VOLUME 16, NUMBER 2

FEATURES

FESTIVAL '91
BILLY PICTORIAL
LARS HIGGINS Highlights from MD's Festival
Weekend '91, featuring William

ULRICH
They say that in jazz, nothing Kennedy, Deen Castronovo, Billy
speaks like experience. Well, few Cobham, Roy Haynes, Casey
drummers have traveled all the Scheuerell, David Garibaldi,

30
The maturing of a master metal roads Billy Higgins has: Coltrane, Tommy Aldridge, and
monster: By stripping their music Monk, Rollins, Coleman...no won- Chuck Morris.
to its basic elements, drummer der today's hottest players look to
Lars Ulrich and his Metallica

26
Higgins for direction.
mates have come up with their Find out why in this very
fiercest statement yet. Learn special story.
how Lars and company shatter

20
• by Lora Rosner
cliches and lead the
pack.
• by Teri Saccone
MD's YAMAHA
DRUM RIG
GIVEAWAY

64
Your last chance to
win a Yamaha Drum
Rig worth $12,400!

COVER PHOTO BY ROSS HALFIN

 COLUMNS

Education
56 CLUB SCENE
Beating The
Breakdown Blues
BY RICK VAN HORN Equipment
58 DRUM SOLOIST 40 PRODUCT
Max Roach: "Blue 7"
CLOSE-UP
Departments
TRANSCRIBED BY
THOMAS P. BARRICK Pearl CZX Studio Kit
BY RICK VAN HORN 4 EDITOR'S
41 Pearl DR-100 OVERVIEW News
66 TRACKING Drum Rack
Getting Your Sight-
reading Together
BY RICK VAN HORN
6 READERS'
BY EMIL RICHARDS 42 Unique Percussion PLATFORM 8 UPDATE
Pro-Rizer Chad Wackerman,
BY RICK VAN HORN Philthy Animal Taylor,
74 TEACHERS' 12 ASK A PRO the Violent Femmes'
FORUM 43 Evans Genera EQ-3 Victor DeLorenzo, and
Writing A Program Bass Drum System LA Guns' Steve Riley,
Of Instruction BY RICK VAN HORN 16 IT'S plus News
BY WOODY THOMPSON QUESTIONABLE
48 ELECTRONIC 121 INDUSTRY
76 BASICS REVIEW 62 LIAISON HAPPENINGS
Professionalism: Yamaha DTS70
A Daily Dozen Triggering System
BY MAT MARUCCI BY ED URIBE 98 CRITIQUE
Profiles
78 STRICTLY 124 NEW AND 130 DRUM MARKET
TECHNIQUE NOTABLE 54 PORTRAITS
Developing The Drummers
Coordination And . Of Toronto
BYT. BRUCE WITTET
Independence: Part 1
BY JOE MORELLO
68 FROM THE PAST
96 ROCK 'N' Zutty Singleton
JAZZ CLINIC BY BURT KORALL
Songofunk
BY DAVID GARIBALDI

112 CONCEPTS
Fame Vs. Ability
BY ROY BURNS
 EDITOR'S OVERVIEW

Festival Five
EDITOR/PUBLISHER Ronald Spagnardi
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Isabel Spagnardi
MANAGING EDITOR Rick Van Horn
Despite the fact that it was a tough year due to the FEATURES EDITOR William F. Miller
recession, I'm pleased to report that MD's Festival ASSOCIATE EDITOR Adam J. Budofsky
Weekend '91 was sold out once again. Personally, I EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Karen Walsh
think that's a testament to the fact that drummers
are like no other group of musicians in the world,
ART DIRECTOR Scott G. Bienstock
and it takes a lot more than a recession to stop us! ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Tracy A. Kearns
Obviously, '91 wasn't a record-breaking year for the ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bob Berenson
manufacturers in our industry either, but as usual, ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Joan C. Stickel
the sponsors came through for us again in the
' interest of educating young drummers.
SALES AND MARKETING Crystal W Van Horn
DIRECTOR
Purely from a drumming standpoint, this was perhaps one of our CONSULTANT TO THE Arnold E. Abramson
finest Festivals, with a superb balance of artists and styles. The event PUBLISHER
was off to a rousing start with the dynamic playing of Will Kennedy,
followed by a super high-energy performance by Deen Castronovo of
MODERN DRUMMER ADVISORY BOARD: Henry Adler, Kenny
Bad English. Billy Cobham was on next and clearly proved to every- Aronoff, Louie Bellson, Bill Bruford, Roy Burns, Jim Chapin, Alan
one that he hasn't lost one ounce of the ability that made everyone's Dawson, Dennis DeLucia, Les DeMerle, Len DiMuzio, Charlie
Donnelly, Peter Erskine, Vic Firth, Danny Gottlieb, Sonny Igoe, Jim
head turn some twenty years ago. Finally, the incomparable Roy Keltner, Larrie Londin, Peter Magadini, George Marsh, Joe Morello, Rod
Haynes—who's been on the scene for five decades—made it perfect- Morgenstein, Andy Newmark, Neil Peart, Charlie Perry, Dave Samuels,
John Santos, Ed Shaughnessy, Steve Smith, Ed Thigpen, Dave Weckl.
ly clear why he's one of the greatest jazz drummers that ever lived.
The Sunday show kicked off with a clinic by Casey Scheuerell, CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Robyn Flans, Simon Goodwin, Rick
Mattingly, Ken Micallef, Jeff Potter, Teri Saccone, Robert Santelli.
which received a well-deserved standing ovation. Following Casey
came a tasteful performance, with a wealth of inspirational thoughts, MODERN DRUMMER magazine (ISSN 0194-4533) is published
monthly by MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc., 870 Pompton
from an articulate David Garibaldi. Those who came to see some Avenue, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009. Second-Class Postage paid at Cedar
rather remarkable double-bass drum work certainly weren't disap- Grove, NJ 07009 and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 1992 by
MODERN DRUMMER Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
pointed by Tommy Aldridge, and funk fans I'm sure left in total awe Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited.
of Chuck Morris's performance with Super Slam.
EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: MODERN
The backstage area was filled with activity both days, as usual, with DRUMMER Publications, 870 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove, NJ
artists like Joe Morello, Jim Chapin, Joe Franco, Dom Famularo, 07009. Tel.: (201) 239-4140.

Steve Smith, Danny Gottlieb, Liberty DeVitto, Dennis Chambers, MODERN DRUMMER welcomes manuscripts and photographic mate-
and Marvin "Smitty" Smith engaged in friendly conversation among rial, however, cannot assume responsibility for them. Such items must
be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
themselves and backstage autograph seekers. For a closer look at the
activity both onstage and off, check out our Festival Weekend cover- MUSIC DEALERS: Modern Drummer is available for resale at bulk
rates. Direct correspondence to Modern Drummer, Dealer Service, P.O.
age on page 30 of this issue. Box 389, Mt. Morris, IL 61054. Tel.: (800) 334-DRUM or (815) 734-
Again, it would be quite impossible to stage an event such as this 6013.

without the strong support of our industry. And so, our sincere SUBSCRIPTIONS: $27.95 per year; $49.95, two years. Single copies
thanks this year go to our friends at Sonor, Sabian, Mapex, Pro-Mark, $3.95.

Remo, Ludwig, Musicians Institute, Vic Firth, Pearl, Paiste, Yamaha, SUBSCRIPTION CORRESPONDENCE: Modern Drummer, P.O. Box
Zildjian, and ddrum. Finally, my personal thanks to the artists and 480, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0480. Change of address: Allow at least six
weeks for a change. Please provide both old and new address. Toll Free
support personnel, all of the MD staff and volunteers who work Tel.: (800) 551-3786.
incredibly hard all weekend long, and Festival coordinator Rick Van
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Modern Drummer, P.O. Box
Horn, who pulls it together every year. To all of you who were there, 480, Mt. Morris, IL 61054.
we thank you for coming and hope you enjoyed the show. To those of
you who couldn't make it this year—well, we'll look forward to seeing
you at Festival '92. Audit Bureau Of Circulations
Membership applied for.
 READERS' PLATFORM

of sticks, and treated me like an old the October '91 issue of Modern
William Kennedy friend. It fills me with great pride to be Drummer. Without a doubt, this is the
What a triple-whammy I got from William part of this great drumming community most accurate treatment of the subject I
Kennedy this summer! I saw him with of ours, and to be able to live in a country have ever seen! Not only did Rick cover
the Yellowjackets on Long Island one in which musical education is so readily the major issues, but he displayed an
month, saw him at MD's Drum Festival available. uncanny ability to explain many subtleties
the next month, and read his cover story Mike Abies of our segment of the industry.
in the November issue the next week! Baton Rouge LA I have two possible explanations for
And I still can't get enough of the guy! Rick's perceptiveness: Either he had the
He's hot, he's articulate (both on and off FBI bug a number of drum shops across
the drums), and he still seems humble. I the country, or he has spent countless
hope his amazing talent continues to Bobby Rock hours in drum shops after making him-
develop, and I hope he enjoys great suc- Thank you for the article on Bobby Rock self invisible! Don't let on as to which of
cess—as long as it doesn't spoil his ter- in your November "91 issue. Bobby's out- the above techniques he used. That way,
rific attitude toward playing drums, look on life is very refreshing and inspir- he'll be able to continue the great work.
toward music in general, and toward his ing to me. Instead of ruining himself by Rob Birenbaum
audience. There are a lot of veterans out using drugs and alcohol, he takes care of Drum Headquarters
there who could take some lessons himself. As I read the article, I found St. Louis MO
(again, both on and off the drums) from myself agreeing with just about every-
Mr. Kennedy. thing he said. I am in much the same sit-
Freddie Beigh uation; I try to eat a healthy diet and take
Westbury NY care of myself. Unfortunately, many peo- Help Him Find North
ple in the rock 'n' roll business are nar- I'm in the midst of building my dream
row-minded and make fun of people like monster drumset (18 toms, 4 kicks, etc.).
me for our approach. I applaud Bobby for About a year ago I made what I thought
FestivalWeekend'91 not giving in, in this world of fast-food was a good deal: 12 North drumshells—
I just want to say THANKS A LOT for junk and artificial cure-alls. ranging in size from 6" to the 14" floor
this year's Drum Festival. Last year's was Brian Sullinger tom—for $100! The only problem is that
very nice too, but this year's was even Fordland MO they didn't come with any hardware—no
better. Roy Haynes' set on Saturday was lugs, no rims, no nothing.
especially great. And Sunday must have Even though I knew full well that the
been my lucky day, because I had the North Drum Co. had gone out of busi-
opportunity to meet and talk to Mr. Joe Bag It With Slobeat ness, I figured that there would be some
Morello—one of the greatest drummers Regarding a letter in the It's Questionable residual hardware somewhere. But as far
ever. I hope I can afford to go to next section of the November '91 issue, con- as I can tell, nobody has any—nor do they
year's Festival—even though I'll have to cerning the availability of rack bags for a know anyone who does. Normally I'd use
start saving money right now! Hope to Pearl rack, please note the following: lugs of any brand, but the North lugs are
see you next year! Slobeat introduced the very first rack bag contoured to fit the inside and outside
Anders Sundwall to the drum market. Our bag sizes of 54" curves of the shells. Also, the holes on
Halmstad, Sweden and 72" fit all available racks. I cannot the shells are not spaced like those on
deny that the companies mentioned in any other brand of drum.
I attended your '91 Festival Weekend and the article make good products; after all, Can anybody out there help me out?
had a blast! Believe me, it was worth the they are based on our designs. I've got six perfectly good North drums
seven hours of flying and layovers coming Michael J. Stobie, President already mounted on a curved rack, with
from Baton Rouge. The performances Slobeat Music Products 12 empty mounts eagerly awaiting the
were great, but better yet was the attitude Golden CO other drums. Any help would be appreci-
of the artists who performed—especially ated.
William Kennedy. On Sunday afternoon Franco Epifanio
he actually came and sat in the audience 105 Asharoken Blvd.
with me to watch Chuck Morris and Buying Drums Bay Shore NY ll706
Super Slam. He answered all my ques- I just had the chance to read Rick
tions, showed me techniques with a pair Mattingly's article "Buying Drums" in
 UPDATE

Chad Wackerman
"I wanted to make a record that I would be Chad features the same band on the count-off. But everyone played so cre-
proud of," Chad Wackerman says of his entire album, instead of having different atively and with such sensitivity that the
first solo album, Forty Reasons, recently players on each tune. "I wanted the same improvised pieces turned out really pow-
released on CMP. "I have friends who personalities coming through on every erful. They seem to have a form to
cringe when they hear certain albums track," Chad says, "so the album would them."
they've made because their record compa- have a uniform quality. I also wanted to While Wackerman avoided writing
ny wanted to market them for a certain keep the band small, so the music could tunes that would showcase chops for the
format, and it wasn't really what they did be more open. If you have a lot of musi- sake of chops, his drumming is well rep-
well." cians, everything has to be very resented, sounding constantly fresh. "If
But Chad is very pleased with his arranged." Chad used Allan Holdsworth you want to grow," Chad says, "you have
album, which shows off his writing as well on guitar, Jimmy Johnson on bass, and to avoid playing the same licks over and
as his playing. The music is right in line Jim Cox on keyboards. "I've had a long over. When you become aware that you've
with what anyone familiar with history with all of them," Chad com- been playing something, you have to con-
Wackerman's drumming might expect. "If ments, "and they are all best friends of sciously stop playing it and come up with
I have an audience," Chad explains, "it's mine." something else. And not just one thing,
musicians, because of my track record Because of the empathy between the but different things that will create the
with Frank Zappa and Allan Holdsworth. players, they were able to improvise five same mood that's needed in the song. I
So I didn't want this to be commercial. I of the album's eleven tracks right in the don't ever want my playing to become so
wanted something that musicians would studio. "Nothing was talked about," Chad sterile that it's just patterns and licks."
enjoy and be challenged by." recalls. "Only one of them even had a Rick Mattingly

Philthy Animal Taylor

The making of Motorhead's 1916 was very refreshing for drum- drums, that was a more
mer Philthy Animal Taylor. "It was a lot better because we had challenging one to play.
gotten away from our old record company, management, and The rest of the lads
publishers, and we signed with WTG, Sony/Epic. There was a lot didn't think I could do
of pressure off of us, and we were more relaxed. It was good to it—the drum intro and
record in Los Angeles, as well. Every other album we've done was the bits in between. It

Photo by Pete Cronin / Photofeatures Intl.

done in England, so when we got home from the studio, we'd was put together very
wake up in the morning and the old lady would say, 'This bill has quickly and I kept say-
come in, and this bill has come in,' and we'd go back to the stu- ing, T can do it. Just
dio after all the every-day problems of life. They're easy to deal leave me alone.' When I
with if you don't come home at 6:00 in the morning and have to get hassled, I get ner-
get up again at 10:00. There's a different atmosphere in Los vous and I think too
Angeles as well, although once you're in the studio, you could be much about it. It's
anywhere in the world, really." very simple, but it was
Taylor says, though, that the recording process of this album more the pressure fac-
was the same as previous ones. "The way we've always done tor of the other guys."
albums is first put down the backing track, which for us is the Motorhead has been hitting the road hard this year, which
whole band playing live, then losing the rhythm guitars if they're Taylor says is great. "The more touring we do, the stronger we
not quite right. But the drums have to be right. I can't afford to get," he says, adding that his role on stage is multi-faceted. "We
make a mistake; the pressure is on me." haven't really got a bass player in the band. Lemmy would tell you
Taylor says his favorite tracks on the album are "Love Me himself that he is a rhythm guitarist playing the bass guitar.
Forever" and "The One To Sing The Blues." '"Love Me Forever' Therefore, not only am I the drummer, but I'm the anchor man.
is a great song," he insists. "It's kind of melancholy and kind of While I'm holding it down, I've got to put in a lot of bottom-end
deep for Motorhead. I have to say that I think Lemmy is one of frequencies that maybe a regular bass player would do."
the most underrated lyricists of the past couple of decades. 'The Robyn Flans
One To Sing The Blues' has great lyrics as well. As far as the
Victor DeLorenzo
From the very beginning, Victor reached platinum sales status. Apparently also reveals his vocal and songwriting
DeLorenzo shattered existing precon- the world is now ready for an onslaught abilities. Song styles range from a soft
ceptions of what a rock 'n' roll drummer by the Milwaukee trio, and DeLorenzo is country ballad, to a dramatic reading, to
is. Back in 1983 with fellow Violent ready to lay it on thick. Besides the most jittery Talking Heads-style rock, to a car-
Femmes members Gordon Gano and recent band album, Why Do Birds Sing? toonish instrumental that's influenced by
Brian Ritchie, he helped create an acous- (Slash/Reprise), he's also released his the Nairobi Trio from the old Ernie
tic-electric-jazz-country sound that had first solo recording, Peter Corey Sent Me Kovacs comedy show.
college listeners hooked to the ferocious (Chameleon/dali). Along with this, Victor A lot of musical territory is covered
rhythmic drive he produced. By using, has done session work with ex-Velvet within the album's 33 minutes. "I don't
among his standard operational drumkit, Underground drummer Mo Tucker, pro- really feel as though I had to prove myself
brushes and metal bushel basket (which duced a handful of bands at his own stu- one way or another," says DeLorenzo. "I
he dubbed a "tranceaphone"), Victor cre- dio, and finds the time to keep involved didn't even design the record to capitalize
ated an adventurous sound, letting the with the Theatre X acting company. on sounds that are going on at the
human touch find the rhythm in what Peter Corey sheds a different light on moment. I just wanted to make some-
was around him. DeLorenzo, one that allows him to thing that sounded honest to me. And I
Eight years has passed since the express his percussive emotions in ways think I accomplished that."
Femmes' debut album, which has finally not possible with his band. The album John Gatta

Steve Riley
Steve Riley has pretty much spent this year on "I did all my basics at Oceanway studio, in the
the road in support of L.A. Guns' latest huge room they have there, and we used old
release, Hollywood Vampires. And he definitely Telefunken microphones—everything was crystal
feels good about this recording. clear. It was miked differently than any of the dig-
"When we did the last MD interview, I was ital records the band has done. We did the drums
telling you how our songwriting was coming first with the bass guitar, and then we layered it
together on Cocked And Loaded, but on after that with the rhythm, lead, and vocals.
Hollywood Vampires, it just took another step "There are a couple of tracks that they really
forward. The tunes are more compact and let me open up on," Riley says. "I'm opening up
more acceptable to everybody," he explains. as much as I can on the other tracks without
"They came easier this time, without compro- stepping on anybody's feet, but on 'Here It
mising at all." Steve adds that the writing in Comes' and 'Big House' there are a lot of drum
L.A. Guns is a five-way split, no matter how breaks, and they just said, 'Go for it.' Those are a
much one person has to do with one song. "I couple of my favorite songs on the album. But as
like to help arrange and put the beginnings and far as songs that I just think are striking songs,
endings on the tunes, which I think are the there are five or six of them. I love all three of the
most important parts. I've also brought in slower-tempo songs—'Crystal Eyes,' 'It's Over
some licks, and we just sort of piece them Now,' and 'I Found You.' We were a little hesitant
together." to put three slower songs on the album, but I
Riley says that the band didn't want to record think they're really well written and very likeable.
their latest album digitally: "We wanted to record it analog in the I'm really happy with this whole album."
old style of recording, and we wanted to find a producer who has Also, congratulations to Steve and his wife Mary Louise on the
done 80% of his work with analog recording. Michael James birth of their son Cole Vincent.
Jackson fit that bill. Robyn Flans

News...
Matt Chamberlain is the Wolf. on "Sunshine Of Your Love"). ing a few dates with his own
new drummer on Saturday Randy Castillo on tour Jamie Oldaker is on three Fo'tet.
Night Live. with Ozzy Osbourne. cuts, and percussionist Ray Congratulations to Roy
Cactus Moser is gearing up The drummer in Prince's Cooper is also on some of the Haynes who was recently
for a new album with Highway new band, The New Power cuts. presented an honorary doctor
101, while they've been on the Generation, is Michael Clayton Cameron recently of music degree from the
road for the past several Bland, and the dancer/ per- played drums and acted in the Berklee College of Music.
months. cussionist is Kirk Johnson. Broadway-bound musical Tal Bergman on new Billy
Jim Harris is on the road Eric Clapton's 24 Nights String Bean. Idol album.
with Dirty Looks. He can also features Steve Ferrone (with Ralph Peterson has been William Kennedy doing
be heard on records by a special appearance by Phil recording and touring with clinic dates with Yellowjackets
Scarecrow, Strider, and Lone Collins playing tambourine Charles Lloyd, as well as play- bassist Jimmy Haslip.
 ASK A PRO

Simon Phillips
and MyKenny Aronoff
question concerns bass drums. Many players today Then there's the question of where you put the mic'!
use 22" drums—possibly because they are easy to mike. What I do now has taken many years to perfect, and it works
I've tried 22" drums (including 16" and 18" depths), and well for me: I use both heads with no holes (since the beginning
although they get good punch, they just don't have the low end of 1990). A good-quality towel is rolled up and placed at the bot-
and big sound that I like—and that I get acoustically from a 24" tom of the batter head and held in place with gaffer's tape. I use
drum. Unfortunately, there's no denying that 24" drums are an AKG D12 microphone about 2" from the batter head and
harder to mike—harder to get a good, solid punch from. I come about 8" from the center of the head (near the shell) and point-
from the John Bonham period of drummers, and am not want- ing directly at the head. (Yes, it does seem a strange place.) I
ing to use a 24" drum because of ego. I really believe they sound use a felt beater and tune the drum as low as possible, and I can
better—at least acoustically. Why don't microphones seem to adjust the amount of decay by dampening the front head.
like 24" drums as much as smaller ones?
Danny Wyant Kenny:
Sioux City IA I always go
to a session with
Simon: both a 22" and a
I have used 24" bass drums consistently since 1983; prior 24" drum, but 99
to that I mainly used 22" drums. The only way I can describe the times out of 100 I
difference is that a 24" has a maturity in its sound that I don't get end up using the
from a 22" drum—and, of course, it has a lower note. 24" drum. As you
A 24" bass drum can be slightly more difficult to mike up, but say, a 22" drum has
in my experience it is not just the size of the drum that affects a bit more punch,
the sound. There are a lot of different factors concerned, for but the 24" shell
example, whether will give you more
you use the drum boom, and push
single-headed, more air toward
double-headed, or the microphones.
with a hole in the The 22" gives a
front head (which tighter, more con-
could be one of a trolled sound; the
multitude of dif- 24" drum is more
ferent sizes and alive—more rock
put in many dif- 'n' roll. At this point in time, I prefer a 16x24 drum. I use a
ferent positions). Remo Ambassador white coated head on the batter side and no
The type of damp- front head at all. I either put a pillow in the drum (sideways) or
ening and the my drum tech, Jeff Chonis, puts a packing blanket (folded a
beater used will special way) in the drum so that part of it hangs out the open
affect the sound end. I also extend my bass drum by about 16" - 20" by creating a
enormously. All tunnel at the end of the drum. This helps make the sound even
these factors will more powerful, and helps keep other sounds out of the bass
a f f e c t what the drum mic'.
microphone hears.
 IT'S QUESTIONABLE

How Do You then reduce the amount of stress you put Where's The
Maintain Consistency? on your muscles at each session. In other Drum Music?
I'm having a physical problem in relation words, don't go through each song as Have you ever walked into a music store
to my playing. I consider myself pretty many times. Allow your muscles to adjust and seen an entire section of sheet
good for the five years I've been playing to the strain level gradually, so they can music—for keyboards and guitar? This
and the type of music I play. My problem build up strength as time goes on. The seems to be all that I can find. I'm very
is that on one day I can be practicing a alternative is to continue practicing at the interested in Jeff Porcaro's playing on the
song with my band, playing some fast intensity you describe, but not as fre- 1988 Toto album The Seventh One, and
double-bass patterns, off-beat rhythms, quently. Take a day or more between prac- Chris Frazier's playing on the Steve Vai
and other weird riffs—and they'll sound tices to give your body time to recover album Passion And Warfare. Is there any
great. I have no problem repeating the before you make more demands on it. A way to order sheet music from music
song five or six times before I get tired. gradual build-up of strength and dealerships, or could I contact the bands
Yet the next day, I'll play the same song endurance is a good thing; "browbeating" themselves?
with the band, and it's terrible! I can't your body into performing will only lead to Nick Mayfield
even keep the regular tempo on an easy injury or reduced capacities somewhere Jackson MS
double-bass beat without my legs stiffen- down the line.
ing up. I don't know if it's me—the way I The fact that very few popular
feel that day—or my throne, my pedals, or tunes or albums ever become
something else. What can I do to remedy What's A Stanople? available as commercial drum transcrip-
this situation? I recently purchased a 16" medi- tions is a constant source of aggravation to
Blake Lemieux um-weight cymbal at a yard sale. It is a drummers who read. Unfortunately, it
Montreal, Quebec, Canada Stanople, made by Paiste. It appears to be doesn't seem as though those drummers
rather old, but is in excellent condition make up enough of a market to justify the
It's not at all unusual to have and has a great sound. Can you provide publication of such transcriptions on a
"good" and "bad" days with your any details regarding the cymbal's date of commercial basis. While most guitar or
playing. Everybody does, and worrying manufacture, whether the line is still keyboard players have at least a basic
about it only aggravates the problem. This manufactured, and whether the cymbal knowledge of musical notation and chord
inconsistency is usually based on outside has any antique value? structure, the sad fact is that the majority
factors—such as physical fatigue, emo- Don Popert of drummers—when you include all age
tional stress, mental distraction, or the Norland, Ontario, Canada and professional levels—do not read drum
desire to be somewhere else, doing some- music. This situation has created an out-
thing else. Obviously, anything that you According to Erik Paiste, of Paiste let for individual drummers who prepare
can do to overcome these factors will help America: "Stanople is a cymbal transcriptions on a custom-order basis,
you to perform consistently from day to line Paiste made in its German factory in and for small companies who offer a limit-
day. That's part of becoming a "pro." the 1950s and '60s. We did not use serial ed catalog of prepared material. You'll find
In your particular case, since your numbers back then, so it is impossible to most of them advertising in MD's Drum
throne and pedals serve you well on your say what year your cymbal was produced. Market section.
"good days," it's not likely that they are Stanople was not a professional cymbal As far as contacting the bands goes,
your problem. Rather, it sounds as if your line, but, rather, a higher-grade student unless the material was charted for the
ability to rehearse well one day and not the line. Production of the brand was sus- drummer in the first place—which is
next may be a case of over-doing it that pended in the late 1960s. common in TV, movie, and jingle sessions
first day, to the point where you simply "As to your cymbal's value: How do you but generally not the case where band
overwork your muscles. Even though you value something like that? It is a matter of album projects are concerned—it's doubt-
may not feel sore or weak the next day, the how good it sounds to a person and what ful that the drum parts were ever put to
ability of those muscles to perform has that person feels is an adequate value for paper. However, if you would still like to
been reduced. They need time to recuper- the sound. It is certainly a rarity, so from contact Jeff, Chris, or any other artists
ate in order to get up to full strength that point of view, if a collector could be regarding their work, you may do so in
again. found, he or she might pay well. My advice care of MD.
There are two solutions to this problem. would be to hold on to it; it's age and con-
First, if you plan to practice frequently, dition make it unique."
 here are those who will remember
1991 for Schwarzkopf's "mother of all
battles." Heavy metal fans will recall
'91 as the re-emergence of its mother of
bands, Metallica, and the release of
their self-titled masterpiece album. To
put it bluntly, when it comes to this metal
thing, there is Metallica, and then there's everybody
else. Period.
Being co-perpetrator, main mouthpiece, prime
mover, and drummer for Metallica, Lars Ulrich needs
no introduction. He is one of a scant group of drum-
mers who is as recognized outside the drumming pop-
ulace as within it. Faithful readers of MD might notice
that this is Ulrich's first cover story, a belated event,
but appropriately withheld now that Metallica have
gate-crashed their way into dizzying new heights both
on the metal and hard rock scenes the world over.
Metallica have effortlessly and without contrivance
straddled the slippery fence between being a populist
band and a well-regarded group of musicians. They are
the only real underground metal band to have entered
the mainstream without straying too far from their
underground sound and attitude. The group, even
though hugely successful, still maintains as up-close a
relationship with their audience as they always have,
quite possibly because they have no pretensions what-
soever about themselves or this business. Since forging
a union ten years ago, they've experienced periodical
creative resurgences, always due to their attempts at
keeping their music vital for themselves.
The band's latest, Metallica, delivers in a different
direction than what has come before it, proving that
you can tap your feet to excessive rage and power, if it
grooves. Comparatively, their last outing,.. .And Justice
For All, featured a collection of stark, desolate, and lit-
erate images shrouded in highly produced, complex
arrangements. It was another bold stroke on the canvas
of a band who is emulated and revered for the one and
only thing that matters: the music.

By Teri Saccone
Photos By Ross
 When asked about the return to the back- And I think having done that on that
to-basics format of Metallica, Lars responds
in detailed exuberance."! think you have to
o be honest record, I really got it out of my system.
Now when I hear that record, I can hear
go back a little bit, to the .. .And Justice For with you, I just how much of it was written around
All tour," he begins. "When you play 250
shows on an album, you discover a lot about
think I really the drumkit, how big a part the drums
played in coloring the songs. That, to me,
yourself, the album you're touring on, the burnt myself was a very mental way of playing drums. I
band you're in, and what works and what
doesn't in a live situation. I think with
out on the found myself in a live situation, night
after night, playing with my head instead
.. .And Justice For All we took the progres- mega drum fill. of my body. When we would switch from
sive side of Metallica about as far as we
could without getting completely ridiculous.
Playing a playing songs from that album like 'The
Shortest Straw,' 'One,' 'Blackened,' and
I think if we had continued down the path strong groove 'Eye Of The Beholder,' to some of the
that started with Ride The Lightning, fol-
lowed with Master Of Puppets, and ended
is what's old heavyweights like 'Seek And Destroy'
and 'For Whom The Bell Tolls,' a com-
with ...And Justice, it would have gotten too important. pletely different feeling would come over
progressive and introverted, where it would
have disappeared up its own ass.
Realizing that me based around the physical approach
to drumming. I'd throw myself into those
"So over the course of those few hundred has made songs, and not play from a mental stand-
shows, it became broadly apparent as to
what worked and what didn't from a song
Charlie Watts point.
"When I was playing some of the really
standpoint. Also, I had started to search for one of the most sideways things on ...And Justice" Lars
something new to excite me concerning my
drumming. My drumming style on ...And
important drum- muses, "I found myself to be really bored
with it—the whole concept of sitting
Justice was the epitome of me trying to mers in my life!" there in front of 15,000 people, thinking
bring the drums as up-front as any drum- about what I was playing. I would have to
mer could in a hard rock or metal situation. anticipate a break that was coming up,
thinking about what odd time changes I would have to go into got bored with it, and it didn't really do anything for me any-
after other odd meters. The whole thing became like an exer- more. As a band, I think we went through years where we felt we
cise. needed to impress people with our supposed abilities to play
"About halfway through that tour I started realizing that I these intricate and difficult things. When we started out, we
needed something more," Lars continues. "On some of the were touring and making records like that, [snaps his fingers] I
slower, more grungy songs I started laying back on the snare think we all, to different degrees, started coping with our inade-
drum an awful lot, which was something that I was hearing all quacies as musicians. I went into this mental thing where I felt I
the time. I mean, I've probably had an AC/DC fix at least once a needed to prove myself as a musician. After Justice, our systems
week for the last 15 years, and about halfway through that had been completely flushed of the 'Look! Aren't we talented?'
Justice tour I started discovering that a lot of the bounce and phase. We were ready to take on a new challenge, and for me,
groove of that band came from Phil Rudd [AC/DC's original that was the simple side of drumming. I started to get more into
drummer]. It came from what he was doing with his snare drum Phil Rudd, and I began appreciating Charlie Watts.
and the simplicity of his beats. So I started to experiment live "It's funny to me now, because when Metallica started in "81,"
with some of that on simpler songs like 'Harvester Of Sorrow,' Lars says, "it was the time that AC/DC was at their peak and the
and 'For Whom The Bell Tolls,' and found that it was great fun Stones were in the middle of this huge tour. I remember sitting
but also was not as easy as I thought. You pretty much put the with James in his living room as we were putting the band
kick on the tempo of the songs. That sets up a really heavy feel together, and I was ridiculing Charlie Watts and Phil Rudd, say-
and also a really rhythmic, swinging, bouncy kind of feel that I ing, 'What are these drummers doing in the world's biggest
had never had in my playing before." bands? Look at them, they're not doing any drum fills! They
During his time off after the Justice tour and before the start just sit there playing the kick and the snare. These guys are not
of the writing phase for Metallica, Lars says he became even talented!' I thought that Neil Peart was where it was at. In the
more interested in getting simple drumming to really work. last year or so, Watts and Rudd have become two of the most
"You can play simple," he explains, "but it can sometimes important drummers in my life. It's kind of funny how you can
sound really stiff. You want it to have this groove and this atti- turn around 180 degrees like that."
tude, and that's what really interested me. To be honest with Lars has streamlined his style on Metallica, yet his fire-
you, I think I really burnt myself out on the mega drum fills. I breathing style is more lusty and brutalizing than ever. He
insists the change was a natural one, introduced by what he was Metallica is more accessible than the group's previous
hearing himself as well as others play. "Once I started getting endeavors, and Lars is swift to defend rather than dismiss the
into the simplicity thing, it was a matter of how to fit that into observation. "I will quickly own up to the fact that it is more
what we were doing," he explains. "At the same time, the rest of accessible, because that word doesn't bother me," he asserts,
the band felt we had hit a dead end with what we had done perching on the couch with his legs tucked underneath him.
before. We don't have round-table discussions or battle plans "When we sat down and talked about our vision of this record,
about what we do; it's more down to how we all feel. When we we didn't set out to make it more accessible. If this record turns
started thinking about the new record in June of '90, James and out to be one that's easier to listen to because of the way it
I were in a local watering hole, having a few beers, listening to sounds, the way it's written, and the way the drums fit into the
music. The conversation was the kind where each of us were overall picture, then it's okay. The accessibility factor isn't a
looking in different directions, just staring at the floor or out the problem for me, because we did this the way we wanted to, and
window, and one of us said, 'So you
wanna write some simpler songs?'
'Yeah. Maybe we should have the
songs stick to one thing?' 'Sounds
good.' And that was the way it went,
which took all of 15 seconds. But all of
a sudden we had a plan.
"A day or two later we wrote the first
song, which was 'Enter Sandman,' our
first single and the opening track on
the album. That song is about the
simplicity we were looking for, and we
jumped in the deep end and took it as
far as we could. I mean, there are no

LARS' SETUP
drum fills in the song. It's totally
opposite to where we left off three
years ago."
Another departure from previous
Metallica releases was the recruitment Drumset: Tama Artstar ll Cymbals: Zildjian
of producer Bob Rock (Bon Jovi, with black plated
Motley Crue) for the new album, Granstar lugs and 1. 14" Z Dyno Beat hi-hats Hardware: All Tama Stilt
hardware 2. 17" A medium crash
breaking tradition with their self-pro- Brilliant Heads: Remo
duced and Fleming Rasmussen- A. 6 1/2 x 14 bell brass 3. 18" A Rock crash
snare drum Brilliant Sticks: Calato Lars Ulrich
assisted releases. Lars concedes that B. 10 x 10 tom 4. 18" A medium crash model. (Lars wraps his
the Metallica album was enhanced by C. 11 x 12 tom Brilliant sticks with Stick
the presence of Rock, but insists that D. 13 x 14 tom 5. 17"A Rock crash Handler grip tape by
E. 1 5 x 1 6 tom Brilliant Mechanical Music
the band's overall direction was not F. 1 6 x 1 8 floor tom 6. 14" Z Dyno Beat hi-hats Corp.)
influenced by the famed producer. G. 16 x 24 bass drum 7. 16" A Rock crash
Brilliant
"Bob didn't become involved until 8. 20" Z China Boy Brilliant
after the songwriting was done for the
album. I think we realized early on
that we were heading into musical territory that was quite dif- that just happened to translate into making it easier for people
ferent for us. When we started discussing who, in terms of out- to listen to and get into. I'm happy with that. I mean, trying to
side manpower, should take charge of the mixing of the album, listen to .. .And Justice for me is like hearing nails scraping
we felt we didn't hit to the point that we were capable of in the down a blackboard."
sound department, meaning the final mixes of the last three .. .And Justice For All was a masterstroke for the band, sur-
records. I suggested Bob Rock, who had made records with passing the popularity of previous Metallica recordings largely
great sound quality over the last few years. Our managers told due to the visceral single "One," and it captured the attention of
us that Bob didn't want to just mix the album, he also wanted to a much wider, more varied audience. The album boasts excep-
produce it! At first, a lot of four-letter words were thrown in his tional songwriting and guitar playing and an astounding drum
direction, until we realized that bringing in someone like him performance, at least from a technical/inventive angle. Lars'
with a fresh perspective wouldn't be such a bad idea. We met criticism of the release is largely directed at the aural aftermath
with him and discussed what we wanted to do on this record, of ...And Justice, and the labyrinthine drumming. "The sound
and he told us a lot about producing that we hadn't known. After of it is really harsh to me," he remarks. "Not just the drums, but
that meeting we decided to get on with it and do the record with the whole thing. When I listen to that album and the new one
him." back to back—and I've A-B'd them—there's no comparison.
That album just doesn't have a lot of ambience, whereas the writing techniques were on .. .And Justice For All and Metallica.
new record has a lot of room to breathe. The drums were so "A lot of the creative ideas and the foundations for the songs on
busy on Justice, and there was less space between the hits. Justice came from the drumkit," Lars explains. "The progres-
"I believe that everything goes back to the way the songs are sive patterns of the drumkit—not just tempo patterns—were an
written," Lars says. "The whole album is connected to that, and influence. Albums two, three, and four were all written and
with that in mind, I think the sound of the dry drums was called recorded pretty similarly in that James and me would first get a
for on the last record. The way the new record was put together click track situation together. Since each of the songs had so
and written, it called for much bigger, warmer drums and more many different moods, we would find ourselves sometimes deal-
depth and weight from the sounds. I don't want this interview to ing with five different click tempos in one song. So we would
turn into a Justice bashing session. It's just very difficult for me basically construct a click track going from 118 to 114, back to
to understand where our heads were at back in 1988 when we 120, then to 110, for example. Then James would put down a
rhythm guitar and vocal guide to that.
"I would then sit with Fleming, my
drum roadie, and my drumkit, and
we'd put the drums down to this
already worked-out track," Lars con-
tinues. "We would get it perfect: We'd
get every snare drum on the click,
and that was the challenge ahead of
us. That's about as un-live as you can
get, and when I mentioned to Bob
Rock that this was how we were used
to working, he almost fell off his
chair. It was like he was talking to a
nine-year-old when he said, 'You
know, you can actually record all four
guys in the studio at the same time,
everybody playing and standing
around the drumkit.' It was a big rev-
elation. Justice sounds a little sterile
and void of life because of the way we
recorded it. So we decided to try to
get more of a vibe going through the
band members, to get some life into
the performances. Sure, it had been
tight and 'perfect,' but at the end of
the day, if there's no attitude, no vibe
or life in the playing, then does it
really matter how perfect it is?"
So the band recorded Metallica as
a complete unit, and the grooving,
powerful performances speak for
walked out of the studio doing handstands, saying, 'What a great themselves. However, despite recording the band as a unit,
record we just made.' That shouldn't in any way take away from Metallica resulted in a rather prolonged studio commitment:
what people love about it. I'll never disown anything we've ever The band entered One On One on October 6, 1990 and com-
done. I really hate reading interviews where other people say, pleted the album on June 2 the following year. Eight months
'Well, that record we did four years ago isn't really us.' Screw seems a bit, uh, sadistic, does it not? "Yeah, it got silly," Lars
that. It has their name right there on the sleeve! I would never admits. "But everything we do is so backwards, and that's just
take back what we did, never. Besides, some of the drumming another thing to add to the list. The simpler we got, the longer
and songwriting intricacies on Justice just blow my head off. it took. After we recorded the basics, Bob started to apply pro-
They really do. duction techniques with us: layering, texturing guitars, percus-
"What I'm most proud of, looking back at the last few years," sion things. All that didn't change the general song, it just
he assesses, "is that every time we've made a record or have added to the whole thing. It became time-consuming. Also, we
done anything, it's always been to the best of our abilities— had an open-ended amount of studio time, and we had decided
mentally, creatively, and within our financial means." to make sure everyone was completely happy before we left.
Ulrich's earlier comment that "everything goes back to the "Now we know that that isn't the right way to do it, either,"
songwriting" prompts me to ask what the differences in song- Lars admits. "When you book an open-ended amount of time,
 "Most of the
drummers who
are working are
people who know
how to make the
other instruments
get their sound."
Photo By Ebet Roberts
 Making The Music One
Billy Higgins first gained national recogni- ings and appearances of the trio during the
tion when he came to New York in 1959 to past few years (with either David Williams
play at the Five Spot with the revolutionary or Ron Carter on bass) have continued to
Ornette Coleman Quartet. Higgins' roots, be jazz events—with Higgins carrying on
though, are in south Los Angeles, where as one of the world's most beloved and
he grew up and kicked off his career on sought-after sidemen. Such a reputation
gigs with Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Brooke has taken Higgins and his music around
Benton, and various R&B bands. Some of the world, yet he gives back much of what
his early associates from the thriving his community has given him through the
Central Avenue scene in L.A. included studio/cultural center he runs in south Los
Harold Land, Dexter Gordon, Leroy Angeles.
Vinnegar, and Red Mitchell. It was a privilege to talk with Billy
Higgins then went on to play and record Higgins at length. In this interview he
with such luminaries as Coleman, John describes his early influences and paints a
Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Thelonious vivid picture of his childhood and his play-
Monk. Some of the all-time classic Blue ing experiences amid the then still-flour-
Note LPs—by giants like Jackie McLean, ishing Central Avenue scene. Billy also
Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon, Lee sheds light on working with Coleman,
Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Clark, Coltrane, Rollins, and Monk, and discuss-
and Cedar Walton—all benefitted from es his equipment, the importance of tun-
Higgins' imaginative and joyful contribu- ing drums, choosing cymbals, and other
tions. aesthetic considerations. Higgins also
Though the above-mentioned work was gives some rare insight into his immedi-
during one of the most ground-breaking ately identifiable, universal cymbal beat,
eras in jazz history, Higgins continued to for which he gives much credit to the great
move forward with the music. During the bassists he's played with—especially his
'70s, the trio of Higgins, Cedar Walton, favorite, Sam Jones. Here, then, is one of
and Sam Jones was perhaps the premier the world's favorite drummers, our man
rhythm section of the decade. The record- Higgins.

By Lora Rosner
LR: When you were growing up, who were your favorite were learning your basics. I also played dances, mostly at
drummers to go see? junior highs and high schools.
BH: Art Blakey, more than anyone else. Also Philly Joe and LR: What high school did you go to?
Max. But Art influenced me more by the sight of watching BH: I went to a high school called Jacob Riis, which is a
him play, because he was so exciting—and Kenny Clarke, too. school where you're sent after you've been kicked out of the
I didn't get to see him until later, but he influenced me by the better schools.
sound he got out of his instrument and the way he had of LR: So you didn't go to Jefferson with some of the other
making other instruments get their sound. notable musicians from south LA.
LR: You've mentioned some of the drummers who "raised" BH: No, I didn't get to go to Jeff, where Mr. [Sam] Brown was
you: Johnny Kirkwood, Lawrence Marable, Frank Butler, teaching. They had a swing band up there and everything. I
Lennie McBrowne. Can you talk about specific things they knew a lot of the guys. But they got rid of me in the eighth
taught you?
BH: Well, Johnny Kirkwood really gave me
all my basic information about the drums
and the music, more or less on a personal
basis. He was with Louis Jordan for about
ten years in LA. He was like a father and
a brother; he taught me a lot about life.
He took me to hear everybody that played
anything when I was a kid. I was with him
every day. We lived in the same neighbor-
hood.
LR: At what age did you start with him?
BH: I started at about five or six. Most of
what he taught me was the language of
the music and the love of it. He intro-
duced me, by way of records, to Duke,
Bird, Max. Back then we had 78s. The
records didn't come out too often—maybe
three a year—so you had all this time to
just zero in on that performance. In all the
ages, no prophet got five revelations a
month. Since those musical revelations
were few and far between, we would lay
with it for a long time, till it would soak in.
It got to be our everyday thing. When you
got up in the morning you put that on and
you studied it until you knew every
scratch on the record.
LR: Did you have any favorite records

Photo By Ron Pelletier

when you were a little guy?
BH: Sure, all of Bird's records, Dizzy's
records, Miles when he started. See, at
that time everybody in the neighborhood
was doing it, not just myself. It was the
music of the neighborhood, so everybody
knew when Charlie Parker came out with
a new song, or if Thelonious or Miles or somebody else came grade, so I just went to Riis. From there I made a makeshift
out with something new. set of drums. They had a big marching bass drum and a snare
LR: You're known as a jazz artist, but I understand you also drum; I used a triangle for a cymbal.
played in R&B bands early in your career. I used to hear Lawrence Marable at high school dances
BH: Yeah, because it was a way you could get to the band- back then, and he used to fascinate me so much because he
stand. Kids coming up didn't just go play jazz gigs. You had to was the first guy I heard playing like Max, but he had his own
play what the people wanted, and most of that was blues and situation going, too.
R&B, which was good because it was a chance to get behind LR: So he was playing for dances, and yet it was very
your instrument. In the blues bands there were some great sophisticated.
cats. So when you were playing and the feeling was good, you BH: It was bebop! He had all the dancers on the floor, but he
was still playin' slilk stuff. See, that's what took me out. I said, said, "Okay, alright." So they dug the way I played, and after
"Whoa, wait a minute." If you saw it, it was phenomenal. that they let me come back.
There was all this slick music being played, and everybody LR: How old were you then?
was on the floor hittin'. Lawrence happened to be one of the BH: About eight; I was little. I used to hang out with people
people that influenced me that way. Also, Lawrence used to much older than I was because I was really into the music,
play with Bird when he came to town. and they dug that. That gave me a little clout in the neighbor-
LR: Tell me what you mean by "slick stuff." hood. Some of the musicians would get me into different
BH: Just the bebop concept; that's what people were dancin' places.
to then. LR: Where did they take you?
LR: They could "hear" all that? BH: At that time they'd have CYO halls, Masonic halls,
BH: They could hear it, and they wanted to hear it, because it lodges—those kinds of places. My aunt knew all of the musi-
was a part of the culture and the neighborhood. Folks was cians, and she'd take me sometimes to clubs. She'd put this
hooked up to it. It was a love they had for it, and it was theirs. little blue suit on me and take me to a club, and I'd end up
Bird could come to town in any city and find somebody to play playing. So when the audience would see this kid get up, they
his music. would throw money. People encouraged me.
Getting back to what you were asking about concerning LR: How about your family?
drummers who helped and influenced me early on, there was BH: My mother was very supportive. I got to see a lot of bands
a fine player by the name of Lennie McBrowne. I met Lennie when I was young.
later on, just about the same time I met Ornette. Lennie was LR: Did you ever go and hear the Roy Porter band?
from Brooklyn. He was one|pf the first drummers from the BH: Yeah, in fact the guy that taught Roy Porter taught Johnny
East that I met who played the way he did. He loved Max Kirkwood. Roy Porter had a big
Roach; he played that conception. Before I ever saw Max, I band on Saturday afternoons at
was hearing and knowing Lennie. We would hang a place called the Chicken Inn.
out and shed together. He had a They used to have drummers
beautiful touch on the instru- lined up to play in that band.
ment, and his concept was There'd be a constant flow of
different 'cause he used to guys practicing, getting ready
play with Elmo Hope. We got to sit in.
real close. When he was in Los LR: Did you go and hear
Angeles we'd all live in the same the Kenton band?
neighborhood and practice BH: I heard the Kenton
together. I learned a lot from him band with Bird, at the
and also Frank Butler. He was like Shrine Auditorium. I
Papa Jo: His personality was like a remember Bird had on a green cor-
magician. He could charm any- duroy coat and brown and white patent leather shoes. I
thing out of you—a quarter would never will forget that. He came in playing "Rocker." He came
jump out of your pocket and into out dealin', nothing movin' but his fingers.
his. He was from Kansas City, and he was a phenomenal LR: This vibrant scene you're describing finally came to an
drummer. To me he was like the Wilbur Ware of the drums. end. It's been said that, in New York particularly, desegrega-
Wilbur Ware had all this facility. Frank had a sound and style tion actually ruined the scene.
that was so musical. There were so many, really. BH: Well, in Los Angeles it did. Central Avenue was totally
LR: One of the places you used to play was the Crystal Tea flourishing with music. It had music up and down—everybody
Room. What was that like ? had a gig on Central Avenue. Then when the unions merged
BH: It was in the ghetto on 51st and Avalon. It was more or it totally dislocated the whole city. The center of the white
less a neighborhood situation. Big Jay McNeely [blues tenor musicians' union was Hollywood, so the rules changed. The
sax player] ran the session on Sunday afternoons. I was a kid black union had been dealing with the black business people
and used to try and get in, 'cause I lived right around the cor- on Central Avenue. They could do that because everybody
ner. Kids weren't allowed in there. What I'd do is sign my knew each other.
name on the sheet—if you got there early and signed in you'd LR: So what happened when the unions merged?
play early—and I'd wait till everybody got in 'cause I got BH: There was no work for black musicians because the
kicked out so much. One day I did the same thing—I waited places closed down. The clubowners had no rapport with the
until the band started and everybody was in, and then I went white union; the union wasn't coming down in that part of
in. I put my name on the list and then I hid. When they finally town.
called my name, I ran up on stage, and then some guy said, LR: I understand they started opening clubs all over; the
"Look man, I done told you..." but before they kicked me out, music wasn't concentrated in one place anymore.
Big Jay McNeely got up and said, "Oh man, leave him alone. BH: Right. Then the jazz clubs started going down because
Just let him play." So I got up there and played, and the cat the union wasn't interested in jazz. It's not interested in jazz
You could almost feel the theater rock with the rhythms and
enthusiasm created at Modern Drummer's Festival Weekend '91.
A capacity crowd was on hand each day to enjoy the clinics and
concerts performed by eight of the world's top drummers.
Gathering early each morning to get the best spot in line, drummers
Held September 14 and 15 at Montclair State College in Upper from the New York/New Jersey area were joined by others who trav-
Montclair, New Jersey, this year's event featured a "5/15" theme, in eled from as far away as California, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Sweden,
celebration of MD's fifth Drum Festival and its fifteenth year of and Belgium—underscoring the Festival's international appeal.
publication.

Photos by EbetRoberts

B esides demonstrating an abundance of technique

and creativity—in a wide range of styles—the artists
at this year's Festival also gave the audience some-
thing to think about. Starting off the show on
Saturday was William Kennedy, dynamic timekeep-
er for contemporary jazz group the Yellowjackets.
After laying down examples of both electric jazz and
funk rhythms, Will launched into some classic
bebop—impressing the audience with his era-span-
ning versatility. Will's advice to the audience was,
"Work together with your band. Be inventive, and be
creative. Your job is to apply the heat to the band."
Will's performance was sponsored by Sonor Drums.
 Deen hams it up with Steve Smith
(Festival '88) behind the scenes.

s aturday also featured an enthusiastic Deen Castronovo,

currently with Bad English. Deen gave the audience a powerful
performance that incorporated high-intensity—yet extremely musi-
cal—playing, and featured a blazing display of his double-bass-drum
abilities. His clinic was filled with humor as he told listeners about
his "rise to stardom" while he was still working in a nursing home!
Deen also impressed the audience with his sincere comments on
behalf of an anti-drug lifestyle and a strong spiritual direction.
Deen appeared through the courtesy of Sabian Cymbals and
Sonor Drums.
A ll-around jazz-rock
virtuoso Billy Cobham
demonstrated the skills
that made history with
such greats as Miles
Davis, George Benson,
and, of course, the
Mahavishnu Orchestra.
After a 20-minute open-
ing solo in which he
demonstrated his great
technique, his com-
mand of independence
(at one point accompa-
nying himself by trig-
gering bass sequences
with one hand while
playing time with his
other limbs), and his
tasteful use of dynam-
ics, Billy was in fine
form. During a candid
question-and-answer
period, he spoke to the
audience specifically
about knowing their
drumset as a total
instrument. Billy was
co-sponsored by
Mapex Drums,
Pro-Mark
Drumsticks, and
Remo, Inc.
 Two generations of drumming
legends: Billy Cobham and
Joe Morello (Festival '90) pause
for a snapshot backstage.

Performing with his jazz quartet as Saturday's

closing act, Roy Haynes gave the audience a lesson on how to swing.
His musical creativity, unique sense of rhythmic phrasing, and flair
for showmanship clearly demonstrated why many consider him to be
the father of modern jazz drumming. The Festival audience greeted
Roy with a standing ovation as a token of respect; they were on their
feet again—cheering in unreserved appreciation—at the conclusion
of his set. Roy and his quartet were presented by Ludwig Drums.
 Will Kennedy and Casey
trade tales backstage.

s unday's performances got off to a rousing start, as Casey

Scheuerell launched into a solo that was a lesson in styles—moving from
complex Afro-Cuban beats to shuffles, then to Latin beats and heavy funk
grooves. He also performed with recorded material in a musical context that
demonstrated his ability to play what's right for the track—as well as how to
take it a bit "outside." A gifted educator as well as a talented performer, Casey
enjoined the audience to "adhere to the basic pulse" to keep their music well-
founded. He also stressed desire as a major element of "making it" as a pro-
fessional musician. Casey was co-sponsored by Musician's Institute,
Vic Firth Drumsticks, and Pearl Drums.
s unday's second artist,
David Garibaldi, gave
what was perhaps the
Festival's most intense
"lesson." Performing both
solo and with recorded
tracks, David demonstrat-
ed a playing style that was
at once polyrhythmic,
melodic, rudimental, and
undeniably funky.
Articulate and thoughtful,
David explained how pat-
terns can be built, and
how technique can be
applied imaginatively in
order to apply it to the
music at hand. Adding a
bit of personal philosophy,
he stressed that each per-
son must strive to "...be
your best, whether alone
or with others. You must
heed that musical voice
within you. Remember,
the very best thing about
drums is the drummer."
David's performance was
presented by Paiste
Cymbals.
 Major funk trailblazers David
Garibaldi and Dennis Chambers
(Festival '88) say "Cheese."

F or the rockers in the audience, Tommy Aldridge

gave one of his famous "how-to" demonstrations.
After a solo performance that took the energy level
of the day to new heights and included his legendary
double-bass and bare-hands techniques, Tommy
spoke at length with the audience about his long-
running career. "I play very fundamental rock 'n' roll
rhythms," he explained. "I've just tried to distin-
guish myself from other drummers by doing what
they did in a new way. I'm a firm believer in the
visual aspect of our instrument, and I allow myself
to be influenced by the rock emotions inside of me."
Tommy concluded by playing with a finished record-
ing (less the drum track), giving the audience an
authentic taste of drumming in an arena-rock situa-
tion. Tommy appeared through the courtesy of
Yamaha Drums.
The culmination
of Festival Weekend
'91 was the perfor-
mance of Chuck
Morris and his
band, Super Slam.
Chuck's combina-
tion of solid time,
creative beats, and
blistering tech-
nique propelled the
band through a
high-energy set
that ranged from
hard funk to hip-
hop, and from
blues to Latin-
tinged rock. The
band's perfor-
mance established
a new Festival
record for audience
enthusiasm. The
assembled drum-
mers and drum-
ming fans simply
refused to let the
band leave until
they had played a
ten-minute encore!
Chuck and Super
Slam were present-
ed by Zildjian
Cymbals and
ddrum.

Throughout both days of the Festival, audience members were Steve Smith, Liberty DeVitto, Joe Morello, and Danny Gottlieb)
spent time with the audience—signing autographs, offering tips,
given the opportunity to win dozens of door prizes, including enjoying each other's performances, and sharing the good feelings
drums, cymbals, hardware, microphones, and a wide variety of that are always a part of this annual get-together of the drumming
accessory items—totalling thousands of dollars in value. MD also community. This "community" feeling was illustrated most telling-
continued the tradition of recognizing those drummers who had ly by the parting words exchanged by many of the drummers—per-
traveled the farthest to reach the Festival by presenting them with formers and audience alike—as they left the Festival at the end of
special prizes. Many of the Festival performers (along with a host of Sunday's show: "Great to see you again! Catch you next year!"
visiting drum stars, including Festival alumni Dennis Chambers,
 PRODUCT CLOSE-UP

Pearl CZX
projection. In other words, there wasn't a loosen the tension of both heads quite a
lot of sound around the kit; there was a bit. Getting this loose tuning even all
lot coming out of it—off of the heads. And around the drum took some time and

Studio Kit
what I did to the heads had a tremendous effort.) It also poses a problem to the
effect on the overall kit sound. This is in drummer who plays one-nighters and
keeping with the "studio" nature of the must adjust the tuning of his or her kit to
kit, where the ability to achieve a maxi- a different acoustic environment fre-
mum amount of tonal change with a min- quently.
by Rick Van Horn imal amount of time and effort is a desir- The problem mentioned above, howev-
able commodity. er, pertains mainly to a drummer using
I played the kit first with the clear this kit in a purely acoustic situation. The
Pearl's new birch-shell Ambassador heads that it came with. It "studio" designation indicates that the
kit is a real studio heavy- sounded lively and offered plenty of CZX Studio kit was designed with miking
weight—in more ways attack, but was not in any way sharp or in mind—and for that it works mar-
than one. harsh. "Contained attack" would be my velously. All of that flexibility and control
best description. My band especially liked lends itself to working in a studio envi-
the pointed, punchy sound I achieved with ronment, for reasons I stated earlier. But
Let's start with the obvious: The CZX the bass drum—with only a folded table- it also means that the set works well on a
Studio series is a new top-of-the-line kit cloth inside and a 10" hole in the front concert or club stage in a miked-up situa-
from Pearl, so it is impressively con- head—while I liked the liveliness I could tion, where ambience from the drumkit is
structed, marvelously appointed, and get from the toms without accompanying a liability, not an asset. I had a rare oppor-
beautifully finished. Bearing edges are boominess. (I did muffle them slightly in tunity to both play the drums in an
cut as near to perfectly as can be the early part of the gig, using Pure Tone amplified club format and to hear them
achieved, and all functional elements of Drum Resonance Eliminators. But I played played in a concert format—by no less an
the kit are designed to eliminate any them wide open for the second half of the artist than Casey Scheuerell—at MD's
acoustic or mechanical problems. You'd night.) Festival Weekend '91. In both cases, the
expect nothing less from a kit of this type I switched to Pinstripe heads on the drums sounded great through the sound
and price range. toms and bass drum, and found myself system. On my club gig, I was able to
The drums are created of all-birch with an entirely new kit: warmer, deeper, achieve a wide variety of tonalities by vary-
shells, with varying ply thicknesses: Bass perhaps a bit mellower, and certainly fat- ing the EQ on the sound board, and I
drums and floor toms are 10-ply; rack ter. This will happen to a certain degree could control the volume and resonance of
toms and snares are 8-ply. A special glue with any kit, but the amount of change the drums easily to avoid feedback or
and glueing process is used to bond the with the CZX Studio kit was what over-ring. The sound technician at the
wood and glue together at exactly the impressed me. It was as if the drums rep- Festival reported similar results. The
same hardness, so that they "virtually resented a blank canvas, and it was only mic's used in both situations were
become one" (according to Pearl). Stan- my choice of heads that gave the character essentially the same: Shure SM-98s on
dard finishes are Midnight Quartz and and color to the sonic image. I also the toms, SM57s on the snare, and an
Crimson Quartz; any of Pearl's lacquer attribute a certain amount of this "neu- SM-91 PZM mic' placed inside the bass
finishes are also available as a special trality of tone" to the internal shell finish drum.
order. The kit I played featured a 16x22 on the drums, which is much less glossy Okay, so we've got a drumkit that's
bass drum, 10x10, 10x12, and 12x14 rack and reflective than on other Pearl drums well-made, looks beautiful, can be
toms, a 16x16 floor tom, and a 6 1/2 x14 I've played. tremendously flexible in terms of its
snare—all in Midnight Quartz. However, there is a tradeoff involved acoustic character, is easy to control, and
The key virtue of this kit is "control." I with this flexibility. Some drums are for- sounds great through a sound system. Is
don't think I've ever played a kit that giving of less-than-exact tuning; the CZX there anything negative to report about it?
offered as much flexibility in terms of its Studio kit demanded that both top and That depends on how big you are.
acoustic character, and as much response bottom heads be tuned properly and in CZX Studio drums are heavy. I mean
to minimal tuning and muffling adjust- excellent relation to one another. If they HEA-VY! Those thick birch shells, com-
ments. I attribute this to the thick, heavy were otherwise, the drums sounded pretty bined with long lugs and Pearl's sizeable
shells. They simply did not resonate as "sour." This made the tuning process a tom mounts and leg holders, add up to a
much as thinner shells would—thereby little more lengthy than I've experienced lot of weight. (For example, the floor tom,
containing the sound frequencies pro- on other kits. (For example, to get the low without legs, weighs around 21 pounds!)
duced by the heads and focusing their pitch I like out of the bass drum, I had to Of course, it is the thickness and weight
 This is a drumkit that isn't for every-
one, but for those to whom it appeals it
offers tremendous capabilities—and out-
standing quality. It is, of course, priced
accordingly: Our test kit, if sold as a pack-
age with appropriate stands from the 800
series, would list for approximately
$3,790.

Pearl DR-100
Drum Rack
by Rick Van Horn
Pearl's original drum rack was one of the
first such devices, and it offered a revolu-
tionary way for drummers to create cus-
tom-tailored kit configurations in a mini-
mum amount of space. Recently, Pearl
introduced the DR-100 rack, with a new
design that features a lot of improve-
ments over the original. Those improve-
ments include:
1) Square horizontal bars. The original
of the shells that make the drums work I haven't gone into detail about the rest model featured rectangular bars, which
the way they do. For club drummers who of the hardware, because the CZX Studio permitted the mounting clamps for all the
play in one location for extended periods, kit is marketed more or less a la carte, hardware to be attached in only one way.
studio drummers who can leave the kit in with hardware of the buyer's choice. I As a result, all stand tubing had to come
the studio or have a cartage service han- used a combination of stands and pedals off the rack vertically. With square bars,
dle it, or touring drummers with road from Pearl's well-established 800 series, clamps can be attached to permit stand
crews, the weight of the CZX Studio kit which is uniformly excellent. I also used a tubing to come off horizontally, as well.
might not be a problem. However, for a DR-100 rack, which is reviewed separate- This could be very convenient for mount-
club or casual drummer who had to ly. ing legless hi-hats, suspended floor toms,
schlep the kit around a lot, its weight The only other problem I have to report and perhaps even suspended snare
would have to be a major consideration. concerns the snare drum. Although it had drums. It just gives the drummer more
Certain design elements of the CZX plenty of power and attack, it sounded flexibility where equipment mounting is
Studio kit contribute to the weight factor very "throaty" and deep. I simply could concerned.
unnecessarily. The floor tom leg assem- not achieve the pitch and crispness that I 2) Hinged clamps. Pearl's new PC-10
blies are a prime example. The legs— like from a snare—no matter how I varied and PC-5 clamps are hinged for easy
which are shorter than I'd like—are over the head or snare tension. I believe that a placement on, and removal from, the
3/8" thick, and the hinged leg holders fea- drum of this depth, with a shell this thick, rack. This means that clamps can be
ture springs that can rattle when the drum requires more snare coverage in order to added or removed without having to take
is played. I'd much sooner see longer, provide decent snare response, and I everything else off. The clamps them-
thinner legs, fitted into standard leg hold- would suggest that Pearl make a 42- selves are extremely sturdy, and are avail-
ers that don't open up. The memory collar strand snare available as an option. Oth- able in the two models shown to accom-
on each leg could still be used just as erwise, a shallower shell would be modate different sizes of hardware tub-
effectively, and a great deal of weight and required to achieve the more popular con- ing. Obviously, the square design of the
unnecessary mechanics could be saved. temporary snare sounds. rack makes it impossible for the clamps
to slip, which is an advantage over tubular legs), you can add as many additional every time—and position those items
rack systems. On the other hand, the bars and legs as you like to achieve the that aren't on the rack in the same place
square design does restrict the mounting configuration you desire. You can even as well—you won't get the same setup.
position of hardware to either a vertical or surround yourself totally with the rack. Although all the stands and mounts will
a horizontal configuration; there's no way Your only limitation is floor space. be in the same place on the rack, their
to get anything in between. This means I found that assembling or disassem- distances from you will wind up different.
that you must work with adjustable tom bling the rack was quick and easy. An Marking the points where the legs should
arms, cymbal booms, etc. in order to oversized allen screw (turned by an even be on the floor will establish those dis-
achieve exact positioning; you can't come more oversized key) holds each leg in tances properly—along with the angles of
off the rack at an angle with a straight place, and also connects the bar sections. the various bar-connection points.
stand. Remove this screw, and the rack breaks I wasn't fond of Pearl's original rack
3) Round steel legs. The legs of Pearl's down into a neat bundle of bars and legs, design; I found it too inflexible and a bit
previous rack were made of the same alu- easily transportable in a standard duffle shaky. The design of the DR-100 comes
minum tubing as the horizontal bars. or commercial rack bag, or simply tied very close to solving those problems com-
Their light weight made them nice to together with a bunji cord. Positioning pletely. (If Pearl could come up with a
carry, but did not afford the rack a stable clamps on the rack was easy, and once I'd clamp featuring a ratchet mount that
"anchor." The DR-100 felt totally solid, gone through the unavoidable headache would permit stands to come off the rack
due to the weight of the steel legs. involved with finding my "perfect setup," at an angle, that would make it just about
4) Two leg heights. Legs measuring it was simple and convenient to put the perfect.) I liked the convenience, the sta-
either 24 5/8" or 26 9/16" are available to rack together and achieve that setup bility, and the ease of handling that the
accommodate 22" (or smaller) and 24" again—almost instantly. DR-100 provided. Its anodized black fin-
bass drums. I say "almost" instantly, because I dis- ish makes it unobtrusive and able to com-
5) Modular construction. Every hori- covered something (the hard way) worthy plement just about any drumset finish.
zontal bar is 35 9/16" long, and can be con- of note: In order to re-establish your The basic, three-sided DR-100 (with four
nected to another bar (and a leg) via a setup each time, you'll need a drum rug, PC-10 clamps) lists for $370; the taller
coupling device that looks like a huge link platform top, or other surface on which DR-200 goes for $470. Add-on bar/leg
from a bicycle chain. Although a basic you can make "spike marks." Unless you expansion options for either rack are
rack system is three-sided (with four put the legs of the rack in the same place priced at $89.

Unique
Percussion
Pro-Rizer
by Rick Van Horn
mation on commercially available, he knows what working drummers are
portable, and affordable drum risers. up against when it comes to lack of
Drummers see their idols on MTV and vehicular space and set-up assistance.
Here's an affordable and in concert, perched up on massive steel His Pro-Rizer offers remarkably compact
platforms in wonderfully unrestricted size, reasonable ease of handling, simple
practical way for drummers
view of the audience—and want to emu- but attractive looks, and—most impor-
to move up in the world. late those artists. But how to do that tantly—efficient, stable performance.
without a road crew to handle the plat- The riser is of modular construction,
If ever there was a product whose time form and a tractor-trailer to carry it in? featuring two sections designed to fold
has come, this is the one. I can't tell you Here's how: the Pro-Rizer, from up for easy handling. When set up, the
how many letters I've received over the Unique Percussion Products. Its design- two modules are secured together by
past few years at MD begging for infor- er, Rich Filbert, is himself a drummer, so simple spring clamps. The platform tops
 Evans Genera
When set up, the riser I
tested gave me a platform 7'
wide by 5 1/2 " deep by 16"
2

EQ-3 Bass
high. (5' x 6' and 6' x 8' ver-
sions are also available, as
are heights of 12" and 20".)

Drum System
There are two breakdown
designs. Mine was the
"ultra-portable" version: a
three-fold design that broke
down into two sections that
each measured 42" long by by Rick Van Horn
22" high by 8" deep. This is
the size of a large suitcase,
and although it isn't petite, it's cer-
tainly manageable. The sections
weighed 60 and 65 pounds (the heav-
ier having the larger casters)—again,
not exactly light, but not worse than a
contemporary trap case. I'm no Hulk
Hogan, and I could handle each sec-
tion easily. (The "standard portable"
version is a two-fold design that
breaks down into 33" x 42" x 6" sec-
tions, and might take a taller person
are of 5/8" fir sheathing with an internal to handle comfortably.) Custom sizes,
load-bearing hardwood support. They shapes, and heights can be ordered, and
are supported by legs of PVC pipe, which skirting for the standard risers is avail-
are quite strong yet extremely light in able as an option. The Genera EQ-3 Bass Drum System
weight. The platform tops are covered In terms of the riser's performance: from Evans is a combination of heads
with gray carpet-like fabric often used When I placed my (fairly sizeable) kit on and a muffling pad, developed especially
for speaker boxes. It's a fairly neutral it, I found that it was very solid, with no for internal drum-miking applications. It
surface, giving focus to what's on top of movement at all—no matter how hard I consists of a Resonant front head (fitted
it instead of drawing attention to itself. played. The PVC legs supported the with a muffling ring and a 5" hole for
Setting up the riser from its collapsed platform securely, so there was no feeling venting and easy mic' placement), an
traveling mode takes almost no time. of sag in the center of the unit. If I unvented, double-ply batter head (that
With a little practice, I got it down to hadn't been looking over the heads of the features a permanent muffling "flap" as
four minutes, and breakdown was even players in front of me, I would never have well as a removeable E-Ring for further
faster. The riser collapses via a variety of known I was off the floor. muffling control), and a specially-
hinges, so there are very few loose parts Functional, durable, simple to use, designed muffling pad.
to deal with—only the two spring clamps and—perhaps most importantly—afford- As you might expect from the number
(which go inside the sections as they fold able, the Unique Percussion Pro-Rizer of times the word "muffling" was used
up) and two luggage straps to secure the answers a need expressed by drummers in the description above, the concept of
modules in their traveling mode. at all levels of the business—whether on the EQ-3 system is to create "an easily
The riser modules are thoughtfully fit- a rock 'n' roll stage or in a local lounge. miked, 'mainstream' acoustic bass drum
ted out with vinyl carrying handles in Prices for cataloged models range from sound and feel while optimizing the nat-
strategic places for lifting, and small $559 to $699; the model I tested lists at ural resonance of the bass drum head
wheels at one end to allow them to be $689. These prices certainly put the Pro- and shell." I tried the system in both
rolled like a hand truck. One of my mod- Rizer within the range of working drum- miked and unmiked situations, on DW
ules was fitted with larger swivel casters mers who realize the value of visibility. 16x22 and Gretsch 14x20 bass drums.
(available as an option for $39) that For further information, contact Unique Since the focus was on internal miking, I
allowed it to be used as a flat floor dolly Percussion Products, at 1801 Forrest Rd., employed a Shure SM91 PZM micro-
to wheel in other equipment. A very nice Baltimore, MD 21234, (301) 882-8700. phone placed atop the EQ-Pad inside
touch! the shell of each drum.
 In a nutshell, the EQ-3 system gives a kept the muffling pad in place. The drum
bass drum an excellent low-end sound, sounded great, and gave me all the pro-
accenting the fundamental pitch of the jection I needed. When I used the same
drum and dramatically removing undesir- kit in an extremely low-volume situation,
able higher frequencies. That's highfa- I put the EQ-3 batter back on—and got a
lutin' talk for: It gives a real good, low nicely controlled volume, without having
thud. The beauty of that was how easy it to sacrifice the tone and low-end I wanted
was to achieve. After mounting the heads from the drum.
on each of my test drums, I tuned them I really liked the flexibility of the EQ-
up as I would any bass drum head, then Pad. The Velcro strips that attached it to
installed the EQ-Pad. (This amounts to the shell made it possible to vary the
affixing a couple of strips of Velcro onto position drastically, yet kept it quite
the bottom of the shell, to create a set of secure no matter where I put it. I experi-
"tracks" that the pad itself attaches to. mented with muffling the batter head, the
The position of the pad can be easily front head, and neither head (by turning
adjusted on these tracks.) The pad is in the pad sideways in the shell). Each posi-
two sections: The lower section absorbs tion gave me a different tonality from the
sound in the shell cavity and provides a drum, which means I was provided with
base for the microphone; the upper sec- lots of musical choices. The pad stayed
tion rests against the batter head (or the put during transit, too (unlike packing
front head, if you prefer) and is free to blankets, some foam pads, and many
move with the impact of the beater. This other forms of bass drum muffling). Yet
gives the pad a "noise gate" function, when I wanted to remove it, I could easily
which it performs very well. The pad also do so through the vent hole in the front
features Velcro strips on the top of the head.
lower section, so that additional pads may Due to its inherent lack of projection in
be "stacked" for even more muffling an unmiked situation, I can't recommend
effect. the EQ-3 system for general-purpose use.
When used with a microphone, this So don't figure on putting these heads on
system was nothing short of amazing. and being able to play any gig, at any vol-
With absolutely no fuss or fiddling ume. However, if you consistently mike
around, I was able to get a tremendously your kit, this is the most convenient
fat, low kick sound—with no ringing method of getting—and keeping—a great
problem or unwanted boominess at all. bass drum sound that I've ever worked
And yet, the drum didn't sound "dead." I with. And if you are prepared to vary the
liked the fact that I could vary the amount EQ-3 components with some other, more
of muffling by moving the pad around; traditional head combinations, you'll find
some more permanent muffling systems that you'll get great results in unmiked
don't allow this flexibility. From night to situations, too. The total system carries a
night and room to room, I was able to vary suggested list price of $170.60 for the 20"
the resonance of the drum just enough to size and $183.40 for the 22". (A 24" pack-
achieve optimum sound, while the funda- age is also available at $196.40.) Individu-
mental tonal quality remained the same. al batter head prices are: 20" - $60.20; 22"
The EQ-3 system is available both as a - $66.60; and 24" - $73. Individual Reso-
package and as individual components. nant heads list for: 20" - $66.60; 22" - $73;
That makes it possible to use separate and 24" - $80.60. The EQ-Pad sells indi-
parts of the system to achieve the best vidually for $59.
results in any given situation. For exam-
ple, when I used the complete system on
my 20" Gretsch drum on a low- to moder-
ate-volume, unmiked gig, I found that I
didn't get enough projection from the
drum. I replaced the EQ-3 batter head
with a livelier, unmuffled head, but left
the EQ-3 Resonant head on the front, and
 ELECTRONIC REVIEW

Yamaha DTS70
use front panel and user interface. you've set this switch you simply go into
The DTS70's real strength is not so the "trigger learn" mode and let the
much that it contains all the features I DTS70 set up the parameters for your

Triggering
just mentioned, but how easy it is to particular triggers and pads. This pro-
access and use them. Of equal signifi- cess is extremely simple and straightfor-
cance, of course, is how well the trigger ward because the front panel makes

System
interface tracks. After all, even entry- sense. You have 11 buttons and a display
level units have many of these features, that tells you exactly where you are and
and you would certainly expect them what you're doing there. Hit the utility
from a high-end unit such as this. (I button once, then turn on the "trigger
even have a "wish list" for a few more at learn" and "MIDI learn" modes. (Once
by Ed Uribe the end of the review.) The big plus is you turn them on, they stay on until you
that, budget constraints aside, an entry- turn them off. You may want to do that
In Brief level user could get this unit fully opera- sometimes—like if you're tweaking a pad
Yamaha's DTS70 offers excellent track- tional without the pain involved in pro- while your sequencer or drum machine
ing from either acoustic drum triggers gramming some lower-level units. And is running. Otherwise the DTS 70 would
or pads, provides a wide variety of pro- with the DTS70 you have lots of room to change its MIDI note settings with the
gramming parameters for interfacing grow. information it sees at its MIDI
with MIDI sound sources, is easy to In—assuming you're plugged in to the
understand, program, and operate, and Trigger Inputs And Parameters MIDI In.) Press "performance," then hit
facilitates musical creativity. The 12- The DTS70 has 12 inputs for pads or the "edit" button. Hit the "down" page
input unit fits in two standard rack triggers. Each input has an attenuator arrow, which puts you on page two. Scroll
spaces, so it's as portable as it is versa- that allows you to take the signal as is to "autoset" and turn it.
tile. At $945 it isn't a budget item, but its (Odb attenuation) or "pad" your input You select what source you want the
performance makes it worth the price. signal by either 15 or 30 db. This allows DTS70 to learn, via the increment /
you to compensate for the signal differ- decrement keys. Select either pad, snare,
Yamaha's new DTS70 is a programmable ences between different manufacturers' high tom, low tom, or bass drum accord-
trigger-to-MIDI interface unit that pads or triggers—as well as the differ- ingly. This automatically causes the unit
offers a wide variety of exciting features. ences in trigger activity when placed on to make some internal settings regarding
It fits into two rack spaces and measures different drums. The manuals recom- the signal it expects to see. Hit the pad
approximately 13" front to back (which mend that you use certain settings for or drum three times, and you're done.
means you'll need an amp-depth rack to different drums; for instance, Odb for The unit sets the input gain and scan
carry it if you want to leave your snake or snares, 15db for toms, 30db for low toms time. Called "wait" by Yamaha, the scan
cables plugged in the back). It has 12 and bass drums. These recommenda- time determines how long the unit will
trigger inputs (each with a three-posi- tions work fine to get you started, but wait before actually reading the trigger
tion level attenuator and a direct analog keep in mind that this attenuation and signal. Assuming you are using a good
output so you can trigger an older analog the input gain work hand in hand. If you trigger, this time should be no more than
unit like the classic Simmons SDS F), "pad" your input, chances are you'll have 2.0 milliseconds on your bass drum. The
bypass, increment and decrement input to boost your gain (obviously not as low toms should have less, the high even
jacks, 48 performance memories, and 32 much as the value of the "pad"). As you less, the snare less yet, and a pad should
chain locations. It features one MIDI In, boost the gain, you forfeit some of your have around 0.2 milliseconds. (The
two MIDI Outs with assignable merge sensitivity. I never used the 30db setting. higher the wait time, the more chance
function, additional front panel MIDI In I started with the Odb setting and used for MIDI delay.)
and Out, and a large, clear LCD display. the 15db setting when needed. In fact, This "learning" process also sets min-
• Its complete MIDI implementation except in the rarest circumstances, I imum and maximum dynamic levels,
includes gate times, program changes, would be very suspicious of the quality of minimum velocity settings, gate time,
system exclusive, and complete control any pad or trigger that required 30-db and a default curve. I would have pre-
of triggering parameters. Additional fea- attenuation—assuming all your other ferred that the default curve be curve
tures include alternate mode, layering settings and trigger placement were number 2 (of the seven provided)
and crossfading up to four notes per okay. instead of number 1, since 2 is the most
input, MIDI and trigger "learn" func- Attenuation is the only parameter like the dynamic curve of an actual drum
tions, an internal power supply (thank you'll have to set manually before the performance—but you can't have every-
God!), and a very sensible and easy-to- DTS70 goes to work for you. Once thing. In any case, the process I just
described took me 20 seconds. (Honest!) notes are falling within the "rejection the note number and MIDI channel for
Now you repeat this process for all the time" you've set. each note. There is also a very handy
rest of your inputs. The "other" setting allows you to function called "multi parameter copy"
You "MIDI learn" all your inputs in an assign a rejection percentage to any given that can save you a lot of button pushing
equally easy way. Hit the source you're input to guard against it firing from activ- by copying the first note's MIDI parame-
working with, and press the pad on your ity at the other inputs. Again, be careful: ters to the other three note locations.
drum machine that has the sound you If you set this too high your polyphonic
want to play assigned to it. You also can capabilities (firing two triggers or pads at The Chain Mode
use a keyboard if you're doing note the same time) will be reduced. The "chain" mode allows you to chain
stacks for chords or you know the MIDI Another thing I should mention is the performances in any sequence that you
note number you want. The DTS70 will relationship between the trigger level, want them to appear as you step through
also set the MIDI channel of the sending velocity, and curve settings (page 4 in the chain. The mode has 32 steps, each of
device. That's it. As I mentioned before, "performance edit" mode). The DTS70 which can contain one performance. You
a "MIDI learn" feature is common on will read and send out MIDI velocity 001 can step through the chain manually with
many units today—but this one is the to 127 like any good unit should. Howev- the increment/decrement keys, with
easiest I've seen. er, some drum machines and tone gen- footswitches or pads plugged into the
Let's say your "MIDI learning" took erators don't read the full scope, and inc/dec jacks in the rear of the unit, or
one minute, and the "trigger learn" took there may be musical situations in which with pads plugged into trigger inputs ll
three or four minutes instead of 20 sec- you choose not to have the full range. and 12 and the "special function pad"
onds. So far that's five minutes. And let's Should this be the case, you can narrow setting turned on. (More on this later.)
say that you have something plugged into your minimum and maximum levels as My only problem here is that all 32
every one of the 12 inputs. A little simple well as your minimum and maximum chain locations are permanently en-
math will tell you that it won't take you velocity. If you do this, the velocity curve gaged. This means that if you assign five
more than an hour and a half to set this you select will adjust itself to fit into the performances to the chain function, you
unit up. Once you've set up one kit, you ranges you have specified. will step through performances 1 through
can call it something like "basic setup" 5 in your first five chain steps. But the
and store it to each of the 48 locations. Layering, Crossfading, sixth time you hit the pad you won't cycle
You now have the basic parameters from And Alternating Modes back to performance 1. You will be at
which to start creating any kind of kit By switching from the "single" mode to chain step 6—with nothing assigned to it.
you want. You can even have two or three the "multi" mode you can: You now have to go through and copy your
"basic setups" for different musical situ- 1. Stack up to four notes. This is particu- performances 1 through 5, back to back,
ations. If you need or desire even more larly useful for chords, bass notes, or until you get to performance 32. And
fine tuning, you can manually override drumkits that people can really feel. You since 32 is not divisible by 5, you have to
every parameter on the unit; you're not can also try layering a bass sound and a figure out some way around this. Not that
tied into any factory presets or defaults. bass drum sample on your kick—or what- you can't, but with such a high-end unit it
Two parameters I should mention are ever you can dream up. would have made a lot more sense to have
the "self" and "other" settings. These 2. Alternate up to four notes. This is great 32 possible chain positions, but not have
allow you to further guard against false for melodic passages or percussive them be active unless a performance is
triggering. With the "self" setting, you effects. Try alternating three or four dif- assigned to them.
can tell the trigger to ignore activity on ferent conga samples or tom-toms. Again,
the same drum for a predetermined your imagination is the limit. Other Features And Goodies
period. If you set it too low, you increase 3. Crossfade between two, three, and four Several other features of the DTS70
the chance of false triggering from even notes. You decide when they appear by are very useful. Some are very basic, but
a small vibration (if your minimum virtue of your triggering parameters and they make a lot of difference when you're
velocity and threshold settings are very the curve you select. (This is where programming the unit. These include:
low). If you set it too high, the trigger curves 4 through 7 really come in handy.) 1. The first letter of "PERF." becomes
will not respond to fast playing because With all of these modes you can select lower-case when you have edited a
performance parameter but have not yet you use inputs 10, l l , and 12 for the The Wish List
saved it. bypass, increment, and decrement func- Here are some features that I think
2. There is a "performance edit recall" tions. (Nice of you to think of this, folks, might improve the DTS70:
function. In case you miss the above but I would never want to give up the use 1. Make the layering function of the
warning, you can recall your last unsaved of three trigger inputs for this. Further- "multi" mode five notes.
edit and save it if you've screwed up and more, the actual bypass, inc/dec inputs on 2. Add a number keypad so you can key
changed to another performance without the back are not polarity sensitive—so you in your desired entry instead of having to
first saving your edits. can use any sort of on/off switch to access scroll to it.
3. There is a "copy" mode in which you them.) I don't like more pedals on the 3. Make it possible to "MIDI learn" a
can copy parameters four different ways: floor, but plugging pads into the inc/dec "stack" of notes in the "multi" mode.
one input to another, same performance; jacks will allow stepping through pro- Entering four notes per pad for an entire
one input to another, different perfor- grams or chains with sticks—which is solo piece is a heck of a lot of button
mance; one input to several others, same pretty handy. Try using a dual-zone pad pushing.
performance; and one input to several with one source in the "inc" jack and one 4. Disable the chain locations unless
others, different performance. source in the "dec" jack. there is a performance assigned.
4. You can name each of your perfor- 8. The unit will send and receive system
mances. exclusive dumps so you can save and back The Verdict
5. There is a program change table set up up your setups. The DTS70 is definitely the best trig-
for you to use so you can easily send one 9. There is a front-panel MIDI In and ger-to-MIDI interface I've had my hands
or several program changes per perfor- Out. (These will override your rear panel on. It lets you get by all of the mundane
mance. You can also assign which of the MIDI In and Out 1 jacks if you connect to initial setup processes and get to the
two MIDI ports you want the "pc" to go them.) These are extremely handy if you music. At $945 it's a little pricey, but on
out on. want to "MIDI learn" a new machine, take the other hand it does everything it
6. You can assign which of the two MIDI a temporary MIDI Out to some unit, or claims to do and does it well. If you are
outs you want a particular trigger routed just eliminate any of the many reasons you extensively into MIDI percussion, you
to. sometimes have to go digging around in may still need or want a dedicated pad
7. The "special function pad" feature lets the back of your rack. controller. You may simply find it more
practical to have one unit for the whole
job—and I still find the pads on the dedi-
cated controllers to have the best sensitiv-
ity. But the trigger inputs on the dedicat-
ed controllers I've tried don't come any-
where near those on the DTS70. Person-
ally, I see a need for both.
A word about triggers and pads: I test-
ed the unit with pads and triggers provid-
ed by Yamaha, as well as with two other
types. The cable of one of the Yamaha
triggers came apart from the trigger itself
while I was playing. I'm a good fix-it per-
son, but I don't think I could salvage this
one. The other two they provided held out
okay. I cannot say how your dealer or
Yamaha would warranty this happening.
Most manufacturers of trigger interface
products are now also making triggers
and pads—or having them made for
them. But all triggers and pads are not
created equal, and I encourage you to try
the DTS70 with several different models.
You may be quite pleasantly surprised. A
good interface unit should be compatible
with a wide array of products, and the
DTS70 is. And as a final bonus, the man-
ual is extremely well-written and there is
a very clear "getting started" sheet to get
you going quickly.
 PORTRAITS

The Drummers 0f Toronto

by T. Bruce Wittet

Toronto, Canada is a towering city, circumscribed by freeway Toronto is the Canadian city where, if opportunity doesn't
overpasses, with a downtown that could be Manhattan. Rich in knock, it's just down the hall. It seemed appropriate, then, for
population and cultural diversity, Toronto is where Canadians Modern Drummer to interview four prominent drummers
can live and breathe the arts. Here, as many musical careers from Toronto. Despite their youth, Paul DeLong, Rick Grat-
are launched in 22nd-floor boardrooms on Bay Street as in ton, Mike Slosky, and Charlie Cooley are respected veterans,
Queen Street bars. The home of Much Music (Canada's video constantly busy with the variety of work available, ranging from
network) and the location of choice for the record companies, rock tours to jingles, and from theater pit to studio.

Paul DeLong Rick Gratton

I first heard Paul DeLong over a decade ago, in a crowded Canadians have been aware of Rick Gratton's playing since the
club, when he was with guitarist Domenic Troiano's band. The days of Rough Trade, a group (now, sadly, defunct) equally
band was loud, and the drums weren't really miked up as they famous for its kinky humor as its R&B grooves. But a familiari-
should have been, but there was this unshakeable pulse. Paul ty with Rough Trade-era Gratton is not adequate preparation
DeLong was in command, no question about it. That's why it for today's Gratton on the clinic circuit: It's like Tony Williams
comes as a surprise that Paul's falling out with the Kim meets Billy Cobham for twelve rounds, and they both go the dis-
Mitchell band some years later (after several albums) hinged, tance.
ironically, on the issue of solid, rock 'n' roll drumming. BW: With Rough Trade you recorded what was probably the
BW: Domenic Troiano's band was a big gig—at least in Cana- first Canadian direct-to-disc album. I'd like to hear about that.
dian terms—and it did spill over to parts of the United States. RG: Jack Richardson, who produced the Guess Who, produced
How did that come about? the record. At the time, we were playing steadily at a club
PD: That was my first big gig. I auditioned for that three called the Chimney, on Yonge Street. He took us into the stu-
times, and every time I blew it because I was so nervous. But dio and wanted to give us a rockier edge, where we had been
there was something about my playing that Troiano liked, so playing more or less in an R&B style. He made me play totally
he went with me. It was a great start to my pro career. I still different, and I was very uncomfortable playing that way.
Mike Slosky Charlie Cooley
Once upon a time, not too long ago, I was called to sub for Mike Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1961, Charlie Cooley has
Slosky on a blues gig he would do between outings with Bruce made great strides in the ten years he's lived in Toronto. While
Cockburn. I played, and the band members seemed happy. But best known for his work with the respected neo-Latin ensemble
starting before the sweat dried during the first break, and con- Manteca, Charlie covers the gamut with ease. With a "let's take
tinuing through the three-night engagement, I was barraged by care of business" attitude, he's not afraid of playing simple, and
comments on the way Slosky would have done it. Mind you, he's got a great big sound that breathes all the more for the sim-
they were satisfied with me; it's just that they were missing plicity.
something extra—something special that Mike was able to give BW: You appear on a number of Manteca albums, including
them. I've always felt Mike's playing is a little special; it's a the recent Canadian release Extra, Extra and the U.S. release
real treat to behold him playing exactly what's right for Cock- Perfect Foot. You must have gotten some good preparation in
burn, alongside Fergus Marsh on Chapman Stick and Hugh Halifax to jump into all this stuff.
Marsh on violin. The stuff they do is as good as it gets. But, as CC: I had a great teacher, Craig Reiner, who was performing at
you'll see as the interview progresses, Mike's not going to be one that time with the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. We used to
to wave his own flag. have an exercise called the Cod Liver Oil, where you go from
BW: Before the Bruce Cockburn gig, you played in singles, to doubles, to a buzz roll thing—back and forth. I
Strangeness Beauty, Songship, and Godao Chorus, with Mary recently started teaching at Just Drums, and now I'm giving
Margaret O'Hara. You did her solo album, too; that must have my students that same exercise!
been somewhat different from a Bruce Cockburn session. In the Halifax educational system, they had orchestras,
MS: We did the tracks four years ago in Wales, in an out-in- choirs, singing groups, stage bands, and jazz bands—with
the-country studio that was put together in the early '70s. It players who could really play. And I'd listen to the Beatles,
was really the most gorgeous place to record. The bass player Grand Funk, and much later to the Atlanta Rhythm Section
on the record was David Piltch, from Strangeness Beauty. We and Toto. I was a big Jeff Porcaro fan. I was less into fusion. In
played in a few bands together, like M+M. We did their last Toronto, a lot of players get pegged, which I like, because I get
album at Morin Heights. It was pretty "electronic-y." They pegged as "the straight groove player."
brought their pre-production stuff from home to the studio BW: I'm interested in what Latin studies or experience pre-
and transferred that to 24-track, and we used that as a refer- pared you for Manteca.
ence in our headphone mix while we played. CC: I mainly had to learn a salsa-type groove. The salsa thing
BW: That's a weird sort of click track. in Toronto seems to be deeply rooted. I think it might have to
MS: Yeah, I didn't really like it, and I still don't like it. Bruce do with ethnic diversity in this area. There's a Latin show on
Cockburn's latest album is great; we used no click track, and the radio, and everything's opened up so much. In true salsa,
 CLUB SCENE

Beating The
to utilize this feature, you can mark the adjustment is better than total breakdown
various sections at their proper level with and reassembly.
crayon, permanent marker, or some other If you have stands that mount multiple

Breakdown
means that will stay on the stands. (This items via accessory clamps, leave the
may not be easy, considering the amount clamps in place. Again, use a hardware
of handling they normally take.) These container large enough to accommodate

Blues
marks can be in an "L" or inverted "T" this. If possible, leave whatever the clamp
shape, so as to indicate how each section holds (tom arm, mini-boom, etc.) in
matches with the next one both horizon- place, too. If you must remove that item,
tally and vertically. This system will work be sure to have its position locked with a
well if you have mainly traditional straight memory device of some kind.
by Rick Van Horn or boom stands with no accessory items. I would much rather have slightly larg-
If, however, you use multi-clamps, er-than-usual trap cases (and enlist the
According to most drummers I know, accessory arms, mini-booms, and any of aid of band members to load them) than
playing in a band is a pretty enjoyable the other gadgetry now available to create spend precious minutes before a gig sort-
profession. There's a certain amount of custom setups, you need ing out and assembling a
glamor involved, even at the local club to establish the memory- complicated mass of
level. You're doing something that
most—if not all—of your audience can't
lock systems I mentioned
earlier. Once you have "The drumkit components—to
say nothing of disassem-
do. You're handling complicated and
mysterious equipment, and exhibiting
done this, you then have
to consider how to break less you bling and packing up the
same mass at the end of a

have to
special talents. It's fun, it's rewarding, down and pack up in the long night. Being able to do
and—let's face it—it's generally pretty quickest (but most accu- a minimal breakdown and a
good for the ego.
That, of course, refers to the time
rate) manner. If you
employ a drum rack, with take apart, quick load-out constantly
justifies the effort I made
when you're performing. We generally
don't talk much about the unglamorous
multiple upper sections
of tom arms and cymbal the less in obtaining (or in some
cases, building) the over-

you have to
side: loading in, setting up, breaking booms, this becomes even sized containers I use.
down, loading out, driving home...head more important. When you think about it,

put back
'em up, RawHIDE! Well, nothing is going My feeling has always the total weight of the
to make that part of the job go away, but I been that the less you equipment is the same, no

together."
can offer a few tips to make it a bit easier. have to take apart, the less matter how much or how
Hopefully, these will help you to maxi- you have to put back little it's disassembled. But
mize the "magic time" by minimizing the together. This, in turn, the amount of time spent
mundane time. means less time spent setting up or breaking
setting up, and less worry down the same kit can be
Hardware Breakdown about whether things are very different, indeed,
Most hardware today is equipped with back together correctly. depending on the extremes
memory collars of some kind, and for So, my advice is: Don't to which those tasks are
those pieces that aren't, most drummers break anything down any taken.
are aware of the availability of pipe further than you have to.
clamps, shaft collars, and other mechani- If you have traditional stands, why worry Cables
cal devices that can be used in their about whether to telescope them or take More and more drummers today are
place. In this day and age, there simply is them apart? Why not just get a hardware miking their drumsets. Recognizing this,
no reason why any piece of hardware can- bag long enough to accept the stands set several companies have recently intro-
not be fit-matched to the piece it con- at their full playing height, with only their duced microphone models that offer
nects with. tripods collapsed? (This could be any- excellent performance in very compact
Some drummers complain that since thing from a professional hardware bag to packages. The idea is to keep the mic's as
the use of memory collars requires the an old golf bag. It doesn't automatically inconspicuous and out of the drummer's
various parts of the stands to be packed require a large expenditure.) You might way as possible. This is terrific, but it
up separately, this defeats the purpose of need to rotate a boom arm down along- doesn't do a thing about the problem of
telescoping stands, namely: convenience. side the vertical shaft, but the boom's multiple mic' cables, and how to keep
I can't argue with that. If you have stands playing position can easily be marked them inconspicuous and out of the way.
that telescope into themselves and wish with a bit of tape or a marker, and one And if a drummer uses triggers or elec-
tronic pads, there are even more cables to so this is the case.) If, however, the mixer to my helper, who puts it in its case. This
worry about. All these cables can create a is off to one side and everything must leaves me with bare stands. I break these
messy-looking kit when they are in use, ultimately go in that direction, a single down—minimally—and give them to my
and a real time-consuming headache to cable hod is usually the best idea; it cer- helper, who fits them into my trap cases.
straighten out and pack up after the gig. tainly is easier to pack up and carry. When all else is gone, the only things left
The answer to this problem is to bun- on stage are my mic's and cables (which I
dle the mic' and/or patch cables into a Efficient Packup have bundled neatly so that I can just
"hod" (or "poor man's snake"). This not Here's a time-saving tip that I discov- wrap them up quickly and pop them into
only keeps them neat while on the kit, it ered the hard way. I've worked in any their container). My helper doesn't have
also makes them easier to break down number of clubs where the drums were to know anything more about drums or
and travel with. The key to doing this set up on a small stage or riser, against a hardware than how to put them in a case
successfully is to employ a method that back wall (and often in a cramped or bag, and I don't have to spend twice
will keep the cables bundled securely, yet alcove). The stage, in turn, faced out onto the amount of breakdown time I should
can be easily removed and re-installed if the dance floor area. When it came time walking between the stage and my cases.
and when you want to add or remove a for me to break down and pack up my kit, It's a simple system, but it works won-
given cable from the hod. I couldn't get my cases on stage behind ders.
Start by setting up your kit and or near my kit; they had to be placed on By the way, I reciprocate for this help
installing all the necessary mic's and/or the dance floor area in front of the stage. from my bandmates by being the first one
electronics. Next, figure how much slack As the drums came off the kit, I was faced at each gig and checking out all the tech-
is needed for all the cable runs. Then, with the choice of stacking them up on nical details (like stage space, power
working from the end of the cable fur- the stage beside me (taking up room nec- sources, lights, etc.) I also have my drums
thest from the mixing board, start work- essary for further breakdown of stands) set up early enough to be available to help
ing the slack backwards toward the board. or walking down off the stage to where set up our P.A. system. We don't have any
Using simple wire ties (such as are used the cases were, putting the drums away, roadies, so we employ a team effort to
to wrap around the necks of trash or leaf and then walking back. make our setups and breakdowns as effi-
bags), bundle the cables every few inch- This same problem existed if I tried to cient and painless as possible—which
es. Each time a new cable is reached, give start with the hardware. As soon as I put keeps us all more excited about the time
it a few feet of slack, and then add it to my cymbals in their bag, I had a bunch of in between!
the bundle. If you want any cables to trav- stands waiting to be put away, but no easy
el down particular stands in order to be way to break them down and get them
even more inconspicuous, put a wire tie right into their container. Once again, if I
on that particular cable (or on the stand) piled them up, they created a space prob-
at a point where it can affix the cable to lem. If I took them, a few at a time, to the
the stand but be easily untied at the end hardware bag, I was doing a lot of walk-
of the gig. ing.
Don't use tape for cable hods. Masking That's a long story to illustrate a sim-
tape is too weak and is conspicuous due ple principle: Get some help! Many
to its light color; electrical tape is messy drummers—even at the club level—have
and unreliable; and duct tape is hard to drum techs. If you do, you're set, and you
get off in a hurry in order to make can stop reading at this point. But if you
changes. Stick with garden-variety wire don't, get someone to help you pass your
ties. You can get them in most hardware equipment from where it comes off the
stores, either pre-cut, or on a roll of 1,000 kit to where the cases are. This can be a
feet, which you can cut to length as need- designated drum tech, a good buddy, a
ed. It would be good if they could be in spouse, or (as in my case) a bandmate.
the same color as your cables, but even if My band members soon learned that if
they aren't, they're the easiest and quick- they helped me get my gear offstage and
est method of securing cables into a hod. packed up quickly, we all got home earli-
If it is easier to reach your mixing er.
board from the drums by starting at the Here's my breakdown system. I stay
center front of the kit and going around behind the kit, first pulling off my cym-
the two sides, it might be necessary to bals and bagging them. The bag is hand-
create two separate cable hods. (My ed to my helper. Then I remove the
mixer is placed immediately behind me, drums. As each one is removed, I hand it
 DRUM SOLOIST

Max Roach:
"Blue 7"
Transcribed by Thomas R Barrick

Some say he's the most musical drummer of all time. This month's Drum Soloist features the one and only Max
Roach demonstrating some of his artistry, performing a solo from the Sonny Rollins album Saxophone Colossus
(Fantasy OJC-243). "Blue 7" is one of Sonny's best recorded blues, and it showcases Max. Once again he shows us
that phrasing, feel, and dynamics are keys to his flowing and melodic solo work.
Max chooses a smooth, gliding groove led by his ride cymbal and hi-hat, to allow for a conversation between
snare, bass, and toms. Although not notated, Max plays his hi-hat on 2 and 4 throughout, as well as the bass drum
on all four except where indicated. His use of dynamics are apparent in certain rolls (measures 23 and 39), which
add color to the solo. Beginning in measure 45 the phrasing becomes creative by grouping rhythms in a three feel. After taking its course, it
then resolves back to the common meter. This grouping characteristic is used again (measures 57 - 58 and 67 - 68) as a means to phrase
his triplet figure. Measures 69 - 72 and 75 - 76 show a more involved version of the three grouping, bringing about more motion. Measures
77 - 79 then reinstate the melodic grouping from measures 45 - 46, building the solo to a well executed climax. Check it out.
 LIAISON

The purpose of this department is to provide an avenue of offer all of those stands with the same functional
communication directly between the consumers of drum features—such as tilters, memory locks, etc.—so that drum-
and percussion equipment and those who design and manu- mers who don't need the heavy-duty stuff can still enjoy the con-
facture that equipment. We invite all MD readers to venience of those features.
respond to the questions presented; a representative selec- Carl Nelson
tion of responses will be printed in a following issue. Titusville PA

November'91's question was:

Do you feel that pro-level drum and cymbal stands There's a place for both kinds of hardware. Heavier players can
need to be as heavy-duty as they are, or would you benefit from the strength of the bigger stuff, and there's no
like to see manufacturers place more emphasis on denying its visual appeal. Audiences are impressed by it, and
lighter-weight, iess-expensive models? that's a tangible value in today's image-conscious market.
However, I'm not in that market; I'm in the local-clubs-and-
weddings circuit. I need hardware that isn't big and heavy—but
As durable, yes! As heavy, no! The average working drummer is is every bit as durable and reliable as the stuff that is. I don't
not wealthy and must carry his own equipment. Manufacturers begrudge the strength required by the "heavy hitters," but I
should stop sapping his strength (and tapping his wallet) even absolutely resent being treated as a "second-class citizen" by the
before the gig starts. Lighter-weight metals with tubular tripod manufacturers when it comes to the appointments on the
legs would keep the durability up and the expense down—thus lighter-weight stuff. Tilters, bushings, amount of height adjust-
providing a win-win situation for manufacturer and consumer ment, and other operational features are definitely short-
alike. changed on a lot of the "second-line" stuff. This isn't the case
Marv Gordon everywhere; DW makes an excellent light-weight (for them) hi-
N. Miami Beach FL hat, and Pearl and Yamaha offer light-weight stand series that
are well-made. (But even they skimp on the tilters.)
I've always tried to give a top-quality performance, even
I have been playing for over five years, and I plan to buy my first though my gigs are in clubs, rather than arenas. I see no reason
kit this summer. I do a lot of research with drum catalogs. In why I shouldn't expect to get top-quality performance from
doing so, I have found one thing time and time again: Every drum equipment designed to meet my needs. And I'm certainly
manufacturer puts far too much pressure upon drummers to not alone. I think the manufacturers may be overlooking a major,
buy monstrous, double-braced stands. There are other options. long-term market in their efforts to "cash in" on the heavy-rock
Take Ludwig's Modular, Rocker, and Classic stands, for exam- boom.
ple. I find Modular stands to be too muscular, Rocker to be great Frank Triana
in price and size, and Classic to be the best. Pro or not, anyone Los Angeles CA
who needs a double-braced stand has a major equipment-abuse
problem, and usually pays twice as much for hardware. Take a
look at models like Rocker, Tama's Stagemaster, Pearl's 750 In response to your inquiry, I don't believe that "lighter weight"
series, Yamaha's 500 series, and other light-weight hardware. and "less expensive" need necessarily be combined. Those of us
You'll be surprised at the quality—and the prices! setting up and tearing down several times a week at various loca-
Kris Hammerstein tions (and often having to carry the gear over great distances)
Elkhart IN would be more apt to consider size, weight, and durability than
low price. I can assure you that when 1:00 A.M. rolls around, the
price of my hardware is the least of my considerations!
The main factors determining the need for heavy-duty stands One of the manufacturers—Gibraltar—is on the right track
would be the style and the attitude of the drummer. If a drum- with their aluminum stands—although they are bulky. Three
mer plans to kick the kit across a stage...well..he or she should cymbal stands and a snare stand won't fit into my trap case.
opt for the sturdiness of the heavier stands (if they are to be Mike Elder
used again). El Paso TX
I have found that most lighter-weight stands can take as much
wear-and-tear as the heavy-duty stands can. The only real differ-
ence is that the lighter-weight stands do not have some of the Being an owner of both lightweight and heavy-duty cymbal
special features that can be found on the heavy-duty models. stands, I feel I can give an honest answer. It is not very often
It makes sense for manufacturers to offer stands of differing that any of my cymbal stands move, loosen, or fall over. I do
weights and leg-bracing configurations to suit various playing feel that companies are generally going overboard with the
styles and weights of drums and cymbals. However, they should heavy-duty stands; they seem to be somewhat of a gimmick tar-
geted at heavy hitters. On the other hand, I do mount my toms This month's question pertains to the products offered by
on heavy-duty floor stands, where I believe such stands are cymbal, drumhead, drumstick, and other accessory com-
necessary. panies—many of whom promote their extensive range of
Rob Craigmyle sizes, models, sounds, etc. While this offers consumers a
Providence Rl wide selection of products tailored to meet their personal
needs, it also creates a potentially daunting amount of
choices to be considered. So our question is:
Yes, I do think drum companies need to produce heavy-duty,
double-braced stands. I use double-braced stands because Do you appreciate the wide range of choices avail-
they are durable and dependable. I am a hard hitter, and when I able when it comes to selecting cymbals, drum-
lay into a cymbal, I don't want to see my stand wobble or move heads, drumsticks, and other accessories, or does
around. I saw a show once where a drummer hit his China, and the number of choices make the selection process
the whole stand toppled over. I like my equipment to take a difficult or confusing?
beating, and I don't think it is that heavy to carry—especially
when I have a hand from my friends on the crew. Send your response to Liaison, Modern Drummer maga-
Shaun Merrill zine, 870 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009.
Boston MA Please limit your response to 150 words or less, so that we
may have the opportunity to print as many responses as
possible.
 TRACKING

Getting Your Sightreading Together

by Emil Richards

Before we start this month, I would like to make a correction to cerned with mistakes, because what you're mainly concerned
a statement that was made in one of my previous articles. In with now is developing your reading skills. When you have time
that article it incorrectly stated that in studio calls we get two you can go back and try to learn the piece.
ten-minute breaks per hour. The truth is, we get one ten- Another good practice method is to find one new rhythmic
minute break every hour, so on a three-hour call we get thirty figure or pattern each day. Look through fake books, jazz
minutes of rest time. When you see the amount of music we go charts, or contemporary music to discover some new syncopa-
through in a three-hour session, you can well understand why tion you haven't seen before. If you can't find a rhythm you
we need to break every hour. haven't seen before, write one down yourself. Just sing an
Now on to this month's lesson. When I was young and interesting phrase, then write it out. In time you'll have a
studying mallets, there wasn't as much literature to study or to manuscript book full of "licks" that you can call on when solo-
read as there is today, so naturally, the mallet students would ing or composing.
study from flute, piano, and violin books. It was good training, The mallet parts that I have been running across in the stu-
because you can never read enough new music. Studying other dios recently are becoming more complex and lengthy. When I
types of literature will help you to be prepared for anything you used to get called for a mallet session, it would involve a lot of
may run across, especially in the studio. measure counting, and then all I'd have to play would be a
A good routine to get into is to read at least one new piece of three-bar phrase. But these days, the mallet parts are written
music every day. Take anything, like the examples accompany- so that they are doubling what the other sections in the orches-
ing this article, and just read through it. Don't be overly con- tra are playing, and there are fewer and fewer measures of rest.
That brings us to the music for this article. It's from the hit
TV series The Simpsons. When I played the original part, I
didn't have much to play. But after the orchestra was dis-
missed, composer Danny Elfman asked me to stay and overdub
the entire first violin part. I had to read through the part rather
quickly, and if I hadn't kept up on my reading, I could have
been in trouble. At that point I was very glad that I had studied
out of those violin books years ago! So, as percussionists, we
have to keep our reading skills sharp.
 FROM THE PAST

Zutty Singleton
by Burt Korall

Zutty Singleton was born in Bunkie,

Louisiana, not far from the Crescent
City, in 1898. Like others of his time and
place, Zutty (whose name is Creole
patois for "cute") was affected by
vaudeville and ragtime. But essential to
the character of his performances—par-
ticularly his older recordings—are the
march rhythms and sense of syncopation

Photo courtesy of Rutgers Institute Of Jazz Studies

of New Orleans and early jazz.
Who and what was Arthur James Zutty
Singleton? Essentially, he was a visionary
who did many things first, like playing
brushes, using the sock cymbals (a fore-
runner of the hi-hat), and introducing a
variety of ideas (including organized
drum solos of a full chorus or more) that
later were adopted by others.
No context seemed at all intimidating
to Zutty. He was at home in marching
bands in New Orleans, or with Louis ly, indicating an instinctive understand- leader Artie Shaw adds, "Zutty was very
Armstrong in small and bigger bands in ing for the freedom and discipline of jazz smooth. He had that kind of nice, steady
New Orleans, Chicago, and New York. and the idiosyncrasies and styles of its beat. His style was absolutely straight
For some of his best early work, try players. He used the snare and bass and simple—no pyrotechnics, just good
Louis Armstrong, Volume IV: Armstrong drum most, but brought the whole and solid. He'd wag his head as he
And Earl Hines (Columbia Jazz Master- instrument into play when needed. played. And he had a funny kind of
pieces)—specifically "No Papa, No," in His was the work of an uncluttered inward smile when he was really swing-
which he introduces the whole drumset mind. He used the most direct means to ing."
on a recording. move music along, never forcing time, Bassist Milt Hinton, who worked with
Singleton adapted well to the Roy just directing it and holding it firm, Zutty in Chicago in the 1930s, adds, "He
Eldridge eight-piecer at the Three while giving the beat an unusual sense of was the dominant force in the rhythm
Deuces in Chicago in 1937, and brought buoyancy. In short, Zutty brought music section. He maintained the time and was
to it a marvelous pulse and sense of vividly alive. He made you listen and feel. in full control."
quality. Try "Heckler's Hop" on Roy And how he could swing! Where did Zutty learn? What was he
Eldridge—Little Jazz (Columbia Jazz Veteran record producer Milt Gabler, like and how did he go about his busi-
Masterpieces). More than a generation who supervised Commodore record ness? The late Nesuhi Ertegun, a friend
away from his roots, Singleton plays in a dates that featured Zutty, says, "He had a and fan of Singleton and one of jazz's
manner that is just right for the little great feeling for time. The guy could great record producers and critics, pro-
swing band. Even with Charlie Parker really back up a soloist and get the band vided crucial information about the
and Dizzy Gillespie on Slim Gaillard to swing. Zutty gave a group of musi- drummer in conversations we had sever-
records later on, he fit right in. cians a kick with the bass drum foot in al years ago: "Zutty learned in the streets
The heart of the matter is that Zutty unusual places—to goose them, to drive of New Orleans, much as his great friend
never got old. He took his cues from them." Armstrong did," Ertegun asserted. "He
each environment and moved according- Legendary jazz clarinetist and band- first played on home-made instruments.
He didn't buy his first sets; he actually Creative and very instinctive, he knew much cymbal. I liked Cottrell's roll and
made them himself. what to do to make music more interest- the tone he got. I liked the way Dedroit
"On a lesser scale, Zutty did for drums ing. Because of his talent and wonderful played with the theater acts."
what Armstrong did for jazz trumpet. He personality, he worked with a lot of excel- Singleton told Russ Sanjek in a 1941
gave the instrument freedom. He took it lent musicians and recorded a good deal. interview in HRS Rag, "I never heard
from its rather limited, strict timekeeping But, unfortunately, Zutty had nothing at Cottrell take a break. He just played foun-
function in New Orleans music and made the end of his life, absolutely nothing— dation. What time and swing that man
it a little more of a virtuoso instrument. only the love and respect of all those who had! On a parade he would really play."
Expanding the drums' role, he added new knew him and his drumming." Singleton's playing was directly linked
colors and tonalities. He had all kinds of Singleton initially became involved with with that of Cottrell. "When I was coming
attachments on the set—the rachet, for drums as a youngster. His Aunt Carrie up," he once said, "I just wanted to con-
example, which stemmed from vaude- bought him his first real set. His first centrate on keeping time. My style is just
ville—and he brought them into play for professional jobs in New Orleans were a simple style, but it fits the music."
color or novelty effects. with pianist Steve Lewis. They performed Ray McKinley, in a column in
"I became quite close to Zutty over the at dances at the New Orleans Country Metronome in 1940, cast additional light
years," Ertegun remembered. "He was Club and the Louisiana Jon the Singleton style. He
very friendly if he cared about you. Like Restaurant. Playing at said, "In this week's
all New Orleans people, he was extremely theaters—with Lewis at Time...there is a picture and
polite, well-mannered, and always very the Rosebud and with "The heart some praise of Zutty Single-
careful about being well-dressed. He had John Robichaux and the ton at a jam session. I am
a certain native elegance and charm. pit band at The Lyric— of the glad it was Zutty and not
"But as nice as he could be, he had were great learning expe- Gene, Buddy, Dave Tough,
negative feelings about certain things, riences for the young matter is Cozy, Jo Jones, or me. Or
which he would reveal to you after he drummer. He came to indeed, any drummer who
came to know and trust you. Piano players know what to do for that Zutty can do a paradiddle, a fast
were the bane of his existence. He felt dancers, jugglers, come- string of triplets, or any of
that there was a conflict in a band dians, and singers, and never got the rest of it, because this
between the drums and piano. Zutty had how to utilize the drum- session was Grade-A jazz,
the feeling that very often piano players set to underscore various old. His and when it's for this,
were trying to make him look bad." situations while playing nobody cares how much
It was Ertegun's contention that for silent pictures. Sin- was the you've practiced or how fast
"Zutty's element as a drummer was small gleton learned by doing; your wrists are or whether
groups—trios, quartets. In a small band, it was a matter of on-the- work of an you've got any teeth. All they
he could listen to the soloists and play job training. want is a beat—no tan-
with or against them. In big band drum- Other drummers had uncluttered gents—and Zutty has just
ming, you have to pull the whole thing an effect on Zutty. Early that.
together. And I don't think Zutty was on in New Orleans, mind." "He is the only drummer
equipped to do that. Louis "Old Man" Cot- I know who is absolutely
"Like all great jazz drummers," Erte- trell (who played at the unaware of rudiments,"
gun said, "he had the ability to swing and Orpheum Theater), Paul McKinley continued. "He
lift and change things. He could play a lit- Dedroit, and Henry Zeno gets his kicks from the
tle rim shot in a key spot, and everything influenced him; much surge of the primary beat
would change and begin to move. It could later, he expressed an itself (one, TWO, three,
be electric! When you listened to him in interest in Max Roach FOUR), and that is why he
person, and on records, too, it was clear and Rufus Jones. His favorite, though, is great. His variations on this beat are
that Zutty had a complete sense of was Gene Krupa. Singleton told British simple, nearly always plain vanilla, with
dynamics. And he had a way of linking critic Ray Coleman, "I don't say he's the some syncopations based on four or eight
phrases and choruses with charming fills best, but he's my boy." to a bar."
or licks. Not too many drummers could About Cottrell, Dedroit, and Zeno, Singleton's association with Louis
do that in the late 1920s and in the '30s, Zutty told jazz historian Martin Williams, Armstrong in the late 1920s is a primary
which were his really big years." "They all knew how to phrase, and they landmark of his career. His Hot Five and
The discerning Ertegun concluded, all played under the band—never loud or Hot Seven recordings with the trumpet
"He was a musician in the true sense. overbearing. And they never played too master (Columbia) made him world-
famous, even though a number of the Fats Waller, Lena Home, Cab Calloway, plete Victor Recordings (RCA), provides a
recordings did not fully reveal the extent Bill Robinson, and others, the aforemen- good view of Singleton. His performance
of his talent because of the limitations of tioned New Orleans with Armstrong and is a matter of a variety of percussive col-
the recording process during the period. Billie Holiday, and Turned Up Toes ors. On this and on "Good Old New
Singleton never returned to Armstrong (1949). York" from Jelly Roll Morton: New
on a full-time basis after the job at Con- The list of Zutty's recordings is end- Orleans Memories & Last Band Dates
nie's Inn in New York in 1929. Louis and less. But to get a good idea of how the (Commodore, released by Atlantic), he
Zutty made recordings together and great man played, try "Moppin" And plays pulsatingly and creates interesting,
were in the film New Orleans (1946). Boppin'"—a lesson in creative timekeep- well-structured solos. He was ahead of
But it remains a music business mystery ing and using the elements of the drum- the pack on the first session in 1929, and
why these two friends were never togeth- set in a highly provocative manner. It can still evolving 11 years later on the second.
er for an extended period of time after be found on the current album Fats Zutty Singleton left a trail of excellence
the halcyon days in New Orleans, Chica- Waller And His Rhythms—The Last when we lost him in 1975; we should con-
go, and New York. Years (1940-1943) (RCA-Bluebird). sider ourselves thankful that the records
But Singleton made his own sort of I also suggest the Columbia Armstrong and so many memories remain. A vivid
history, with and without Louis. He and Eldridge sessions, and the Pee Wee verbal picture of Zutty, drawn by distin-
played in New Orleans, Chicago, New Russell Trio 1941 date on Commodore, guished New Yorker jazz critic Whitney
York, Los Angeles, and numerous other co-featuring clarinetist Russell and Balliett in his book Such Sweet Thunder,
American cities, as well as in Europe. pianist Joe Sullivan. On the latter, pay reveals the essence of Zutty's gift:
His credits are diverse and wide-ranging, close attention to the Singleton solo vehi- "The warmth and drive and pleasure
including dates with Fate Marable, cle "About Face." The drummer develops that flow out of Singleton and his drums
Charlie Creath's band, the Carroll Dick- a highly effective 48-bar solo—four blues is irresistible. He is the sun...he exudes
erson band, Earl Hines, Jimmie Noone, choruses—using press rolls, triplets, and delight when he plays. Emotions chase
Roy Eldridge, Eddie Condon, Bobby tom-tom, cowbell, and woodblock effects. and flicker through him, appearing when
Hackett, Bubber Miley, Otto Hardwick, Zutty's work seems pre-edited; he gets to he drops his eyelids and hoists his eye-
Fats Waller, the dancing Berry Brothers, the heart of ideas, condenses them, and brows, when, abruptly lunging at a cym-
the great Bill Robinson, Mezz Mezzrow, moves from one to another without wast- bal, his stick a truncheon, he clamps his
Joe Marsala, Sidney Bechet, and Slim ing strokes. The track is available on a lips shut; and when delivering a mighty
Gaillard, and with the T-Bone Walker single LP, Three Deuces And Hot Four roll, he shakes his head from side to side
Band that had Charles Mingus on bass. (Commodore), and as part of the com- with a fury that compounds his rhythms.
He was also the leader of a variety of his plete Commodore collection, released by But just his arms and his head really
own bands. Mosaic. move; his trunk is a rigid, stately pivot."
In addition, Zutty was seen in films, "My Little Dixie Home," from The That was Zutty....
including Stormy Weather (1943) with Jelly Roll Morton Centennial—His Com-
 T E A C HE R S ' F O R U M

Writing A standard and doesn't vary much from one

student to another. But as each student
covered. I believe this encourages teach-
ers to take more responsibility for how

Program Of
advances, writing out a tailored program they teach.
of exercises and patterns allows me to be Writing out books for individual stu-
flexible in terms of where the student dents also lends a personal touch to the

Instruction
goes with his or her playing. lessons that can't be provided by pub-
Once I feel the basics have been cov-
ered, I can design exercises and rhythms
that relate to rock, funk, jazz, reggae, or
rudimental drumming—depending on
by Woody Thompson the inclination of the student. For exam- Learning the skill of drumming has a
ple, when I introduce the five-stroke roll great deal to do with what I call "body
There is a wealth of written material to a student who has an interest in funk, I memorization." This is the process
available to the drumset teacher to facili- can write it out as a pattern played whereby the hands and feet seem to
tate his teaching program. I'm particular- between hi-hat and snare—as is effective learn what to do without the intervention
ly fond of using George L. Stone's Stick in funk music. For a more reggae-orient- of the conscious mind. This is manifest-
Control and Ted Reed's Progressive Steps ed player, I can write it out as a timbale ed in a drummer's ability to sit at a
To Syncopation in my instruction, and in lick—as is often heard in reggae music. drumset and play a pattern "without
more advanced or specifically directed In a teacher-tailored program such as thinking about it." Obviously, the brain is
situations I will often use Charles Dowd's this, I don't need to be stuck with the involved in this process. But once the
Funky Primer, Jim Chapin's Advanced direction taken by a particular book if I body has "memorized" how a rhythm is
Techniques For The Modern Drummer, or don't feel it is best serving the needs of executed, the slow, analytical assistance
one of Peter Magadini's books on the student. of our mind is no longer necessary.
polyrhythms. But over the years the main I do my writing in students' books right For most people, the key to "body
written program I've come to rely on is a at the lesson. I find that if they watch me memorization" is repetition. When first
spiral notebook filled with my own writ- write a pattern from scratch, they gain a learning a rhythmic pattern, a student
ten exercises and patterns. better understanding of the logic involved will use the analytical mental process to
I feel that the advantages of this kind of in musical notation. I use a simple but make sure he is correctly executing the
teacher-tailored program of instruction clear system of slashes and stems for the pattern; his mind will be aware of just
outweigh the potential disadvantages. I notes, and I always write in pencil so that how each limb is falling at the set. The
ask all my new students to come to their changes or corrections can be made easily. goal, however, is to eliminate the brain's
first lesson with a standard spiral note- Often I will write things out while the conscious participation and to let the
book. I have found this is a better format student is working on something else. body, in a sense, run on automatic.
to work with than most blank music When I feel a student is tired or his con- Repetition, in my experience, is the
manuscript notebooks; there is more centration is wandering during the les- only sure way to achieve this. Often, my
space between the lines in a spiral book, son, I will sometimes write something judgement of a beginning player's "tal-
and I'm able to fill it with notation that is out for them while they take a break. ent" will be partially based on how much
larger and clearer. The extra space also Writing out a pattern while the student repetition he needs in order for his body
makes erasures easier, and if I ask my watches and explaining its structure as I to effectively memorize a pattern. Some
students to write out their own patterns, go is a good way to both intellectualize students take to the execution of pat-
they can do so with less difficulty. If I the rhythmic process and break up the terns in a speedy, natural way; for others
want to devote a page to written com- "playing" portion of the lesson. it is a more laborious and time-consum-
ments, definitions of terms in drumming, A great advantage to this "notebook" ing process.
names of parts of the drumset, or the form of teaching is that the teacher is It is the responsibility of a good drum
date and time of the next lesson, the able to constantly refine and improve the teacher to foster effective techniques of
standard lined notebook also makes this quality of instruction. Perhaps more body memorization in his students. My
an easy task that results in more legible importantly, the teacher is forced to give approach is to emphasize the successful
writing. Spiral notebooks are cheap and more thought to the approach he is to repetition of a pattern (such as rudi-
widely available, and eliminate a trip to take with a particular student. Since the ments). If a student practices something
the music specialty store for students or instructor is not working with a preset repetitively—and makes regular mistakes
their parents. program, he is forced to make his own as he does so—his body "memorizes"
The first series of lessons that I will decisions about what material gets cov- these mistakes and integrates them into
write out for a beginning player is fairly ered, how it is covered, and when it is
lished material. I recently looked through Auditorium, July 9th." In some ways the technique, feel, and specific rhythms.
one of my students' workbooks and found notebooks can become diaries that reflect These idiosyncrasies will not be included
it peppered with drummers' names: communication with the student over in someone else's book of drum instruc-
"Bernard Purdie," "Carlton Barrett," time. tion, but can be easily included in teach-
"Tony Williams," "Charlie Watts," and Also, in many years of band playing, I er-written notebooks. The student can
comments like "Little Feat, Civic have developed my own approaches to benefit from this direct communication
of the teacher's personal drumming style.
In the case of some students, the writ-
the learning process; he is actually prac- pattern at a slow tempo is that it increas- ten notebooks are the only visual material
ticing doing something wrong. Therefore, es the player's ability to perform that pat- they have; in other cases they are used in
when a student is first learning a rhyth- tern at any tempo. This seems to be conjunction with published books. This
mic pattern or sticking, it is of the utmost especially true for students playing more is especially true for students who do a lot
importance that he practice it in a way complicated four-limb rhythms, such as of reading or are working on their read-
that maximizes the success of each repe- fusion or Latin beats. ing. Writing out lengthy drum charts is a
tition. Many times, students who have gained waste of time when there are plenty of
The best way for a student to do this is some mastery of the set are able to exe- sources for reading exercises, big-band
to practice slowly. This is sometimes diffi- cute such a pattern at their tempo of charts, snare-drum etudes, rudimental
cult for young students to do, for two rea- comfort—but are not able to play the solos, etc. But for instructing the student
sons. First, they are often running at an part at a slower tempo. This comes about in most pop-style playing on the set, I
energy level that makes it far more com- because at this stage the student is only find written notebooks to be fully ade-
fortable for them to play at a moderate or able to play something successfully by quate.
even fast tempo. Second, once young letting his body take over and play as if The biggest potential disadvantage to
players have made at least one success- on automatic. The analytical mind is not this kind of teacher-directed, hand-writ-
ful repetition of a pattern, they seem to being involved in the process. This stu- ten program is that the teacher might
have a natural impulse to try immediately dent needs to be encouraged to slow the miss covering important material, or
to speed it up. But it has been my obser- rhythm down, engage the analytic mind, somehow deprive the student of essential
vation that the speed at which a young and become aware of how the limbs are instruction, due to deficiencies in the
student naturally wants to play a new falling in relation to one another. In this teacher's own drum knowledge or per-
pattern—what I call his "tempo of com- way the player forms a more solid mental sonal concept of instruction. My best
fort"—is often a speed at which his exe- foundation for playing the rhythm suc- advice to teachers concerned about this
cution is fraught with mistakes. cessfully at different speeds and in differ- possibility is to make themselves as
Therefore, the student does not practice ent situations. familiar as they can with good instruc-
successful repetition of a rhythm. At this Players who only learn to execute at tional material. This way they can have a
point the teacher should slow the stu- their tempo of comfort are more prone to general framework on which to base their
dent's playing down—and keep it slowed make mistakes in a pressure playing situ- own program of teaching. I feel it is very
down so the student doesn't end up prac- ation, because they are not able to fall important to have a list of the 24 drum
ticing mistakes. back on a mental construct of how the rudiments on hand for reference. Peter
Most students won't think to do this rhythm works. They are going strictly on Magadini's Learn To Play The Drum Set
themselves. In fact, it's often difficult for "feel," and often tension or excitement books provide an excellent general layout
students to think in significantly slower can affect the body's ability to execute of instruction in the basic areas of drum-
tempos when they are instructed to do something on the basis of "feel" alone. set playing, which the teacher can use as
so. A young student's idea of "slower" is Oftentimes these students will "fool" a a basis for his own instructional design.
usually only one or two beats per minute teacher with their ability to play a pattern I have also found it helpful to recall the
off his "tempo of comfort." A good very well when asked. When pressed to ways in which I was taught drumming—
teacher will show the student—by exam- execute the same pattern at a slower to use as a model (both positive and neg-
ple if necessary—how to come down 10 - tempo, however, they falter. A conscien- ative) for my own instruction programs.
15 beats per minute in tempo so that the tious teacher understands that advance- And, of course, it is the lengthy process
pattern can be practiced at a speed that ment in drumming is not just a process of that transformed the teacher himself
ensures a greater chance of successful getting a student to execute faster, but from an aspiring drummer to a proficient,
repetition. also to encourage him to execute slower knowledgeable player that serves as the
The other great advantage to being and more consciously. • best foundation for a complete and effec-
able to successfully execute a rhythmic tive program of drum instruction.
 BASICS

sticks and cymbals in hand than to have to lug equipment in, set

Professionalism: up, adjust positions, tune, etc.—and then play the job (and even
more so if you have to wear a tuxedo).
4) Be a good sideman. This includes all the previous rules

A Daily Dozen up to this point. Play what the leader asks, and don't complain
about times, tempos, styles, or anything that might give the lead-
er any additional problems. The leader has to book the job, hire
the musicians, negotiate money, please the club owner (or who-
by Mat Marucci ever hires him), satisfy the public, call the tunes.... Good side
musicians are really noticed and appreciated because they help
make the job go smoothly. Become a leader one time, and I guar-
If someone earns money playing the drums—whether part-time antee you will improve your attitude as a sideman.
or full-time—he or she is a professional drum- 5) Play in context. Play a dance job like a
mer. Sometimes how often a drummer works dance job and a rock gig like a rock gig. Try-
has less to do with his or her musical abilities "Very seldom ing to play avant-garde jazz licks on a wed-
than with how those abilities are applied. ding job won't make it—and won't get you re-
The following tips will help the young drum- will a hired. Also, keep in mind the abilities of the
mer get a perspective on what it takes to be a other musicians. You may be light-years
professional working drummer. They can also drummer be ahead of them in experience, knowledge, and
be helpful to the older, more experienced technique, but if your playing becomes too
drummer—because we can all lose our per- called for a gig complex for them to comprehend, you will
spective at times. I am sure everyone will find just lose them—and the gig. Always try to
something on this list he or she has been guilty to do solos make the band as a whole sound good while
of neglecting, and will welcome the reminder. playing to the highest level possible in context
1) Warm up before the gig. This is one of under a spot- with the music and the other musicians.
the best pieces of advice I can give. Naturally, if 6) Control your ego. At times this can be
you have practiced during the day you should light. You are the most difficult rule to follow. Ego is defi-
still be loose enough by evening. But if you did nitely healthy and necessary, but it must be
not practice (or if it is a morning or early after- hired to do a kept under control. Sometimes we can take it
noon gig), a short ten- or twenty-minute warm- personally when asked to do things like turn
up will definitely give your playing an edge. job, so just do the volume down or keep the tempo steady.
Some musicians feel that warming up is But the problem could be someone other
unnecessary—even amateurish—but that is it and don't let than you. Maybe the guitar is too loud or the
totally wrong. In the first place, musical instru- bass player is dragging and you are simply
ments (especially drums) are very physical, and your ego get being asked to keep them in check. Very sel-
a certain looseness and flexibility are required dom will a drummer be called for a gig to do
to perform on them at optimum efficiency. Why in the way." solos under a spotlight. You are hired to do a
have to wait until the second set to be totally in job, so just do it and don't let your ego get in
command of your instrument? Besides, you the way.
never know who might be in the audience lis- 7) Act professionally at all times. If you
tening to just the first set—a reviewer, a record act professionally, chances are you will be
producer, other musicians—and that will be all treated in a professional manner. Treat your
they might have to judge your playing capabili- job like a job—not a big party. Dress cleanly
ties by. In addition, it's really a great feeling to and properly. Stay sober, and be reserved, not
play smoothly and relaxed during that first set. loud and boisterous, on the breaks. This is
Sometimes you can save a train wreck up there, and you can be not to say you can't enjoy yourself on the gig. If we didn't enjoy
sure it will be noticed by all involved. our work, why have music for a career? However, keep things in
2) Keep good time. This is the most important thing a drum- perspective, and take care of business first. You will find that the
mer can do. Most musicians and singers rely on their drummers better you do your job, the more you will enjoy your work—and
to keep time for them, but even when performing with players the more respect you will garner.
who have great time themselves, the drummer's time needs to be 8) Have the right equipment for the gig. It just does not
excellent so as not to break the groove. make sense to bring a bebop set on a rock or funk gig, and vice-
3) Be on time for the gig. Set up the drums earlier in the day versa. The sound of your drums definitely affects the way you
if possible. It is always better to walk in on the gig with just your play—as well as the sound of the band. Also, bring a good assort-
ment of sticks, brushes, mallets, and the like to be prepared for
any occasion. And be sure your equipment is in good shape.
Equipment breakdowns in the middle of a set are unnecessary
and can ruin a great groove.
9) Practice at home, not on the job. The gig is not the place
to try out some new sticking or technique. Besides, the tendency,
when trying something new, is to force it into a spot where it
doesn't necessarily fit. After a technique has been perfected at
home, then by all means bring it on the gig. Just be sure to use it
in context.
10) Play as if your reputation depends on it. It just might.
As stated earlier, you never know who could be in the audience.
Just play the gig in context and as perfectly as possible, and
everyone will be more than satisfied—the leader and other side
musicians, the customers, the club owner or concert promoter,
and you.
11) Play yourself. Add something special to the music. This
is what makes you different from other drummers: your own per-
sonal approach to music and drumming.
12) Play music! This is the ultimate goal. Whenever you sit
down to practice or play, think musically. Relate every-
thing—from your warm-up exercises and rudiments to advanced
sticking and rhythms—to music. I have heard drummers with
less technique than others sound better because they were play-
ing musically. Study music and musical form, including some
melody and harmony. Spend time reading different drum books
and charts. It will definitely improve your playing.
 STRICTLY TECHNIQUE

Developing Coordination
And Independence: Part 1
by Joe Morello
Transcribed by Keith Necessary

Developing coordination and independence

is important for all drummers. Hands and
feet must be able to work alone or in con-
junction with any combination of rhythms.
(Jim Chapin was a forerunner of developing
coordination and independence with his
book Advanced Techniques For The Modern
Drummer.)
The following exercises consist of different rhythmic pat-
terns and ostinatos to be played by one hand or foot while
reading any exercise from a good rhythmic reading book. I find
Ted Reed's Progressive Steps To Syncopation very good for
this.
Start by playing the standard jazz rhythm with the right
hand on the ride cymbal while playing 2 and 4 with the left foot Once you're comfortable with that, reverse the snare and bass
on the hi-hat. drum parts. Play the same 8th-note ostinato with the bass
drum, and read the melodic line with the left hand.

Along with that, play the following 8th-note pattern with your
left hand on the snare drum. In most books you'll find the
rhythms written in a straight 8th-note manner, like this:

However, when adapting them to the drumset, play the rhythm

with a swing feel:

When you've mastered playing both hands together, try read-

ing pages 37 - 44 from Reed's book, playing those rhythms on
the bass drum. Be patient and don't kill yourself.
 Now let's try something different with the feet. Start by
playing the jazz pattern with your right hand on the ride cym-
bal. Then play quarter-note triplets between your right foot on
the bass drum and your left foot on the hi-hat. Be sure to use
strict alternation, and get this accurate with a metronome.

With that mastered, read any of the melodic exercises with

your left hand on the snare drum. Start this slowly.

If you have any questions on this material, you can contact Joe
through Modern Drummer.
 LARS U L R I C H

you keep going around in circles. There ing them, and then you go over to the ride can hit it hard, and it can sound great.
came a point in March where we said, and go 'tink-tink-tink.' I'm sorry, I just But it's always 'verse on the hi-hat and
'Let's set a deadline,' which we had to do don't get that. I mean, sure, once in a here comes the chorus, so switch over to
for ourselves, otherwise we'd still be in while if you have a really fat bell on the the thin-sounding ride.' That does noth-
there when the century changes." ride cymbal, at the slow part of a song you ing for me.
With limitless takes allowed, did Lars
dispense with drum overdubs? "I think
there were isolated incidents where we
would put a drum track together. We
weren't familiar with some of the songs,
so I would come in one day and say, 'Wait
a minute. We need a drum fill right here.'
Then I'd play a fill and we'd cut it right
in. That happened a couple of times
towards the last few drum fills on 'My
Friend Of Misery.' In the breakdown part
of the song 'Through The Never,' there's
a tom pattern and this hi-hat thing—I hit
an open hat with a stick and then close
it—that's an overdub put in six months
after the track was recorded. On the earli-
er records I used to double the toms and
use overdubs. Bob made me less skeptical
about using sampling for the first time,
so in a few cases where a tom pattern or
hit or fill should have been beefed up,
we'd throw a sample on in the mixing. So
I was less afraid of that whole side of it
than I had been."
In terms of his playing style, Lars has
curiously always bypassed the ride cym-
bal, a trait he has stuck with on Metallica.
"Ride cymbals sound so weak," he notes.
"You have a pair of really loose hi-hats
that have a lot of fat sounds as you're rid-
 "When I wanted a variation of the Lars' trademark double bass,' and I feel it anywhere, and why force it?
whole thing to get away from the hats," cheered. Where did it go? Well, it stayed "People have asked me why there are
Ulrich explains, "I would basically beat home on this album. I'm sorry, but it no really fast out-and-out thrash songs
the hell out of a crash cymbal instead, doesn't thrill me right now. It's fun in a and no double bass," Ulrich says. "Why
which is kind of referred to as the 'swim- live situation, just pumping the hell out force that because people expect it? It's
ming cymbal,' taken from Bill Ward of of the bass drums. But when it came to it not Metallica's style to force it if it
Black Sabbath. I remember reading inter- surfacing on any new songs, I just didn't doesn't feel right. As far as the double
views with him where he said he had this
'swimming cymbal' that he would ride
on, but it was a crash cymbal. He had the
same cymbal for years. I don't have a par-
ticular favorite, I just find that if you take
a good 18" medium-thin and just beat the
shit out of it, you get that really swim-
ming kind of thing. At the end of 'Sad
But True,' I'm playing straight quarter
notes on the hi-hat, and for the end when
it needs to be emphasized, I play half
notes, beating the hell out of the crash.
So when I want to stray away from the hi-
hat, that's what I do. But you won't find
any ride cymbals anywhere near me," he
laughs.
U l r i c h ' s approach to double bass
drumming violates the usual restrictions
of heavy metal drumming—he's doing a
lot less of it these days. "In terms of rid-
ing 16th notes on the bass drum, as I've
done so often in the past," says Lars, "I
think there's two places on the new
album where I do that for maybe ten sec-
onds on the end of some kind of build-
up. It's not appropriate for the songs, and
it's something I wasn't that keen on. I had
done all that nine hundred times in the
past. I read in a few reviews: 'Gone is
bass thing goes—in terms of the straight- things here and there, and I had never of percussive things going on."
forward riding on the 16th notes—I just even fiddled with a shaker or a tam- When discussing the fact that Metal-
got tired of it. There are some songs on bourine before. The shaker is a pretty lica is selling millions of copies, I ask
the new album where I don't go to the cool thing, especially on the slow, grungy Lars how he feels when he hears these
second bass drum at all. When we were type of songs. It adds to the overall feel, phenomenal sales figures. "I was still
mixing it, we realized that there were and I fell in love with it. Under the sitar thinking about drums," he responds. "It's
songs where I didn't hit the second drum on 'Wherever I May Roam' there are a lot all just numbers—all this week we've got-
even once. There are a few places where
I'd throw in the odd thing on double bass;
a couple of triplets, maybe. I think I start-
ed to burn out on triplets on the Master
album, and by Justice I incorporated
triplets on both kick drums before a snare
accent with a cymbal hit. There are a few
of those on the new album, but it is pretty
limited in comparison. In terms of double
bass on the new record, I'm just not
thrilled about overdoing it right now."
The new album shatters a lot of barri-
ers: There's a 30-piece symphony orches-
tra on "Nothing Else Matters," for exam-
ple. But until now, it seemed unlikely that
the day would come where percussion
playing could be found on a Metallica
album. As Lars learned, that day arrived
last spring. "One day, Rock said, 'Let's
put some percussion on this record,'
which is like talking another language to
me. So this guy shows up with a truckload
of stuff and sets up a fifteen-foot-long
table covered with a hundred and fifty
percussive instruments. I'm looking at
this stuff, thinking, 'I thought I knew
about drumming, and I realize I don't
know shit about anything.' But it was
really funny with Bob telling me to try
ten all these figures: number-one most that after work I was going to a garage in course of our future or to set goals. It just
requested single, most requested video, Norwalk, California to drink peppermint happened and we went along with it."
number-one in England, Australia, and schnapps and play Diamond Head covers. One of the most attractive facets of
America, blah, blah, blah.... What means There was no 'career-mindedness' to Ulrich's drumming is the equilibrium
more to me is when people on the street strive for, and that attitude is still with us. between his feet and hands. Some hard
come up to me and tell me what they got We have always cared about the band, but rock drummers have a tendency to favor
out of the record. It's exciting that the we never went out of our way to alter the their feet and develop that rather than the
album has gone to number one on our
terms, but mostly it's great that people
give feedback that the album has more
warmth than earlier ones and we sound
like we're enjoying ourselves more than
ever. Those are the best things I can hear.
There's a feeling around this particular
Metallica release that we've done some-
thing special this time, and it's a feeling
that maybe doesn't come around as often
as you'd like it to. This record, according
to the feedback we've gotten, seems like
the one record to have stood out a bit more
than the rest, and obviously that's a pretty
exciting thing to hear."
When asked how he maintained his
objectivity and lack of ego, Lars suggests,
"We were never career-conscious with this
band. From the minute me and Hetfield
formed this band, the only things that were
on our minds were to have fun, do our own
thing musically, and escape from our day
jobs. The whole thing with festivals, num-
ber of albums sold, touring all over the
world, fancy hotels like this and tea coming
in two pots instead of one [he gestures
towards the silver tea service] did not exist
for me before. It was all down to getting
me through my shitty day job and knowing
top of the kit. Ulrich, an unschooled player, of that over the last few years. I'm definite-
seems to have an organic gift to meld the ly not advocating people to skip over the
top and the bottom of the kit in a mutually basics of schooling in drumming. I think
satisfying union. "I find that however those everybody should go through the basic
things happen, they happen naturally," he things like reading and learning what a
comments. "I consider the drums a whole- flam and a paradiddle is. Just don't get
body instrument, and I don't divide it into caught up in the sheer numbers of it all
upper or lower body: You have four limbs and the overemphasis on technique with-
and these are your options, so do what's out feel."
best for every situation. In concert, Metallica still performs old
"If you talk about being schooled or not, favorites that they've been playing live for
you get into a vital area," Lars says. "If you years. In earlier interviews, Lars has
take lessons, practice, and read what's in admitted that his mind begins to wander
the books, then that's all well and good, if in the midst of some of these songs. Does
you know how to apply it. I think in Lars invent ways of keeping vibrancy and
America, with the explosion of all these interest in songs like "Creeping Death,"
PITs and all these other schools, people which have been part of the band's reper-
have begun to put far too much emphasis toire for nearly a decade? "I'm definitely
on technique without ever asking, 'Do I doing some things that keep a song like
know when and when not to use this?' and 'Creeping Death' interesting," he answers.
'How does my ability to play 72 quadruple "You have to go exploring in these songs,
paradiddles backwards actually work with- while still keeping to the essence of the
in what the song and the band is all song, because if you don't, they almost
about?' What does that do for you? If you turn into a parody of themselves. The song
don't know how to apply it within a band or that annoys me at the moment is 'Master
a song, so what? With drumming, if you Of Puppets,' because I'm so locked into
can't put groove and feel in and know when what I've always played on that, and it real-
to lay back instead of just being a soloist, ly doesn't thrill me very much. Every time
then why bother? I've become less tolerant I play that song I sit up there with 40,000
people out front and think, 'I really wish I
could do something different with this
song.' That's the one I'm presently strug-
gling with in terms of trying to get some-
thing different out of it. 'Creeping Death'
has a lot of room in it to breathe, and I
think I do some different shit in there to
make it interesting. 'For Whom The Bell
Tolls,' well, the beauty of that song is the
constant kick-snare thing, so it's not worth
messing with too much. But 'Master' has
been annoying me," he laughs.
"Different situations also call for differ-
ent things," he adds. "When you're playing
stadiums and the nearest person seems
two hundred feet away, you sometimes
need something to inspire you, and you
end up playing to the monitor man some-
times. It becomes very weird, the things
you look to for inspiration. When you play
U.S. arenas, you usually have people all
around you to make eye contact with, and
it's more intimate: You really feel one with
these people. With stadiums, it's not that
easy and you can't really reach people on
that level, so sometimes your mind starts
to wander. It's a bad thing to say, but it's
true. I'm exaggerating here, but when
you've gotten to the point of gig #220 of a
tour, it doesn't come as easy as you think.
It would be cool to bring about fifty fans up
on stage of a stadium gig and sit them
around the kit. That would be great."
Switching to the subject of equipment,
Fleming Larson, drum tech "extraordi-
naire," has been a strong and abiding fig-
ure behind Lars for many years. The tun-
ing of Lars' primarily acoustic drumkit is a
product of Fleming's handiwork, who
accomplishes a great live sound without
benefit (or burden) of sound checks (a
topic Lars has some very definite ideas
about). "I don't think I've tuned a drum in
my life," Lars jokes, "or at least not very
well. First of all, sound checks are the most
overrated thing on a rock tour. The guy
who started the unwritten rule that for
every show there should be a sound check
should be lined up and put out of his mis-
ery. There you are in a concrete arena, with
three union crew people walking around,
while you get your monitors and the house
sound set. Two hours later there are 16,000
kids out there, and you expect it to sound
the same? Wake up! When you get up there
and the sound is really different than it was
at sound check, you're more pissed off
then if you hadn't.
"So we don't really do sound checks"
Lars insists. "We did one at the start of the never seen anybody else deal with it. He last tour, the high end and the cymbals
tour, but overall, they're a waste of time. also has an incredible amount of patience started getting to me. Every time I'd hit a
The techs have lots more time in the after- to spend hours tuning them just right. I cymbal it would really hurt, so I started
noon without that. Fleming changes the consider myself very lucky to have him wearing earplugs, which was a big change
skins, tunes the drums, doctors them up, work with me." for me. It was okay in rehearsals, but as far
and polishes everything. In every sense of Another topic Lars is vocal about is the as wearing them live, you depend so much
the word, he looks after my drumkit, and use of ear protection on stage. "Yes, I abso- on what you get from the crowd. It was
he knows it better than I do. I'd be really lutely use it," he smiles, not hesitating to really uncomfortable, but I had to force
lost without him. He has an incredible ear add that he opts for the most basic, unso- myself to wear them. When I started wear-
for tuning, and Bob Rock said he's the phisticated earplug available. "I use the lit- ing plugs, in order for my monitor to have
most gifted drum technician he's ever tle 390 ones. I fiddled with some of the the same impact and give me the same
seen. He has the ability to do what most ones from the doctor—silicon molds and kick up the rear that I would depend on,
drum roadies do, which is set up a drumkit things—but they didn't work for me. I we needed to turn it up so much that it
well, but he also has the brains and the ear found that the little yellow ones worked altered everyone else's monitors. Then
to really deal with the drumkit in every best. they had to turn their monitors up louder
aspect, and he can tune it in a way I've "About a quarter of the way through the and start wearing earplugs. Now all four of
us wear ear protection, and it's great, but it
was a pretty big adjustment for us.
"I'm not big on advertising the fact that
I wear them, but all the same, I'm not
ashamed of it either," says Ulrich. "The
argument is that it's not very rock 'n' roll
to wear earplugs, and as far as I'm con-
cerned, that's a load of horseshit. I'm
much more interested in hearing my kids
play in ten years—if I can get around to
having some—than worrying about what's
rock 'n' roll and what's not. You have to do
what's best for your own situation. I've
tried, without preaching, to make certain
that people are aware of how screwed up
your hearing can get just by hitting cym-
bals all the time that are ten inches away his lack of ego, and his inability to elevate couldn't pat myself on the back in a clinic
from your ears. It's everyone's decision, himself or his playing on a pedestal. situation. But who knows, maybe some-
but I'm certainly taking the precautions I "Considering my role in Metallica as a time down the road I could change my
can to deal with the situation. Losing your whole, I'm limited in doing clinics because mind."
hearing isn't like getting a cold—once it's I have a lot to do with the band in an up- After the achievements of a world-domi-
gone it doesn't come back. Also, the con- front, day-to-day basis," Lars remarks. nating, stripped-down, and refined
stant ringing in your ears is annoying. "Clinics—I just don't get that yet," he Metallica circa 1991-'92, where will they
Being on tour and being woken up in the laughs. "To sit and jerk off in front of five take it from here? Given that the band is
middle of the night by the TV—just to find hundred kids like, 'Look how great I am,' currently in the throes of a hugely success-
out that it's not even on, it's just the ring- —I'm sorry, I'm just not ready for that yet. ful tour, perhaps the question is prema-
ing in your ears—is wrong." I feel bad because I've been with Tama and ture, but is there even a remote sense of
Being a popular drummer in a now very Zildjian since '84, and they supported me pressure to outdo themselves next time
popular band would make Lars a good before Metallica meant anything. So I feel out? "I don't feel the pressure to top
choice for a clinician. However, don't hold bad when they ask me to do clinics.. .1 wish myself," says Lars, "but in terms of where
your breath to see Lars doing one any time I could give something back to these peo- I go from here, I'll take it, literally, just one
soon. His opinions on that revert back to ple, because they treat me so well. But I step at a time. For the next year, we will be
touring this album all over the world. After
that we'll take a year off. Then we'll make
another record. One of the standard ques-
tions I usually get asked but that I don't
understand is, 'After being so successful,
how do you maintain the hunger and
desire to do this?' As far as I can see, I'm
more hungry and eager to do what's ahead
of me than I've ever been before. And as
far as where do we go after this? You go
where your musical instincts tell you to go.
I'm sure that after taking some time off
once Metallica '91-'92 is over, we'll come
up with some other things that we can do
in "93-'94 and so on. I'm really not wor-
ried about that at all."
 ROCK 'N' JAZZ CLINIC

Songofunk
by David Garibaldi
A very big influence on my drumming has been Latin music. During my early years with the Tower of Power
I spent many hours listening to Eddie Palmieri and Ray Barretto recordings. But even though I was listening
to this type of music, I never had the chance to really explore it and play it correctly.
After moving back to the San Francisco Bay Area, I had the opportunity to meet a number of fabulous
musicians who play Afro-Cuban music, and I began to hang out with some of them. For years I've wanted to
know what this music was all about, and to have the chance now is truly thrilling.
The following study is a result of my association with these talented people, most notably the renowned
Bay Area percussionist Michael Spiro. Each exercise is the same rhythm with slight variations. The right hand plays 3 - 2 rumba
clave on either a woodblock or the rim of the snare drum (not side stick, just hit the rim). The left hand plays the cascara pattern
between the hi-hat and snare drum.
 CRITIQUE

RECORDINGS

YES STEVE HOWE

Yes Years Turbulence
Atco791644-2 Relativity 88561-1061-2
BILL BRUFORD, ALAN WHITE: dr STEVE HOWE: gtr
JON ANDERSON, TREVOR HORN: vcl BILL BRUFORD, NIGEL GLOCKNER: dr
CHRIS SQUIRE: bs BILLY CURRIE: kybd
TONY KAYE, RICK WAKEMAN, PATRICK MORAZ, GEOFF DOWNES: kybd ANDREW LUCAS: organ
PETER BANKS, STEVE HOWE, TREVOR RABIN: gtr Turbulence; Hint Hint;
Time And A Word; Starship Trooper; I've Seen All Good People; Roundabout; Running The Human Race; The Inner Battle; Novalis;
Close To The Edge; Soon The Light; Going For The One; America; Fine Line; Sensitive Chaos; Corkscrew; While Rome's Burning;
Owner Of A Lonely Heart; Heart Of The Sunrise; Hold On; plus 35 others From A Place Where Time Runs Slow
Before he joined King Crimson and embarked on a solo career, drumming approach I've ever heard from Bruford. And the single
Bill Bruford used to play in an obscure band called Yes. Oddly, edit of Paul Simon's "America," which was Yes's first American
twenty years later he is still playing in the group, with a new album radio hit, showcases one of the best recorded examples of Bruford's
and tour among the highlights of 1991. Bruford also recorded an trademark snare drum sound.
instrumental album with guitarist Steve Howe that both harkens The unreleased tracks with Alan White are equally wonderful,
back to classic Yes and to the future of instrumental music. particularly a live version of "I'm Down" and some demos for the
On Turbulence Bruford plays a Simmons kit and concentrates on comeback album, 90125. A duo piece by White and Chris Squire,
playing solid time. When he does depart from his timekeeping role, "Run With The Fox," shows White up front as a writer and hints at
Bruford's playing stands out for its precision and elegance. Two what might have been if it hadn't been for Trevor Rabin. All in all,
tracks feature Nigel Glockner on drums, who shares a similar YesYears is a must for any Yes fan. [Editor's note: For the visual side
approach to Bruford and likewise keeps things solid for Howe. of the history of Yes, check out the YesYears video, an excellent two-
The Yes boxed set features the greatest hits of every rock critic's hour documentary featuring lots of vintage live and "video" perfor-
most hated group, plus some rarities featuring Bruford or Alan mances, snippets of the band at work in the studio, and interviews
White. "Something's Coming," for instance, is an unreleased track with band members. ]
from the early years, and features the most noticeable big-band Adam Ward Seligman

SALIF KEITA JEFF BAILLARD, CARLOS SANTANA: gtr Tele n Na; Waraya; Tono; Kuma;
Amen JOE ZAWINUL, Nyanafin; Karifa; N B'l Fe; Lony
Mango 162 539 910-2 CHEIK TIDIANE SECK: kybd In his native Mali, Keita was
SALIF KEITA: vcl WAYNE SHORTER: tn, sp sx a member of several popular
PACO SERY: dr RON MESA: tpt bands, but it wasn't until
SOULEYMANNE DOUMBIA, RAYMOND BROWN, GARY BIAS, 1987's domestically available
BILL SUMMERS: perc REGGIE YOUNG: hns Soro that he achieved interna-
ETIENNE M'BAPPE: bs DJENE DOUMBOUYA, DJANKA DIABATE, tional notice. With its cutting-
KELETIGUI DIABATE: balafon ASSITAN DEMBELE, NAYANKA BELL, edge meeting of African, pop,
KANTE MANFILA, MAMADOU DOUMBIA, ASSITAN KEITA: vcl jazz, and high-tech influ-
ences, Soro ignited strong Until now, Vicious Rumors— round-toned bassist Reid.
word-of-mouth in the musi- and old-school heavy metal in I've heard Lewis previously
cian community. Drummers general—has had a bigger with Earl Klugh, David
are especially drawn by the European following recently Sanborn, and Carla Bley, play-
music's vibrant, tight African than it had in the U.S. But this ing more Latin, funk, and
pop drumset rhythms. band and record answer the fusion. This straight-ahead
Amen, his third solo effort, call for anybody yearning for date with a legend of jazz trom-
teams Keita in a heaven-made quality balls-out, no-frills bone just shows how well
match with Joe Zawinul, who rhythmic intensity. rounded a player he is.
acts as producer and key- • Matt Peiken • Robin Tolleson
boardist. Although evolving
from different roots, both There's dark metal, death J.J. JOHNSON MARY'S DANISH
artists have long sought a sim- metal, glam metal, speed Standards Circa
ilar aesthetic. Under Zaw- metal.... Anyone wondering Antilles 314-510 059-2 Morgan Creek 2959-20003-2
inul's guidance, the hypnotic whatever happened to just VICTOR LEWIS: dr JAMES OLIVER BRADLEY: dr, perc
rhythms are now more multi- solid heavy metal need look no J.J. JOHNSON: tbn Louis GUTIERREZ: gtr
layered, yet less vertical, and further than Vicious Rumors. RALPH MOORE: tn sx DAVID KING: gtr
the texture features a skillful This Bay Area quintet embod- STANLEY COWELL: pno JULIE RITTER: vcl, perc
marriage of programmed and ies the spirit of vintage Judas RUFUS REID: bs GRETCHEN SEAGER: vcl, perc
live percussion/drums. Priest, but brings a jolt of See See Rider; Shortcake; Sweet WAG: bs
An uplifting five-voice cho- modern energy. Georgia Gillespie; My Funny MICHAEL BARBERA: sax
rus anchors melodies while On this record, the group's Valentine; Just Friends; Misterioso; Yellow Creep Around; Julie's Blanket;
Keita soars passionately above fourth, Vicious Rumors mesh- You Stepped Out Of A Dream; Misty; Beat Me Up; Louisiana; Mr.
with sinuous melismas that es unabashed, furious speed Autumn Leaves; What Is This Thing Floosack; Hoof; Tracy In The Bath-
are more spontaneous chant- with haunting musical and Called Love room Killing Thrills; Abalone Blues; 7
song than strict melody. vocal harmonies and clear, Deadly Sins; Bombshell; Foxey Lady;
Drummer Paco Sery and all unencumbered production. Down; These Are All The Shapes
percussionists turn in out- Larry Howe's drumming Nevada Could Have Been; Venus
standing performances. While keeps pace, from breakneck Loves Leonard; Hellflower; Axl Rose
some may find it troublesome bashing to the surprisingly Is Love; Cover Your Face
that it's difficult to distinguish subdued moments.
the real sounds from the pro- A lot of double-bass drum-
grammed, others may call it a mers can't seem to take their
virtue: Sincere spirit and left foot off the pedal and move
infectious rhythmic energy is it to the hi-hat. But Howe not
the end result. Keita's releas- only knows how and when to
es are consistently inspired use it (and fast!), he knows Victor Lewis has played on
delights. when not to. He rarely gets many fine sessions, but this
Jeff Potter bogged down in a stereotypi- live Village Vanguard recording
cally tedious double-bass roll, with the resurgent Johnson is
VICIOUS RUMORS reserving most of his second- special by any standards. Lewis
Welcome To The Ball kick work to accent bridges or provides excellent support for Sassy vocal harmonies, per-
Atlantic 7 82276-2 launch the band into a fiery the trombonist and the surging sonal and clever lyrics, and
CARL ALBERT: vcl instrumental passage, and he saxman Moore, playing eco- infectious rock beats mark the
GEOFF THORPE: gtr never lets the time stray. nomically but pushing the breakthrough record from
MARK McGEE: gtr Howe's shotgun snare and action with a firm hand. He these West Coasters. The
DAVID STARR: bs blasts of double-bass spice up understands the songs and music, to a large extent,
LARRY HOWE: dr "Dust To Dust" and the intros doesn't just play 'em, but serves as a canvas for the two
Abandoned; You Only Live Twice; of "Raise Your Hands" and shapes them. His brushwork female singer-songwriters to
Savior From Anger; Children; Dust To "Ends Of The Earth." He real- on "Sweet Georgia Gillespie," paint their emotions on. But
Dust; Raise Your Hands; Strange ly lets loose on the intoxicat- his fancy, propulsive stickwork there's plenty of room on this
Behavior; Six Stepsisters; Master- ing, ultra-fast "Six Stepsis- on "Just Friends," bobbing and pop set for the players to show
mind; When Love Comes Down; ters," and is the soul of discre- weaving around the beat—this their chops while, at the same
Ends Of The Earth tion in the album's only ballad, is good stuff. And he's always time, maintaining a rock-
"When Love Comes Down." on the same course as the steady drive. Drummer
Bradley is tight throughout, way to catch up on the newly rary bop, giving his band- with genuinely exciting
funky at times, teasingly liberated Richie. We all know mates the lion's share of solo momentum. The decision to
behind the beat at others, and he can groove, but cuts like space while he offers solid release it, I feel, establishes a
always locked into what the "Sea Of Fertility" also show accompaniment. His playing good precedent: Short on spo-
others are doing musically. his ability to build the band ranges from interactive and ken word, long on action (is
In-the-pocket, danceable behind extended solos, lead- aggressive to subtle and col- this what they mean by
beats are the foundation for ing to peak after topped peak. oristic, with his strongest "DeLong and Deshort of
cuts like "Beat Me Up," while During his tenure with influences seeming to be Jack it"?), this is my kind of video,
Bradley opens up a bit more Miles, saxman Bill Evans DeJohnette and Elvin Jones. when I'm not in the mood to
on the groovy "Hoof." His learned how to let his expres- Reedus also shows a knack for be taught. A handful more of
quick bass work accentuates sion flow freely while main- composition, with his tune these modest efforts—indeed
the odd-time beat of the short taining plenty of space "Dreams" being one of the running half the price of con-
musical interlude "Mr. between instruments. (Check strongest of the set. ventional instructional vid-
Floosack." Bradley then lays out "Sun Dried.") His well- Bassist Dave Holland is eos—and the drumming
down tribal-like toms on matched quartet is faithful to inventive throughout, as is world would be a better place
"Bombshell" and adds tim- that concept, with a tight saxophonist/flutist Gary for the variety.
pani accents to the moving pulse, balanced acoustic-elec- Thomas. Vibist Steve Nelson T. Bruce Wittet
ballad "Cover Your Face." tric texture, fluid ensemble turns in a somewhat uneven
Mary's Danish falls in line phrasing, and focused clarity performance, at times sound- BOOKS
with vintage Blondie and the of individual voices. Between ing sensitive and creative, TRAPS, THE DRUM WONDER:
B-52's, but is more com- Evans, Mitchel Forman, and while other times merely run- THE LIFE OF BUDDY RICH
pelling lyrically and—thanks Victor Bailey, there's also ning scales up and down the by Mel Torme
much to Bradley—more inter- plenty of interesting, diverse instrument in a heavy-handed Oxford University Press
esting musically. writing here. Live perfor- manner more appropriate for 20001 Evans Road
Matt Peiken mance brings out the best in a percussion ensemble than a Cary NC 27513
musicians' musicians like jazz combo. Price: $21.95
BILL EVANS these four, and Richie sounds Rick Mattingly Just as I've never forgotten
The Gambler— right at home with his current the day JFK was shot, I re-
Live At Blue Note Tokyo 2 peers. VIDEO member exactly where I was
Jazz City PCCY-00201 Jeff Potter PAUL DELONG AND when I heard Buddy Rich had
Bill Evans: tn, sp sx RICK GRATTON LIVE died. I've found this to be
RICHIE MORALES: dr TONY REEDUS DeLong And Deshort Of It pretty common among drum-
VICTOR BAILEY: bs Incognito 2001 Bonnymede Drive, Unit 67 mers. "World's greatest drum-
MITCHEL FORMAN: kybd Enja 6058 2 Mississauga, Ontario mer" or not, Buddy Rich gal-
The Gambler; Sun Dried; Sea Of GARY THOMAS: tn sx, fl Canada L5J 4H8 vanized the world of drum-
Fertility; Justa Hunch; Kid Logic; STEVE NELSON: vbs Price: $29.95 ming in ways that may never
Gorgeous; Crest Annex DAVE HOLLAND: bs This past year has been a be equalled. Mel Torme's new
Since leaving Spyro Gyra in TONY REEDUS: dr good one for Toronto drum- biography of Buddy is the
House Call; Incognito; Green mers Rick Gratton and Paul result of a stormy, intimate
Chimneys; For Heaven's Sake; DeLong. One of the things friendship and a deep musical
Probin'; Dreams; Lazy Snake; Bye that went especially well was admiration of 40 years.
Bye, Black Bird an appearance at PIT (the Through numerous person-
Drummer Tony Reedus Percussion Institute of al accounts of family, famous
Technology). As they say in friends, and a list of col-
LA., it was a perfect day when leagues that reads like a who's
Rick and Paul performed in who of the swing era, Torme's
the auditorium, solo and in conversational, occasionally
duet. A video shot in-house corny prose brilliantly bares
was so successful, in fact, that the essence and motivation of
August '90 after a six-year res- the boys have released it com- the man behind the profes-
idence, drummer Richie mercially, enclosing a booklet sional phenomenon.
Morales has returned to musi- charting the musical high- Privileged and coddled, yet
cal settings that allow his lights. deprived of any hint of a nor-
floodgate to burst free. For an event captured virtu- mal childhood, emotionally
Grabbing this spontaneous proves himself a generous ally without edits, this is a rea- and physically abused little
live import recording is a good leader in this set of contempo- sonably tight little production "Traps" learned from the time
of his stage debut at 16 most petty of Buddy's musical NARD have been updated; a directors, and there is a great
months that the only way to critics, ignoring the fact that contemporary percussionist deal of guidance offered in
win approval was through his revered bop and cool jazz needs to know the Percussive such areas as equipment
prodigy, by excelling on the players (not to mention rock- Arts Society's list of 40 selection, repairs, and devel-
drums. The spoiled, belliger- ers!) thought his playing was International Drum Rudi- oping a percussion program.
ent child savant became a conceptually, if not technically, ments. Besides the standard snare
spoiled, belligerent man, driv- less than godlike. Indeed, It is for such reasons that a drum, timpani, and mallet-
en not so much to be the best Torme follows each possible new guidebook for percussion keyboard instruments, Brei-
drummer in the world, but to blow to Buddy's memory with was needed, and Capital thaupt goes into depth on
be better than everyone else. another illustration of his vir- University percussion instruc- numerous accessory instru-
Traps, The Drum Wonder tuosity, material generosity, or tor Bob Breithaupt has com- ments—an often overlooked
follows Buddy's early days in rare glint of human warmth. piled an excellent one. Not facet in these types of texts.
vaudeville, his dominance of The effect, consistent with only has he dealt with modern The fact that the table of con-
the swing era, and his strug- how Buddy was treated his topics in a clear, organized tents takes up five pages
gles to lead his own band, entire life, seems an attempt manner, but he has breathed should give you an idea of the
detailing particular triumphs to excuse the misconduct of a fresh life into some of the number of subjects Brei-
and a few amusing failures. It genius, the wickedness of a more traditional aspects of thaupt covers, and he covers
chronicles his relationships loved one. drumming. them well indeed.
(often predictably turbulent) Clearly, Traps, The Drum The book is primarily Rick Mattingly
and his indulgences—expen- Wonder is a tribute in every geared towards school band
sive cars and clothes, sugar sense of the word—enlighten-
addiction, heavy pot smoking, ing, funny, touching—and a
and his explosive temper— must-read if you play the
which caused him and those drums.
around him a great deal of Richard Watson
pain. Examples of Buddy's
acerbic wit and prankishness THE COMPLETE PERCUS-
sparkle throughout. Though SIONIST: A GUIDEBOOK
written for non-drummers, FOR THE MUSIC EDUCATOR
the book offers enough analy- by Robert B. Breithaupt
sis of the master's style and C. L. Barnhouse Company
musical evolution to satisfy P.O. Box 680
our professional interests as Oskaloosa IA 52577
well. Price: $27.00
Just days away from his Reference books on percus-
death, Buddy entreated Torme sion—the type used by school
to depict him accurately, band directors and as texts for
"warts and all." To this end, college methods classes—
incidents of Buddy's volatility, need to be revised more often
lashing friends and enemies than those dealing with other
alike, surface regularly in instruments. Let's face it,
Traps. Transcriptions of three trumpets and clarinets haven't
infamous audiotaped tirades changed much over the years,
upon his sidemen were and so classic texts written
included, amazingly, at about them tend to stay clas-
Buddy's insistence. Since his sic.
players' opinions of him dip Not so with percussion.
only from homage to ambiva- Books written as recently as
lence, we might wonder if twenty years ago barely (if at
less-adoring alumni are all) mention drumset, and
under-represented. books written just ten years
Similarly, Torme favorably ago tend not to deal with elec-
prejudices Buddy's reputation tronics. Even the 26 Standard
by giving voice only to the Rudiments as defined by the
 BILLY H I G G I N S

sessions in George Newman's garage.

now, so you know it wasn't then, not in George was an alto player who used to
Los Angeles. They're interested in teach us all the time. Ed Blackwell,
Hollywood; that's where they make their Ornette, Clay, and Don Cherry used to
money. They don't make their money off come by, and Charlie Haden, too. We
no jazz musicians. How many jazz clubs played together for three years before we
do we have in Los Angeles? Not too many. even had a gig. When Blackwell had to go
LR: So back then you had all this music back to New Orleans, Ornette was still
around you and then the scene got weak. writing music, so we'd go over to
BH: Well, I just got on the tail end of George's to try to play it.
that. When I got to where I was focused LR: You didn't think of it as being new or
on becoming a musician, it was gone. I different.
was working with Leroy Vinnegar and BH: It was different, but I was just trying
Teddy Edwards at that point, but the to learn. I didn't care. I've always looked
scene was gone. I was blessed to be able at music as just being music. Whatever
to play with Leroy. If you get a rapport sound a person had in his heart, it was
with somebody in the rhythm section, supposed to happen. So I didn't say,
then you can work with anybody. From "This cat can play" or "This cat can't,"
that you learn how to work with people. I because I was struggling myself. I was
worked with Ernie Andrews and Teddy trying to learn so I could apply myself to
and Sonny Criss—people like that—not anything that came along.
making a whole lot of money, but just get- LR: What did you learn most from
ting to play. Really, there wasn't that Ornette?
much work in the city. BH: Originality as a concept—where you
LR: What pulled you toward working could play a phrase and stop it and
with Ornette Coleman? start—direction. Ornette modulates any-
BH: Well, James Clay had a lot to do with where he wants to so all you have to do is
me meeting Ornette. We used to have follow him. I got to play with him one-on-
one for a long time, and that really helped mers—you and Mickey Roker. Was that
me learn how to create colors, as if the something that happened with any regu-
rest of the band wasn't there. larity?
LR: Two other tenor players you later BH: No. He was experimenting; he want-
worked with are John Coltrane and Sonny ed us both there. He was always trying
Rollins. I know you did at least one half of something different. I worked with him
a record with Coltrane, Steve Davis, and for three and a half years, touring all over
McCoy Tyner. Did you do other gigs with Europe and the United States.
Coltrane? LR: Are there other records of you play-
BH: I worked with him in Los Angeles. ing with him?
He called me up, told me he was coming BH: Yeah. There's a bootleg album
to Los Angeles, and wasn't bringing a recorded live from Stuttgart with him,
drummer. That's where we made the Henry Grimes, Don Cherry, and me.
record. We were working at a place called There's a lot of stuff in the can for the
the Zebra Lounge on Manchester and label, too. There's a lot of stuff they have
Central. Then we went on tour for a few that we did at the Village Gate. They
months before he got Elvin. recorded almost a whole week at the Gate
LR: What did you get from Coltrane? that hasn't been released yet. Good stuff,
BH: Much, a lot of it being just the sin- too. Sonny was like a father to me.
cerity of his musicianship. It was an LR: What did you figure out by working
honor and a pleasure to play with him. I with him?
learned so much from his concept—he BH: The reading of minds—he's really
was always moving. He wasn't about too one of the most rhythmically original
many other things besides music. players. It's just a pleasure to listen to
LR: There's a live record by Sonny him and see where he's going because
Rollins at the Museum of Modern Art on he'll change directions on you in a
ABC-Impulse, and on it are two drum- minute. It keeps you alert. You can't take
anything for granted playing with him. to find a cymbal that fits all keys. Some
George Coleman is the same way. cymbals are not good in certain keys. But
LR: Let's change the subject a bit. I'm the cymbal will sound good in all keys if it
sure the readers would like to know what has a golden intonation. The cymbal is
equipment you use. like a bass—it either stays in tune, or as
BH: Right now my equipment consists of you play it, you learn how to keep it in
a 16" bass drum that was made for me by tune. Then you have to find match-ups.
a friend of mine named Richard The sound has got to be balanced.
Goldberg, a drummer who used to play LR: You talk about balance—there's a
with Ray Charles. He's one of the few balance and density of texture in your
black cowboys that made the big time. He playing. How does a young drummer get
was on the New York scene as a drummer all his sounds to have a similar thickness
for a long time, but he's from Texas. I of texture? Is that concept or technique?
have an 8x14 Ludwig snare drum and two BH: No, that's life. These days a lot of
Gretsch toms. As for cymbals, I have a younger players are getting a chance to
Paiste 602 ride, and Paiste hi-hats. The dictate the music. In my day, fame came
crash cymbal I'm using now is an older K later, so we had a longer time to finish
Zildjian. I also have an Istanbul cymbal our product before we were in a position
that I use on the right. I switch off, but to be heard. So any missing ingredients
the majority of the time I use those, you might hear...it's only because these
because I have to travel and carry all the players have a little more life to live.
stuff myself. But there's also a lot of players today
LR: Can you talk about picking cymbals? who develop faster because they're in that
BH: Choosing cymbals takes a lot of position—getting the chance to perform
time. I've heard some good drummers on stage. That's where you learn. You
play a lot of stuff, but their cymbals were learn to be in context with the music and
not giving out a pleasing sound. You have interpret. You make your mistakes and
you learn. Most of the drummers that are But when you find your own sound, that's
working are people who know how to where your individuality and concept
make the other instruments get their come from. You tune them so the whole
sound. Kenny Clarke was a master at set sounds like a family. Sometimes the
that. It sounds like he was doing very lit- drums' relationship to the music sounds
tle, and he was, but what he implied foreign, especially when you don't have
made all the instruments get their sound. the bottom heads on the toms or the
Those guys—Philly Joe, Elvin—as strong front head on the bass drum—it doesn't
as they played, they still bring out the do justice to the bass. The drummer has
essence of what the other musicians are to tune his drums in a way that allows the
playing. Roy Haynes, Max, Art Blakey— bass's sound to be heard. Nowadays the
none of them played the same. You try to heads have nothing to do with the spirit
add your part, but the idea is to be a part of the animal, so therefore it's harder to
of the music and make it one. That's the get closer to what's happening. You can't
whole concept for me. have the head off your bass drum and
LR: Do you tune your drums in a certain then have the rest of them open. It has to
way? I've read that Ed Blackwell has a be like a voice. It should sound like your
knowledge of the sonics of drums that voice. Your inner voice is what makes
lets him play overtones that few other whatever's happening happen—your spir-
drummers are aware of. And he imparted it. Like any instrument, if it's out of tune,
that knowledge to you. it's hard to play. But when it's in tune and
BH: Well, there's no certain way that I you hear your sound, then you're free.
tune my drums. I tune my drums to LR: So you figured that tuning method
where I feel I can get to all the music and out quite a while ago and kept it pretty
have them fit all the keys we're playing in. much the same for a few decades?
I think most drummers know they can BH: Well, I'm still learning, because
tune their drums in fourths; that'll work. every room is different. Sometimes you'll
 adaptations...
BH: ...to stay in tune! That's why drum-
mers and all musicians have to train their
ear from the cradle to the grave. The
music changes, and you have to respond
to it. One way I train my ear is to mess
with the acoustic guitar when I can,
because it's a pitched instrument, and
you can take it anywhere. You can hear
chords and harmonics on it. Being sensi-
tive to the "in-tuneness" of a guitar helps
my sensitivity to the sound of drums.
LR: So to summarize a little, if someone
were to ask you what drummers need to
do, you'd say to learn their repertoire,
practice their skills, get their sound, and
keep their ears open.
BH: I think it's also important for drum-
mers to listen and analyze other great
instrumentalists. I really advise listening
to Art Tatum, as a reference on direction.
When somebody modulates or plays
another color, you respond to that. The
piano has so many directions it can go in
that other instruments can't. You learn to
listen to the little signals Tatum gives you
before he goes modulating back and forth
at any time. When that change comes up,
you automatically know you have to do
get on some strange drums or have to LR: Then you have to have very good something else. Art Tatum has done so
tune your own drums a little differently ears, don't you? You have your idea of much for so many instruments that it's
because of the room, but close enough to what you sound like under ideal circum- not so far-fetched for a drummer to listen
where it's in your range and still sounds stances, but you have to know your to him. And the more musically the
like you. instrument well enough to make those drummer thinks, the more his instru-
ment and conception will be elevated. to play, and he could start something by chance to play with him had a musical
LR: You've mentioned just a few of the not playing. His presence just made experience that showed him how even he
tenor players you worked with; I guess something happen with the music; he could play the drums—everything came
now's a good time to ask you about work- had such an immaculate spirit. into place. Wilbur Ware was like that.
ing with Thelonious Monk. LR: It's been said that you have a "uni- The first guy I was playing with like
BH: Thelonious was a joy. That was a versal cymbal beat" that fits with every- that was Leroy Vinnegar; he played so
lesson in complete form. thing. I don't know if it's unique to you, even. This was acoustic, without amps.
LR: A different kind of form than Sonny but when that phrase is used, people He had a sound that was a marriage to
Rollins? You spoke about his unpre- know who they're talking about; they're the drums. Next I played with Charlie
dictability. talking about you. Do you know how you [Haden], and he played real even, too.
BH: Well, Sonny learned a lot of stuff developed that? Is it something that can Then I played with Sam Jones, and with
from Thelonious; all those guys be developed? Sam all you had to do was sit there, and
did—'Trane, Sonny, Frank Foster, Johnny BH: Well, the cymbal beat is an attitude the drums just played themselves. That's
Griffin, Lucky Thompson.... If you ask to me. I love Kenny Clarke so much, how his door revolved. It was the same
them, they'll say they all learned from because he showed me that the sound of with Paul Chambers. Any time you would
Thelonious by the way he set up forms. It the cymbal has so much to do with how play figures with your left hand or your
was so natural, it opened up other direc- the piano sounds, how the bass sounds. right foot and your cymbal, it all started
tions and made everything much looser. As far as my cymbal beat is concerned, I making sense. It fit like a good pair of
It let you know there is another way to do mostly have to attribute that to the bass shoes.
things and that it's complete and clear players that I've been with. LR: Okay, let's tie this in with what we
and part of the art form. His songs, his LR: Really? were talking about a minute ago. You pick
compositions, the tempos that he BH: Yeah, because you know what? I feel, a cymbal with the "golden intonation" you
played—that's a school, especially for as far as learning, that I've been really spoke of, one that fits all keys, and you
drummers, to play the tempos that he blessed to play with bass players that tune your drums so they sound like you.
played. They had a lot of room in them, played real even. It sounds so good that everybody's got to
but it was demanding. It's nothing that LR: And you played with some wonderful play together.
you could rush or drag. It went a certain ones—Sam Jones.... BH: I'm tellin' you. Bass players have
way. BH: Aww, I mean, how are you not goin' bailed me out of more stuff than the
LR: Very disciplined. to play even, playin' with Homes? Plus he Lord. I mean, Wilbur Ware, Ray Brown,
BH: Yes, but if you stopped and listened had that golden intonation and an indi- Bob Cranshaw, Victor Sproles—to play
to it, it would spell itself out, be com- vidual concept. For me, he was so close to with these guys all the time, from one gig
plete, let you know where the end was Jimmy Blanton and Oscar Pettiford, but to the next, was fantastic for my playing.
and where to breathe and start again. He with his own kind of concept. He was LR: A lot of people got to play with all
was a master of space; he knew when not impeccable. Any drummer who had the these guys, but they don't sound like you.
BH: Well, I've been fortunate. Most of jects in the works?
the gigs I play now are either with Buster BH: I'm working on putting together a
Williams, Ron Carter, or Ray Drummond. bigger ensemble. That's a future plan
People say to me, "Your cymbal beat is so I'm developing.
wonderful," but it's the music and the LR: Did you ever consider teaching?
people that you're playing with, too. Your BH: I don't really have the time. I got
cymbal beat ain't nothin' if you got no one some kids that I deal with when I'm at
to play with. home sometimes. I do occasionally sub
LR: But you have to be of a high caliber for Tootie Heath at the Cal Arts Center.
yourself so that the great musicians will But for education I have my own place.
play with you. It's like a cultural center, and it's going
BH: Well, you do have to study and keep strong. We have youngsters performing
improving. And I'm happy to see the there every weekend. It's right there in
younger guys really getting it together. the community, and things is soundin'
Kenny Washington is so beautiful good. Thursday's the jam session, and
because he has done all his homework. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday they play,
He listens. Right now he's still doing his and there are other activities also.
homework. He knows about the history, LR: And that goes on whether you're in
and he also knows about the concept. town or not?
Lewis Nash and Winard Harper are doing BH: Oh yes, there are people there, and
it as well. All these little guys, they know, my partner takes care. Elvin's been there
they be zeroing right in on the stuff. It's a twice already. Every time he comes into
beautiful thing to know that it's still town he comes and plays for free—just
going on. does some clinics.
LR: Besides all the work you've been LR: For a long time people have been
doing lately, do you have any special pro- saying that jazz has run its course, that
there's really nothing new except for free,
and free isn't really new.
BH: Well, I'll have to quote Duke
Ellington on that. They asked Duke
Ellington to play something avant-garde,
and Duke said, "Do we have to go that far
back?"
LR: Looking toward the future, what can
we hope for in terms of the music?
BH: We can hope for the best, because
we have the best in the high level of
youngsters coming up. There's a wealth
of information out there, and so many of
them are really well equipped to carry on.
LR: So we can hope for the preservation
of the tradition?
BH: Preservation of the tradition and
progress.
 CONCEPTS

Fame Vs. Ability standing drummer by any standards. If he Ringo's talents as a drummer to have
were playing and recording in the U.S., extremely high visibility.
he would, in my opinion, be a famous Who knows? If it weren't for Gene
by Roy Burns drummer. His tremendous versatility Krupa joining up with Benny Goodman,
would make him a studio favorite. His the entire drumming community might
only limitation—as far as world recogni- be different today. Gene's feature drum
Is the most famous drummer necessarily tion goes—is that he plays only in solo "Sing, Sing, Sing" is still heard today
the best drummer? It's an age-old ques- Europe. on radio and as background music for TV
tion—and one not easily answered. On Noel Okimoto is, commercials. In a very real
the one hand, the argument is that the by almost universal sense, the Benny Goodman
most well known drummers are the best, agreement, the best band launched Gene to
which is why they are so well known. The drummer in Hawaii. "It seems that international fame.
other point of view is that fame has more He has accompanied It seems that every great
to do with being in a popular band than it many great artists, every great drummer, like every actor,
does with the drummer's ability. including Henry needs the "right part," or
Drummers are happy to point out Mancini, Natalie drummer— vehicle, in order to become
excellent players who are well respected Cole, Barney Kessel, famous. Prior to the hit TV
by musicians, yet remain relatively Sadao Watanabe, like every show All In The Family,
unknown to the public. A great many stu- Richie Cole, and Carroll O'Connor was con-
dio drummers could fall into this catego- Stan Getz. He also actor—needs sidered an accomplished
ry—although the relatively recent prac- plays all the percus- actor. However, his "Archie
tice of listing the personnel on each sion instruments the 'right Bunker" character on that
recording has gained many studio drum- and often performs show catapulted him to
mers a certain measure of fame. only as a percussion- part,' or vehi- international stardom, and
For years, one of the best-kept secrets ist. In fact, his only he is a television regular
in the music business was Alan Dawson, limitation—at least cle, in order to today, twenty years later.
who still lives, teaches, and plays in where fame is con- So, in order to be famous,
Boston. Alan is a superb musician and cerned—is that he become you need ability, experience,
teacher, yet for years, people outside of lives in Hawaii. desire, originality, and—
Boston were unaware of his talents. But Why do such great famous." most of all—that "great vehi-
after Tony Williams—Alan's most famous players go unnoticed cle." You need the right band
student—burst upon the scene at age 17 for years, while oth- at the right time.
with the late Miles Davis, drummers were ers—some great, It seems to me that all you
suddenly heading for Boston to study some not—achieve can do is give it your best
with Alan. It also seemed that he was fame? I think it has shot. If you are talented and
suddenly in more demand for clinics, to do with the good fortunate, fame could hap-
recordings, and the like. The point is, fortune (or lack of it) pen to you. However, keep in
Alan was a very accomplished profession- to be part of a group mind that there will always
al long before the drumming world "dis- that attracts the attention of the world at be great players deserving more recogni-
covered" his presence. large. A classic example is Ringo Starr. I tion than they actually receive—and you
At the International Music Fair in mean no disrespect for Ringo, but I really may be one of them. All I can say is that if
Frankfurt, Germany last year, I met a doubt that he would be a famous name you are a good player and you get the big
drummer named Fernando Bermundez. today if not for the Beatles connection. break, be grateful—because it doesn't
Fernando is originally from Argentina, Please, all you Ringo fans, don't get excit- always happen. There are many great
but he's now living in Spain, and he's ed. After all, Ringo did play the music the drummers who have not been fortunate
become a very experienced drummer. He way the group wanted, so he certainly enough to become famous...yet!
plays rock, jazz, flamenco, Latin, salsa, deserves some credit. But the fact is that
funk, fusion, and big band, and is an out- the Beatles' popularity as a band allowed
 PAUL DELONG
PD: I studied with Pete Magadini for mind-boggling.
see Troiano once in a while. He's two years after I got out of high school. BW: Kim Mitchell's LP Shakin' Like A
dropped out of the rock music scene, but He had already written his first two Human Being was the breaking point for
he scores TV shows—all on computer. Polyrhythm books and was writing Poly you and him. What happened?
Whenever he finds something he can't Cymbal Time, and he was using me as a PD: We had just come off the road with
do on machine, he calls me. guinea pig. He figured that if I couldn't Bryan Adams, and Kim had seen the
BW: You moved on to a lengthy stint in play something, he shouldn't put it in power of simple rock music—and the
Kim Mitchell's band. With Kim, you did the book, because it was probably impos- dollars it could bring in. So before we
some really nice, atypical rock drum sible! I had all the normal musical influ- started recording he said to me, "I don't
fills—including things that appeared to ences, like the Beatles, but the turn- want to hear any 'jazz' on this album. I'll
be in odd time signatures. Where did you around came with Mahavishnu. I was be watching you, and if I think you're
pick up these ideas ? floored by them; Billy Cobham was playing anything out of context, I'll stop
you." And he did. I was disappointed,
because I always thought I was part of
the sound of the band. And it wasn't just
drummers telling me that.
Another thing that was weird—to
segue into what happened—took place
when [producer] Paul DeViliers came on
the scene. He asked Kim, "Is this a
band?" and Kim said, "No"! So Kim
went to LA and recorded with Pat Mas-
telloto and the Mr. Mister guys. The
producer had never seen our band live,
but he'd heard tapes, and he thought the
bass player and I were missing the boat
totally. I thought that for some outsider
to come and tell me I wasn't right for
this band—after six years with it—was is a far cry from Kim Mitchell and a real PD: There seems to be a lot of work
wrong and unfair. And then Kim agreed stylistic departure. Do you make adjust- right now. There are some jingles, studio
with him. Since that point, though, Kim ments in equipment or tuning? work, clubs, and clinics. I've played at
has asked me back twice, so there you PD: Yes. I'm now using Yamaha drums. NAMM in Anaheim, at the Long Island
go. I'm using Sabian Sound Control or HH Drum Center, at PIT, and across Cana-
BW: Let's say a 21-year-old musician thin crashes; they're just perfect for that da. I teach a day a week at Humber Col-
gets a call from a recording group. What stuff. I've also got 22" and 20" Leopard lege. I played with four bands at the
would you advise this musician to look rides, and the 20" is just right for this Toronto Jazz Festival. It all adds up to a
for as remuneration? group; it's dry and you can hear the stick living. I have to put in a lot of hours, but
PD: Well, a sideman has a right to ask and the sound of a brush real well. I also have a wife and kids and must bal-
for good money—$1,000 a week, plus per BW: Is there work in Toronto after the ance my time.
diem—and first-class everything: good years on the road? BW: You have a passionate interest in
hotels, transportation, etc. If you're
going to be a hired gun, you might as
well be paid for it. On the other hand, if
you're going to join a band, then you bet-
ter get a piece of the action: a little bit of
the publishing, a little bit of the mechan-
ical royalties. When I joined Kim
Mitchell, I made the mistake of not ask-
ing for much; I was excited to be in a
high-profile band. He did well: He was
on Good Morning America, and the
[anti-drinking & driving] song "Go For
Soda" did well in the States. I just kept
waiting for the money to come.
BW: You now play in David Blamires'
group. He was with Pat Metheny, which
Latin music. How does a Canadian rock drummer get drawn in
that direction and become an authority?
PD: I always loved the sound of it. When I started, I thought
everything was a samba, like lots of guys do. Rick Lazar, who is
a percussionist, started telling me what I should be playing,
and he explained the rhythms. I would also ask Latin guys and
check out books, records, and every article I could find. As for
drumset influences, Weckl's got the songo and the salsa, Gadd
always had the mozambique, and Acuna would be the major
drumset Latin player, I'd think. Joey Heredia is another leading
player; he's got that buzz, you know? Robbie Ameen is also
great.
BW: Any unsatisfied ambitions?
PD: I spent so many years stuck in rock bands; there's so
much more I want to experience. I'd like to play behind Tony
Bennett, or do a Broadway show. Anything except sitting for
hours in a room with a rock band wondering, "Should we push
that?" Maybe Allan Holdsworth is looking for a drummer.
Allan, are you listening?
RICK GRATTON

Direct-to-disc was a relatively new medium, and nobody

really knew what they were doing. All those breaks, the pauses
you hear between songs—that's us just waiting for a cue to
continue, because the machine was still cutting. If someone
made a mistake halfway through—or even at the end of the last
tune—we'd have to start all over again. I literally had gaffer's
tape on my hands because they were black and blue.
BW: You also played and recorded with the Lincolns, another
R&B outfit.
RG: Yes, with Prakash John [Alice Cooper] on bass. We played
in New York, and Belushi and Akroyd came down to see us
after doing a Saturday Night Live show. I was like a kid, 19
years old, exposed to The Big Apple, and I didn't know what
was going on. I came back to Toronto and got a call from Cat
Stevens' management to do an album up in Toronto. And I said
no. I didn't think I was good enough. Then I got a chance to
audition for the Brecker Brothers. Barry Finnerty had heard
about me and called me. I said the same thing to him: "Sorry,
but I'm too young; I'm not good enough."
BW: You must have kicked yourself later.
RG: No. If they called me now, I'd go down—no hesitation.
But I think it was a smart move at the time. Since then I've
done years of woodshedding and playing with different peo-
ple—and working with Danny Lanois a lot. He ended up pro-
ducing a Long John Baldry album that I played on. This was at
the Grant Avenue studio in Hamilton, around 1980. Working
with him was just phenomenal. I'd be banging on the tom-tom
and the snare would be rattling—you know, the drummer's
nightmare—and I'd think, "He's going to freak out." But he'd
say, 'Are you comfortable with that?" When I'd say I was, he'd
say, "Great. Relax and I'll work around it." At the time, every-
body was into big, fat snare sounds, while I've always had that
Stewart Copeland sound. Yet Danny would never tell me to
tweak it down.
BW: You do an unusual double-bass-
drum effect with a single pedal. What's
the story on that?
RG: I was doing a gig with the Lincolns
in Vancouver. We were on a break. I had a
sandwich and a milk on my floor tom, so I
turned over to grab my sandwich, and
both my feet were resting on my foot
pedal. For some strange reason, I
thought, "bicycle." I started to pedal, and
all of a sudden I got this "boom, boom,
boom, boom." And that's where most
guys would have left it. But I started
putting a backbeat to it, and it's devel-
oped from there. My legs are small—I'm
only 5'5"—and I can just swing my leg
under my snare drum so that both feet
are resting on the pedal. It's pretty wild,
but I try not to overuse it.
BW: You have several instructional books
out in the stores. What got you started
doing that?
RG: I heard a tape of Gary Chaffee
doing a clinic in New York, and I was
totally blown away by his linear approach.
I was thinking, "Man, I'm doing a lot of
that stuff, too!" So I locked myself away
for six months and worked with some
patterns—fives, sixes, sevens—and I've got. I use it a lot for sessions,
unique ways of playing them around the because engineers like that dry quality. I
set. That's the way I came up with ideas also use the Carmine Appice Chinese
for the books, Rick's Licks. cymbal. And I use the Ralph Humphrey
The first guy who picked up on them model sticks from Rimshot.
was Pete Magadini, who liked them and BW: What's a typical work week like for
used them. Then I got up enough you?
courage to send a tape to Gary Chaffee RG: I teach six days a week at Just
with my first book. He said, "You're fine, Drums, and I do a TV show one day a
Rick, you don't need to study with me." I week. When I'm gigging, it's usually
took that as the biggest compliment in Wednesday through Sunday nights.
the world! Carmine Appice loves my Whenever possible, I'll fit some com-
stuff, and he recently produced my mercial sessions in. I enjoy that I can
instructional video in L.A. Ralph pick and choose my gigs, and I can stay
Humphrey, Joe Porcaro, Kenny Aronoff, off the road.
Gregg Bissonette, and Gary Chaffee are
MIKE S L O S K Y
endorsing my books. The books are
helping to get my name around more
than being in a name band would. I also there was no editing. A couple of songs
do a lot of clinics for Sabian. were actually first takes, like the slow
BW: Speaking of manufacturers, you're blues "Radium Rain."
using Ayotte drums. BW: You've worked with Bruce Cock-
RG: I got the first bass drum they ever burn for four years, and he's worked
made. I've also got 10", 12", and 15" with some great drummers. Did he ever
power toms, and a 13-ply snare. They've describe his other rhythm sections, in
been fine for me; I haven't had any prob- terms of how to go about playing a song?
lems with them at all. MS: On rare occasions it'll come up,
For cymbals, I love the Leopard ride about tunes and grooves. I generally find
 it's not so much the actual parts to be that they embrace the whole thing more Graham Lear moved back to Toronto,
duplicated, but rather a feel thing, like than I do. There's Kevan Mackenzie, and maybe everybody would have phoned
maybe the way to play the hi-hat. Jorn Anderson [Allanah Myles], and Graham. There are so many factors.
BW: How does one get a key Toronto gig Barry Keane. Paul DeLong has started. When you think of, say, Barry Keane, it's
like yours with Bruce? Graham Lear came back to town; he's a not like he's a great technical player in
MS: It was actually through working in great player and a great reader. Problem the realm of a fusion guy. But he's really
Ottawa! I was there with the Lincolns is, the jobs are full, and it's not like con- consistent, he plays a really nice pocket,
and the other groups I mentioned, and tractors are going to take the money and and he can read well enough to play the
Bruce hadn't yet moved from Ottawa to redistribute it to this guy and this guy. jingles.
Toronto. I got to know Hugh Marsh— BW: Is it not as subject to fashion, BW: You don't strike me as someone
who also played with Mary Margaret, though, as anywhere else in the world? rabidly in pursuit of endorsements.
which helped. And just from playing One would think that playing with Bruce MS: I was doing a thing with Sabian, and
around town a lot, my name came up for Cockburn would count for points, and I think Canwood makes some good
an audition. In terms of keeping steady that people would want you on their pro- drums—but I haven't hooked up with
work in town, I try to keep the phone jects. anyone. Don't you want to know about
happening when I look in my book and it MS: I suppose they would if Bruce had a my practicing, Bruce? Okay? I haven't
looks a little pale in the ink department. huge international-selling album, but practiced in a thousand years, but I've
My work scene, compared to some of he's on a different level. Similarly, had been thinking about it! •
the people you've probably talked to, is Santana been big a few years ago when
not as complete. I make money in fits
and starts. I'll do a TV show and make a
G-note and change, and then I'll go into CHARLIE COOLEY
a bar and make two hundred bucks. But
I have no complaints. I understand the they don't play drumset. In Manteca, we I'll go to that and give it a good whack, or
jingle scene downtown. I'm not the most tend to bastardize the grooves, and we hit it together with a 16" or 14". But I
punctual guy in the world, and that get into calypso, and then African things, find that with current mic' setups and
doesn't really fit into their scene. I do my with the 6/8 groove. technology, you really don't have to bash
bi-annual jingle, you know, and it's 9:00 BW: It must be hard to keep a large your brains out any more. I'm also using
in the morning, and I don't know about band like Manteca going. Calato Regal Tip 8A sticks, which are
9:00 in the morning. They usually use CC: It's hard for any band in Canada. the same as the ones Jeff Porcaro and
other guys who make their living doing We're a nine-piece band, our production Dennis Chambers use.
jingles, and I don't make my living doing values are high, and we take a full crew BW: Is there enough musical work in
that. I make my living doing a whole on the road—including a lighting Toronto to justify anybody moving there?
bunch of different things. designer. We do get funding from the It's got one of the highest cost-of-living
BW: The last time I saw you play, several Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada indexes of any city I've been in.
years ago, you fit a Steve Gadd sort of Council. We toured this summer in CC: You know, I have a family: my wife
mold—right down to tuning—and it was Europe. We went up to the Stockholm and a little boy. We moved away from
abundantly evident that you could handle Jazz Festival. The summer before that, downtown Toronto to get some space,
any style thrown at you in a studio con- we did the Concord Jazz Festival, which and because we couldn't afford to live
text. was amazing—and quite nerve-wrack- downtown. It is expensive. But the buzz
MS: But there's only so much work in ing, I must admit. On that note, though, is still there. I do Backstreet, which is a
Toronto, and the guys doing it are those in a nine-piece band, once everything Top-40 band I've been working on and
whose reading and adaptability are such gets going you don't have time to get off with for five years. That's bread-and-
nervous, and the momentum helps you. butter. There are bread-and-butter gigs.
BW: You're using Pearl drums now. Even the guys doing the high-profile
CC: I'm using the CZX Studio kit at the tours—and the studio guys as well—take
moment. I'm endorsing Sabian cymbals, jobbing and society gigs and little
which I love. We're all using them in dances. I get my share of jingles, too.
Manteca; they're all over the stage. I'm You just do what you have to do. In
using a 21" Dry Ride, which doesn't have Toronto, there are different levels, and it
a whole lot of spread on it, so it's really all adds up to a living, but you have to
articulate. I use Rock Hats, which are hustle. And it depends on your attitude
really heavy and give a really glassy and whether you can play. My attitude
sound when I hit them up top with the was to lay back, take it all in, and then
bead. My cymbals are all fairly small; the find my own place and work hard.
largest crash is an 18". If I need power
 INDUSTRY HAPPENINGS

Pro-Mark Hal Blaine Day Philharmonic, and the Braunschweig,

Chicago, Cologne, Johannesburg,

Giveaway Winners Hal Blaine Day was proclaimed for Lake Forest, Milwaukee, Northbrook,
October 12, 1991, in Hal's hometown of St. Louis, and Trondheim Symphony
Holyoke, Massachusetts. A special show Orchestras.
featured performances and tributes in William Calhoun playing Sonor
honor of Blaine, the legendary drummer Drums.
who is widely considered "the world's Muruga Booker playing Slingerland
most recorded musician." Blaine started drums.
playing the drums while he was growing Gregg Bissonette using LP percus-
up in Holyoke. He later went to sion.
Hollywood, and eventually played on over Rikki Rocket, Philthy Animal Taylor,
35,000 recordings, including 350 Top-10 Robert Sweet (Stryper), Jason McCon-
hits, 41 of which were Number-1 songs nell (Xavier and Arlo Guthrie), David
and 8 of which were Grammy Records of Sanger (Asleep At The Wheel), Gerald
the Year. Color-life Corporation is now located atGlanville (Dizzy Gillespie), and Babe
Pace (C&C Music Factory) using ddrum

Grand-prize winners of Pro-Mark's $2,000

Indy Quickies equipment.
Tico Torres, Bernard Purdie, and
Rob Affuso using Cappella drumsticks.
Giveaway promotion include David Rizer 131 Engineer Drive, Hicksville, NY 11801, Evelyn Glennie playing Ludwig
(pictured above, with Cher Laakso, The tel: (516) 433-1222, fax: (516) 433-1221. instruments.
Music Store, Racine, WI), Henry Steiner David Collier has joined Ludwig's Michael Blair endorsing ddrum elec-
of Harrisburg, PA, and Aaron Roussaki of concert percussion clinic staff. In related tronics, Paiste cymbals, DW pedals, Vic
Portsmouth, NH. Each received $500 news, percussion legend Bobby Firth sticks and mallets, Remo heads, LP
worth of Pro-Mark products, including Christian has re-joined Ludwig's clini- percussion, and PureCussion RIMS.
personalized drumsticks. Second-place cian roster. Philippe Allaert, Chris Efthimiadis,
winners, receiving $100 worth of products, and Joe Morris using Meinl cymbals.
include Chaz Carroll of Pittsburgh, PA,
Rich Marsh of Towson, MD, Jime Lively of
Akron, OH, David Murray of Rahway, NJ,
Endorser News
Bison Drums are being used by the
Charlie Adams (Yanni) endorsing
Wuhan cymbals.
Mickey Curry using Calato drum-
and John Lopez of North Bellmore, NY. American Conservatory, the Berlin sticks.
 NEW AND NOTABLE

Slingerland Artist the makers. The Artist Custom Series is

equipped with original Slingerland-style
models to fit any drum, the Snare Muff
requires no tools and can be installed in

Custom Series lugs, hoops, T-rods, and claws, and has a

traditional look with the same spur and
tom-mounting system used on their
seconds. Distributed through Kansas
City Drumworks, 4014 State Line,
Kansas City, KS 66103, (913) 677-0936.
Spirit Series. Custom setups may be spe-
cial-ordered in a wide variety of sizes:
toms 8" - 18", bass drums 18" - 22", and
snare drums 4" - 6 1/2". Hohner/HSS,
Trick Cymbal Polish
Trick Percussion Products has recently
Inc., Lakeridge Park, 101 Sycamore released its new, highly concentrated
Dr., Ashland, VA 23005, (804) 550-2700. Cymbal & Metal Polish, a liquid designed
to remove discoloration, tarnish, water

Eccentric Systems spots, and rust from metal surfaces. It's

designed to renew, brighten, and protect

Snare Muff
Eccentric Systems has introduced the
brass, chrome, aluminum, copper, and
stainless steel items, and it dries to a pow-
der, therefor eliminating residue in cym-
Snare Muff, a device that the makers bal grooves. According to Trick, Cymbal &
Slingerland has introduced its Artist claim eliminates sympathetic snare vibra- Metal Polish contains ingredients that help
Custom Series. The shell configuration of tion. By utilizing a special foam strip and protect cymbal surfaces to provide a
maple interior and exterior plies, com- mounting strap, the Snare Muff restricts longer-lasting shine. Trick Percussion
bined with three core plies of mahogany, the sympathetic vibrations of the snares, Products, 1880 N. Roselle Road, Suite
contributes significantly to the warm, but without altering the sound of the 201, Schaumburg, IL 60195, tel: (708)
resonant sound of the series, according to drum during stick impact. Available in 519-9911, fax: (708) 519-1979.
Sherpa SP63 ing surface that eliminates the "tennis
elbow" symptoms that harder pads can Weinberg's Big Beat
Electronic Pad cause, while promoting smoother control
of the sticks during more complex play- Available Again
System ing passages.
The kit includes l l " drum pads—
including the bass drum pad, which
After being unavailable for a spell, Max
Weinberg's book, The Big Beat:
Conversations With Rock's Great
allows for the use of a double pedal—and Drummers, is available again, this time
8" single- and dual-trigger cymbal pads, through Billboard Books, 1515
which fit onto any standard cymbal stand. Broadway, New York, NY 10036, (212)
In addition, the kit's snare pad combines 764-7300.
both pad and rim triggers, with a certain
amount of cross-talk built in, which
Sherpa claims creates a more realistic Stix Spray-On
sound.
Each pad is equipped with a standard
1/4" phono plug and a mounting system
Moisture Reducer
The makers of Stix claim that it will keep
that allows it to be attached to most hands and sticks dry under even the most
major brands' tom mounts. The rack adverse conditions. Stix is sprayed direct-
Sherpa's electronic percussion system stand is made from polished, chrome ly on the hands, but since it is not abra-
features a rack stand and electronic steel tubing held together with alu- sive, it will not leave hands feeling sticky,
"drum" and "cymbal" pads, including an minum castings. Sherpa Enterprises, nor will it change the weight or feel of
electronic hi-hat. The makers claim that, P.O. Box 556, Station U, Toronto, sticks like tape or gloves can. Stix is avail-
unlike most electronic systems, theirs Ontario, Canada M8Z 5Y9, fax: (416) able in a 3oz. aerosol spray can that con-
includes a soft-touch/high-bounce play- 251-3625. tains no fluorocarbons. Each can provides
approximately 150 applications. Primal
Screen/Stix, 5450 South State Road 7,
Suite 7, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314,
tel/fax: (305) 587-6350.

Dopple Multi-Strike
Drumstick

According to the makers of the Dopple

drumstick, this twin-head drumstick
allows drummers to play a continuous
triplet roll or ruff with a single hand. The
stick's design features a short, angled,
spring-loaded swivel stick that pivots
from a full-size drumstick. When hitting
a drumhead with the stick, the smaller
stick hits first, followed by the standard,
fixed stick. A third beat is then caused by
the drumhead's rebound. The Dopple
stick is made in the United States of
selected quality hickory sticks with nylon
tips. The pivot and stop bar are stainless
steel, and the stick comes with instruc-
tions and a satisfaction guarantee.
Dopple, Inc., 10 Gorski St., Amster-
dam, NY 12010.

Slobeat Super
Drum Tapes
Slobeat Music Products has introduced
Super Drum, a cassette tape program fea-
turing the performances of many of the
greatest drummers of all time from many
styles and eras of music. The cuts feature
full-length, original versions of tunes that
are often hard to locate, giving young stu-
dents a handy reference point for some of
the world's most important drum perfor-
mances. Artists included in the Super
Drum program include Buddy Rich,
Gene Krupa, Chad Wackerman, Art
Blakey, Elvin Jones, Max Roach, Roy
Haynes, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Cobham,
Peter Erskine, Rod Morgenstein,
Alphonse Mouzon, and Danny Gottlieb.
Slobeat Music Products, 15854 West
6th Ave., Golden, CO 80401, tel: (303)
277-1017, fax: (303) 277-1067.
 NEXT MONTH

HARVEY MASON PLUS

HUNT SALES
KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS'
FRED YOUNG
COLUMNS BY
• JOE MORELLO
• ROD MORGENSTEIN
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IMPRESSIONS
Photo fay Rick Malkin

WITH ANTON FIG

ADVERTISERS INDEX
ADVERTISER PAGE NUMBER ADVERTISER PAGE NUMBER ADVERTISER PAGE NUMBER
ABK Rocks 86 HQ Percussion Products 90,119 PureCussion, Inc. 81,83
Aquarian Accessories 104 Harrigan Drum School 114 Remo 131
Atlanta Pro Percussion 79 House Ear Institute 102 Rhythm Tech 118
Atlantic Records 82 Innovative Specialties 117 RimSHOT Drumsticks 108,126
Bison Drum Co. 119 Istanbul/Gretsch 44 Roc-N-Soc 103
Boom Theory Corp. 128 JazzTimes 80 S&S Industries 92
Calato/Regal Tip 84 Jemm Co. 89 Sabian 18/19,81,83,85,87,134
Canopus Co., Ltd. 67 Kansas City Drumworks 94 Sam Ash Music Stores 118
Cappella Drumsticks 72 KAT, Inc. 51,113 Shure 123
Colorlife Corp. 125 L.T. Lug Lock 108,110,114 Simmons 97,116
Corder Drum Co. 50 Latin Percussion, Inc. 90 Skins & Tins Drum Shop 118
DCI Music Video 133 Ludwig Industries Inside Front Cover Slap Happy Productions 45
ddrum ••••'• 113 Mapex Percussion 109 Slobeat Musical Products 79
Deven Chase 67 MD Festival T-Shirt 94 Sonor 17
Dopple Inc. 118 MD Holiday Subscriptions 111 Suncoast Music Distributing 77
Drum Doctor 115 MD Library 129 Super Gloss/Sam Barnard 110
Drum Workshop 38/39 MD Sound Supplement Collection 122 Tama 69,71,95
Drummers Collective 85 MD & Yamaha Drum Rig Giveaway 64/65 The Drum! 106
Drums on Sale 110 Modern Drummerware 52/53 Thoroughbred Music 57,88,108,110,119,120
Drumst6 103 Mechanical Music Corporation 88 Tough Traveler 105
Drumstix 119 Meinl 106/107 Trick Percussion Products 88
Duratech 101 Musicians Institute 96/97 UDU Drums 110
Empire Group 110 Noble & Cooley 92 Unique Percussion 115
Evans Products 1,124 Overby Enterprises 66 Vater Percussion 57,87,93
Falicon Design 119 Paiste 46/47,91,136 Veri-Sonic 77
Fork's Drum Closet 115 Pearl Corporation 1 3,14/15,60,lnside Back Cover Vic Firth, Inc. 7
Gene Piccalo Enterprises 88 Play It Straight 117 Waddell's Cymbal Warehouse 119
Gibraltar/Kaman Music Corp. 127 Precision Drum Co. 119 XL Specialty Products 121
Glenn Weber Drum Studio 108 Premier Percussion 5 Yamaha 63,73
Gorilla Snot 119 Pro* Mark 104/105 Zildjian 10/11,61 .Outside Back Cover