony’s cymbal sound of the period is so organic it doesn’t even sound like stick on metal to me. His orchestration of phrases across the whole set, the use of the bass drum as an extra tom voice, the shift of the primary time keeping to stepped 1/8th notes on the hi hat, splashes of colorful cymbal work, all new to my ears, and everybody else’s too. Like so many other musicians I fell under the influence of Anthony Tillman Williams.
Read moreAaron Kennedy: Remembering Tony Williams
“I first became aware of Tony Williams from my drum teacher John Wadham. He had me listen to Tony playing with Miles Davis. “I want you to listen to this drummer and then tell me what you hear “. After what seemed to be a long while as the record turned – the hiss was silenced by the sound of a furious trumpet, drums, and upright bass. It sounded so raw - like the musicians were right there in the room with me.
Read moreDrummer Mike Clark releases another brilliant CD: MIKE DROP
Legendary drummer Mike Clark’s latest CD titled ‘MIKE DROP’ is another powerful example of just how incredible a player he is. Featuring Michael Zilber on saxophones, Matt Clark on piano, with Peter Barshay on bass…It was recorded at Oakland, California’s 25th Street Studio where the sound and clarity is amazing… According to Mike, most of the tunes were first takes - just the way he likes it.
Read moreJim Kersey: Remembering Tony Williams
Later in 2006, I would start drum lessons with legendary drummer Joe Porcaro in Thousand Oaks CA. Joe had many of Tony Williams’s transcriptions, and even had a story about his son Jeff and Tony recording together at Capital Records studio, saying, “Tony hurried in at the last minute, did the session and left soon after to catch a flight.” On Les Dudek’s ‘Zorro Rides Again’ , Tony’s sound is unique and identifiable - K Zildjian cymbals, Gretsch drums in 24" bass drum, 18' 16" 14" floor toms 14" 13" mounted toms, and 14" snare drum with Remo Black dots on all the toms and snare. His new signature sticks had dimensions similar to a 2B.
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