18 MB - DW Drums

Transcription

18 MB - DW Drums

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ISSUE 10 ||| 2012-2013 ||| DWDRUMS.COM
A
A
S
Neil Peart of Rush,
on location in
Los Angeles, California
AA
Thin IS in.
Our newest Collector’s Series
Gray Coat Aluminum,
Polished Titanium,
Black Nickel over Brass,
and Stainless Steel snare
drums feature a thin 1mm
rolled shell for pure tone,
attack, volume and sensitivity.
See them all at www.dwdrums.com/snares
www.dwdrums.com
©2012 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
S
Contents
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Editor’s Notes:
The American Dream
Featuring Conan’s James Wormworth, Jimmy Kimmel’s
Jonathan Dresel and SNL’s Shawn Pelton
16 BIG GIGS
Rock drummer extraordinaire, Atom Willard, speaks to Bruno
Mars’ Eric Hernandez and Matchbox 20’s Stacy Jones
22 NEIL PEART
Gearing up for the road with one of rock’s most
legendary timekeepers
32 NASHVILLE’S RICH REDMOND
His rise to the top with Country megastar, Jason Aldean
48 THE GOSPEL OF R&B AND HIP HOP DRUMMING
Godfather of the genre, Gerald Heyward, shares his thoughts
on Gospel chops and woodshedding
50 NOTEWORTHY DRUMMER SATNAM RAMGOTRA
Explore the world of composing with Hans Zimmer’s
right-hand drummer
58 JACK WHITE’S DARU JONES
Balancing Hip Hop and Rock gigs keeps this Brooklyn-based
rising star on track
IN EVERY ISSUE
7 TIME MACHINE: Chad Wackerman
10 ROAD RULES: 40th Anniversary Latin America Tour
28 DRUM CLINIC: Albe Bonacci goes linear
30 20 QUESTIONS: JP Bouvet
36 IN THE STUDIO: JR Robinson
42 NEW ARTISTS
44 SPOTLIGHT: Daniel Glass’ Century Project
61 TRENDS: Deep Snare Drums
PRODUCT NEWS
2 PERFORMANCE SERIES FINISHPLY® DRUMS,
AIRLIFT STANDS & COLLECTOR’S THIN METAL SNARES
4
CONCEPT SERIES DRUMS
54 9000 SERIES PEDALS
www.dwdrums.com
Scott Donnell
Editor, Edge Magazine
ARTIST FEATURES
12 THE DRUMMERS OF LATE NIGHT
DW really is an American success story.
‘American Dream’ is not a term we use lightly
and we are thankful that our passion and
dedication to the art of drum-building has
brought us to this place. I’m not just speaking
about DW Founder, Don Lombardi, or resident
Drum Designer, John Good. I’m talking about
the team of dedicated employees and craftsmen
that make the instruments by hand, including
the machine shop workers that mill parts on a
daily basis and the CAD engineers that translate
the ideas into workable models. Our story also
includes the professional drummers that have
believed in our mission statement from day one.
Some of them are household names, and others
are accomplished musicians that back up the
household names on some of the most notable
stages and in some of the most legendary studios
the world has known.
And we can’t forget you. You’re the ones
that keep the American Dream alive. We’re a
company making products to better the art of
drumming, but you’re the ones using the tools we
make to create music. Music is the reason we’re
here doing what we do. Drum Workshop wasn’t
founded as a means to do anything other than
educate drummers and make a contribution to the
drumming community. This 10th issue of Edge
magazine is dedicated to the American Dream
and the drummers that dare to dream with us. You
don’t play drums because you have to; you play
because it’s a burning desire inside you. For you,
drums aren’t just an instrument or daily activity,
they’re a lifestyle. You call yourself a drummer
because you’re proud to be part of something that
brings art and creativity into the world.
As you enjoy the articles and features within
these pages, know that we do this all for you, the
drummers. We’re a privately-held, family-owned
business that cares deeply about the instrument,
the art form, and where it’s all headed. We want
to see future generations share the same dream
we do, and we want to hear from you. Join us on
Facebook and Twitter and share your thoughts.
We’re listening. It’s the only way we can take
things to the next level and live up to our slogan,
The Drummer’s Choice.
56 PERFORMANCE SERIES HVX SHELL TECHNOLOGY
EDGE 10 ||| DWDRUMS.COM
1
TheLATEST
gear
Thin is in: DW Collector’s Series 1mm Metal Shell Snare
Drums. Drummers are always looking for their next goto snare, the drum that’s favored for recording or live gigs
and has earned its place among the top choices within
their arsenal. Some drummers prefer brass for its bite,
attack and metallic overtones, others like the warmer
tone of aluminum or the sheer volume and sensitivity of
steel. Still others swear by the boutique, throaty sound
of titanium. Whichever drum you prefer, we have a new
class of snares that are destined to become your most
beloved. We’re very proud of the addition of four thinshelled metal drums to our family of Collector’s Series
snares. The newly-added models include: Black Nickel
over Brass, Gray Coat Aluminum, Stainless Steel, and
Titanium. Each possesses its own unique sonic quality
and is outfitted with DW’s latest Custom Shop features,
including: True Pitch™ Tuning, True Tone snare wires,
3mm flanged steel True Hoops, MAG throw-off system
with 3P (3 position) butt plate, and DW Heads by Remo
USA. To see sizes, drum hardware color options, and
more, visit: www.dwdrums.com/snares.
Collector’s Series 1mm Brass, Aluminum, Stainless Steel and Titanium Snare Drums
AA
Pewter Sparkle
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Black Diamond
DW Airlift Hardware: Revolutionize Your
Set-Up Let’s face it, it’s not easy being a
drummer and a roadie all at once. Drummers
just want hardware that makes their life
easier. Introducing, the revolutionary new
9000AL Airlift hardware. It’s our tourready, industry-standard 9300 snare and
9900 tom stands, outfitted with a special,
technologically-advanced feature. Each
stand is mounted with a specially-selected
pneumatic gas shock that literally floats the
top portion of the stand, drums included, on
a cushion of air. The result is a stand that is
effortless to adjust, even when holding your
heaviest snare drum or toms. The technology
was developed and time-tested by Randall
May, International for marching drum
applications and is now available for
the first time on drum set hardware.
Heavy-duty 9300AL and 9900AL
stands are available at an
authorized DW dealer near
you and include other pro
features such as: heavy-gauge steel
tubing, tube isolators, cast tube joints with
integrated memory locks, and much more.
To watch Thomas Lang demonstrate the
magic of Airlift, visit: www.dwdrums.com.
White Marine
9300AL Snare Stand
9900AL Tom Stand
Your Affordable Dream Kit has Arrived: Welcome to
Performance Series FinishPly™ DW has always been
synonymous with quality and innovation, but neither comes
cheap. What if California-made drums were suddenly within
reach? Drummers, rejoice! Your time has come. Performance
Series all-maple drums with exclusive HVX shell technology
are now available in four popular FinishPly™ offerings to suit
just about every style of music. Choose from traditional White
Marine or Black Diamond finishes, or stage-stealing Titanium
Sparkle or Pewter Sparkle. All are high-quality, durable wraps
that feature DW’s proprietary overlapped seam with notched
bearing edge to ensure that all head brands seat correctly.
After all, it’s the sound of these HVX shells that really has
professional drummers talking.
Titanium Sparkle
Other high-end features include: True Pitch™ Tuning, STM
(Suspension Tom Mounts), F.A.S.T. (Fundamentally AccurateSized Toms), MAG throw-off, proportional counter hoops, DW
Heads by Remo USA, and more. Available in a variety of tom
pack configurations, each can be combined with a choice of
20”, 22” or 24” matching kick drums. For hard rock and metal
players, it’s an easy way to customize your next double bass
rig. The build quality and sound that musicians, engineers,
and producers have come to love and appreciate from DW is
now easier than ever to acquire. For more information, and
to see a complete list of sizes and finish options, check out:
www.dwdrums.com/drums/performance.
3
Photo Credit: Anna Webber
PDP
Concept Series
AAunBOXED
by Dave Elitch
S
ince I live only 45 minutes from the Drum Workshop factory, I usually find myself paying a visit to DW at least once a week. It’s
also a well-known fact that I’m a bit of a gear nerd and I have a growing collection of drum equipment, which is an open invitation
for my fellow drummers to joke about my apartment looking like an episode of Hoarders! So, when DW asked me to check out these
two new Concept Series kits, I simply couldn’t say no.
PDP UNBOXED ||| DAVE ELITCH
UNBOXING
I had the sound stage at Drum Channel at my disposal for this
little experiment and I’ve had the good fortune of doing quite a
bit of work in there, so I’m pretty familiar with the way the room
sounds. So, acoustics weren’t going to be a wild card. Plus, they
wanted me to sample a birch kit and a maple kit, so a familiar
setting was an advantage.
DW hadn’t told me anything about either of these kits prior to
pointing to a pallet of boxes and saying, “Have fun!” I had no
idea what I was getting myself into. I was wondering, “What are
the lugs going to look like? What sizes? FinishPly or lacquer?”
I ripped into the boxes like a kid with a new toy. I could see
that some of the drums were completely assembled and others
needed some light assembly before I could completely set up
the kit. Drum Channel always has some DW hardware lying
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EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
around, so I paired up these kits with a selection of DW 9000
Series hardware and pedals.
The first thing I noticed was that DW really stepped-up the features
and build quality on these new kits. I saw a bunch of things from
my Custom Shop DW kits. Stuff like: die cast claw hooks, MAG
throw-off on the snare, and these new lugs looked oddly familiar.
The DW folks told me that they were designed for Performance
Series snare drums and that they moved them over to PDP for the
new series. I also noticed a DW Drums logo on the new badges;
that says a lot. To me, it means that DW has really put some pro
features into these more affordable kits. I have a thriving teaching
studio and I know my students will be happy to know they can
get their hands on a DW-style kit early on and can still graduate
to a DW kit when the time is right. It’s a win-win for everyone!
“The sizes that came with these 5-piece kits were
identical: 8x10”, 9x12”, 14x16” toms, 18x22”
kick and a 5.5x14” snare. I love DW’s F.A.S.T.
(Fundamentally Accurate Sized Toms) and I also love
the fact that you get a 16” floor tom. I’ve never
been a huge fan of 14” floors and you’re forced to
get them with many of the kits in this price range. “
PDP CM5 Pearl Black with
DW 3000 Series Hardware and Pedal
FINISHES
The next thing that struck me was the quality
of the finishes. These kits look unbelievable
for the price! Both have full-on lacquer paint
jobs that caught my eye immediately. The
birch kit has a nice little Candy Black Fade
going on, while the maple kit is rocking a
killer Black Metallic look. The birch kit is
outfitted with chrome hardware and it has
a very classic, almost exotic appearance.
The maple, on the other hand, has black
powder coated hardware which gives it a very
monochromatic look. This kit would work
perfectly for a hard rock or metal band. The
powder coating is top notch (I’ve noticed it
can get a bit ‘iffy’ on some of these mid-level
kits). The PDP website, www.pacificdrums.
com, shows that there are a total of eight
finishes offered, six for Concept Maple and
two for Concept Birch. That’s a massive
variety at this price and it means there’s a little
something for everyone. Personally, I like the
really crazy stuff, but that’s why I go custom.
For one of these review kits, I’d probably
throw on a custom logo head and pair it up
with one of my favorite metal snares. Plus,
there are enough configurations available to
build a really cool set-up. You can add a floor
tom on the left or even an extra bass drum if
you’re into that. I usually play two racks and
two floors, but you can always change things
up depending on the gig.
5
SOUND
So, they look great. But how do they
sound? I set both kits up right next to
each other so I could “Pepsi challenge”
them more easily. Drummers always tend
to be very opinionated about maple vs.
birch. To me, it’s not an ‘either/or.’ They
both have their place and I like different
sounds for different reasons. Again, it’s
what’s right for the music or the gig. Let’s
face it, good drums are good drums, it’s
all about how they’re played, tuned, head
combinations, etc. That’s another thing,
I’m playing these kits with stock Remo
heads made overseas. I know that if I put
some high-quality heads on these drums
it would make a noticeable difference. I
play Remo and I’m sure that the Suede
Emperors that I have on my Jazz Series kit
would work some magic on these guys.
Bottom line, I’m sure these drums are
versatile enough to mold into a bunch of
different musical situations.
BIRCH
I hate to sound cliché, but all of the common tonal descriptions rang true with this kit.
The toms like to be tuned just a bit higher; they have a quick sound, fast decay and
are a bit punchier and brighter than their maple counterparts. The snare loved to be
cranked and had a really great ring to it that I wouldn’t want to muffle. I liked the fact
that the snare had a thicker 10-ply shell, which gave it quite a bit of crack! I asked
someone to play the kick for me and it projected nicely. Tons of punch!
MAPLE
The maple kit was also true to form. As expected, it had a much lower and fatter sound
than the birch. The resonance and decay were longer and the overall tone was on the
warmer side. The major difference with this kit was that the snare drum liked to be low.
Like, “baseball bat in a wedding cake” low. Throw some gaff on and head straight into
the studio with that guy! The kick was nice and punchy, but sounded almost identical
to the birch kit (not a bad thing at all).
PDP CM7 Silver Sparkle to Black Fade with
PDP UNBOXED ||| DAVE ELITCH
PDP CB4 Cherry to Black Fade with
AA
CONCLUSION
It all comes down to personal taste, but in my world, this is a real drum kit. I also know that if DW makes something, you know it’s
going to sound great and be around for a while. That’s a given. I really love these drums because of the outstanding job they’ve done
with the look and the small details. We all know that drummers listen with their eyes. If the kit looks cool, it somehow sounds a little
better and is more fun to play. Plus, let’s be honest, most mid-level kits aren’t up to spec and I’d never even think of taking them on
a gig. Not these! These kits can hang with many pro-level kits out there. I’d love to see what this Black Sparkle kit looks like under
the lights…oh no, here we go again!
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Chad Wackerman OVER
THREE
DECADES
with
and counting
DW
PHOTO BY ROB SHANAHAN
A
s much as the affable Mr. Wackerman
wouldn’t want to be typecast or be put
in a box, we can safely categorize him as
a drummer’s drummer. His genre-defying
career has seen him touring with established
pop icons such as James Taylor and Barbra
Streisand, as well as exploring new ground
with legendary masters like Frank Zappa,
Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai, and his good
pal Terry Bozzio, along with so many others.
To say he’s performed at a high level for so
many years is a gross understatement. His
reserved demeanor and effortless playing
have kept him working and garnered the
respect of his peers but, for the reasons
previously mentioned, some would say
he’s underrated. Classifications and labels
aside, he’s as noteworthy and prolific as
he’s always been, while continuing to blaze
new trails and make his memorable mark
as a drummer, recording artist, composer,
and producer. We caught up with Chad
to talk about his latest endeavors and his
longstanding history with the company.
Scott Donnell: Talk a little bit about your
experience in the early days of DW.
Chad Wackerman: I met John Good in 1982.
He had auditioned to be the drum and bass
tech for the ’82 Zappa tour. John took the
drums that I was playing at the time and put
new bearing edges on them, packed the lugs
with foam, took off some internal lacquer
and made them sound much better. It was
obvious to me that I should have him build
me a new kit after the tour.
My first DW kit was a burgundy lacquer
set. The snare was a 6.5 x 14” brass timbaletype shell and had a strainer that was a part
of a luggage lock! I still have that snare. The
other drum sizes were: 16x22” kick, 9x10”,
10x12”, 12x14” rack toms, with 17x16” and
AA
17x18” floor toms on legs.
In 1982, DW was a two-man company.
Don and John had one employee, Fonso,
to help assemble bass drum pedals, which
they would then sell to Gretsch to pay their
rent. I loved the kit John built for me, but
we went through some modifications to it,
changing the inside lacquer and then the
head combinations. They had shells and the
lugs, but I had to buy rims and spurs from
other companies, because they were not
tooled-up to make those parts yet. John’s
head combination used coated Ambassadors
on top and the Evans Hydraulic heads
for the bottom. This was the kit I used on
Allan Holdsworth’s, Road Games and Metal
Fatigue records and was my touring kit for
many years. The drums had a more focused
and contained tone than other drums that I
was using. I found them to be a dream in the
studio.
I actually met Don Lombardi at a drum
clinic that I did in Santa Monica, CA when I
was thirteen years old. I knew about Camco
drums and I heard that Don had bought the
tooling when Camco went out of business.
Soon after, I bought my first DW kit in 1982
and became an endorser. Don was very keen
to have me try out the various experiments
they had been working on. I used some of
these on local gigs and on the road. They
included the boom/straight cymbal stand, the
various versions of the 5002 double pedal
and the cable hi-hat. We even experimented
with rack systems back then.
SD: How has your career grown with the
company?
CW: When I started with DW, the endorsers
were John Hernandez, Nick Ceroli, Burleigh
Drummond, Colin Bailey and myself, to
by Scott Donnell
name a few. When I did clinics we had to
have a store order a kit, John would build
it and they would work hard to send it out
in time. Everything was done one step at a
time. I spent a fair amount of time educating
people about the drums and how they made
my life so much easier in the studio. They
are custom, handmade kits; to this day, DW
kits have so much thought, research and
passion behind them. I found that Don and
John had the same passion about drums that
I had about music, and playing DW allowed
me to feel even more comfortable because I
was so happy with the tone that I was getting.
My career has definitely grown as DW has
grown. I worked very hard, but also got some
good breaks. Playing with Zappa when I was
twenty-one was amazing, and it allowed me
to gain credibility and respect among other
musicians. Playing with Allan Holdsworth
also allowed me to play as myself and still
get noticed. At the same time, I was able to
get into session work, start my solo career,
record my CDs and DVDs, play at drum
festivals, perform masterclasses and clinics,
and DW has always been supportive.
Some years later, we trialed a
masterclass tour where a student could sign
up for three masterclasses, one with Larry
London on recording, one with Jim Chapin
on hand technique, and one with me on
drumset reading and stylistic versatility. The
classes were scheduled one month apart, a
kind of travelling school. You can see that
Don had education in mind even back
then. Now, that concept has expanded into
drumchannel.com.
One thing that really grew DW’s
business was when they put out the first DW
American Dream video. They made it as a
free promo piece for stores to play in their
7
SM
A
G
A
Z
I
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E
S
shops. It featured: Jim Keltner, Jonathan
Moffett, Tommy Lee, and me, all playing
and talking about the drums and how much
we loved them. Plus, it had an interview
with John Good about his passion for
making the instruments.
When Terry Bozzio asked me to tour
with him, DW was again helping us make
that happen. We have two DVDs on the
DWDVD label, and continue to work
together live and with drumchannel. DW
has been with me for the past thirty years
and they continue to support my efforts.
I was 100% involved in the beta
testing of the drums and hardware in the
early days. Don would come up with
a new version of the 5000 pedal, or a
cymbal stand and I would use the stuff
on gigs, then report back to him. A lot of
changes developed this way. I asked Don
at one point to make a cymbal stacker, a
threaded part that replaces a wing nut on
a cymbal stand and allows you to put two
or more cymbals on a single stand. The
cymbal stacker is now offered by several
companies.
CHAD WACKERMAN ||| SCOTT DONNELL
SD: What’s it like being an artist at DW?
CW: The thing you hear over and over from
all the DW artists is that when you are with
DW you are in the DW family. There is
such a positive attitude and passion that
comes from Don and John, and that is very
contagious.
SD: As someone who has played every
version of DW 5000 and 9000 pedals over
the years, describe the evolution you’ve
witnessed with them and your take on
pedal and hardware innovation, in general.
CW: I had the very first DW double pedal. It
was presented to me by Duane Livingston,
who was a previous Zappa drum tech. It
was made from all DW pedal parts, but
had a fixed, welded, twisted bar from one
pedal to the other, instead of a linkage. It
did have two universal joints and cotter
pins to hold the bar onto the pedals. It was
held together by U clamps and looked very
much like something out of a school auto
shop. I bought it right away from Duane. I
showed it to John Good and he took it and
cleaned it up the best he could. I used it
throughout the Zappa European tour, but I
didn’t overuse it, musically. People thought
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I had the fastest foot on the planet, because
no one had a double pedal that worked
well enough to use. I grew up playing two
bass drums, but Frank didn’t want a second
bass drum on stage with another open mic.
He still asked for some fast bass drum work,
but only on one bass drum, so the double
pedal was the answer.
After I got back from that tour, I
met with Don and John and Don really
started fine-tuning and refining the pedal.
Eventually, he came up with the idea of
adding a plate to the bottom to make it
more stable, and also having numbered
markings for the setting of the rocker and
spring, so there would be a standard. They
made the pedal even smoother, used better
universal joints, replaced the cotter pins
with drum key screws, the hinges got better
and better and the overall product became
the workhorse that we all rely on today.
I’ve worked with every version of the
5002 double pedal and got into the 9000
series much later. I normally use 9000
pedals these days, but have no trouble at
all switching to the new 5000 series. I
just played a clinic last night in Toronto
and they had the new 5002. All I did was
loosen the springs on the pedal and I was
ready to go. The new toe clamp is the best,
too.
SD: What was your reaction the first time
you played DW drums?
CW: The tone was more focused, the tuning
range was bigger, and they were completely
comfortable. I was absolutely inspired by
the sound and have never looked back.
SD: Where do you see DW headed in the
next 5-10 years?
CW: I’m sure DW will have more surprises for
us in the future. As far as drum innovations go,
they have led the way for years. Think of their
contributions: the double pedal, cable hi-hat,
the modular hardware, the 3-position snare
strainer, the various shell advancements, the
Jazz series, VLT, Classics series…these are
all amazing accomplishments and have
influenced the entire drum industry. DW
will continue to push the boundaries of what
drummers thought was possible. I could not
have chosen a company with more integrity
and I’m always proud to share that with
people.
JOHN and CHAD
THIRTY YEARS PLUS
by Brook Dalton
F
AA
ew drummers have had a career with
the longevity and impact that Chad
Wackerman has had, and Drum Workshop
has been fortunate enough to support him
throughout the past three decades. Most fans
are aware that he played with Frank Zappa in
the early Eighties, but not everyone knows
that his relationship with DW began around
the same time because John Good (DW’s
Executive Vice President/Drum Designer)
was Chad’s drum tech during that era. The
time that they spent together led to both a
long-lasting friendship and Chad’s inclusion
into the DW family. I recently spoke with
Mr. Good about those early years and the
indelible impression/influence that Chad has
had on Drum Workshop ever since.
Brook Dalton: How long have you known
Chad and how did you two meet?
John Good: Actually, we met when I was
called in to do tech work for him in the early
Eighties.
BD: Wow, I always thought you knew him
previously and that was how you got the job.
JG: No, I got that gig because I’d been working
with Earth, Wind & Fire and Mark Pinske,
Zappa’s recording engineer, knew about DW
and some of the work I’d done in the studio
and he got me involved. Of course, I knew
of Chad because he’d been generating some
buzz in the LA music scene.
BD: Talk about Chad’s thirty years as a DW
artist and what that means to you personally.
JG: Throughout these thirty years, he has
always been the recipient of some new
things, as far as stuff that I would try out, and
he is always very constructive with criticism;
he gives accolades where they are due, and
if there is a problem he lets me know and I
learn from it. He’s been there, as a friend and
an artist. He’s a person that we all respect
tremendously and it’s just great to have him
as a major part of our growth.
DAVE GROHL
ENOUGH SAID.
RoadRULES
DW Latin
Invades
America
by Juels Thomas
T
o commemorate our 40th year as The Drummer’s Choice, we decided
to embark on an ambitious clinic tour that took the DW crew to four
marquee Latin American cities.
Internationally-known artists, Marco
Minnemann and Chester Thompson were joined by Mexico’s own, Alvaro
Lopez to put on a show that few will soon forget. The audiences were
colossal and passionate, and our own, Juels Thomas was there every step of
the way. This is her personal road diary of this historic drumming adventure.
Travel Day - Crew
16 JUNE 2012 – TRAVEL DAY (crew)
Our three-man crew (me, Steve Vega
[DW Artist Services] and our local
rep, Pablo) arrived in Mexico City late
tonight. It’s raining, but all it took
was some fabulous Mexican food and
cervezas to brighten the night!
Travel Day - Artists
ROAD RULES ||| JUELS THOMAS
17 JUNE 2012 – TRAVEL DAY (artists)
Still raining today. Actually, some
thunderstorms moved in this afternoon
which made Marco and Chester’s flight
in very bumpy, but they eventually
made it safely and in time for their
press conference. Alvaro arrived later
in the evening, and now I can go to
sleep knowing they’re all here together,
safe and sound.
Mexico City, Mexico
18 JUNE 2012 – SHOW DAY
Long day, but so worth it! Crew
started at 7:00 a.m. for load-in with
soundchecks starting at 10:00 a.m.
Doors opened at 1:00 p.m., then over
3000 people entered the venue ready
to be rocked!! Show started at 2:00
p.m. and the audience went crazy!
They were chanting along with Alvaro,
clapping clave with Chester,
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and finishing Marco’s complex phrases
with “Woo!” right on cue. This local
crew was fantastic! They were super
professional and beyond welcoming.
The venue was a huge hall at the
Musician’s Union, which also has a
music school and shop on campus.
The show ended around 5:00 p.m.,
followed by nearly TWO HOURS
of autograph signings, and they still
couldn’t get to everybody! It was so
sad, but we had to go. Even when
the van came to the side entrance to
pick us up, people found out and were
still trying to get autographs, while
screaming, “I love you!”, shaking the
van, and drawing hearts and drums on
the windows. It was incredible to see
the guys getting all the adoration they
deserve! I really wish we could have
met everyone in Mexico City today,
but we have to get on another plane
tomorrow.
Travel Day
19 JUNE 2012 – (MEX to BOG)
A four-and-a-half hour flight from
Mexico City to Bogota, Colombia.
Today doesn’t seem too bad, but don’t
forget to add the 2+ hours at Mexico
City Airport, previous to the flight and
another 3+ at Bogota airport getting
through Customs and Immigration.
Bonkers!! At least the rain has stopped.
Bogota, Colombia
20 JUNE 2012 – SHOW DAY (BOGOTA,
COLOMBIA)
Day started with a really great press
conference with the three stars at 10:00 a.m.
Then, the crew headed over to the venue
at noon to start setup. Today’s venue was a
super cool theatre called the Down Town
Majestic. Once again, the local crew was
incredible!! Can’t say enough about how
helpful and enthusiastic everyone was here.
The show started at 7:00 p.m. and over 1800
people filled the entire floor and balcony to
capacity. We ended at 10:00 p.m. and once
again the autograph session lasted almost as
long at the show. The guys managed to meet
and take photos with everyone. This crowd
was so warm. I love the people in Bogota!
Travel Day
21 JUNE 2012 – TRAVEL DAY (BOG to UIO)
Today’s flight from Bogota to Quito, Ecuador
was only an hour-and-a-half. Even with the
additional airport hours at both ends, we got
to the hotel at a reasonable time. Our host
invited us all to his home for dinner with his
family. And when I say “family” I mean the
WHOLE family: brothers, sisters, cousins,
children, EVERYONE! It was such an honor
to get to spend this special time with our
generous hosts. They seriously treated us
like royalty. Did I mention that they grilled
the most amazing things? There was sausage
and chicken and Ecuadorian steak and lots
of MEAT! It was all so delicious! Even this
vegetarian had to try a bite of the steak. After
dinner, they were gracious enough to give us
a little tour through town so we could witness
the beautiful architecture, monuments and
churches. It was an incredible night of
relaxing and just enjoying the experience
together.
Travel Day
23 JUNE 2012 – TRAVEL DAY (UIO to GRU
via LIM)
Unfortunately, the Mexican government
couldn’t grant the proper Brazilian visa to
Alvaro on time, so he isn’t able to join us on
the last stop in Sao Paulo. Fortunately for
him though, his flight home is not as long
as ours today. The rest of us had a nearly
thirteen-hour day of travel from Quito to Sao
Paulo with a connection through Lima, Peru.
The view of the Andes mountain range from
the plane sure was spectacular!
Day Off!
24 JUNE 2012 – DAY OFF!
Except for another really great press
conference this morning at 11:00 a.m., today
we get to enjoy a day off. YAY! The guys
definitely deserve it. So, it’s time to just
explore Sao Paulo with our fantastic hosts, do
a little shopping and rest up for the big finale
tomorrow.
Show Day
25 JUNE 2012 – (SAO PAULO, BRAZIL)
Everyone told us we were going to have
a blast in Sao Paulo, and they were right.
The people here are so fantastic! Once
again, the local crew blew us away with
kindness. Load-in started at 11:00 a.m., with
soundchecks starting at 2:00 p.m. The venue,
Teatro Mix FM, was really nice and the sound
there was excellent. Since Alvaro couldn’t
be with us for this performance, local DW
artist, Robson Caffé, started the show at 6:00
p.m. The audience loved their hometown
hero, and Marco and Chester welcomed him
with open arms, as well. Everyone sounded
incredible tonight. Show ended at 9:00 p.m.
Now it’s time for the final autograph session
and tear-down. Then, it’s time to celebrate!!
Travel Day
Quito, Equador
22 JUNE 2012 – SHOW DAY
Back to work! Load-in at 9:00 a.m.
Soundcheck starts at noon and the show
starts early, at 4:00 p.m. If I haven’t made
it clear enough already, our hosts and local
crew in Quito are unbeatable. It is an
absolute pleasure to work with them all. The
venue today was a very modern theatre on
a hill overlooking beautiful Quito. The guys
played flawlessly and had the crowd roaring
again. Sadly, this was the last show with
Alvaro, so it was bittersweet to hear his final
note tonight.
26 JUNE 2012 – (GRU to HOME!)
I’m so very sad that we’ll all be going our
separate ways today. This tour was way too
quick and we all want to keep going, but
it will certainly be nice to get home. After
about a twenty-hour travel day for most of us,
we’re back to Los Angeles. Well, guess I’d
better settle in. Thank you everyone! We had
an awesome time meeting you on this trek.
Hope to see more of you out there very soon.
Who knows where the next DW International
clinic tour will take us? Don’t forget to check
www.dwdrums.com/edu/calendar.asp for the
latest dates and educational happenings.
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The
DRUMMERS
of
Late Night
by Brook Dalton
AA
LATE NIGHT ||| BROOK DALTON
L
ate Night television is as much of an institution as it is
entertainment. While there are many elements that shape our
fondness for particular shows (writing, time slot, guests, etc.), the
factors that really set their tone, ambiance and pace are the host
(and sidekick, if applicable) and the band. Yes, I am positing that
the members of the band are as important as the host in terms
of setting the energy and mood of the program. And since the
drummer is the heart of the band, they have a huge responsibility
that helps dictate the timing and tempo of the show itself. I
was lucky enough to sit down with three of the most watched/
respected drummers from the world of late night television to talk
about their gigs, schedules, and expectations while gaining some
insight as to what their daily routine is like. After visiting with
Shawn Pelton (Saturday Night Live), James Wormworth (Conan),
and Jonathan Dresel (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) I quickly realized
that their level of expertise and adaptability, combined with an
ever-present light-heartedness, is what sets them apart from the
average drummer. These guys are the pro’s pros and after getting
a taste of what their jobs demand, I can honestly say that I will
watch their shows with a newfound respect and admiration from
here on out.
Have you ever been called in to work on your day off and
been happy about it? Me neither. That is, until I was asked to
interview Shawn Pelton on a mid-summer Saturday afternoon.
Mr. Pelton (affectionately nicknamed, Cat Daddy) gave a clinic
for an event at the DW factory where he demonstrated his
groove-oriented styles, playing along with tracks that he had
recorded with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, and Bruce
Springsteen. After giving the most relatable and comical Q&A
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and autograph sessions I’ve ever seen at a clinic, we sat down to
discuss his playing in the SNL Band.
I asked Shawn to describe his rehearsal routine for the show.
Even though I knew that he is a twenty year veteran with SNL,
implying a second-nature familiarity with what his job requires,
I was somewhat shocked at his response. He explained that the
band rehearses one day a week, that day being the Saturday of the
broadcast (occasionally, he is needed on a Friday if he sits in with
the musical guest, but that rarely occurs). According to Pelton,
“SNL is so interesting because it’s evolved over the years. We
(the band) show up Saturday morning and we have the stage from
11:00 am until 1:00 pm, then the actors do a long dress rehearsal
until 8:00. Then, we do a run-through of the show. At 11:00, we
do a warm-up set for the crowd and start the show at 11:30.” It is
mind-blowing to me that one of the most viewed and historically
respected television shows continually comes together and is,
literally, finalized in the eleventh hour. Furthermore, Shawn
explained that the 8:00 run-through contains an extra thirty
minutes of material that may or may not make it into that night’s
show, depending on the reaction at rehearsal. One advantage
of a schedule like this lies in the fact that Saturday Night Live
broadcasts about twenty-two episodes per year, filming from
September through May, whereas shows like Conan and Jimmy
Kimmel Live! shoot that many episodes in about six weeks.
Pelton spoke about some of the pressures of playing for
a live broadcast. Even though he has been doing this gig for
more than two decades, the nature of a live show (especially a
comedy show that is reputable for moments of zany impromptu)
still causes him to be “hyper-focused on what’s happening”
Photo Credit: Meghan Sinclair/ Team CoCo
James Wormworth
13
Photo Courtesy of: Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jonathan Dresel
LATE NIGHT ||| BROOK DALTON
Shawn Pelton
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around him. While Shawn is a heavy
hitter and executes a pocket-oriented
precision, he compares his “mental
toughness” on the show to the “survival
skills” he incorporates while tracking in
the studio. He explained that some of
the problems that come about aren’t with
the band itself, but with a host or actor
that needs to keep time on certain skits
that have a musical piece accompanying
them. “There have been music moments
when we were playing behind somebody
in a monologue or skit and they’ll skip
a beat or skip a line because they’re not
musicians, they’re actors or actresses
trying to do their thing…and that can be
really stressful. Maybe they don’t ever do
the same thing the same way twice but
we have to commit to the performance
and structure of the song.” It’s a testament
to the professionalism and quick-thinking
of Pelton, and the rest of the eleven-piece
SNL Band, that issues like this don’t
translate very often in the broadcast.
After all, as Shawn pointed out, “Live TV
is filmed without a safety net.”
Days after meeting with Pelton,
Scott Donnell (Director of Marketing
for Drum Workshop) and I drove to the
Warner Brothers studio in Burbank to
visit with James ‘Worm’ Wormworth
on the set of the Conan show. After
passing through several security stations,
I was immediately hit with the sensory
overload of the studio’s back lot. It was
a scene straight out of Pee-wee’s Big
Adventure, just as I hoped it would be. A
surreal landscape with palpable energy.
Employees racing around on bikes,
large, weird props everywhere (wooden
bulls, canoes, a ten-foot bust of Conan
O’Brien’s head), and stage builders
hammering away. Mr. Wormworth took
us past the set to an instrument-filled
sound room backstage where he, and the
rest of the Jimmy Vivino and the Basic
Cable Band, goes over songs before the
actual rehearsals for the show.
I asked Worm about his preparation
for the show, and it struck me that while
the yearly quantity of episodes for Conan
is much larger than SNL’s, the format of the
rehearsals is nearly the same. The show
airs Monday through Thursday, with the
band arriving daily at noon and preparing
until their 1:00 run-through with the
whole crew. As the ever-smiling drummer
explained his routine, it became clear just
how creative, eclectic, and adaptable he
needs to be for this gig. For instance, the
show that was airing that night required
song selections ranging from Baliwood,
Blues, and Rockabilly. Worm told us
that his ability to play/learn a spectrum
of music came from his time as a gigging
musician in New York, as a member of
the Musician’s Union. He explained, “If
you’re going to be a New York drummer,
you have to be able to answer the call”
and with an excited air, acknowledged,
“I’m still learning all the time!” Even
though the music being played for the
show is often on the air for a short while,
James specifically stated, “The two most
important things for us are: 1) Heading
out to commercial together, getting it right
every single time and 2) When we come
back from commercial, we need to end all
together. And we take pride in doing that.”
Aside from the daily pressure and
expectation that Wormworth deals with, it
is abundantly clear that he loves his job
and he realizes how important it is to have
the right attitude for a gig like this. “It’s so
much fun, man. My job is to, basically,
come to work and laugh for a few hours.”
He likens it to being able to play with
his friends in the sandbox. The barefoot
basher states, “The whole day is filled with
laughter, but when it’s time to make the
hit, that’s what we do. That’s what we’re
here to do.” I asked him if the band’s
relationship with Conan is strengthened
because the host is also a musician and
understands their role better than someone
who has little, or no, musical training.
“Absolutely! Conan loves to play music
and he’s a drummer, too. Sometimes
during commercial breaks, he’ll come
over and boot me off of the drums and start
whacking around on them.” How cool is
that? This level of familiarity and mutual
love of music definitely adds to the feel
of the show and provides an on-set bond
that is one-of-a-kind. Worm refers to the
disposition of the band as “professionally
loose” and it’s demonstrated with their
spot-on playing and the sincere smiles on
their faces on any given night.
Whereas the studio for the Conan
show is on a walled lot, the Jimmy Kimmel
Live! show tapes at the El Capitan Theatre
in the heart of Hollywood Blvd. As
Jonathan Dresel led us to the rehearsal, we
had to pass through throngs of folks on the
street, some dressed as movie characters,
some doing street performances, all of
them energetic. Once inside, Mr. Dresel
showed us the theatre’s world-famous
green room, the backstage area, the band’s
hang out room (complete with dozens
of funny quotes/inside jokes written on
scraps of paper that they have amassed
over the years hanging on the walls), and
the stage, featuring a framed pair of Gary
Coleman’s pants above the venue’s seats
(seriously).
Like the Conan show, they film
Monday through Thursday with rehearsals
starting around noon, at which time the
band (Cleto and the Cletones) learns
a selection of songs and goes over the
bumper music for the show, sometimes
picking tunes that are specifically related
to certain guests. We watched Jonathan
and the band run through four songs,
including a Foo Fighters cover, for that
night’s episode. Incidentally, I asked all
three of the gentlemen for this article if
there were ever any drummers that played
as guests on their shows that really stood
out to them, and they all responded with,
“Dave Grohl.” Jonathan explained that
the band gets to choose the bumper music
and that he charts out the music for the
show during the previous night. He has
even written some original songs for the
show, demonstrating that “everybody gets
a taste of the process.” At 1:00, Jimmy
Kimmel, along the writers and producers,
took the stage to go over videos and
potential jokes for the monologue. Again,
like SNL and Conan, it is astounding to me
that these shows are having the material
written and finalized a mere hours before
being performed, but that is what allows
them to remain fresh and topical.
I have to say that getting to watch
Jonathan at work in rehearsal gave me
a deep appreciation for the level of
professionalism that he and his band mates
display. They learned a handful of songs,
never playing one more than twice, while
making adjustments on the fly (“When we
play it tonight, make the verse four bars
shorter…”). Cleto asked for Dresel to
start with a ‘shaka-doom, shaka-doom,’
Jonathan knew exactly what he meant
and off they went. There is a conditioned
familiarity present with this band, as
Dresel says, “There is a lot of energy. This
is our tenth season together and because
we’re here so much we get to develop
relationships with each other.” When I
asked him about the immense audience
that he plays for nightly, he acknowledged
that he factors in the viewership while
playing, “We’re playing for the audience,
that’s why we’re here.” Like Pelton and
Wormworth, when watching Dresel play,
it is obvious just how much he enjoys
what he’s doing. As he told us, “Music is
about having fun.” Trust me, it shows.
These three musicians understand
the hard work and sacrifice that it takes to
get, and keep, the jobs they have earned
(between the three of them, they average
fifteen years with their shows). All of them
have transplanted from long distances in
order to play music, they had extensively
trained and studied before landing the
gigs that led to their television roles, and
they adhere to an open-mindedness that is
essential in dealing with both people and
music. They are lucky in the sense that
their shows are entertaining and varied
from one episode to the next, as to keep
things continually fresh and innovative
for them. As Jonathan Dresel says, “There
is a danger in being complacent.” As
viewers and fans, we are lucky, too. Pay
attention to these drummers the next time
you watch one of their programs. Chances
are, they will be playing with a heartfelt,
abundant energy while smiling from earto-ear. These guys are enthusiastic about
their instruments, they appreciate their
jobs, and they love being able to perform
for the audience. Night after night.
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Stacy Jones
BIG GIGS ||| ATOM WILLARD
Eric Hernandez
Photo Credit: Lisa Johnson
Atom Willard
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Big
Gigs
by Atom Willard
C
hange. A lot of people avoid it at all
costs, while others seek it out on a
daily basis. At the end of the day, it simply
can’t be avoided. Unquestionably, this
rule holds true for working drummers.
There’s a constant ebb and flow of gigs,
bands, producers, songs, side projects…
and then, there’s the most amazing gig that
fulfills every aspect, the creative AND the
realistic (meaning you can pay your bills
and, ultimately, live the dream while doing
it). Today, I’m talking with two guys that
have embraced change throughout their
careers and, for right now, it’s paying off
big time.
Stacy Jones has been in plenty of bands,
and not just as the drummer. He’s done
it all, from singing, songwriting and
producing, to being the Musical Director
for pop princess, Mylie Cyrus. Versatility
is Stacy’s middle name, and most recently,
he finds himself behind the kit for a massive
tour to support Matchbox 20’s latest effort.
So, what does it take to land the big gigs
and keep them? I asked Stacy to let us in
on his magic formula.
Then, there’s Eric Henandez, the softspoken, Brooklyn-born, Hawaiian-raised
risk-taker. This former law enforcement
officer left the comfort of home to make it
in L.A. He embraced the unknown and hit
the big time with his employer and brother,
Bruno Mars. In retrospect, he made the
right move, but did he ever have doubts?
Maybe talent, people skills, faith and luck
are enough to get the big gig.
T
hese days, drumming gigs are more competitive than ever.
Big money record deals are few-and-far-between, tours are
downsizing and emerging artists are easily lost in the shuffle.
So, how does a drummer get one of the big gigs, the kind that
has them playing on SNL one week and on major European road
dates the next? We asked our favorite staff writer, and ‘big gig’
drummer in his own right, Atom Willard, to sit down with Bruno
Mars’ Eric Hernandez and Matchbox 20’s Stacy Jones to get
the skinny on drumming for a superstar act. True, the music
business is changing, but there are still plenty of big gigs.
AA
ATOM: Stacy, tell me about the gig with
Matchbox 20. The band has been around
a long time!
STACY: 20 years. Well not quite 20 years,
but a long time.
AW: That’ll be a big party when they do hit
20, right?
SJ: Yeah, I would imagine, but it’s already
kind of a party. Even just at rehearsals,
these are great guys to work with.
AW: So, Eric, how did your gig come about?
Did you guys audition, know somebody, or
were you referred?
ERIC: Well, sort of. Bruno Mars is my
brother.
AW: What? Really? Literally?
EH: Yep. I come from a strong musical
family and background. We’re all pretty
into music and that includes my little
brother, Bruno Mars. So, he is my brother
and my boss at the same time.
AW: Oh, that’s awesome, and kind of
terrible all at once.
EH: [Laughter].
SJ: Yeah, I did audition (for Matchbox 20),
but I’ve known these guys for a long time. I
knew them before they were called MB20,
when they were called, Tabitha’s Secret,
and my band, Letters to Cleo, played a show
with them. It was one of the first shows we
had played out of town and where people
were actually there to see us.
AW: That’s always a good feeling.
SJ: Yeah, so T.S. was opening the show,
and it was some kind of street fest or beer
fest, and at the end of the show I trashed
the drum kit. Partly, because that’s what
you did in the 90’s, but mainly because we
wanted the audience to know that we were
finished. We didn’t have any more songs to
play. It was a rental kit, and even though it
looked destroyed it wasn’t really that bad,
but after the show as I was hanging out with
the (future MB20) guys, these cops showed
up and tried to arrest me for wrecking the
drum kit! I was able to talk my way out of
it. Now it’s something that whenever I’ve
run into them over the years with my other
bands, we always have a laugh about it. In
fact, American Hi-Fi opened for MB20 in
2004 and it’s always been good with us.
The original drummer, Paul, is still in the
band.
AW: Wait, what??
SJ: Yeah, he plays guitar now. They had an
unofficial “5th member” guitar player who
left in 2006 and Paul just decided to play
guitar. Now, I’m playing drums. I’m super
stoked on it. I love the guys, I love the
music, and stylistically, it’s perfect for me.
I get to hammer out some tunes and play
some more subtle groovy-type of stuff too.
AW: That’s kind of my next question. Did
either of you guys have to make any big
adjustments to your playing styles for these
gigs?
EH: Well, the biggest change for me isn’t
stylistic, it’s just being aware that more
17
weren’t there before and I’ll get the nod or
wink from Paul or the bass player. I’ll be
squeezing in this Tony Williams lick that I
learned from Greg Bissonette and no one
seems to notice. So, that’s cool, but in fact,
yesterday we were playing this shuffle, and
I did this long straight 8th snare fill over the
shuffle and I got the, “Um, I don’t think so”
look. [Laughter].
person that you’re playing with, it can
be a really comfortable feeling. If you’re
glued to it, and you can’t deviate from it, it
can feel really bad, but I like to play loose
around it. With some songs I can feel the
bass player pushing and I can play on top,
and when that chorus comes I know that I’ll
synch it back for the verse. I know exactly
how far to go.
AW: Yeah, that TV soundstage might not
be so big, but that camera right there, that
goes EVERYWHERE!
EH: Right. So I just have to not psych myself
out when we’re doing those things.
SJ: For me, the biggest change is that I’m
playing pretty much exactly what is on
the records, because the main thing that I
wanted to do was to represent Paul (original
drummer). He’s such a great drummer, and
he comes up with really great, creative
parts. Basically, I learned everything note
for note, fills, parts, everything. I watched
YouTube to see what he was doing live, and
even checked out the (temporary) drummer
and what he was doing and kind of just did
all my homework.
AW: Do either one of you guys play to
tracks or clicks?
EH: Nope, no tracks, no clicks. In fact,
we’re up to a nine piece band with a
complete horn section. We used to play
shows with just Bruno on guitar, then bass
and keys, but we’ve been adding guys, lead
guitar, then the horns, and we’ve been a
complete live act the whole time. We’ve
tried some tracks here or there, but it’s
never really worked out. Bruno likes the
freedom; he is a showman, and he might
just go off on a tangent, so he doesn’t want
to stick to a format.
AW: Yeah, I feel like it gives me a freedom,
like I can push through a bridge or
whatever and not get outside of the song’s
comfort zone.
SJ: I agree. Sometimes, your perceptions are
AW: It’s got to be a little intimidating,
because the guy is in the band, and
watching you the whole time!
SJ: Yeah, totally! Especially, since I loved
his parts so much, and respect him as a
great musician and a really talented guy.
Sitting up there and having everyone staring
at me, including the guy who invented the
parts, is a little bit daunting, but it’s a nice
challenge. Our styles are so similar. We’re
both hard hitters, and tend to play for the
song.
AW: Do you get to “go off” a little bit, or is
it pretty straight ahead?
EH: Well, most of Bruno’s success is
based on four chords; he likes to keep it
simple. So, he likes it to stay like that, and
sometimes I’ll try to interpret the music
my own way, whether it’s a fill here, or me
trying to chop up some drums there. He’ll
put a stop to it and say, “Hey man, just play
the song.” Sometimes he just has to remind
me and, you know, he’s right.
SJ: Sometimes, I’ll do some things that
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AW: So how does that work? Does he mix
it up a lot? Does he call out audibles?
EH: Yeah, he calls ‘em all the time, especially
in a live concert situation, but not on TV.
It’s not one of those things where you can
just go on auto pilot, because he will call
them (changes), and you’re waiting.
SJ: Yeah, with MB20 there are no tracks
either. This is their first full album in, like,
ten years and there are some new sounds
and samples, but we are triggering all of
those live. We have an auxiliary player,
Matt Beck, who can play anything and
everything, and he’ll trigger all the loop
stuff manually, either a one bar phrase or
single sounds.
AW: So it has more of a human feel, right?
SJ: Yeah, it has a much more natural feel to
it. Plus, I’m on a click for 85% of the show.
It’s something they wanted to try, and I’ve
spent the last few years with Mylie and that
whole show is on a click, so I almost get
weirder when I don’t have it now.
AW: I’m the exact same way.
SJ: The thing is this, if you play to the click
like it’s another instrument or another
BIG GIGS ||| ATOM WILLARD
people are watching, and people are
listening. It’s a good change. You know,
more than ever I’m aware that when we’re
doing The Grammys or SNL, there are a lot
of people watching! It’s also that I’m always
being reminded that I’m actually doing this.
I’m here playing drums in Switzerland, or
wherever, and this is really happening! This
is my job! I’m living my dream.
off or you just got off a 14 hour flight and
you’re sleep deprived and the adrenaline
kicks in. It really helps in those situations.
It’s not like a ball-and-chain to me at all. If
you can do that, and be loose with it and
feel natural doing it, the click can be a
really great tool.
growing up, we had our family show, a 60’s
review-type band. That’s where we got our
start on stage. Then, we both kind of went
our own way. When we turned 18, we did
our own thing for a few years and I ended
up leaving a really good gig in Hawaii to
come to L.A.
AW: Amen, brother!
SJ: [Laughter].
AW: So, you’re pretty familiar with each
other musically.
EH: Yeah, we’ve been playing together in
so many different projects, even Top 40
acts at pubs. I really know him and what
he’s going to do. I feel when he wants
to transition to the B-Section.
I already
AW: Eric, how long have you been in this
incarnation of the band?
EH: Since 2008, but we’ve been doing this,
really, since we were kids. Back in Hawaii,
know, either by a riff he does or what his
voice is doing. So, I feel that kid, and it’s
our history that makes it easy.
AW: Have there been any “getting to
know you” moments with the band? Also,
any weird musical things, song starts or
endings?
EH: Yeah, man. Even though we’re all
pretty mellow, easy going dudes, there’s
still a “feel-out” process when someone
new comes into the band. You know, like
is this person cool, is he level-headed and
gonna gel with the band and the music?
Are they here for the right reasons? End of
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19
the day, we’re bros, we’ve got love for each
other. Oh, and it’s also super important
that they’re clean! Good hygiene is a
plus, because we’re gonna live together in
close quarters on a bus or flying on a plane
and I’m not a fan of dirty, stinky people.
[Laughter].
SJ: Absolutely. If you listen to MB20 and
really check them out, there are some
very intricate arrangements and really
interesting ways of starting songs. Like,
there’s a “bar of 5 situation” that’s hard
to notice. Another thing I’ve never done
before is have a trigger set up with a
cowbell sound that only the guys can hear.
I keep time for them, so whenever I have a
pause, I gotta remember to keep it going.
And yeah, the count-ins, learning what
everyone is most comfortable with, there’s
a little bit of a learning curve with that too.
AW: Is there anything that you maybe
haven’t done before or something you
don’t really like to do, but it’s part of the
gig?
SJ: I really have to say that with this gig and
with my last gig, there really hasn’t been
anything like that. There are definitely
things that, you know, I wouldn’t have
played that way, but that’s what makes Paul
so unique, and makes Matchbox who they
are. It’s good for me to play those parts
and learn to play them naturally, to make
them feel like I have been playing them for
20 years.
AW: That’s pretty insightful, to be able to
see it as a challenge.
SJ: Totally! It’s not that I don’t like it, or
whatever, just that it’s different.
EH: The only thing that makes me
uncomfortable on this gig is when I’m
asked to play in a suit. You might have
seen us on several TV shows in fitted suits.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to clean up and
look dapper in a nice suit, but I can’t stand
playing drums in one! I’ve had sticks get
stuck in my sleeve and then pop out of my
hands. I’ve had the kick beater get caught
in my pant cuff...uhhhhh, frustrating! Plus,
I’m kind of stocky, so a fitted suit just
restrains me. Then, I start to over-think
how uncomfortable I am, stressing myself
out. I get the whole “look” thing, and
20
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
when I watch it back it looks great. I watch
drummers smash on the kit fully suited-up
too. I envy that, I just can’t do it.
AW: Have there been any changes to your
kit?
EH: Typically, I have been doing a 10” or
12” tom up top and two floors, which are
14” and 16”. Right now, I’m trying both
the 10” and 12” up top, but offset, a little to
the left. Then, 14x14” and 16x16” floors,
but I have been experimenting with flipflopping the floors, so the 16” is closest.
AW: Cool. What size kick are you running?
EH: I have a 16X20” and an 18X22”. I’ve
been playing the 18x22” more lately.
They’re all the Jazz Series. I’m really happy
with these drums.
SJ: The biggest change for me is that I have
just done a deal with DW.
AW: Yeah!
SJ: I’ve really never had a “real deal” before
and I’m totally thrilled. To just look at the
drums, how they’re made, and the shells
are so nice, and they’re made in the states.
AW: Such a big thing.
SJ: Yeah! It’s a really big thing that they are
made here and are so incredible.
AW: Which series are you playing?
SJ: I’ve been on a 24” kick for a long time
and decided that an 18x22”is a perfect fit
for this gig. I’m also playing a 12” rack and
16” and 18” floors.
AW: Which series?
SJ: The Collectors Series with the VLX
shells for the kick and two floors, it really
sounds great!
AW: Changing gears. What would you like
to pass on to up-and-coming drummers
trying to get into a situation similar to
yours?
EH: Well, if you think that this is what
you’re supposed to be doing and it’s your
universe, then you keep doing it, no matter
how many times you get shut down. If it’s
supposed to happen, if it’s the path you’re
supposed to lead, then it’s going to happen.
Also, one thing I’ve learned from playing,
not only in a family environment, but with
other players as well, is to play the music.
Sometimes I tend to over think or over play.
I’ll be trying to do some cool lick I saw on
YouTube and I’ll try to put it in the show,
but it doesn’t always fit the format. Then,
I’m not supporting the song or the artist
properly. Know what the vibe of the song
is and play the song correctly, because it’s
not for you, it’s for the audience. If you’re
in a high-profile gig, you need play the
song the way people have grown to love
it. We musicians try to flip things around
because we get bored, and we’ve played it
so many damn times, but coming out of the
gate you need to know how to hold back
and play it like the record. The audience is
the reason we’re there, so give them what
they want. Support the song.
SJ: I’ve only auditioned for a couple things,
and one of them was Smashing Pumkins
when Matt Walker was just out of the band.
I walk in and there’s a drumset set up and
it’s very obvious whose kit it is (Kenny
Aronoff), with the rack toms reversed and
a super low seat. They tell me I can’t move
anything. I play through a few songs and I
come out and Kenny is there, and he gives
me this big bear hug and says I was great
and everything, but I knew, I just knew it
wasn’t my gig. I think I even knew it when
I was on the plane to go there. So, you
have to trust your instincts.
AW: That’s hard to do because you think
you really need that gig.
SJ: Yeah! But it just felt wrong. You have
to know what’s right for you and don’t be
discouraged. With this gig, I knew right
from the start that this was something I
really, really wanted to do. I’m not saying
don’t go on auditions, you always should
because, if nothing else, you will learn
from it. But if you don’t get it, it’s okay.
It just wasn’t meant to be. So, yeah, trust
your instincts and be prepared! Know the
music better than you know anything! Get
up there and play with confidence. The
drummer needs to drive the bus. That’s
what the band needs and what the people
want.
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GEARING UP ||| NEIL PEART
Photo Credit: Craig Renwick
FEATURE
22
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
GEARING UP
for the
N
eil peart writes about
h i s p r e p a ra t i o n s f o r
Rush’s Clockwork Angels tour,
launching in September, 2012.
During the mixing of our Clockwork
Angels album in January, 2012, Alex and
Geddy and I started making plans for the
upcoming tour. The first show would not
be until September, but after thirty-eight
years as a touring band our musical and
visual presentations have grown ever
more elaborate. The staging, lighting, and
effects are enhanced by rear-screen films
that lend much drama and comedy, and
these ambitious productions take time to
prepare.
Similarly, our live show is always
highly demanding physically, as we, and
our audiences, naturally tend to prefer
our most energetic and hard-hitting songs
for the concert stage. As the one who has
to do that hard hitting, my physical state
also requires some preparation. The ideal
timing for me is when tour rehearsals
follow a winter season of cross-country
skiing and snowshoeing, or a summer of
swimming and rowing. Those are natural
and enjoyable ways to build one’s stamina.
However, the seasons did not so
converge this time. I knew I would be
facing the most physically demanding
Rush tour ever, and I would be turning
sixty as the tour got underway. So in
February, while we were still mixing, I
began visiting my local Y three times a
week, and continued that fairly religiously
for the next four months.
A twenty-minute bicycle ride across
town, with my workout gear stuffed
into a backpack, is a decent warm-up.
Changing at the lockers, I trade the helmet
for a bandana, to keep the sweat out of
my eyes (the same purpose as the hats I
wear while drumming). My first ritual is a
thirty-minute session on the cross-training
ROAD
AA
by
Neil Peart
machine, where I ease into something like
the rhythm of cross-country skiing (though
without the pretty setting). Keeping a
fast, steady pace against a fairly high
resistance, I raise my heart-rate to near
my recommended maximum, and keep it
there.
A row of those machines, along with
treadmills and other types of ellipticals,
overlooks the pool, and I often seem to be
there when a geriatric water aerobics class
is underway. It is not exciting to watch. I
just keep pumping, and think my thoughts.
Some people like listening to music while
they exercise, but that has never worked
for me. It’s the same with motorcycling
and skiing — some like music along for
the ride, but I feel that those activities, like
music appreciation, are “exclusive” states
of mind, wanting no distractions. The only
activity I combine with music is driving,
because long trips by car are clearly made
for listening to music. For me, exercise
is an act of will, and not conducive to
listening, reading, or creative thinking.
So the time passes slowly. On the crosstrainer, I watch the red LEDs displaying
time, distance, heart rate, calories burned,
and level of resistance, and rarely go as
long as a minute without checking the
clock’s achingly slow progress. I count
down each fraction of a minute, and each
fraction of the thirty minutes. “That’s one
fifth . . . that’s one third . . .”
One time I got into trying to see how
many sevens I could post on the screens
(I think I got up to six). Suffice to say, it’s
painfully tedious. It takes a huge effort
of will to get me there, and to push me
through my routine. But it works.
One morning I was grumbling about
going to the Y and my wife, Carrie, said,
“But you love the Y!”
I could only stare at her in disbelief.
How can a guy be so misunderstood?
I make myself go there, and feel good
for having done it — physically and
“morally” — but I do not love it. Quite the
contrary. I told Carrie, “If there were a pill
I could take that made me feel the way I
do after exercising, I would take that pill
instead.” After thirty minutes I am well pumped
and sweated, and I go to the mats for
a program of yoga and calisthenics.
Back in 2000, when I first moved to Los
Angeles, I combined my Y workouts with
yoga classes several times a week, and I
believe the effect was enduring, keeping
me balanced and flexible and preventing
injury.
Since then I have incorporated the
most useful poses and transitions into my
own workouts. Standing on the mat, I do
a series of neck and shoulder rolls, then
work through the standing poses of the Sun
Salutations, holding each pose for a count
of twenty Mississippis. I especially like
one of the Warrior poses, standing on one
foot (gaze fixed on a distant point) with the
other leg held back by its matching hand
and stretching everything in that direction.
Triangle is nice too. Lunges not so much
— but, they feel...worthwhile. Then
Downward Dog into Plank, and Upward
Dog, each for that count of twenty Old
Man Rivers, three times around — a flow
of motion and pose called a vinyasa.
(Lately I avoid pushups, as I do heavy
weights, because they expose weaknesses
— like a long-ago fall while skiing that
remains vulnerable to over-exertion of my
left shoulder). Then a few sitting stretches,
all adding up to about twenty minutes.
Next, bent-knee situps on the board,
inclined upward. I think twenty-five or so
is good (because I’ve had enough by then).
My brother, Danny, is a personal
trainer by profession, and over the years
I have often consulted him about my
workouts. With the weight machines,
Danny counseled me to alternate muscle
23
GEARING UP ||| NEIL PEART
groups, so I’ll do leg presses, bicep
curls and tricep presses, leg curls, chest
presses, leg lifts, and high-lat pulldowns.
I do twenty reps of each, and for me, the
appropriate weights have gravitated to
50, 70, and 90 pounds, depending on the
muscle group. In the free-weight room,
I do twenty chest flys with 15-pound
dumbbells on an inclined bench.
Then comes a cooling reward of sorts
— a long swim. If it were summer at the
lake, and swimming and rowing my only
workouts, I would row around the lake
— about three miles — then swim up the
shore to the next dock and back for a mile.
But in the gym, after all that other sweaty
exertion, a quarter-mile swim — fourteen
laps of front crawl, two of breast stroke —
is ample, and relatively pleasant.
It is unlucky that my bicycle ride home
is all uphill — albeit gentle. I had the same
situation when I lived in Toronto, and
wished it were reversed. But at least the
grocery store is on the way home, because
another important aspect of fitness is diet,
of course. Being the meal-planner, grocery
shopper, and cook in our house (Chef
Bubba is a working homemaker), our
meals always offer a healthy assortment
of nutrients. Lots of fish and chicken,
steamed vegetables in multiple colors, and
a comforting carbohydrate. I also believe
in a daily multivitamin as a supplement
(and single malt whisky, when the day’s
work is done).
From February until June I maintained
that regimen, then on June 25th I started
my drum rehearsals at the Drum Channel
studio with my tech, Lorne “Gump”
Wheaton. Geddy once joked that I was the
only musician he knew who “rehearsed to
rehearse,” but I like to be prepared — and
as we’ll see, I need the workout. Gump
and I would have three-and-a-half weeks
to work on the songs, smooth out any
technological problems, and dream up
some new solo ideas. This is my favorite
part of the touring process because I begin
the day at home with my family, then have
a challenging and satisfying hard day’s
work, and end up at home cooking the
family dinner and sleeping in my own
bed. And it includes one of the world’s
best commutes, fifty miles up the Pacific
24
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
Coast Highway and back every day. You
really cannot beat that.
During those months between, Alex,
Geddy, and I exchanged many emails on
the subject of the setlist — what new songs
we would play, and which old ones we
wanted to either keep or resurrect. Gump
made me playlists of the proposed sets,
pulling together the recorded versions of
the songs for me to play along with. For the
first few days we had the band’s longtime
programmer, Jim Burgess, on hand to set
up the sampling arrays for the new and old
songs, and to provide me with some new
soundscapes for my solo.
Our friendly neighborhood Roland
man, Drew, dropped off a set of the
new V-Drums, the TD-30, for me to try.
They were set up beside my main kit,
and I gradually worked my way through
the presets, looking for useful sounds or
setups, and admiring the new level of
dynamic sensitivity Roland has achieved
with them.
The main kit would be the same one
I used for the Time Machine tour — the
custom DW drums and Sabian cymbals —
because, like that tour, the visual design
was already built upon the Clockwork
Angels steampunk theme. The album had
been recorded with those drums (except
the first two songs, recorded earlier on the
Snakes and Arrows kit). Gump had spent a
few days tearing it down and “restoring” it,
and it looked and sounded as amazing as
ever.
After such a long period of
conditioning, I came in physically strong,
but the only real training for drumming
is drumming. See, it’s all that hitting.
Irresistible force strikes immovable object
and that . . . a few thousand times.
In professional athletics this approach
is called sport-specific training. Cyclists
have to cycle and runners have to run.
However, it remains true that all of the
advance fitness work I did gave me the
foundation to build on.
But during that first week of hard
drumming, each night I went home aching
all over, and woke up feeling even worse.
But, as I always say, it’s okay if I hurt
everywhere, and not in one specific place.
Not my back, or shoulder, or knee, but
“from my nose to my toes.”
Still, it’s pain.
But it’s necessary. The thing is, I like
to hit the drums hard — for the primitive
physical satisfaction of it, but mostly for
the sound. For example, my backbeat on
the snare is almost always full-force across
the head and the rim, and I like to hit the
toms hard for both definition and a slight
detuning effect under hard impact that
gives a “throatier” tone.
By the second week, the fatiguing
nature of that trauma began to subside a
little (though it never stops, really, for the
remainder of the tour). I enjoyed relearning
some songs from the mid-’80s we hadn’t
played for many years, like “Grand
Designs,” “Territories,” “Middletown
Dreams,” and “Manhattan Project” and I
could tell they were going to sound better
than the records (because we play better
now than we did back then). But it soon
became clear to me that the proposed sets
were way too long. Typically, we like to
play a one-hour first set, take a twentyminute intermission (before which Geddy
always makes an announcement along
the lines of, “We have to take a break —
’cause we’re about a hundred”), then play
another hour and thirty or forty minutes.
Gump and I could tell the two setlists
I was playing to would add up to much
more than that, and we would need to
drop at least four songs. However, there
were no obvious candidates, and when I
mentioned this reality to Alex and Geddy,
the three of us couldn’t agree on dropping
any. So I suggested something different
for us: putting together two shows, Show
A and Show B, that would alternate four
different songs each night. In the past we
had always preferred a fixed format for
the setlist, and when confronted with only
one or two songs in excess, we would
either knuckle down and play them, or
drop them for time constraints. This time,
somehow the idea seemed more attractive
to us when it was bigger (as it should).
It did mean having to learn that many
more songs, and work them out musically,
technically, and production-wise, but it
seemed worthwhile — even just because
it was different.
I faced a similar dilemma with my
solo. In the recent past I had always
performed a long solo, around nine
minutes, somewhere in the middle of the
second set. But...during the mixing of
Clockwork Angels, our co-producer, Nick
Raskulinecz, an irrepressible “enabler,”
insisted that I had to do my solo out of
the drum break in “Headlong Flight.” It
happened that that song would appear
around the middle of the second set, but
— ¡Jesu Christo! — “Headlong Flight”
is a fast-paced seven-minute song, in
the middle of a fast-paced hour-long
performance of the Clockwork Angels
songs, with another thirty or forty minutes
still to go. Plus, coming out of that drum
break I will still need to drive through a
long guitar solo, another verse, bridge,
and a double chorus, all at a fast tempo.
To say the least, it was daunting.
But...once again I applied some
“polyrhythmic thinking.”
What if I did two shorter solos, one in
each set?
Ooh, yes — that had possibilities.
I described the idea in an email to my
estimable teacher, Peter Erskine, as well
as reporting on an important observation
I began to have in the latter days of these
rehearsals:
This time my former marathon-length solo
will be divided into two -- in the first set, an
old-school, all-acoustic venture with classic
rudiments and solo stylings, then in the
second set, a more textural, electronic, and
melodic outing.
And...both of them will start out
completely improvised (I say “start out”
because inevitably you fall into themes and
patterns you like, but that’s okay--and within
the “spirit” of exploration).
So that’s huge.
Also, I had the realization in the past
week or so, as the playing started to come
together, that these days, “I am playing the
way I always wanted to play.”
Meaning that for all these 47 years I
have been working toward this combination
of technique, power, and feel -- “chops and
groove.” That’s a nice feeling.
Shame it took so long! But...
Of course it’s not really a “shame”
— that’s just how long it took. As another
estimable teacher, Freddie Gruber, used to
say before his passing in 2011, “It is what
it is.” I always insisted to both Freddie and
Peter that I was a slow learner, but a good
student, because I would practice and
keep trying — even if it took forty-seven
years.
During these rehearsals, I found that
when I played along with the old songs
we hadn’t performed for a long time, like
when I went into the upbeat ride patterns
of “Grand Designs,” it felt the way I wanted
that part to feel back in 1985, but had
only “approximated” it. Or when I played
the half-time sections of a new song like
“The Anarchist,” I could physically see
myself leaning back and away, playing at
full force yet comfortably sinking into the
groove of it — just “naturally.”
When I’m rehearsing on my own that
way, I know I’m starting to get somewhere
when I have to start changing my sweaty
clothes two or three times a day. In those
three-and-a-half weeks, I also dropped
at least ten pounds. (Obvious business
opportunity: “Do you want to lose weight
and tone your entire body — from your
nose to your toes? Sign up now for the
fabulous new, Bubba Drum Workout!”
It would be a counterpoint to another
weight loss program that claims to stop
insanity, only this one would be called,
with reference to the upcoming tour, “Start
the insanity!”)
Putting together a show like this one
will be is a grand adventure, no question.
I will never be jaded about that. But
like some Victorian explorer planning
an expedition to Africa or Antarctica,
the undertaking requires a great deal
of advance thinking and preparation, a
lot of people in our support crew (some
navigating without maps), and a goodly
amount of adaptability. No doubt there
will be suffering, too.
Right off the bat I will be away from
home for more than two months straight,
with band and production rehearsals
in Toronto, and the first leg of the tour.
The family will visit from time to time,
but still — that is a long exile from one’s
everyday life. Nearly forty years of such
a nomadic existence has adapted me
to being separated from my loved ones,
and taught me not to dwell on the sad
fact of it, but those at home do not share
that “partitioning.” Carrie now becomes
a single parent for the next five months.
Three-year-old Olivia has had most of a
year with Daddy being around, and now
she finds his absence unsettling — and
upsetting. As I have remarked before, I can
endure missing Olivia, but I can’t stand
her missing me.
For myself, there will be nights I won’t
want to “face the music” — won’t feel able
to go out there and drive myself that hard.
When I’ll be sore and tired, maybe ill, and
always homesick.
But those are not complaints — just
part of the price we pay for the privilege of
doing what we always wanted to do.
A joke my father loved when I was a
boy has always stayed with me — the one
about the man banging his head against a
brick wall, and when he is asked why, he
replies, “Because it feels so good when I
stop.”
Touring can be like that. Or like
old Sisyphus, who was sentenced to an
eternity of pushing a boulder to the top
of a hill, only to have it roll down to the
bottom again.
But there are those nights when
everything goes just right — when the three
of us lock into a musical symbiosis that
transcends our earthbound humanity and
sweeps the audience into a momentary
spell. That is the timeless magic of live
performance.
And there are the days off, when my
motorcycle will carry me down remote
back roads through natural splendor,
shades of history, encounters with friendly
strangers, and every sort of weather. These
other kinds of grand adventure keep me
stimulated and inspired through the
passing shows, and the passing years.
But the biggest reward of all is being
able to make a simple statement that has
taken me forty-seven years to earn:
“The way I play now is the way I have
always wanted to play.”
25
SM
A
G
A
Z
I
N
E
S
Neil’s DW Collector’s Series “Time Machine”
drums feature Maple SSC (Specialized Shell
Configuration) shells and are finished in an
ultra-custom Graphics Lacquer “Steam Punk”
theme. His hardware, including stands and
throne are copper-plated. For a complete
list of sizes and specific pedal and hardware
models, visit: www.dwdrums.com
To see Neil and DW Drum Designer, John
Good, talk about the benefits of SSC, scan the
QR code with your smart device.
Photo Credit: Ryan Poyer
Neil Peart forROAD
the
A
A
GEARING UP NEIL ||| JUELS THOMAS
GEARING UP
by Juels Thomas
If you’re really paying attention at a Rush show, you might actually catch a glimpse of the covert technician on stage,
just to Neil’s left, behind a rack of electronics and blinking lights. Lorne Wheaton has been Neil Peart’s invaluable gear
guy, respected confidant, and trusted friend for far too many years to count. I sat down with Mr. Wheaton while he was
at the DW factory to discuss just what it takes to prepare for a touring machine of this magnitude.
Juels Thomas: What was your first Tech gig?
Lorne Wheaton: Technically, it goes back
to when I would help with bands in high
school. One of those bands happened to
be Rush, with the original drummer, John
Rutsey. I would volunteer to help them at
school dances or coffee houses. It was part
of the high school deal on the weekends
to try and keep kids off the street. So I
used to volunteer because I really liked
musIc. But my first real gig, like actually
getting a paycheck, was probably with a
band called, Goddo. It was a three-piece
band, just about to break out and start
playing clubs. I was part of that three-
5
26
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FALL & WINTER 2012
AA
man crew, basically getting $100 a week.
I would say my first real tour of any real
size was with the band, Max Webster. We
were supporting Rush because they had
the same management company, and
by this point Neil had joined the band
(Rush). That’s when I started really gettIng
serious about it.
JT: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve
learned?
LW: To be a team-player, really. You
know, you don’t survive long if you go
out there and you’re just seeing in tunnelvision. The whole idea is to get the gig up
and running and happening on time. And
if you have to kick in with the lighting
company or whatever, you pitch in. I
remember doing that in the old days when
I was with Journey and we would show
up at some venues very late, for whatever
reason. I can’t remember why, but it was
basically everybody in there putting the
lighting rig together so we could get
everything up on time. You’re there to
make the show happen. Whether you’re
the drum tech, Production Manager,
lighting guy, or audio boy, everybody has
to be there to get the job done.
DW: So, it sounds like it was mostly on-
the-job training for you. Did you ever
take any music business or production
classes to prepare you for this life?
LW: Nope, it was all on-the-job training.
I was lucky enough to work with and
around people who are some of the
best in the world. Still to this day! And I
basically became the drum tech that I am
just by learning, going along, being open
for suggestions and paying attention.
JT: What’s the most important thing for a
drum tech to master?
LW: You know, first and foremost, you
treat the drum kit like it’s your own. I was
lucky enough to work with Steve Smith in
’83. He actually taught me how to tune
drums correctly. Before that, I was just
tweaking them and not really having any
idea what I was doing. Aside from, you
know, just thinking I knew what I was
doing. He actually took time to teach me
stuff. Often, you’ll run across drummers
and drum techs who can’t tune properly.
So, I think that’s the most important thing:
have a good ear and learn how to tune a
drum correctly.
JT: Do you play drums or any other
instruments?
LW: I wouldn’t consider myself a drummer.
I can play the drums, but compared to
some of the guys I’ve worked with over
the years, I don’t come close. So you sit
back and you enjoy the talent that you’re
working with. I don’t really have a whole
lot of interest in being a drummer. Yeah,
guitar techs usually are guItar players.
Keyboard techs are usually keyboard
players. You don’t necessarily have to
be a drummer to be a drum tech, but
obviously it helps. Sometimes you’ll get
on tours where the audio boys would like
to have somebody playing the instruments
in a band-fashion, especIally if the actual
artists don’t like to do soundchecks. I can
play enough to be that guy, but Rush are
there for the soundcheck and they do it
every day.
JT: Do you make yourself an actual
checklist of what you need to bring and
do before the tour?
LW: Yes. Obviously, you have to stock
up on things like sticks. And my man,
Garrison (at DW), is so helpful with us
that even if I gap on something and have
to call up for a last-second request, he’s
so all over it! I feel privileged to be able
to deal with people like that. At the same
time, I try to make sure my memory
still works. I’ll look at how many dates,
because that’s how you base what you
need for backup stuff. Even though Neil’s
not hard on the drum set. As hard as he
plays, he doesn’t break a lot of stuff. So
that’s saying a lot for the manufacturers,
as well. Since he worked with Freddy
Gruber with drum lessons, it’s amazing
how much differently he approaches
the drumset and his playing ability. The
heads last a hell of a lot longer with him
hitting them as hard as they possibly
can be hit versus somebody else, or
even versus himself before he had these
Freddy Gruber instructions. It really does
save drumheads and I don’t change them
half as much as I used to.
JT: Are there any tools in your rig that
you can’t live without?
LW: Probably my screw gun. I use it
for tension rods. That cuts the job to a
quarter of the time. Also, a ratchet driver
because there are a few moving pieces
on the kit that I have to make sure are
nice and tight.
JT: It’s obvious that Neil trusts your
expertise implicitly. How much input do
you have when designing a new kit?
LW: I’m probably his worst critic [laughs].
I’ve been with him long enough to be
able to throw in my two cents, but we
don’t change a lot of things. He likes to
keep everything pretty much the same,
even when we’re building new drum
sets. We have to build boards that all the
hardware screws into and I just template
one board to the other. We throw all the
hardware into exactly the same place. He
doesn’t like to complicate it too much.
JT: What’s the most challenging part of
this upcoming tour for you?
LW: Challenging? It’s always a challenge
because you’re dealing with technology,
and you’re dealing with things that can
blow up. Just spinning the drum riser,
something bad can happen because we
have
all of the cabling
underneath it. So, you know, you just
deal with everything as it comes to
you. We’ve never been stumped by any
challenges. We’ve always been able
to get through somehow. It’s a little bit
more difficult replacing snare drums or
whatever on this drum set because you
can’t really get in there like you can on
a four-piece kit. Neil, and only Neil, fits
in there. So he basically has to jump off
and I get up there, obviously, at the end
of a song. We’ve pretty much mastered it.
Neil is so good with something like that.
If something breaks, he keeps his head;
he doesn’t freak out and he knows it’s
going to be taken care of.
JT: Lastly, how did you get your
nickname?
LW: Well, it was back in the late ‘70s,
I guess it would be, when I was with
Max Webster and we were doing a lot
of touring (with Rush). Geddy was the
one who came up with it. There was a
goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens
named, Lorne “Gump” Worsley. And
since my name is Lorne, Geddy just
started calling me, “Hey, Gump!” It has
nothing to do with Forrest Gump (the
movie). And it’s probably gonna stick
forever too, but I don’t mind it. There are
worse nicknames to have than Gump.
Actually, when you consider all the
saves Lorne makes on the job, being
named after a goaltender is pretty fitting.
And that’s obviously why Neil relies
on “Gump” to hold down the defense
every night.
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DWDRUMS.COM
275
DRUM CLINIC
GEORGE AND TED’S
Adventure
Excellent
A
by Albe Bonacci
A
George and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
by Albe Bonacci
George
Excellent
If there are 2and
drum Ted’s
books that
I think everyAdventure
drummer should own they are Stick Control by George
by
Albe Bonacci
Lawrence
Stone and Progressive Steps to Syncopation by Ted Reed. I’ve worn out 2 or 3 copies
of each. They
are two
of theExcellent
most creditably
famous drum books of all time.
George
and
Ted’s
Adventure
If there are 2 drum books that I think every drummer should own they are Stick Control by George
by Albe Bonacci
f there
are
drum
books
that
I other.
think
Lawrence
Stone and
Steps
to first
Syncopation
byofTed
Reed.
I’vetwo
worn
out
2 or
3 copies
In
this installment
we Progressive
will be looking
at the
few pages
each
in combination
with
each
every
drummer
should
own,
they
are Stick
of
each.
They are
two of the most
creditably
famous
drum
of allaround
time. the world but I think
This
is perhaps
well-charted
for drum
teachers
andbooks
students
I
If
there
are 2 drum
books thatterritory
I think every
drummer
should
own
theyby
are
StickLawrence
Control Stone
by George
Control
George
and
may
have
a
fresh
take
on
things.
Lawrence Stone and Progressive Steps to Syncopation by TedProgressive
Reed. I’ve
worn
out 2 or 3 copies
Steps
to Syncopation
Ted
In this installment we will be looking at the first few pages of each in combination
with eachbyother.
of each. They are two of the most creditably famous drum books
of I’ve
all time.
Reed.
worn out two or three copies of
This
perhaps
well-charted
territory
for drum
teachers
students
around the world figures
but I think
Let’s is
start
with the
first 13 hand
patterns
in Stick
Controland
combined
in I
each. with
They non-repeating
are two of the most creditably
may
have
a
fresh
take
on
things.
Syncopation
for the
drum
from at
page
34. Here
is
line
andbooks
2 from
Stick
Control
famous
drum
of with
all
time.
In this installment
webass
will be
looking
the 33
firstand/or
few pages
of each
in 1combination
each
other.
(singles)
with
line
1
from
page
33
of
Progressive
Steps
to
Syncopation.
Let’s
put
the
hi-hat
theI
This is perhaps well-charted territory for drum teachers and students around the world but Ion
think
Let’s start
withpulse.
the first 13 hand patterns in Stick Control combined with non-repeating figures in
quarter
-note
may have a fresh take on things.
Syncopation
for the
bass drum
from
page
34. Here iswith
lineone
1 and
2 from
Control
In this installment,
we will
be looking
at the first
few
pages33
of and/or
each in combination
another.
ThisStick
is, perhaps,
well(singles)
with
line
1
from
page
33
of
Progressive
Steps
to
Syncopation.
Let’s
put
the
hi-hat
on the
chartedLet’s
territory
for
drum
teachers
and
students
around
the
world,
but
I
think
I
may
have
a
fresh
take
on
things.
start with the first 13 hand patterns in Stick Control combined with non-repeating figures in
quarter -note pulse.
Syncopation for the bass drum from page 33 and/or 34. Here is line 1 and 2 from Stick Control
Let’s start
with the with
first 13
hand
patterns
in Stick
Control
combinedSteps
with non-repeating
figuresLet’s
in
(singles)
line
1 from
page
33 of
Progressive
to Syncopation.
put the hi-hat on the
Syncopation
for
the
bass
drum
from
page
33
and/or
34.
Here
is
line
1
and
2
from
Stick
Control
quarter -note pulse.
GEORGE AND TED ||| ALBE BONACCI
I
AA
(singles) with line 1 from page 33 of Progressive Steps to Syncopation. Let’s put the hi-hat on the quarter-note pulse.
Then we move to the double strokes in both starting positions but this time we’ll use line 10 from
Syncopation. For a more diverse and challenging foot pattern simply move on to pages such as
37 and so on but it is important to feel the body sync up, so I recommend repeating patterns to
Then
start. we move to the double strokes in both starting positions but this time we’ll use line 10 from
Syncopation. For a more diverse and challenging foot pattern simply move on to pages such as
Then, we move to the double strokes in both starting positions, but this time we’ll use line 10 from Syncopation. For a more
37
and so on but
it is important
to feel the
bodysuch
sync
up, so I recommend
repeating
patterns
tosync up,
diverse Then
and challenging
simply
move on
pages
as positions
37, and so on,
important
to feel
the10
body
we movefoot
to pattern,
the double
strokes
intoboth
starting
butbut
thisit is
time
we’ll use
line
from
start.
so I recommend
repeating
to start.
Syncopation.
Forpatterns
a more
diverse and challenging foot pattern simply move on to pages such as
37 and so on but it is important to feel the body sync up, so I recommend repeating patterns to
start.
Then we are into Paradiddle stickings. Numbers 5 through 8 are Paradiddles in different positions.
Now, we are into paradiddle stickings. Numbers 5 through 8 are paradiddles in different positions.
Then is
weline
arenumber
into Paradiddle
stickings.
Numbers
5 through
8 Syncopation
are Paradiddles
in still
different
posiHere
6 from Stick
Control
with number
3 from
while
stepping
quarter note hi-hats.
Here is tions.
line number 6 from Stick Control with number 3 from Syncopation while still stepping quarter-note hi-hats:
Then we are into Paradiddle stickings. Numbers 5 through 8 are Paradiddles in different posiHere is line number 6 from Stick Control with number 3 from Syncopation while still stepping
tions.
28
Here is line number 6 from Stick Control with number 3 from Syncopation while still stepping
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
So, you probably get the idea. Continue through the first 13 hand patterns while adding in, and mixing up, foot patterns from page
33. Now, some random orchestration ideas on the kit, such as:
Points to consider:
1) For beginning students, start by playing the first five Stick Control exercises with just quarter-note
kicks and then left foot hi-hat on quarters, then kick and hat alternating in both directions like this:
2) Watch out for flamming limbs. Start slow until things start to sync.
3) Make sure to be thorough. Play each Stick Control exercise with each Syncopation exercise.
4) Orchestrations. Dare to think for yourself.
5) You may notice that the two pages referenced aren’t reprinted here. There are two reasons for this: A) space and, more
importantly, B) so that you, the readers, either get out and dust off your copies or you make a purchase at your local music store.
These are must-own books.
6) For more advanced players, or for a different twist, swing the exercises (some work better than others). For Example:
You are not only playing a challenging warm up, you are forming the
building blocks of grooves. In this case, a Jazzy-type shuffle groove.
I hope these will be fun and challenging exercises that are the
foundation to open-minded and musical drumming, while, once again,
reminding us how monumental these two texts are.
29
A
G
A
Z
I
N
E
S
20 QUESTIONS ||| JP BOUVET
Photo Credit: Tanya Ghosh
SM
1. If you’re not drumming, what are
you doing?
For fun, I love games. I’m pretty much a
ping pong wizard. Bowling is awesome. I
love traveling more than anything, seeing
the world, meeting new people. I love
doing things alone.
So, when I get a
chance to travel to a new country alone
and I don’t know anyone or speak the
language, that’s where I find some of the
happiest, most content moments of my
life. Also, my family is amazing. Going
home to Minnesota is always wonderful.
There’s a cupboard full of food (unlike
my apartment) and I didn’t have to buy it.
One of my favorite things to do is sit on the
rooftops of some of my friends’ apartments
in Boston and New York City, and relax
while the sun sets. I’ve been writing and
producing a lot of music lately, as well,
mostly for R&B artists on Island Def Jam.
When I’m not drumming, as far as serious
stuff goes, I spend a lot of time keeping the
business side of “JP Bouvet” rolling. I’m
a control freak, which is good because I
have complete control, but it also means
I need to do everything myself. That
includes designing, filming, photo editing,
publicizing, booking, managing, etc.
Editing videos takes a long time. I usually
have four or five that are finished and
waiting for the right time to go up (online).
I just finished designing jpbouvetmusic.
com and passed it off to Corkboard
30
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
Software and Design’s programmer, Mike
Linden. I know that sounds official but
Corkboard is actually partly my company.
Mike has been my friend since 6th grade,
when we played in our first band together.
He and I started making websites for
musicians in our down time about five
years ago and it’s really bloomed into a
nice little business. Every single musician
in the world needs a website. Who knew?
Mike also recently released an album
that I was privileged enough to play on.
Search “Mike Linden, Bubble & Squeak”
on iTunes and you’ll find some crazyawesome fusion shredding.
2. If you are drumming, what are you
doing?
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of recording.
I play with a lot of groups and they all
seemed to want to record at the same time,
so the past month has been jam-packed
with studio sessions for Helicopria, Dave
Mackay Group, Mike Linden, Melanie
Lynx, and others. Keep your eyes peeled,
because they’ll all be released before the
end of the year. I’ve just moved to New
York City, so it’s been hard to find time to
practice. When I’m practicing, I’m usually
working on some pretty ‘out there’ stuff.
I’ve been trying to get really comfortable
with quintuplets and make them sound
natural in a musical setting. I’m always
working on independence and lately
I’ve been exploring a lot of electronic
drumming. My buddy, Drew Ofthe Drew,
is a genius bass player. He and I have been
doing a lot of live dubstep and remixes.
3. If you could build the ultimate
drummer from three famous players, who
would they be? And why?
I’d go with Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave King
(The Bad Plus) and Jojo Mayer. Vinnie for
his tastefulness, Dave for his emotional
connection, and Jojo for his technique and
wisdom.
4. LA or New York?
Well, I just moved to New York two days
ago so, New York, but I don’t want to grow
old in New York. After New York, I’m
going to move an hour outside of LA into a
nice house with a yard and breed little JP,
Jr.’s. Honestly, Minnesota is the best place
in the world, so maybe I’ll go back there
and hang out with all the nice people.
5. How did you come up with that hairdo?
A girl I had a crush on told me I would look
good with a mohawk. Her name is Sulene.
She’s an awesome musician and she’s also
the guitarist in Helicopria, which is my
rock band. We have a new EP coming
out this fall, so be on the lookout. We
also have other free downloadable music
at: www.helicopria.bandcamp.com. I’ve
grown to really like the mohawk. I can’t
picture any other hair shape on my head.
I like it because it weeds out people who
judge a book by its cover. I don’t play
Punk music. My main style is Fusion Jazz,
so it throws people off when they hear
me play. I made a pact with myself that I
wouldn’t shave it off until I made a million
dollars. I really just want to dye it green
when that happens.
6. What’s the best electronic add-on for
an acoustic kit?
A microwave…just kidding. The Roland
SPD-SX, hands down. The other day,
I officially filled up the 100th kit with
imported sounds. I use it all the time.
With Helicopria, I have a kit for each of
our songs. The click is set appropriately
for each song and the necessary samples
are there, as well. I set a kit chain of the
songs in the set for that show, so when the
song ends, I just push the “next” button.
The click changes, the samples change
and the external pads I have connected to
it change. Life is good. I use a trigger on a
side snare for claps or various extreme 2’s
and 4’s, and another trigger occasionally
on the kick drum for when we do dubstep
or electronic stuff. I’ll put a big, nastytoned, distorted synth/kick in there with
the natural kick and the entire world cries
when I play it. I don’t know whether they
are tears of joy or pain, but I think it’s a
little bit of both.
7. How do you train for a drum
competition?
The motto is, “Practice makes you better
and preparation makes your worst better.”
I’m a huge advocate of preparation. If I’m
really nervous for something, I usually
don’t play at the best of my ability on
stage. It’s easier to find comfort on stage if
you are overly prepared. I spent hundreds
of hours preparing for the Guitar Center
Drum Off. I probably ran the structure I had
come up with 200 times. It was constantly
morphing and I was always trying new
things. It’s important to remember that it’s
a drum solo competition, not a ‘who-canchop-the-fastest-and-loudest’ competition.
The focus should be on the piece of music
you are creating, not the licks you are
doing. There needs to be some sort of
contour or motion throughout, that’s what
gives it life. I tend to think in sections, not
unlike any normal song. I came up with
several points or themes I wanted to hit,
then focused on finding ways to develop
that theme and finally, transitioning to the
next one. I wanted to push my ability and
perform ideas that were unique and out
of the box. I’m usually working on those
very things, so it was easy for me to think
of what to play. The 7/8 clave, the 5/16
intro groove and the independence stuff
were all things I was already practicing
before the Drum Off. The competition
just gave me a stage on which I could
play it publicly. PREPARE, BE SMART, BE
MUSICAL, BE YOURSELF. Bam!
8. Greatest rock band of all time? And
why?
Red Hot Chili Peppers. I grew up listening
to them, and I will always go back to them
for the rest of my life.
9. Greatest Jazz drummer of all time?
And why?
Brian Blade. Listen to “Crooked Creek” off
of the Brian Blade Fellowship album and
you will understand. That’s my favorite
recorded drum performance of all time.
10. Bonham, Keith Moon, or Ringo?
I don’t really listen to any of them. I know
they are legends, but I never listened to
any of those bands.
11. Vinnie, Weckl, or Gadd?
Vinneckl.
12. Do you have a “go-to” fill?
Not a whole fill, but a lot of times I find
myself starting fills with an inverted
double between the hands and feet. I try
to avoid it as much as possible, because I
hate falling into a routine.
13. Do you play any other instruments?
I can slap some mean bass. My mom
plays bass. I just try to be like her.
14. Besides yourself, which up-andcoming drummers should we watch out
for?
It is mandatory that everyone researches
these guys: Matt Garstka, Ian Barnett
(his band is Bear Language), and Zach
Mullings.
15. What’s your favorite drumming
website?
I feel like this is an appropriate place to plug
my own website, www.jpbouvetmusic.
com, where you will find awesome
interviews with people like Thomas
Lang and Cobus, lessons on my personal
theories, behind the scenes footage in
the studio and on tour, play-alongs from
bands, my blog, my email list sign-up and
other awesome stuff, but I won’t.
19. Metal or wood snares?
I usually use a wood main snare and
a metal side snare. And while we’re on
the topic of snares, THE DW BALLAD
SNARE…oh my gosh! It’s a 16” diameter
that’s 10” deep. It’s being delivered to my
new place in NY in three weeks. I have
never been more excited about a drum.
Only DW would make a drum of such
unparalleled awesomeness. Expect the
fattest beats ever, in three weeks.
I grew up on Drummerworld.com; it has
all of the best drummers in the world,
their bios, videos, hours and hours of
inspiration.
20. What is your advice for other
musicians/people?
My advice for others? I could monologue
for an hour so, instead, I’m going to go
into a fit of random, fragmented ideas.
As soon as possible, learn to not give a
damn about what other people think. It’s
hard, but the less you are concerned about
other people’s ideas, the quicker you will
realize your own infinite potential. Work
really hard. Really hard, work really hard.
No one has ever become truly great at
anything without working really hard to
achieve it. It’s about music, not chops.
Visualize. Believe in yourself. Be fearless
in every sense of the word. Never forget
why you started playing drums. It was
probably because you loved it and had fun
doing it. Challenge yourself. No matter
how many people rip you up on YouTube,
it will literally never, ever, ever affect your
career in any way. Take it from a guy with
hundreds of negative comments on my
GC video. It stung for a little while, but
now I get called for more gigs than ever
before. Therefore, it is irrelevant in your
life. Think outside the box. Work really
hard. Endorsements don’t get you gigs,
gigs get you endorsements. When you
are being considered for endorsements,
remember, gear is cool, but the support
and the character of the people behind the
business, that’s the important part. Life is
about people and your relationships with
them, so treasure it in every circumstance.
You should also know, DW is the best drum
manufacturer in the world. DW is lead by
a kind, caring, innovative, brilliant family
of down-to-earth people who have worked
hard to create what I honestly think are the
best drums in the entire world and they
have a support system unlike any other. I
feel incredibly fortunate to be able to work
with this company and I love them dearly.
Shout out to DW, Meinl, Remo, and Vic
Firth for their belief and support from the
beginning.
16. Who do you jam with?
I’ve had some seriously trail-blazing jams
with Helicopria’s bass player, Drew Ofthe
Drew. Electronic drums, dubstep, loops,
samples from movies and every song you
can imagine. If we are doing something,
it is going to be done to the most extreme
state possible. I really like jamming with
people one-on-one, it’s a constant state
of creation and there’s no “comping”
or “soloing.” It’s a constantly morphing
improvisation and it could never be
recreated because it’s an exploration of
these two people’s brains in that exact
moment. It depends how you are feeling
that day. I find it brings me much closer
with whoever it is I’m playing with, as
well. I like playing with key player, Dave
Mackay (www.dave-mackay.com), and
I like playing with progressive-thinking
guitar players a lot, too.
17. Do you tweak your pedals a certain
way?
I usually just turn the ‘awesome dial’ to one
million. I like them not too tight, not too
loose. DW’s 9000 pedals are awesome, so
I don’t really do anything to them.
18. Does your set-up constantly change
or is it pretty consistent?
It constantly changes. I play with several
different groups that all require different
sounds and set-ups. Sometimes I play 2
(rack) toms, sometimes 4, sometimes 3
cymbals, sometimes 84, sometimes single
kick, sometimes double kick and an extra
left foot pedal for clave and an extra right
foot pedal with Roland’s KD-7 trigger. I
like to use different cymbals from gig to
gig, too. A different palette of sounds
inspires different playing ideas.
31
Q&A
Rich Redmond
Nashville
Star
Q AND A ||| RICH REDMOND
R
ich Redmond is equal parts talent and tenacity. He has more than paid his dues in the Nashville scene
and now finds himself backing one of the biggest names in Country music. An east coast transplant, Rich has
followed his dream to Music City U.S.A. and has made it his mission to impart his industry knowledge and knack
for success to others. We caught up with RR while on tour and he gave us the latest on his busy career.
AA
EDGE: Do you know much about the
music scene out here in LA?
Rich Redmond: Absolutely! I have been
keeping tabs on it for years while I made
my way in the Nashville scene and I have
plenty of LA musician friends that I keep
in touch with regularly. I know the state of
the music industry has affected everyone
around the world, so everyone is adapting
in all the music cities like New York and
London, for example. There’s simply more
competition for fewer gigs and sessions,
but that doesn’t faze me at all. You just
have to roll up your sleeves, play happier,
smile often and run your business like a
business. There’s room for everyone if
you‘re coming from an honest and sincere
place that is fueled with passion. I’ve
spent a long time climbing the Nashville
ladder. Why stop there? I’m thinking
globally now. Los Angeles has been calling
my name for years and it’s time to start
answering back. Excited!
EDGE: How would you sum-up the
current Nashville studio scene?
32
A
Photo Credit: Sayre Berman
A
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
RR: The Nashville recording scene is
healthy, there are a lot of drummers living
and working in Nashville. Like LA, we
have a massive pool of great drummers
that split their time between recording
studios and tours. I enjoy doing both.
My live work feeds my session calls and
vice versa. It just works for me. I don’t
like putting all of my eggs in one basket.
I’ve been in Nashville for fifteen years,
and the only reason I am able to have my
spot at the dinner table is because I have
relentlessly pursued my dream and never
given up. I keep showing up and I’m here
to stay. Whether I’m playing drums in the
studio or on tour, programming, shaking a
tambourine or writing, I love our industry
and my craft!
EDGE: How did you hook up with
Jason Aldean?
RR: I met a fresh-faced Jason Aldean in
1999. I was introduced to the bassist
and band leader, Tully Kennedy, by my
guitarist pal, Kurt Allison. After playing
one song together, we became a fully-
committed rhythm section. We’ve been
playing together since 2000 and non-stop
with Aldean since 2005. We’ve played
on free demos, showcases and tons of
van and trailer gigs that have helped to
launch Aldean’s career. Since then, we’ve
recorded a total of ten #1 hits with him and
toured nonstop, including 2011-2012’s
sell out “My Kinda Party” tour. It’s been
all about persistence and determination.
In 2007, Kurt, Tully and I added a fourth
partner, David Fanning, and started a
successful music production company
called, NV (New Voice Entertainment).
EDGE: What are some of the other
musical projects you’re working on
right now?
RR: My production company is producing
the sophomore release from country pop
duo, Thompson Square. Their song, “Are
You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?” was the #1
most played song on country radio in
2011. So we’re working on reinventing
the wheel, but holding true to their brand
as well. We also have releases to complete
with the band, Parmalee. Their current
single on the radio is called “Musta Had
a Good Time”. We’re also working with
American Idol darling, Kristy Lee Cook
and Canadian country rocker, Lyndsay
Ell. We recorded Aldean’s fifth record last
November and it is being released this
October, so we’ll be gearing up for tons of
TV promos in Los Angeles, yes! Nashville
is in the center of the country, so we use
the Nashville touring model, which means
leaving on a Wednesday night and coming
back on a Sunday. That leaves us with
Monday through Wednesday to crank out
radio-ready projects and write songs for
Magic Mustang Publishing. In the cracks
of this crazy schedule, I’ll squeeze in
session calls for other producers or artists,
do my drum-related events while on tour
with Aldean and finish working on two
books I have in the works. Finally, I have
a drum tracking room in my home called,
Crash Studios. Now, I’m delivering drum
tracks via the internet using my Pro Tools
rig. This technological revolution allows
me to do it all!
EDGE: How do you keep your energy up
with such a hectic touring schedule?
RR: I’m lucky that I’m naturally a highenergy guy. I know how to pace myself
and I get sleep when I can. I love music
and my career path, so it never feels
like work because this is my purpose
in life. I split my time between touring,
recording, teaching lessons, songwriting,
music production and music/motivational
speaking, so it’s go, go, go! I drink lots of
water, eat a pescetarian diet (which means
the only meat I eat is fish) and focus on
power foods like greens, berries, almonds
and avocados. I get regular exercise,
alternating between running, walking,
cross training, light weights and lots of
stretching.
EDGE: Do you still practice?
RR: I keep everything fresh by working all
of the time and by actively playing music
with other musicians. Between touring,
recording and producing, there isn’t much
time to be alone in a room. I did that when
I was younger (ha)! I like to keep the tunes
I’m playing fresh every night by changing
things here and there. I am so grateful we
have that kind of freedom with Aldean. I
also work on keeping things fresh for my
“CRASH Course for Success” drum events.
If there are specific grooves or pieces I have
to work on for a particular session or guest
appearance, I will focus on those things. I
also make it a point of warming up at least
one hour before every show. That’s at least
three hours of hands-on rudimental stuff
per week, maybe more. Lots of singles,
doubles, paradiddles, flam combinations,
roll permutations and stuff I learned during
my eight years in marching bands.
me up ‘soup to nuts’ for all my recording
sessions and showcase gigs in Nashville.
In LA, I just had a nice meeting with
Dave Drewry at Drum Paradise, very cool
cat. I’m excited about that. I am super
hands-on in maintaining my personal
relationships with all of my sponsoring
companies though. I’m very persistent
about letting them know what I am up to
and that their gear is being seen and heard.
If I am running low on heads, sticks, stick
wrap, cymbal felts or parts, I’m the one
who makes the call. I prefer it that way.
EDGE: Other than Aldean, what would be
your dream gig right now?
RR: It’s funny you ask. I just had a
drummer pal who I really respect, call and
offer me an audition with one of the most
kick ass of all the classic rock bands, one
of my real favorites. I used to jam along
and even transcribe their grooves, note
for note, when I was coming up. It was a
real eye opener for me and very flattering,
but the timing just wasn’t right. I’ve been
part of building the “Aldean empire” one
brick at a time, so it’s time to enjoy the
fruits of our labor. It’s such an up and
down business, so it’s nice that the gig is having such success and we can breathe a
sigh of relief for just a moment. There are
so many artists I love and respect in this
business. I truly believe that if you always
play from the heart and are a good person,
then opportunities will literally land in your
lap at the right time.
EDGE: What’s your favorite snare drum
these days?
RR: On the road, my front-of-house
engineer, Chris Stephens, and I settled on
a 5x14” all-maple Collector’s Series with
Ruby Glass FinishPly and black nickel
hardware. It has the perfect combination
of snap, crackle, and warmth; it’s just
perfect. Everyone in the band loves it too.
I have the same sized drum in the Black
Ice finish, and also a 5.5x14” aluminum
for back-ups. For the studio, I’ve been
using the black nickel over brass 6.5x14”
that I used for this photo shoot out on
the beach in Malibu. Also, the 5.5x14”
Super Solid (3/8” thickness) in the Ruby
Glass finish and black nickel hardware
is a workhorse; it has an incredibly wide
tuning range and is really warm. When
you mic up these drums, they sound like
classic records you’ve heard for the last
forty years. Playback in the studio goes
“Ahhhhh.” When the engineer, artist
and session musicians all make glowing
remarks about the sound of the backbeat,
you know you have something special!
EDGE: Do you have a hands-on approach
to your gear?
RR: I’ve been a bit spoiled on the road with
my good pal, Ed Turner. He’s a genius cat,
and has been in the biz for over thirty years.
If he gets into a bind, I’ll show up before
sound check and help change heads or do
some cleaning, but for the most part, he
takes total care of me. Because I have that
part covered, I can teach private lessons
and master classes during the day before
sound check and even do some of my
CRASH events at high schools, colleges,
music stores and drum shops. It’s very
helpful to have a great drum tech for that
reason alone! In Nashville, my pal Jim
Handley and the crew of Session Services
Unlimited take great care of me. They set
EDGE: How do you decide on the sounds
you need for a particular gig?
RR: Whether I am playing live or in the
studio, I’m a team player, and always have
tons of sonic options on hand. All of my
DW snare drums sound like they came
from God’s snare drum collection, so you
really can’t go wrong. Many times, the
first drum I pull up is the one we use on
the whole session. I just did a great record
with a killer Rock chick named, Masha.
She’s a special talent. We recorded it
at Blackbird in Nashville with Nathan
Chapman (Taylor Swift) producing, Ray
33
Q AND A ||| RICH REDMOND
asked me to come see his new band play.
EDGE: What will you be doing in ten years?
RR: I plan on checking out of this world
with sticks in my hands! I always strive
for constant improvement in all areas of
my life, so hopefully I will keep doing
what I am doing at a higher level. I enjoy
the multi-tasking approach to the music
business, so I’m sure I’ll be touring,
recording, producing, writing, teaching
and speaking, probably all at the same
time. Hopefully, there will have been
some more international tours, a few
books published and a strong and healthy
marriage with my kick-butt sexy wife. She
has a very promising career with multiple
pathways, so it may be nice to travel and
enjoy some of her success with her. It’s
also a goal to take my CRASH events to the
corporate sector and motivate and inspire
some people that really need it.
EDGE: If you could take a lesson from
anyone, who would it be?
RR: If Krupa or Bonham were alive, heck
yeah!! What innovators and showmen
they were!! I have always dug Carmine
and Vinny Appice, both are characters and
big influences. I met Vinny recently at The
Playboy Mansion! He was playing in one
of the bands for the Rock N Roll Fantasy
Camp. He was so approachable and even
EDGE: What will you be doing in ten
minutes?
RR: I have three days in Nashville to take
meetings, co-write some songs with some
great writers and then re-pack and hit the
road again with Aldean, so maybe I’ll get
some sleep and hit the ground running
tomorrow with Al Roker and a few cups of
coffee.
Photo Credit: Sayre Berman
Kennedy (Steve Earle, John Mellencamp)
engineering and Michael Rhodes on bass.
It was a total gas. Ray Kennedy and I
went in a day early and experimented
with ten different DW snares. We found
the perfect tuning spots for all the drums:
steel, copper, brass, bronze, Edge, Super
Solid, etc., and decided which drums were
better wide open or muffled slightly. By
the time the band came in the next day,
we had all the drums nicknamed and
perfectly tuned for the room. When we
were presented with the songs, we were
able to pull from our collection of sonic
“characters” and then tweaked the pitches
for each track. To me, it’s all about having
that symbiotic relationship between the
band, the producer, the artist and my ear.
I always remember that the folks behind
the glass are hearing “reality.” I trust them
completely.
34
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
WE HOPE YOU’D FOLLOW US ANYWHERE.
www.dwdrums.com
IN THE STUDIO WITH JR ||| DW DRUMS
NOTEWORTHY
IN THE
Studio
WITH
JR Robinson
by Scott Donnell
T
AA
here’s no arguing that JR Robinson
is studio drumming royalty.
His
discography reads like a who’s who of pop
icons and he’s been touted as the most
recorded drummer of all time. Indeed,
his grooves are fat and his pocket deep,
but how exactly does he get those sounds?
Studio secrets are hard to come by, so we
did our best to pick JR’s very knowledgeable
brain to find out how this session master
amassed such a glorious track record.
SCOTT DONNELL: How would you
describe your signature sound?
JR ROBINSON: My sound has always been
a “fat” sound, and my bass drum approach
is the foundation of it. I tune a bit lower than
most drummers and have an old packing
blanket that sits just on the floor in front of
the bass drum. I also use an old sandbag
from my Rufus days that sits in the center
of the drum. My snare drum sounds have
varied throughout the decades, depending
on the style of music I’m playing at the time.
SD: Does that sound have to do with a
particular studio environment, the gear
you play, or how you play it?
JR: My sound has to do with the way I play
and pull the sound out of the drums and
cymbals. Of course, a smaller studio will
limit the amount of ambience. However,
my sound does not change per venue.
SD: Do you have a preferred microphone
set-up?
JR: If I have an unlimited budget, I have a
preferred microphone set-up. Shure B52,
AT25 or Sennheiser 421 on the inside of
the bass drum and a Neumann 47 Fet on
the toms. I love Sennheiser 421’s! I don’t
like bright mics on the toms as they tend
to conflict with the overhead sound. The
overhead sound is the sound of the drum
set. For the overheads, I prefer AKG
C12’s; they’re my favorite mics. I also
love Neumann U 67’s or the newer U
87’s. The snare is the ‘loud drum’ and it’s
captured perfectly with the Shure SM57.
I also blend an AKG 452 on the snare so
the engineer can pick up brush sounds and
more dynamics in general. For the hi-hat, I
love the Neumann KM 84 and for the room
mics, that’s usually up to the engineer’s
experience and how he hears the way the
drums are speaking in the room.
SD: What’s your formula for miking a bass
drum?
JR: This starts with a good bass drum sound.
I have a 6” hole in the southeast section
so the engineer can get any microphone
inside the kick. I find that if you put the mic
too close to the batter head, you’ll lose the
bottom and only get attack. However, Mick
Guzauski is the only engineer that has done
this with me throughout the decades, using
a Sony C500. Check out the new Daft Punk
CD. Most engineers place the mic in the
center-to-the-front of the kick. Then you
place the second mic in front of the kick
head to bring out the low-end woof. A
good engineer will find the correct balance
between the two.
SD: Tell us your thoughts about the new
May Monorail.
JR: I love the Monorail system. Randy May
37
IN THE STUDIO WITH JR ||| DW DRUMS
has finally nailed the system that I have
been using for years! You can move the
bass drum mics anywhere to achieve any
sound possible. You can stack two different
mics on one rail; one for the batter and
one for the resonant head. For example,
I have a Shure B52 and a Shure SM91 in
my 26” DW kick. Both can be moved
effortlessly. Outside the kick is a two-input
XLR that any engineer can access. It is the
best miking system ever!
SD: Who are some of your favorite
producers/engineers and why?
JR: I have been very blessed to work with
the greatest producers and engineers
around. Quincy Jones is by far the best
producer I have ever worked with. His
sense of casting, direction and vision is
seldom equaled. I’ve also always loved
working with Russ Titleman [Clapton,
Rufus/Chaka and George Benson].
David Foster is a real genius. Working
with George Martin was an amazing
38
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
experience. As far as engineers go, there
have been many, such as: Roy Halee,
Mick Guzauski, Chris Lord Alge, Tom Lord
Alge, Tommy Vicari, Humberto Gatica
and Steve Sykes, but my favorite has to
be Bruce Swedien. He allowed me to be
myself, while at the same time, educating
me about microphone technique. He also
caused me a bit of grief during the Michael
Jackson/Quincy/Rufus days. He would
remove toms from the kit and say, “Quincy
doesn’t want any tom fills on this record.”
He’d also do things like have a lead barrier
covered with a packing blanket placed
between my snare drum and hi-hat. This
was to prevent leakage of the hi-hat into
the snare mic but it would almost prevent
me from playing my own style and would
force me to adjust. I’d have to lift my
right stick a bit higher so I wouldn’t hit
the barrier. Another time, Bruce had me
playing the kick drum at pp and the snare
at f. This is not very easy. He jacked the
kick level way up to achieve a different
kick sound. Try it sometime, yikes!
SD: Tell us a bit about the heyday of the
LA recording scene.
JR: OMG! I was extremely fortunate to be
at the right place at the right time. I joined
Rufus in May of 1978, at the height of that
band. Little did I know that Rufus and
Chaka Khan would go on to win another
Grammy for “Ain’t Nobody”. I struggled as
a session player for about eleven months
when I had just joined Rufus. I wasn’t
thinking about a session career at that time
because of the excitement of being in a
hip, new band. Coming out of Berklee I
was a studio guy, and it ultimately led me
to join Rufus. A great bass player/singer
named, Joe Chemey was the first to call
me after I joined them. After that, Rufus
had recorded “Numbers” on ABC Dunhill,
the first solo record without Chaka Khan.
It was great. I helped get Freddie Hubbard
on our record. Roy Halee [Simon &
Garfunkel] taught me about microphone
technique. Once the record was released,
I started getting some notice. The attention
came from Quincy Jones. I was asked
if I did sessions outside of the band. Of
course, I said, “Yes.” Quincy became the
producer for Rufus and Chaka Khan’s,
Masterjam. At that same time I was also
recording on Michael Jackson’s, Off The
Wall. After Off The Wall, I started getting
calls. They kept coming, then I started
juggling sessions and drum kits. There
were multiple times when I was using
three different drum sets per day. Oh
yeah, the good times! Everyone, please
keep in mind that the record industry was
on fire. Writers were writing, producers
were producing, and players were playing.
Record companies were paying for
records, and most importantly, radio jocks
were playing our records. It was perfect!
I would be going to A&M to record
something and all of the sudden I would
see Jeff Porcaro. We would shoot the s---,
as always, and he would go his way and I
would go mine. Those were normal days
back then. I’m very blessed to be one of
the cats that were part of the glory days.
SD: Who are some of the names you’d
consider to be session influences?
JR: I’ve always loved Steve Gadd, Al
Jackson, early Buddy Rich, John Bonham
and Philly Joe Jones. By the way, I could
extend this list forever. When I was at
Berklee [1973-1975], I made it my duty
to learn everything about recording. I
actually became the studio drummer at
Berklee in 1974. I was taught about click
tracks and how to overdub on existing
big band tracks for the ‘music minus one’
system. I specifically targeted several
drummers to learn from, just to raise the
bar. I listened to Harvey Mason, Billy
Cobham, Tony Williams, John Bonham, Ed
Soph, Danny Seraphine, and Peter Erskine,
to name a few. At Berklee, I was also
listening to the Jazz greats, especially Jo
Jones and Philly Joe Jones. I had the great
fortune of studying with Ed Soph when I
was younger and Alan Dawson at Berklee.
SD: What does the future of the studio
recording business look like?
JR: Wow! Sometimes it looks bleak
and sometimes it looks great. I see
unbelievable studios going down and then
I see studios shooting up. Some say it’s
our responsibility to try and bring back
the glory days. This is where I turn into
JR the politician. Where are the radio
stations? Oh—digital, hmmmmm, preprogrammed. Who the f--- is doing that?
How do you get your song played? How
do you get paid for this as a player? What
if you’re the new hip guy? I remember
going to the radio station and hanging
with the DJ so he would work on our
record. It was magic, it was cool. Where
is the cool these days? Why can’t the new
artists bring back the cool? I’m a major
supporter of vinyl. Vinyl rules! Listen to
Joe Walsh, he gets it.
JR’S 2012 BARBRA STREISAND TOUR SET-UP
• COLLECTOR’S SERIES MAPLE SSC
IN BLACK GALAXY FINISHPLY™ W/CHROME HARDWARE
• 18X24” BASS DRUM (VLX)
• 8X12” & 9X13” RACK TOMS (VLT)
• 13X16” & 14X18” FLOOR TOMS (X/VLX)
• 6X14” SNARE DRUM (VLT)
1
7
6
9
4
3
10
5
8
2
39
RECORDING WITH JR ||| SCOTT DONNELL
the Jazz kit demonstrations. The “big
kit” set-up remained the same for the
demonstrations and the live performances.
The Jazz kit only differed in the snare
and the overhead mic choices. I used a
Telefunken M-80 on the Jazz kit snare and
a Rode NT-4 stereo mic for the overhead.
On the big kit, we used a Shure SM-57 for
the snare and a vintage AKG C-426B for
the overhead.
RECORDING
The
JR’s
Time Machine
DVD
by Scott Donnell
Kevin Majorino knows a thing or two
about engineering world-class drummers.
Years of experience at Drum Channel
saw him working with the likes of: Terry
Bozzio, Chad Smith, Taylor Hawkins,
Aaron Spears, Sheila E., Simon Phillips,
Thomas Lang, Peter Erskine, and the
list goes on for days. We asked Kevin
about his experience recording John ‘JR’
Robinson for his DVD, The Time Machine,
and we think you’ll agree that his answers
are enlightening.
SD: How much ambient or room sound
was used in the mix?
KM: There was actually a fair amount of
the room sound used in the mix. I was
careful about where the instruments were
placed in the room and I spent a good
amount of time working on isolating the
close mics that were on the guitar cabs
and bass cab. On one of the tracks, we
had Greg Mathieson playing the B3, so I
isolated his Leslie cabinet outside of the
live room. Overall, for a live recording
scenario it’s good to have some of the main
instruments in the room with the drums;
they tend to resonate with the drums and
glue the performance together sonically.
Scott Donnell: Was JR open to microphone
and placement suggestions?
Kevin Majorino: Yes! That was one of the
great things about working with JR. He’s
very experienced in the recording world
and knows exactly what he wants to hear.
We were able to communicate very easily
and that made mic choices and placement
very simple.
SD: JR hits hard. Did that influence your
mic placements?
KM: Yes, he does! But he also hits very
accurately and intentionally. I took into
consideration the fact that he is a hardhitter, but it didn’t scare me away from
placing the mics exactly where I wanted
them. Being an engineer and working
with hard-hitting drummers, you have to
pay more attention your mic and preamp
selection. Know what your mics and
preamps can handle and what they sound
like, and then make your choice based
on that. And, of course, what the drums
sound like in the room. I actually prefer
a harder hitting drummer (controlled, of
course) because it really makes the drums
speak and communicate with accuracy.
That’s one of the things I love about JR,
you never question what he’s played on a
track, and it’s always a statement.
SD: Did you have different drum miking
set-ups for JR’s drum demonstrations vs.
the band performances?
KM: Yes, I had a different mic set up for
SD: Did JR have any influence on mic
preamps or compression?
KM: JR’s sound within the room influenced
what I wanted to use on the recording. He
40
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
also has some specific things he listens
for, which is a definite consideration,
as well. JR is very into the engineering
side of recording, so it makes it very
easy to communicate what he likes. We
discussed what he enjoys using on major
recording dates and then we made our
choices based on what the studio had to
offer, to get the best results. One thing we
both agreed on is that we were not using
EQ or compression on any of the tracking.
All of the initial recording was done from
mic, into preamp, into Protools. In the
mix we used some EQ and compression,
of course, but tracking was pure. That way,
you always shoot for a finished sound right
off the bat.
SD: What’s your take on internal bass
drum miking and the May Monorail
system?
KM: Love it! I actually had the opportunity
to test it out with Randy May and John
Good when Randy first came up with
the idea. I remember playing with the
multiple movements and positioning that
it was capable of and I was amazed by the
stability and isolation the unit provided.
The biggest thing for me was that this unit
was hard-mounted to the bass drum, but
was isolated well enough to barely transfer
any resonance from the shell of the drum
to the mic. The flexibility, in terms of
positioning the microphone, is also very
impressive. Well done, Randy!
SD: Did you double mic any of the drums?
KM: Yes, I did. I used two mics on the kick
drum of the big kit. I used a Shure Beta
52 on the inside of the kick drum and a
Telefunken AK-47 on the front. The Shure
Beta 52 is a studio staple when it comes
to kick drum mics. The Telefunken AK47 is a re-make of the vintage Telefunken
U-47 from the 50’s/60’s. The Beta 52 was
used for the main kick sound. It captured
all of the punch and attack of the drum.
The AK-47 on the front of the drum was
used to capture the subsonic overtones of
the drum. If you spend some time finding
the sweet spot for these mics and have a
drummer like JR behind the kit, you can’t
lose!
JR revolutionized
his bass drum.
John JR Robinson upgraded his kick
with the very latest internal shock mount
microphone technology available
today. Now, he can infinitely adjust his
microphone position from resonant to batter
head and find the ultimate “sweet spot” for
recording and live situations. It’s all thanks
to the patented Monorail Microphone
System by Randall May International. And
the Monorail is compatible with today’s
most respected bass drum microphone
brands. Have one factory-installed at the
DW Custom Shop or install the aftermarket
version yourself. Revolutionize your bass
drum today.
See Randall May, inventor of the Monorail, and JR Robinson explain this versatile,
all-new Monorail shock mount system at
www.youtube.com/dwdrums
Microphones picture and shown on Bi Mic-Monorail.
NEW ARTISTS ||| DW DRUMS
BEN SIMS BRANTLEY GILBERT F
BEN STONE MIKE AND THE MECHANICS F
BRIAN NEVIN BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS F
BYRON MCMACKIN PENNYWISE F
CHRIS KNIGHT LEANN RIMES PH
CHRISTOPHER HARTZ CHILDISH GAMBINO F)
DANNY WALKER INTRONAUT F
DAREN PFEIFER HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD F
DARU JONES JACK WHITE F
DAVE CHAVARRI IL NIÑO F
DERRICK WRIGHT ADELE PH
ERIC HERNANDEZ BRUNO MARS F
HANNAH FORD PRINCE P
JASON PIERCE PARAMORE, TREBLE CHARGER F
JAVIER BARRERA NATALIE JIMENEZ F
JIM PAYNE JIM PAYNE BAND F
JONNY CRAGG THE PIERCES, SPACEHOG F
JORDAN NUANEZ MATTHEW KOMA F
JP BOUVET HELICOPRIA F
LOIC MAURIN M83 F
MEYTAL INDEPENDENT F
MICHAEL IVESON GOTYE PH
MICHAEL MCMANUS SAVING ABEL F
NICK BURROWS THE INDECENT F
PETE ROBERTSON VACCINES F
PETER BYLIN ANDERS WIDMARK BAND F
RICH REDMOND JASON ALDEAN F
SATNAM RAMGOTRA INDEPENDENT F
SEAN WINCHESTER EVERCLEAR F
STACY JONES MATCHBOX 20 F
STEVE MISAMORE DIERKS BENTLEY F
TATE CUNNIGNHAM SAFETYSUIT F
TOMMY CLUFETOS OZZY OSBOURNE F
VICTOR INDRIZZO ALANIS MORRISETTE PH
F = FULL LINE
P = PEDALS
WAYNE SALZMANN II ERIC JOHNSON F
PH = PEDALS & HARDWARE
42
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
NEW ARTISTS
ENOUGH SAID.
43
SPOTLIGHT
DANIEL GLASS’
CenturyProject
CENTURY PROJECT ||| RICH MANGICARO
by Rich Mangicaro
A
A
America has given birth to some of the world’s most coveted musical art forms, Jazz and Blues being two of the most
obvious. What might not be as obvious to some is that the drum set is also a true American original. Granted,
various instruments within the kit originated from other countries, but the idea of combining these elements into a
single, one-man-band-type of instrument is undoubtedly an American innovation. Thus, the art form we now call
drumming was a direct result of years of musical and mechanical evolution. In fact, the origin of the earliest drum
set began over 100 years ago and, at the time, its appearance seemed to defy human physical capability.
A
fter years of presenting this material
in a live workshop or clinic format,
master drummer, author and educator,
Daniel Glass, decided to embark on a
journey to document what he had learned
about the history of the drum set and its
parallel journey with the progression of
American music. His decision to span
the tale over a 100-year period takes
us from the kit’s inception at the end of
the Civil War, all the way to the British
Invasion. As he meticulously details
the development of the drum set, and
its many incarnations, we witness the
44
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
AA
rise and fall of several musical genres,
each one accurately and authentically
depicted by Daniel and his all-star cast
of musicians. Musical styles shifted with
historical milestones and drumming styles
inevitably followed suit. It’s a rich story
that’s enthusiastically told, intelligently
researched and finally realized. As Daniel
himself states, “Learning more about the
classic styles demonstrated in The Century
Project will make you a stronger and more
competent drummer, regardless of what
style of music you play.” This historical
sense of the instrument comes from not
only being aware of the classic styles,
but also acknowledging the history of our
instrument’s unique development and
how early drummers experimented with it
to voice their own creativity. As necessity
truly is the mother of invention, we can
truly be inspired by the creative process of
the drummers before us.
Rich M: Daniel, how did the idea of The
Century Project first come about?
Daniel Glass: It was essentially born out of
a clinic I’d been doing, which eventually
became more and more involved. As
I got deeper into the material, the clinic
was turning into two to three hours, so I
decided it was time to document it. In
presenting the material in a clinic format,
I learned a lot about how an audience
would accept it. You know, many people,
when doing their historical homework,
don’t even go back to Ringo, let alone 100
years, so I knew I had something here. I
presented the material in a relaxed, fun
way. I also involved the audience with
a lot of questions, and I’d reward them
with various giveaway items from my
sponsoring companies. I’d just make it
fun. I wanted to take these aspects and
transfer them into the DVD. What I didn’t
want was for this to be like a formal
PBS documentary. I wanted to keep the
interactive aspect of my clinics and feature
some audience member commentary.
RM: You funded a part of this through
Kickstarter.com and I thought your promo
video on that site was brilliant. Talk about
how you came to utilize Kickstarter.com
to fund the project.
DG: Thank you. I had previously appeared
on the show “DC Live” on Drumchannel.
com and during that time, Don Lombardi
(Drum Workshop and Drum Channel
Founder) and I began talking about the
idea. He was very interested in it, but my
rather grandiose idea for the final outcome
would cost a bit more than could come
solely from Drum Channel, so I began
looking into sites that offer what’s called,
crowdfunding. I came across Kickstarter
and liked their approach to the concept.
They seemed to be the best known for
this, even though they’re an all-or-nothing
venture. Meaning, if you don’t achieve
your goal, you’re basically back to squareone (each project sets a financial goal to
reach within a specific time period. If
the goal isn’t’ met, monies are refunded
to contributors). Because they’re the best
known, they have a large audience, which
is what you want when obtaining public
funding.
RM: Talk about the various rewards or
incentives you offered to encourage
potential funders to contribute to your idea.
DG: What’s cool about Kickstarter, and
what I believe makes one successful with
it, is that you have a chance to open up
yourself personally to those viewing your
idea. You basically offer different levels
of rewards for various levels of monetary
funding–the more you donate, the more
you receive from the creator. Obviously,
the higher you go, the better the reward. I
did a huge amount of research on creating
an effective promo clip for it and also
researched other successful pages that had
achieved their goals. I also looked at what
kinds of rewards they offered.
RM: Your rewards included a vintage
Leedy snare, backstage passes, Royal
Crown Revue CDs and even a Day with
Daniel in LA; really great stuff. Even
though you’ve already achieved your
goal, I encourage all of our readers to
check out your page on Kickstarter, it’s
really cool and inspiring. How did you
put the promo clip together for that page?
DG: I had the idea for the content and
basically knew what I wanted, and I had
a friend who worked at the Columbia Film
School edit it for me. It was a lot of work to
not only create the clip, but also manage
all of the donation levels. Once you
complete your goal, before you collect,
Kickstarter takes their cut and you also
have to fulfill all of your rewards. So one
thing I’ve learned is that you must keep
that all in mind when setting your financial
goal. There was one guy who donated
$1,750. I’d never met him before. He
worked as a private contractor for the US
Government, stationed in Kuwait and had
an office job there. He’s a drummer and is
a fan of Gavin Harrison. He was watching
Gavin on YouTube and Gavin mentioned
that he was doing a project with a friend,
funding it on Kickstarter. So, this guy in
Kuwait then goes on Kickstarter and starts
searching around for anything related to
drums. By the way, I was very careful to
make sure I optimized my search engine
word choices. He searched ‘drums’ and
my project came up. He checked out the
video clip, loved the project and before
you know it, donated the money!
RM: If you fulfill your goal and people
continue to donate, the amount over the
goal is then yours as well, right?
DG: It is, but you still have to pay
Kickstarter their percentage, and also fulfill
your rewards.
RM: You had presented this idea to Don
Lombardi some time ago. Talk about that.
DG: Right. I had done DC Live back in
2009 and Don was the host. We just hit it
off from there. Don is all about education
and his vision for Drum Channel is very
focused on furthering drum education, first
and foremost. So we began talking about
how to transfer the material in my clinics
to a DVD, while maintaining my relaxed
presentation style. One way we achieved
that was to cut to a green screen to feature
the audience’s answers to the questions
I presented. We did the lecture portion
in one day, and the band performance
sections in two days. I feel that what we
have now really captures the essence of
the live clinic, along with a much more
detailed history lesson.
RM: Absolutely. Speaking of history,
you have a very interesting background.
You’re originally from Honolulu, Hawaii.
What was that like as a young, developing
musician?
DG: Man, when I was growing up and
beginning to play drums in High School
bands and Rock bands, I never could’ve
imagined playing drums for a living, let
alone focusing on the whole music history
thing. I was always just playing for fun and
even when I went to college, I majored in
Psychology. There were 3 teachers though,
that had a huge affect on my change of
direction. One was Bob Gullotti, a great
Jazz player and teacher from Boston.
When I finished college, I started studying
with Bob and from that experience I
realized that this is what I needed to be
doing. I spent a couple of years after that
touring and then went back to Hawaii
and spent time in the woodshed. I finally
ended up at the Dick Grove School of
Music in LA. By the time I got there, I had
some professional experience and really
knew what I wanted to focus on. Later
on, in the 90s, my path was influenced
by Freddie Gruber, with whom I studied
for about six years. Later, I studied with
one of Freddie’s long-term students, Bruce
Becker. He teaches Freddie’s material very
effectively.
45
CENTURY PROJECT ||| RICH MANGICARO
RM: How did you come to focus and excel
in Big Band and Jazz drumming?
DG: At Dick Grove we, of course, studied
all different styles of playing, so after I got
out of that school it kind of just happened.
Actually, joining Royal Crown Revue was
a huge turning point for me. I was into
Jazz and BeBop but can’t say that I was
into the roots of all that stuff. When I first
played with RCR, I came into it playing
the music from a Tony Williams kind of
approach and they told me that I wasn’t
stylistically correct. When I went back
and listened to their music again, I began
to realize that what they were doing was
one part Jazz, one part Blues and another
part Rock ‘n’ Roll. A lot of what they drew
from in their music was a blend of 1930s
Swing, 1940s Jump Blues, early Rhythm
‘n’ Blues and Rockabilly; all of which are
played in a very specific way. To learn
46
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
more about these various styles, I began
looking for educational material to study
from and found that there really wasn’t
much out there in the way of instructional
sources. That’s what prompted me to
begin writing about this stuff. I began
writing a series of articles for Modern
Drummer entitled, “Swingin’ in a Modern
Age” which got me interested in writing
more. Then, I decided to begin teaching
about it. As I wrote in the forward to
my book, The Commandments of Early
Rhythm and Blues Drumming (co-written
with Zoro), I kind of relate to Columbus,
who set out to find the West Indies but
found America. I came to LA like so many
others, thinking I’m going in one direction,
but then I ended up joining this band and
suddenly found myself getting into all the
historical aspects of music. The more I got
into it, the more I realized how much other
people needed to know about this.
RM: It really proves that we all must be
open to what comes to us. Many times,
what we’re seeking is presented to us if
we simply keep our eyes and ears open!
DG: Yes! As I researched this stuff, I began
interviewing many of the drummers
who were still alive, who were the main
influence for these various styles. They
became my friends and really inspired
me to create The Century Project and to
focus on the 100-year time period that
shows the development of these styles of
playing. In reality, every time you sit down
to play the drums, you’re doing something
that was created and/or inspired by these
guys. The timeline wraps up 1965, but if
you continue on, you can find styles of
drumming that have arisen since then that
are influenced by that same time period.
RM: This could potentially be a viable
resource for college level learning.
Have you thought about taking it in that
direction?
DG: Well, certainly. I’ve been living
in New York for the past few years
and recently, have been talking to The
Drummer’s Collective about a possible
10-week course. I’m definitely open to
opportunities like that. With this DVD,
I’m hoping that people will get a better
understanding of what I’m all about, and
my approach to the historical material.
RM: Before we conclude, I want to
mention the companion DVD to The
Century Project. It’s called TRAPS: The
Incredible Story of Vintage Drums (18651965).
DG: Of course, thank you. With TRAPS,
we focus on the evolution of the drum
set. We initially thought this material was
going to be included as a special feature
within The Century Project, but when
we got into it, we had collected so much
great stuff that we decided to offer it as a
companion. TRAPS features vintage drum
expert, John Aldridge, and we really get
into detail about the eleven vintage drum
sets featured in Century Project. There’s
extensive history and great footage of the
all the kits, so I encourage everyone to
check that out.
DOWNLOAD IT NOW
WWW.DRUMCHANNELDOWNLOADS.COM
47
SPOTLIGHT
Gerald Heyward’s Gospel
R&B
GERALD HEYWARD ||| SCOTT DONNELL
OF
Hip Hop
AND
Drumming
by Scott Donnell
DOWNLOAD IT NOW
WWW.DRUMCHANNELDOWNLOADS.COM
A
A
Gerald Heyward might arguably be the godfather of Gospel-style Pop drumming. He’s worked with such R&B and Hip Hop
luminaries as: Beyonce, Destiny’s Child, P Diddy, Blackstreet, Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown and
countless others. His transition from solely playing in church to also being an in-demand mainstream player has become
the norm for these genres, but it wasn’t always this way. Once the likes of Usher, Jay-Z and other top-selling artists heard
what Gospel-trained drummers could bring to their live shows, they demanded a new level of musicianship and flair that
only Gerald and his predecessors could provide. This is the gospel of Hip Hop and R&B according to Gerald Heyward.
Scott Donnell: How did major, charttopping artists decide they needed your
style of playing?
Gerald Heyward: As soon as they heard
it, they knew. It became a prerequisite;
they needed a church drummer to be legit.
They needed drummers that had studied at
church, stylistically. They’d say, “Can you
send somebody like you?”
SD: Talk about the style or genre of
church drumming.
GH: It’s actually not focused on styles, but
it touches so many genres, from Rock and
Jazz, to Funk. If you come out of church,
you’re prepared! You’ll end up playing all
of those styles in church and that’s what
church-style is. Lots of up-tempo, different
fills, backbeat, on top of the beat, we don’t
know we’re studying it at the time, but we
are.
SD: Do you feel like you have an automatic
brotherhood with all drummers that play
in church?
GH: It’s less of a church thing and more
of a drummer thing, in general. It’s more
about a drummer’s DNA. We all have that
commonality. I can tell you’re a drummer
just by talking to you, not by talking drums,
48
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
AA
but other things you say; it’s a kinship.
The only musicians that practice together
are drummers. We’re all connected as
drummers. We like to show each other
things. You don’t see a bunch of keyboard
players getting together to trade licks!
SD: Do you feel responsible for passing
the torch to the younger drummers
coming up?
GH: I’m an older guy now and I learned
from guys older than me, guys like Jeff
Davis, Joe Smith and Bobby Walker. The
crew that’s coming up in church now will
be in the working world soon, but they’ll
always come back to church. The guys that
learned from me, like Teddy (Campbell),
Nisan(Stewart) and Aaron (Spears) are
already passing their knowledge down to
the next crew.
SD: Which drummers inspire you?
GH: My first concert was Billy Joel with
Liberty DeVitto. Liberty taught me about
showmanship. When I saw him, it changed
my life. That’s when I started working on
my move of hopping up and down on the
throne. Then there was hearing Gadd on
Steely Dan’s, Aja for the first time, and
Vinnie changed my way of thinking about
the drums, too.
SD: Who are some of the young church
players that have caught your attention
lately?
GH: There’s a guy from Brooklyn we call,
Junior. Then, there’s Josh and Little Mike
from Texas, also Brandon and Big Sed from
Trenton (New Jersey) and Jamal Moore
(Aaron Spears’ brother). I’m inspired by
all of their playing. I love ‘shedding’ with
these guys, it keeps me fresh.
SD: Tell us a little bit about ‘woodshedding.’ It started with gospel players,
right?
GH: Woodshedding is just practicing;
it always has been, but now they call it
‘shedding.’ It’s so you can see your place,
in terms of chops. A bunch of us come to
learn, but there are always guys that come
to ‘kill’ and, basically, show off. They call
it “chopping heads off.” Some guys are
there to prove themselves. One night,
we were all there, Chris Dave, me, Teddy
Campbell, Aaron Spears, Mike Clemons,
Doobie, Jeremiah Parish, Dana Hawkins
and Little John Roberts. The young guys
said it was the best day of their lives.
49
SATNAM RAMGOTRA ||| DW DRUMS
NOTEWORTHY
IN THE
Studio
WITH
Satnam Ramgotra
by Scott Donnell
S
atnam Ramgotra may not be a name you’ve heard
before, but he’s quickly being elevated to the upper
echelon of studio drummers. This may be due, in
part, to his association with omnipresent, high-powered film
composer, Hans Zimmer, but he has the uniqueness, style,
and drumming prowess to back up his reputation. We spoke
with Satnam about his move from strictly being a drummer,
to also composing and engineering his own recordings. As
you’ll read, he’s a drummer that’s keeping pace with today’s
rapidly evolving music scene.
SCOTT DONNELL: Talk a little bit about your drumming
past, career highlights, notable gigs, etc.
SATNAM RAMGOTRA: I’ve done some gigs where I’ve
definitely had to pinch myself! One gig I was honored to do
for a little more than eight years was with Nikka Costa, whom
I consider a true artist’s artist. We traveled to many parts of
the world and got to be on tours with the likes of Beck, Erykah
Badu, Prince, and Lenny Kravitz. I also toured with Jada
Pinkett Smith’s metal band called Wicked Wisdom and we
opened for Britney Spears, as well. A notable gig during that
time was one of Prince’s birthday parties at Paisley Park. We
got a personal tour of the studio and the garage that housed
all of his cars from his old videos. Pretty cool if you grew
up a major fan of his like I did in the ‘middle of nowhere’
Canada! He’s even jumped on stage and jammed with us!
Beck had me sit in on the tabla on one of my all-time favorite
songs. That song actually doesn’t even have percussion on
it! That was a definite highlight. Getting to record drums
with Bootsy in his home studio in Ohio was also pretty rad!
Early on in my career, I got to be a guest artist on gigs for
Sting, with Manu Katché on drums, and Seal, with Brian
Blade on drums. These artists, and their drummers at the
time, were major, huge influences on me. A long time ago, I
did a gig that I’ll never forget, subbing for Abe Jr. in Germany
with Mike & Teddy Landau’s group, The Raging Honkies.
Every night I was pinching myself!! I sucked, but man it
was fun! Nowadays, getting to be a part of Hans Zimmer’s
world means we have the opportunity to collaborate with
all kinds of musicians. Sometimes, we play together when
we are coming up with ideas. One of the coolest times was
with Dave Stewart and Pharrell Williams. It’s much different
writing tunes on the spot as opposed to recording a tune
that has already been started as a demo. Other times we’ve
collaborated over dubs, but getting a chance to play with
guys like Johnny Marr and Mel Wesson on a live, one-timeonly performance like we did for the Inception premiere is
the coolest. I have to say, the first real studio ‘pinch myself’
moment was when I got to record alongside my drum hero,
Vinnie Colaiuta and percussion/drum hero, Alex Acuña on
a Lee Ritenour album! Vinnie and I were recently part of a
massive drum set ensemble, but I can’t tell you anymore than
that right now.
SD: How has the tabla influenced your drum set playing?
51
SATNAM RAMGOTRA ||| DW DRUMS
SM
A
G
A
Z
I
N
E
S
SR: Music breaks down language barriers.
That’s something that perhaps may be
taken for granted by the masses. Music
transcends everything, and at the heart
of it is rhythm. I always wanted to play
the drums. My dad was insistent upon
me learning the tabla too. So, when I
started snare drum and drum set back in
5th grade in Canada, he taught me tabla
simultaneously. Now, when I’m asked
this very question, it’s hard to pinpoint.
Western drummers say, “I totally hear your
tabla influence in your drumming!” And
the Indian Tabl-Ji’s (tabla players) all say,
“I can really hear your drumming in your
tabla playing!” For me, they’re one and
the same, but I get how one can hear more
drumming influence in the tabla playing.
I do way more non-Indian gigs as a tabla
player than I do Indian Classical gigs.
Indian music by nature is much looser in
terms of feel and swing. Playing in a band
that doesn’t swing, but wants that ‘Indian’
feel means you’ve got to know how to
turn off that Indian swing and match the
western ‘clave’ if you will. The first time
I understood what Tabl-Ji’s meant by tabla
influence in my drumming was back in
Greece in 1997. I did a clinic at the PolyRhythmos School of Music in Athens. I did
a little solo thing on the kit, what I call,
“Look at me, look at me, look what I can
do!” Then, I did a little solo thing on the
tabla. The whole room, including myself,
said, “Oh, I see!” Then the questions
started to flow.
term. I get to play many different styles
of music on both the drums and tabla.
I’ve spent a year in Greece playing drums
and tabla on traditional and hybrid Greek
music and I also play with an assortment
of Persian artists. I’ve been drumming on
a legit Funk gig for years and I’ve played
on Punk, Pop, Alternative, and Rock
gigs in the past. That doesn’t necessarily
make me well-versed in my book. Music
explorations really started in my home.
My mom sings and plays the harmonium,
and my late father played the tabla; both
were avid music fans. I’m the youngest
of five children and all of us are extremely
passionate about the music we listen to.
Being the youngest, I was turned on to
everything from 60’s and 70’s Rock, Disco,
80’s New Wave, to hair bands, Punk,
Hardcore, and Skate Rock! Combine
that with Indian Classical, Light Classical,
Indian film and Pop songs, Western
Classical, Big Band Jazz, plus what I was
learning in school, and that’s a pretty wide
variety. Big Band is, incidentally, what
really taught me how to play the drums.
My elementary school band teacher
would send me home with Fusion and Jazz
records to check out Billy Cobham, Steve
Gadd, Elvin Jones, etc. I was very lucky to
have a basement in Canada that allowed
me to practice for a gazillion hours a day.
What I’m trying to communicate is that all
of the music around me constantly taught
me how to play. Practicing was just the
vehicle to make it happen. Can you dig it?
SD: Would you say you have “chops”?
SR: I went to PIT, and for about eight years
after that, I’d say, “Yes.” By the way, during
those eight years, I was broke, playing
in an awesome power-trio band that
unfortunately couldn’t break loose from
the clubs. Anyway, now I’d say that chops
don’t grab my interest as much as coming
up with a new way to interpret 123123-12 accents on 1. Going back to the
previous question, that particular rhythm
is the universal rhythm. It’s present in
every single culture on our mother Earth!
SD: Are you well-versed in many musical
styles? Talk about your educational
background.
SR: “Well-versed” is a really subjective
SD: How did you make the transition
from session drumming to composing?
SR: I didn’t know that I completely
transitioned out of it. [Laughs]. It was
more of a natural transition than a
conscious transition. To stop playing or
performing, those are thoughts that do not
exist. In fact, I actually play more now.
Since I play on everything I’m writing,
and don’t just program it, I actually play
the instruments analog-style. It gives
me perspective. After years of always
performing as a side man and always
playing someone else’s parts, I’ve started
looking at what gigs I really love doing,
and which ones have become chores. I
know that sounds a bit ungrateful, it’s not.
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EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
It’s just the opposite. When you’re on a gig
and you’re not happy, no one is benefiting.
If it was just about a paycheck, we’d take
jobs that don’t require a lot of passion, and
we wouldn’t mind being bossed around. I
discovered the idea of recording on movie
dates as a soloist, but collaborating on
people’s songs and working with producers
is the most gratifying for me. On movie
dates you might get handed a chart, but
it’s a blank palette in terms of the level of
creativity you want to bring to it. Most of
the time, composers and producers send
me their music and a click track and just
say, “Can you make it better?” I realized
that, in a way, this is sort of like composing.
Then, more gigs started coming to me as
a composer, where they would ask, “Can
you just do a drum/percussion bed?” I
quickly found out that’s actually harder
for me. So, the first time I was presented
with this scenario, I played a solo on my
dulcimer, found a pattern I liked, and
wrote a tune from that. It’s important to
note that I don’t play the dulcimer, nor
have I ever been trained on it, but it has a
series of strings that aren’t rocket science
to tune. It’s played with two thin mallets,
otherwise known as hammers, which are
very similar to playing with drumsticks.
Then, I went back and layered in all of the
drums and percussion. When I played it
for them they loved it, and put in the film
as is. Voila, I had my first additional music
credit, although I don’t think I actually got
a credit in the movie. About a month later,
another composer asked me if I’d like to
co-compose on a demo for the theme to
Outsourced. At the time, it was a new
NBC sitcom. Lo and behold, we got it!
But I’m not composing full scores just yet,
I’m mostly composing for music libraries,
and it’s really fun.
SD: What’s it like engineering your own
drumming performances?
SR: [Laughs] Some days it’s great, and some
days it’s not so great. Sometimes you’re so
‘in the pocket’ and other times, you want
to be at the beach. I’m just kidding, a
little. At first it was weird, but it’s been
a great learning experience. I’m sort of
old school, so I always want to attempt to
deliver a solid take from beginning to end.
Sometimes I just don’t have the time, so
I’ll punch in, especially if it’s a crazy time
signature that the composer has written in
to match what’s happening on the screen.
Like, where you are grooving along in 4/4
at 160 bpm and all of a sudden a bar of 9/8
shows up at the very end of the cue. Thank
god for the ability to punch in if you miss it
the first time around!
SD: Who do you look up to? Do you have
a mentor for drumming/composing as
well?
SR: Physically, anyone over 6’ 2”. [Laughs].
My biggest drum heroes/influences are:
Vinnie Colaiuta, Billy Cobham, Tony
Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Jordan,
Omar Hakim, Bill Stewart, Abe Jr., Steve
Gadd, Peter Erskine, Alex Acuña, John
Bonham, Mitch Mitchell, Michael Bland,
Buddy Miles, Philly Joe Jones, Stewart
Copeland, Neil Peart, Matt Frenette, and
Paul Brochu. Plus, so many I’m forgetting,
but I can’t forget my instructors: John
Fisher, Toss Panos, Efrain Toro, Chuck
Flores, Casey Scheuerell, Pandit Swapan
Chaudhuri, Amritpal Singh Jabbal, and,
of course, my dad. As for composing, I
definitely have a few composers that give
me their honest, and sometimes not-sohonest, critiques. The person who has truly
become my unsung mentor is Lorne Balfe,
who also happens to be a Classicallytrained percussionist.
SD: What do you listen to in your car?
SR: After reading this, nobody is going to
believe me when I say, Massive Attack,
Radiohead, old U2 and Joni Mitchell.
Mainly, I like to keep things mellow while
driving. LA can be testing on the nerves.
SD: Do you see yourself touring again?
SR: Yes, absolutely! If Massive Attack came
calling…peace, everybody! Seriously, yeah.
If the right gig came knocking on my door,
I would, without a doubt, tour again.
SD: How did you arrive at DW?
SR: Actually, I’m beginning to think that
it was inevitable. My dear friend, Curt
Bisquera, had never stopped planting the
bug in my ear. And even Alex Acuña had
said, “Man, you’ve really got to check it
out, it’s happening!” The curiosity and
desire was confirmed when I was at Peter
Erskine’s place for a session and he was
playing his DW kit. I couldn’t get over how
amazing they sounded! We got to talking
about them, and he told me how they had
totally revamped their philosophy on drum
making. Still, I was too shy to reach out
myself. Last month, I was on a studio gig
with Curt and he suggested I check DW
out. He organized a tour of the facility,
and I was sold after that! I didn’t want
to leave the building, and couldn’t see
myself not playing DW Drums. Honestly,
I’m honored to be a part of the DW
family. They’re good people, making and
promoting great music and drums.
SD: Tell us about the kit you designed.
SR: Y’all don’t know about this right here!
It’s a Jazz Series kit with Electric Blue
transparent lacquer over Angel Pearl exotic
wood. My custom sizes are 7x10”and
7x12” toms, 16x16” and 16x18” floors,
and 17x23” and 14x24” bass drums.
There’s also a matching 5.5x14” snare
and a 6.5x14” oak stave snare. Generally,
I play one tom up and one or two floors
down. The thing about the small-to-larger
tom sizes has everything to do with the
tabla, and its high-end/low-end ratio. I
really like that contrast and want it to
reflect in my kit, as well.
SD: What’s the fastest land animal?
SR: Cheetah!! Although, Shane Gaalaas
has some pretty fast feet!!!
Integrated Felts
No detail is too small on our most popular pro
cymbal stands. Drummers really appreciate a good
quality cymbal felt, especially when it’s part of our
innovative adjustable cymbal seat. Together, they allow
drummers to create just the right cymbal tension for
optimal playability and tonality. The only way to make
it better was to streamline it, and we did. The entire
assembly has gone from three removable parts to just
one. We designed an integrated, barbed cymbal protector
to capture the bottom felt, then we went one step further
and combined the top felt, washer and wing nut into a
revolutionary one-piece design. There’s an art to refining
even the smallest details. It’s what has made us the
Drummer’s Choice for over 40 years.
YEARS
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9000 PEDAL ||| DW DRUMS
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PEDALS
Ever since the launch of the Floating
Rotor™/Adjustable Cam 9000 pedals,
drummers have been loyal to their smooth
action and sheer playabilty. When the
DW Research and Development team
decided to update the 9000 single and
9002 double pedals for 2013, it was
a challenge to improve on an already
unanimously accepted design. So, how
do you make a great thing better?
For starters, it was decided to add the
revolutionary new Tri-Pivot Toe Clamp.
This new clamping mechanism provides
a much stronger connection to the
bass drum hoop, eliminating unwanted
vibrations and slippage while, at the same
time, preserving the integrity of the hoop.
Next, we removed the Velcro® from the
bottom of the base plate and replaced it
with a specially-designed non-skid rubber
pad, offering another level of increased
stability for drummers. Not only does it
work well on carpeted floors, but it can
also be used on harder surfaces, such as
wood. Finally, the re-tooled adjustable
cam is now easier than ever to alternate
from Accelerator-style to Turbo, or
anywhere in-between.
The new 9000 pedals feature the same
unmistakable feel and reliability that
drummers have come to expect from
DW, with some key improvements. To
see some of your favorite drummers
talk about the newest features available
on these, and other models, visit: www.
dwdrums.com.
54
EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
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9000 Single Pedal
THE PATH TO
Performance Series
HVX Shell
A
W
TECHNOLOGY
by Rich Mangicaro
A
SHOP TALK ||| RICH MANGICARO
SHOP TALK
hen speaking to John Good, DW’s master drum designer, one is treated to such a wealth of knowledge that you feel
like a kid again. No matter what level of player you are or type of music you play, you can rest assured that you’ll
walk away with a staggering amount of drum-related information while being inspired, re-charged and excited about the
instrument. John has innovated drum making in such a way that he’s paved entirely new manufacturing techniques within
the industry. I’m not the first to refer to him as a wood guru, as he travels the world searching for unique and beautiful
varieties of exotic woods, many of which have never been used before in a drum-building application. He’s fueled by
passion, loves sharing his discoveries, and our community is the better for it. As he says, “It’s all about education. The
more you know about your instrument and your drum shells, the easier it is to understand how to tune them.”
On this day, we were here to discuss DW’s
proprietary HVX shell. It’s only found on
DW’s Performance Series drums, a series
that is price point sensitive, only in that
they are less costly than custom drums.
Make no mistake, these are Oxnard,
California-made, high-end drums with pro
specs all the way! John makes it clear,
“We wanted to give Performance Series a
sonic personality all its own, not just make
a production version of our custom kits. It
was really important to develop something
that was modern, versatile and, most
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EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
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importantly, lived up to DW’s reputation
for professional sounding, drummerfriendly drums.”
As we sat in John’s office, we were
surrounded by wood veneers of every
conceivable variety and shells literally
littered the floor to the point where it was
hard to find a place to step. It’s obvious
that John spends plenty of time doing his
homework. We were also treated to a walkthrough of DW’s state-of-the-art Custom
Shop, the shell shop, to be specific. There,
we met with DW shell expert, Shon Smith.
He’s John’s right-hand man when it comes
to developing new shell technologies and
grain orientations. It was these two that
developed VLT, or Vertical Low Timbre,
and this ground-breaking discovery lead to
X-Shells (diagonal grain orientation), VLX
(a combination of VLT and X-Shells), and
eventually, HVX. The smell of raw wood
permeates the shell shop and, man, is it
hot in there! Actually, it’s hot AND humid
in there; they have to pump water in the
shop to make sure the moisture content
is just right for shell making. It’s an art
form that John and Shon have dialed-in
over these many years. In speaking with
both craftsmen, HVX’s story unfolds with
colorful clarity.
John Good: This program can only be
fully understood if you understand veneer.
Veneer’s attributes are as follows: no matter
what kind of wood, when it’s cut into a
veneer, if it has a long grain (horizontal),
it’s going to have a high timbre (pitch).
If it’s short grain (vertical), it’ll have a
lower timbre. When you combine them
in various configurations, varied sound
qualities are achieved.
Rich M: Does this also affect the strength
of the shell?
JG: Absolutely, that’s why we have to
cross-laminate, or the shells would fold
up like a hat box. Look at this piece of
long-grain veneer (he holds out a piece
of maple veneer across my fingertip). It’s
only 1/36th of an inch thick and it hardly
bends on your hand, you can see the
strength here. Now watch as we place
the same thickness with a vertical grain, it
bends over your hand easily. Also, every
piece of wood has a musical note value
(as I held the horizontal wood veneer,
John bent it and as it tightened, the pitch
raised, as opposed to the vertical grain that
was already much lower due to the short
grain orientation. Now, I have one more
piece, a 45° diagonal cut veneer (when
placed on my hand, it bent diagonally).
So, no matter what type of wood is used,
the important factors are the direction and
orientation of the grain when assembling a
shell. Understanding this much will help
paint a clearer picture of the path to HVX.
RM: So, the importance of grain direction
and how the veneers are layered gives
you not only the shell’s sound potential,
but also gives you control over the shell’s
strength. Fascinating! Touch briefly on
your early experience with timbre. Also,
your familiarity with maple and how it
led you to experimenting with the other
woods you employ today.
JG: Well, Curly Maple is mainly long grain,
but has a predominant figure of vertical
grain, as well, so when we used it as
the outside veneer, the pitch of the drum
was almost always lower. This bothered
me, so Shon and I thought, “What if we
turned maple vertical?” When we did
that, it became the starting point for the
VLT shell. This really began to make sense
when we started combining wood types
as exotic veneers, turning veneer vertical
and then book-matching (mirror-imaging)
the sheets. It was then that the rest of the
grain orientation world opened up. We
also found out that by turning the wood
vertical around the shell, the shell’s pitch
remained very, very low and that offered
up a wider range of woods as shell-making
materials. These days, probably more than
50% of our exotic woods are vertical grain.
RM: What about the diagonal wood grain?
How did you utilize that?
JG: We decided to try layering the diagonal
veneer in an ‘X’ pattern, with the outside
sheet in one direction, then the next one in
the opposite direction. We found out that
the pitch went down even lower! So, as we
were progressing with our experimentation
with grain direction, we were getting
lower, deeper sounding drums. Then, we
thought, “How can we make an ‘X’ shell
even lower?” We thought to place two
vertical plies in the middle of the ‘X’s and
it proved our hypothesis by bringing the
pitch down even more. That experiment
became a shell we now call VLX. That’s
used for floor toms, and for bass drums
we add one or two more vertical plies in
there and that becomes VLX Plus. With
four vertical plies in a bass drum, you have
to be careful because you can kill small
animals with the low, subsonic frequency
generated by that drum!
RM: I’m sure there are a lot of drummers
reading this right now with a big smile.
Who doesn’t want a bass drum with that
kind of low-end punch?!
JG: Yes! This brings us to Performance
Series HVX shells. We knew that our
production kits wouldn’t be Timbre
Matched, so we decided to have the grain
technology do the work for us. When we
decided to try putting that diagonal ply as
the last outer and inner ply of a standard
shell with alternating horizontal and
vertical plies, we wound up stabilizing the
vibration of the drum. We also found a
consistency with tone and timbre between
shells within the same size diameter. This
process led us to create something we’d
never made before: a medium-to-lowpitched drum with tremendous consistency
and uncompromised shell integrity.
Shon Smith: With the ‘X’ ply added, we
didn’t need to add the reinforcement
hoops either. The diagonal ply gave it the
strength needed by pushing back on itself.
RM: So, this ultimately saves man-hours
by avoiding the shell selection process,
thus making it a very efficient production
item?
JG: Indeed. Shon and I had never really
done production-style drums until HVX.
It really is the perfect recipe for our
Performance Series kits and artists are
going crazy for the sound of these drums.
It makes sense because they have a nice
tuning range. You can tune these drums
low because of the ‘X’ factor within the
plies, and we’ve found that because
there are no reinforcement hoops, there’s
yet another little advantage to the lower
frequency range because reinforcement
hoops raise the pitch ever so slightly.
They’re also really versatile. We’ve had
very positive feedback from Rock guys,
Gospel drummers, Country drummers,
every style of music! In fact, when you
buy a Performance Series kit, you get a
demo of John “JR” Robinson playing the
drums in various styles, so you really get
to hear them properly, as played by one of
the world’s most recorded drummers.
RM: It was always assumed that a drum’s
sonic range had more to do with the
thickness or mass of the shell and you have
both proven that that’s not necessarily the
case. Do you feel like you’re toying with
physics?
SS: That’s what we thought too! But after
years of work with grain orientation, we’re,
in essence, defying Mother Nature. This
is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot
more we can do, and we’re having a blast
doing it!
57
HEADS UP
DARU JONES ||| BROOK DALTON
JACK
WHITE’S
Daru Jones
by Brook Dalton
A
A
I
f you’ve seen Jack White perform with The Buzzards as his backing band on his recent tour, you are lucky enough to have also
witnessed one of the most energetic and demonstrative drummers in the realm of modern rock. That may sound a bit hyperbolic
but trust me, Daru Jones brings an intensity and heartfelt style to the show that is something to write home about. Mr. Jones is such
a stand-out performer that he has earned a spot at the front of the stage alongside the band leader. His kit in itself seems to be
as non-traditional as the tour he’s currently immersed in (there are two alternating backing bands, one is all-male and the other is
all-female), with the toms and cymbals noticeably tilted away from his body. Although his mastery of this unique set-up somehow
makes perfect sense while watching him wail away, there are certainly questions that arise from the experience. Luckily, I spoke
to Daru while he was preparing for a show in Atlanta and was able to inquire about the tour, his passion for producing, and his
inimitable style behind the kit.
BROOK DALTON: You’re from Michigan,
but you currently live in Brooklyn. Was
living in New York always a goal for you?
Did you choose New York or did you end
up there for any other reasons?
DARU JONES: New York was definitely a
goal for me. It’s a working town for what
I do. There are a lot of different jobs that
don’t specialize in a particular field, you
can do Hip Hop, you can do Rock, or
whatever you want. After high-school,
I started making my New York rounds
because I’m also a producer. In ’96 I was
a teenager and I went to New York and
performed at this A&R conference with
my sister and we got exposed to labels like
Sony and EMI. After that, I relocated to
Pittsburgh and played the scene there until
2008 when I worked out some growing
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pains which resulted in me making the
transition to New York.
BD: You mentioned that you’re a
producer. You actually run your own
company, right?
DJ: Yes, I run my own production company
called, Rusic Records.
BD: What sort of projects do you have
going on with Rusic now? Or are you
even currently active with it since you’ve
been on the road so much?
DJ: Yeah, it’s cool that I’m in this scenario,
with consistent work, because it allows
me to work on my own projects with
Rusic. The sound is more of my style. I
call it, Soul-Hop, which is a combination
of Soul music and Hip Hop. It has a Hip
Hop production with singers on top of
it. One of the projects is with my sister,
Rena. She’s a Soul singer and the project
is called, Honey. On the flip-side, another
project that is not associated with Rusic
Records is the band I play with from
Austria called, The Ruff Pack. That’s a
project that’s coming out really soon and
I’m very excited about it.
BD: Do you prefer playing live and
touring over producing or session work?
Does one appeal to you more than the
other?
DJ: Well, those are two different beasts.
Right now, I’m fitting in the production
material in-between the breaks that we
have on the road. We’ve been touring
since March and we do have some breaks
between the runs. It’s equal; it’s a balance
I have. Really, I do a lot of drumming and
I enjoy doing it because it keeps my chops
up, but after a certain period I get the
longing and get inspired to produce and
make some new music.
BD: Right, you’ve got to mix it up.
DJ: Exactly.
BD: Since you’re so influenced by Hip
Hop, Gospel, and Soul music, do you feel
that you bring a lot of those elements to
the Jack White gig, or is it strictly a Rock
performance for you?
DJ: No, I believe he hired me because he
liked what I brought to the table and my
style is a combination of all the things that
I listen to, from Soul and R&B to Jazz, it’s
all of that in one. I think he was looking
for me to bring that type of element in this
situation and that’s why I got the job.
BD: So, you didn’t have to adjust much to
play in this band.
DJ: No, it was cool.
BD: How did you get the job? Did you
audition?
DJ: There’s a Hip Hop artist that I work with
from Detroit named, Black Milk. And,
you know, Jack is from Detroit, as well.
I played on Black Milk’s last album and
Jack had heard the track called, Deadly
Medley, which has a real Rock-type of
vibe to it. I think that made Jack kind of
excited. He produces these 7” singles
with his company, Third Man Records, and
he wanted to collaborate with Black Milk.
Since I was touring with him, he didn’t just
go down and do the project with Jack on
his own, he brought the whole band. That
allowed me to meet Jack and to record
with him. We also did a performance at
Third Man (they host live shows, as well)
and I’ll never forget it. We played a song
called, Losing Out that has a drum solo
in it. After I played that solo, Jack ran up
to the stage and yelled, “Yeah!” like he
was blown away. A few months later, he
contacted me to see if I wanted to come
down and do a session for a collaboration
he was doing with RZA from Wu-Tang
Clan. I was excited and flew down there
but, unfortunately, RZA had to cancel at
the last minute. However, it turned out to
be a blessing because that actually started
Jack working on the solo project. He felt
bad and didn’t want to send us home, so
he said he had a couple of tunes we could
mess around with and record. One of the
songs ended up being Trash Tongue Talker
from the Blunderbuss album. So, that’s
how we ended up working out the first
tunes for this record.
BD: Can you talk a bit about the two
different bands that are on the road for
this tour? There’s either an all-male or
an all-female band (The Buzzards and
The Peacocks) that will play the show.
How do you guys decide which band is
playing?
DJ: Y’know, we don’t have control over
that. In fact, we don’t find out who’s
playing until the morning of the show.
They want to have a surprise for the
audience, and that’s the vision that he has,
and that’s what we signed up for. All of
the gear is covered up and, y’know, one of
the things that can give away which band
will be playing is the drums. Literally, right
before we hit the stage is when everything
is unveiled to the crowd.
BD: Wow, so you need to be on your
toes. Is the set list the same from night
to night?
DJ: Well, there is no set list. [Laughter].
Sometimes we’ll get some curve balls and
we’ll have new stuff added right before
the show, so you never know, and we
have to be watchful. But, I’m playing with
really good cats; everybody was hired for
a specific reason. Everybody holds their
weight and I’m thankful to be a part of this
scenario.
BD: Well, it’s probably a learning
experience, too. I’m sure you’ll look back
at this someday and you’ll have stories.
There aren’t many people that can say
they’ve played a tour that’s set up like this.
DJ: Yeah, it’s cool. I’m just glad that he’s
allowing the drummer to have a ‘shine
point,’ even with the set-up. Usually, the
drummer is way in the back, but with this
stage plot, the drums are right up front and
he really allows me to express myself. I
mean, I play the songs like the records
but I’m allowed total freedom if I want to
switch it up. In this scenario, if we want to
express ourselves, it’s embraced. I just try
not to take advantage of it and add some
flavor when I can.
BD: I’m curious about your set-up. Aside
from you being at the front of the stage,
allowing for some of the spotlight, your
kit itself seems downright wacky. I mean,
the angle of your toms and cymbals really
stands out, but that appears to allow you
to play full-throttle on them. Was this a
natural progression from a standard traps
set-up or have you played the kit that way
from the beginning?
DJ: No, I’m always experimenting, I’m
always growing. Y’know, as drummers
we always evolve. Within the past seven
or eight years, I’ve been doing a lot of
Hip Hop stuff, and in that community it’s
important to have an identity. Something
that’s going to separate you from the next
person. I’ve always been that type of
creative person, switching things up, so I
made that sort of transition around 2005.
I started experimenting, moving things
around with the toms, and it just worked
well with my style. I can be kind of a neat
freak at times and I had my snare tilted, so
I thought, “What would happen if I tilted
my floor tom?” It ended up looking cool
and, of course, I adjusted to playing it and
I just kept adding to that. It works well
for me.
BD: It works well for the audience, too.
It’s great, man. You make it look like
you’re driving the kit; you play it like you
own it. It’s unique, for sure.
DJ: Thanks! The way I sit is very high, so I
like to dominate the drums. I like to come
down on them from the throne, and I try
to perform from my heart and soul, so it
just works for the way that I play. I’ll do
some showmanship stuff but it’s more or
less like a ‘feeling’ thing, y’know? Like,
if I stand up and play it’s because that’s
what I’m feeling at that moment. There’s
an energy that I want to give out to the
audience. That’s important to me.
59
A
G
A
Z
I
N
E
S
JACK WHITE
||| SCOTT DONNELL
SM
Jack White
and theBuzzards
LIVE AT THE SHRINE AUDITORIUM
by Scott Donnell
T
o see Jack White in concert is to
appreciate the combination of
spontaneity and calculated, stylistic
influence that has made him a Rock icon.
There’s a reason he’s mentioned in the
same breath as the likes of Jimmy Page and
Keith Richards. He had been touring for
his Blunderbuss record for many months
already and for those of you that aren’t
in the know, he’s been doing so with two
distinct bands, The Buzzards and The
Peacocks; the former being an all-male
band and the latter consisting of all-female
musicians. Part of the thrill is wondering
which outfit will be accompanying Jack
as he delivers his brand of Blues-based,
alt riff Rock. The crew waits until the very
last second before unveiling the drum kit
before each show, as that would give away
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EDGE 10 ||| 2012-2013
the surprise.
Tonight, it’s The Buzzards, and being able
to watch Daru Jones perform is worth
the price of admission. While seeing
Daru deliver ample doses of greasy, ultrapocketed grooves, one can’t help but
wonder if Jack picked a drummer that
plays very similar to himself. Yes, that’s
right; the multi-talented Mr. White is also
a proficient drummer in his own right. He
plays for his band, The Dead Weather and
seems to possess the same backbeat feel/
quotient as Daru.
As the drums are exposed, it’s obvious that
the audience knows about this little game.
Maybe some of them wanted to see the
girls that night, but they have no choice,
Jack calls the shots. The band ripped into
the song, “Sixteen Saltines” and proceeded
to play favorites from The White Stripes,
The Raconteurs and the aforementioned,
The Dead Weather. One of many things
that this band understands is dynamics.
They went from a whisper to a scream and
took even jaded Rock aficionados on a
musical ride that left everyone clambering
for more. Daru handled his duties in
tasteful fashion, incorporating the kinds
of tasty fills and grace notes you’d expect
from a Steve Jordan or Stan Lynch in his
heyday. That’s when Rock is at its best,
when the band can dig their teeth into the
kind of material that’s perfectly suited for
live performance. Daru accentuated the
big riffs and vintage tones in all of the right
places, constantly aware of the subtleties
of the songs and completely connected to
the other musicians on the stage.
Trends
Deep Snare Drums
AA
by Dave Elitch
I’ve been collecting drums since I was
around sixteen, or since I could afford to,
I guess. My first deep snare drum was an
8x14” from the 80’s. I discovered it in
the trunk of another student’s car in Auto
Shop. I talked him into selling it to me and
literally ran back to my car once it was in
my hands. I think I had my cheapo $300
import kit at the time with a matching
5x14” steel snare drum, so when I got back
and played this monster 8x14” for the first
time, I couldn’t believe how much depth
and power it brought to my drum sound!
Looking back now, after having the
experience of an additional twelve years
and literally hundreds of snares that have
come in and out of my life, it’s interesting
to reflect on what I like in a snare drum. At
the time, Ska and Nu-Metal were hot, so
everyone was playing piccolos and, let’s
face it, the drum industry is like any other,
trends are here today and gone tomorrow.
There’s something about a deep, big snare
sound that just seems to be timeless, even
irreplaceable. Sure, the most popular
snare shell depth throughout history has to
be 5” or 5.5” deep, but every drummer I
know has at least one, if not several, 6.5”
deep snare(s). It doesn’t matter what the
shell is made of, wood, brass, steel or
whatever; it’s a sound that drummers don’t
want to be without. Back in the day, I used
to show up to a Jazz festival or gig with
my 8” deep drum and people would look
at me like I had three arms! Nowadays,
deeper snares are popular again and NO
ONE plays piccolos!
If I had to pick one, my favorite snare
size would be 6.5x14”. It has the perfect
blend of tonal depth and cut, and I can
still get the articulate subtleties without
straining myself or making the drum do
something it doesn’t want to do. In recent
years, “hipster” bands from Brooklyn and
Silverlake have brought back that gushy,
wet “thwack” that was big in the 70’s and
that’s what a lot of players want these days.
John Good calls it, “Hitting a birthday cake
with a baseball bat.” I’ve got a lot of 6.58” deep snares, and even a 12x15” (that
one does the job beautifully). Deep snares
aren’t just for retro, fat sounds though. Try
taking the Performance Series 8x14” steel
snare and cranking that bad boy up! You’ll
get a ton of crack from the brightness that
steel brings, but you’ll have a lot more
bottom end to go with it. Maybe even try
some die-cast hoops or fatter snare wires.
Alternating head combinations also does
the trick. For the fat vibe, try a coated
P3 with an inlay ring, or an Emperor X
with a reverse dot. Even a Fiberskyn head
will add a thick sound to a deeper shell,
whether metal or wood. On the other end
of the spectrum, try a single-ply, coated
Vintage Ambassador for that studio sound.
Sometimes metal shells have a crazy ring.
Don’t always muffle it; occasionally it’s
nice to have some extra character in the
song. It’s all part of creating your own
sound. You should search for your original
formula when it comes to experimenting
with larger snare drums, and if you’ve
never tried something on the deeper side,
give it a shot. You might be surprised with
just how versatile a deep snare drum can
be. Get weird with it!
61
BECK, JOHN MAYER, ANNIE LENNOX, GOTYE, DEPECHE MODE, FIONA APPLE, LIZ PHAIR, ELLIOTT SMITH, RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, R.E.M. AND THE LIST GOES ON –– JOEY WARONKER | MICHAEL IVESON | BLAIR SINTA | VICTOR INDRIZZO | AARON STERLING
36
EDGE 10.0 ||| FALL & WINTER 2012
STAND & DELIVER
9000 HEAVY DUTY • 7000 SINGLE-BRACED • 6000 RETRO, FLUSH-BASED CYMBAL STANDS
TOOTHLESS TILTER WITH TECHLOCK™
ADJUSTABLE CYMBAL SEAT
INTEGRATED CYMBAL FELTS
CONTOURED WING NUTS
INTEGRATED MEMORY LOCKS
THE DRUMMER’S CHOICE®
PEDALS AND
HARDWARE
EDGE 10.0 ||| DWDRUMS.COM
37
S
ISSUE 10 ||| 2012-2013 ||| DWDRUMS.COM
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18 MB - DW Drums

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