Edge 7.0 featuring Peter Erskine & Alex Acuña here - Drum Workshop

Prince’s Cora Coleman-Dunham + Ginger Baker in the time machine + The Drummers of vegasm a g a z i n eThe Official Publication of Drum Workshop • 7.0peter erskine & alex Acuñaon cloud 9tales from weather reportPlus Live! with yellowcard’s longineu parsons, dw & Pacific’s latest gear & more!

EDGE 7.009462471ARTIST FEATURES02 Peter ErskineThis So-Cal-based session master and educator continues to forgenew territory in the jazz world and beyond46 Bobby JarzombekBacking metal gods like Rob Halford and Sebastian Bach, thischops-inspired speed demon pulls out all of the tricks56 Alex AcuñaRaised on a healthy diet of traditional be-bop and Latin rhythms,Alex is one of drumming’s true multi-taskers68 Cora Coleman-DunhamIt’s every drummer’s dream to get a gig that catapults them into thespotlight, and there’s no doubt this savvy newcomer has found itIN EVERY ISSUE09 Time Machine: Ginger Baker15 Tech Tips with Yard16 Pro-File: New Blood20 On the Rise: Omar Gongoria24 Road Stories: Journey & Def Leppard34 LIVE! with Yellowcard40 Backstage Pass: Madonna44 DW Drum Clinic with Tommy Igoe62 PDP Spotlight: Jonah David72 New ArtistsPRODUCT NEWS36 DW Drum News50 Pacific Drum NewsSPECIAL TO THIS ISSUE30 The Drummers of Vegas54 The Making of Drum Duets Vol. 1EDGE Magazine is a publication of Drum Workshop, Inc. ©2006 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved. #PRCAEDGE-V7 For promotional use only. NOT FOR SALE.

832956147Jazz TimesThis Southern California-based session masterand educator continues to forge new territoryin the jazz world and beyondPeter ErskineEDGE: So you started playing drums at a veryearly age. What sparked you to play, and whendid you first notice you had a passion for playingdrums?Peter Erskine: My parents had a photo of meplaying, or air drumming I guess, on a tabletopwhen I was just an infant. My father hadfashioned a drum set of sorts out of a congadrum that came from Havana, Cuba. I stillhave it. It also had a Chinesetomtom and one little cymbal with some rivetsin it. And I would play along with someof the albums he had at home. By the timeI was 5 years old, I was already taking lessons.At that point I knew that I wanted tobe a drummer and was pretty certain that Iwould be a drummer.EDGE: Why did your father steer you in thatdirection?PE: I think he always hoped that one of hiskids would want to be a musician. He wasa psychiatrist by the time I wasborn, but he paid for hismedical schooleducationby working as a musician. He was abass player, and he had a band called FredErskine And His Music For Moderns. So wehad jazz around the house all of the time.Some of the earliest recordings I can rememberare a couple of Art Blakey albums and aTito Puente record. It’s kind of funny beinghere with Alex (Acuña) today, because thatwas the kind of music that I knew ever sinceI was an infant. When I first heard Alex play,it was the evening that I met Jaco Pastorius,and he played us a cassette of “HeavyWeather.” I was 23, and I said to Jaco, “Thisis the version of Weather Report I’ve beenwaiting to hear.” I was just so thrilled becauseI’d never heard anyone play like Alex.He really has his own way of playing. It’sfunny now, because when I look back, I waswaiting for someone like Alex.10Set-up Specs:Jazz Series Red Gum Drums with Natural Lacquer overCustom Redwood Burl Exotic and Chrome Hardware16x18” Bass Drum5x14” Snare Drum8x12”, 14x14” Tom-Toms9000 Single Pedal6500 Hi-Hat Stand6300 Snare Drum Stand6710 Straight Cymbal Stand (x4)6100 Case/Drum Throne[EDGE 7.0] 3

“I went to my first music camp when I wasseven years old. I met Stan Kenton, who Iwould eventually wind up working for.”EDGE: So there was that kind of fusion betweenthe Latin world and jazz?PE: Back then, Dizzy Gillespie and StanKenton were already making these recordingsof Cuban rhythms and mixing it withAmerican jazz. I was also very interestedin African drumming. My father had somefield recordings, and I had some albumsfrom drummers from Ghana and Nigeria.So, between my father, my drum teacherand my sisters, who were always dating jazzmusicians at the time, I had plenty to absorbearly on.EDGE: So you mentioned you began formal instructionat around age five?PE: Yes, from a drum teacher named JohnnyCevera. He was a drummer who playedin Atlantic City and was from a town veryclose to there. He worked with singers likePatty Page, and played a little bit with theBilly May Big Band. I took a detour playingtrumpet for a little bit, and for a hot minuteI thought I might want to be a classicalpercussionist. But then I realized that it waskind of a drag, just standing around counting.So many measures in music, it wasmore fun just to be playing in a rhythm section.I went to my first music camp when Iwas seven years old. I met Stan Kenton, whoI would eventually wind up working for. Ialso met Joe Zawinul when I was seven. Soat a very young age, I was hanging aroundjazz musicians.EDGE: When did you make the transition frombeing a drum student to the Stan Kenton gig?PE: At a young age, I could play fairly well,and had some sense of musical savvy. I don’tthink I was any kind of prodigy, but I havesome recordings that were made when I was8, 9 and 10 years old, and when I listen tothose, it sounds like me. I was already developinga sense of musical style. The acorn definitelybecomes the oak. The musical die wascast, and I don’t know how much of that hadto do with my teacher exposing me to ArtBlakey, Joe Morello and Max Roach. I’m surethat was a lot of it. Anyway, I learned the language.So to answer the question, I went tomy final Kenton camp when I was 12 yearsold. It was out here in California, and I wasgetting a little confused because I was goingto classical camps and jazz camps at thesame time, and that was the transition yearfor me. I remember that the audition went sobadly. I used to always make the top bandsin school. I was too young to even be at thesecamps really, but that’s because I would alwaysbe assigned to the top band. And thenall of a sudden at 12 years old I looked upand one of the drum instructors just put hishead in his hands and was like “Oh my God,what happened to this kid?” They assignedme to the lowest band at the camp. So itwas a real shock to the system. And it wasjust what I needed. Guys like Stan and EdSoph, who is now teaching at North Texasthese days, would spend a whole day on arhythm section workshop. They’d put meon a drum set, take me apart, and then putme back together again. And that’s where Igot my first inkling of “OK, you just can’timitate what you hear other drummers do,you really have to know how to play time.”So, I was lucky enough to begin the processof seriously learning more about music atage 12. I went to a place called InterlochenArts Academy. They have a summer campthere, but I went to the winter high school.They had a symphony orchestra, and theyhad a great jazz band there. I think that’swhere I really got serious. From there, I lefthigh school a year early, went to IndianaUniversity and spent a year studying thedifference between match grip and traditional.I had never formally studied matchgrip. I was really curious about it. Musically,I was playing in the jazz band at school andhad a fusion group. This was 1971-72, andmusic was very exciting back then. Everynew record that came out seemed like itwas a postcard from the future. It was like,“This is what’s possible.” Anyway, I’m playingwith the jazz band, and word gets outto Stan Kenton. He already knew my familybecause my family always brought me tothese camps. At that age, I was always tooyoung to come on my own. So he called,and my father answered the phone, andsaid “Fred, this is Stan, is Peter ready for theband?” My dad said, “Yeah.” And Stan said,“OK, well then, we’d like him to come on upand audition.” So my audition was at LincolnCenter, and I had just turned 18. Theywere rehearsing for the Newport Jazz Festivalthat night, and part of the program wasan appearance by June Christy, a vocalistthat had been with the band back in the ‘40s.She was going to sing with the band andonly the rhythm section knew I was auditioning,so the rest of the band didn’t knowthat there was going to be a change. So theyall assumed that I was June Christy’s hippiedrummer. Got the gig, and a week later,I’m out riding in this bus. Funny thing wasthat I’d been with the band for a few days,and after a gig somewhere in Iowa, I’m ridingthe elevator up with Stan. We’re going toour respective floors, and he said, “Peter, wehaven’t discussed money yet.” And I said,“OK, how much do you want?” I think thatwas good for an extra $25 a week. He wascharmed by that response. Imagine, you’re18 years old, and you get to go on the roadand play. It wasn’t about the money; it wasabout getting to play.EDGE: Was going on the road at such a youngage a shock to the system?PE: It just seemed natural. I knew I was doingmy learning in public, and I sensed thata lot of drummers were thinking, “Who’sthis guy, and why did he get the gig?” Atthe time, that was a pretty plump gig. If youwanted to play big band, that was a goodgig. And I experienced a lot of the samething in Weather Report. “Who’s this guy?He played big band. What qualifies him toplay with Weather Report?” Even in SteelyDan in ’93, I kinda got that. I’m finally atthat stage of my life where if that questioncomes up, it doesn’t bother me.EDGE: So then it was Maynard Ferguson, andthen on to Weather Report?PE: After three years with Kenton, I wentback to college and my professor GeorgeGabber. He just took one look at my handsand said, “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”I had gained a ton of bad habits out on theroad. I was playing so heavy. So I spent theyear trying to unlearn some of the bad habits.During that time, Maynard called threetimes, and I turned him down every time.Finally they called and they said, “Lookwill you just do the summer tour?” And Isaid, “OK,” but I really wasn’t looking togo out again. Then I spent two years withMaynard, and during that time I met JacoPastorius. He came outto see the band. I didn’tknow it at the time, butthey were looking aheadto when Alex might besplitting the group. SoJaco filed me away. Initiallythey had called meto come and work on thisnew album, and I onlyhad a couple of days offwith Maynard. It was justtoo much pressure forme. They wanted me togo out there for only one day. My recordingexperience wasn’t that good, and I didn’twant to risk missing a Maynard gig. Plus,the weather was bad, and I didn’t reallywant to fly, and I didn’t have the confidenceat the time, so I turned it down. Luckily,they called a second time, and I had enoughsense to not turn it down. Then, they askedif I could do a tour of Japan. So, I said yes,and I told Maynard I would be leaving, butthe band still wasn’t quite sure. Zawinuldidn’t know that much about me. All heknew is that Jaco had recommended me. Sohe had management call me up. I was 23,and the guy says, “Peter this is so-and-sofrom Weather Report management. Joe Zawinulwanted us to ask you one final question.”I said, “Sure, what is it?” “Joe wantsto know if you can play the beat to ‘NubianSundance.’” That’s a tune from the MysteriousTraveler album. It’s a cool beat. We usedto play it in Maynard’s band at sound checksjust because I liked it. So, with the brashnessof a young 23-year-old, I just blurted out,“Yeah, you tell Joe I can play the sh*t outof it.” And the guy said, “OK, thank you.”Of course that was the kind of answer thatZawinul loved because they wanted a guyto come in with attitude. At the time, theymade a new kit for this Weather Report tour,with cases and the whole nine yards. So Iflew out to Hollywood for the rehearsal. I’mat S.I.R. and we’re supposed to start at like1:00, so I’m there at like 10 in the morning,and I’m setting up this new drum set. Theroad manager comes over and says, “Theguys called, they’re going to be a couple ofhours late.” “Okay.” A couple hours later, hecomes up again: “Um, they’re going to be acouple more hours.” I don’t know what theywere doing. I never found out. But about sixhours later, these guys come strolling in.Wayne Shorter, Joe and Jaco. Joe looks at mevery wearily, and shakes my hand. Wayneshakes my hand friendlier. Jaco waves Hiand runs out the door again. He went togo get a six-pack of Heineken. So, now I’mwondering what’s going on. Normally, Iwould have waited until I was asked, “OK,Peter, do you want to play this song?” As faras I knew, it wasn’t an audition, it was justa rehearsal, but thinking back, I’m sure this> On theRecord:Alex Acuña:EDGE: Talk about Peter’s playingwith Weather Report. How did youfeel about him being in the bandafter you?Alex Acuña: I left the band becausefamily has always been ahigh priority, and I wanted tobe with my children and my wife. Theband was taking off, so I said “Oh I can’tgo on the road for three or four monthswithout seeing my family. I can’t dothat. I have to be here.” They understood,and we split on great terms. I stillcontinued to play with Wayne and Joeon some of their solo records, and I eventoured with Joe a bit here and there. Soright after that, the band came to playhere live at Santa Monica Civic. I cameto see them. I got a ticket, and I wentby myself. Wow, it was weird becauseI was so used to being part of the music,and now I was just in the audience.After the show, Joe gave me the new recordwith Peter playing. Man! I droveso fast to my house to play it. I wantedto see how the record sounded, youknow? So I read who was playing onthe album. Guys like Steve Gadd, TonyWilliams and Peter. When I heard thistrack called “Pinocchio,” I said, “Wow!I admire Peter.” I hadn’t heard a recordingof Peter before that. I heard him live,but it’s a different thing when you heara record; you hear the entire nuance.Later on, I became friends with Peter,and I still listen to all of the music thathe recorded with Weather Report. I alsolisten to Steps Ahead and other recordingshe’s done with Vince Mendoza andthe big bands in Europe. Amazing stuff!Lately, we’ve been doing a lot of moviestogether. I respect Peter for many reasons.As a human being, he’s amazing!As a musician and drummer, also tremendous!I think he’s one of the leadingdrummers in the style of music that he’splaying. He can play anything. I sawhim playing Latin jazz, and he playspop, too. I loved him with Steely Dan.He has incredible taste, time, technique,and his cymbal work is impeccable.He’s one of a kind, and we’ve alwaysbeen great friends. Weather Report wasour link, but we have so much in commonbeyond that.[EDGE 7.0] 5

Time MachineGinger Baker: A Career Retrospectiveby Billy Wardphotos by Jill Furmanovsky/rockarchive.comNature provides the inspiration—we take it from there.Until now, many of the most preciousand visually stunning exotic woodson earth couldn’t be utilized as drumfinshes. This harsh reality was due tothe fact that these exotic horizontalveneers were simply not wide enoughto cover most larger drum sizes. Aftercountless hours of experimentation inour custom shell shop, we’ve changedall of that. Introducing Collector’sSeries Vertical Grain Exotics. Thesecret is a special process that allowsus to artfully book-match each pieceof veneer according to its uniquevisual characteristics. The result issomething we think Mother Natureherself would be proud to call her own.The ultimate custom kit— each druma unique creation. Five breathtakingnew exotics are available: Cocobolo,Koa, Macassar Ebony, Movingue andRed Gum. And all can be customizedwith a virtually endless variety ofcustom laquer finishes and any offour available drum hardware coloroptions. Experience Vertical GrainExotics at an authorized DW Drumsretailer near you or online atwww.dwdrums.com.New Collector’s Vertical GrainExotics— as unique as nature herself.www.dwdrums.comshown: Collector’s Series Maple VLT in NaturalLacquer over Macassar Ebony Vertical GrainExotic and 24k Gold Hardware©2006 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Billy WardWhen DW askedme if I would bewilling to interviewGinger Bakerfor EDGE Magazine,my responsewas automatic:“Heck yeah! I loveGinger Baker.” Ifirst heard Gingerin ’66 whenCream’s album, Fresh Cream, hit the shores ofAmerica. He has always been immediately recognizablebecause his drumming has such a personaltouch. Nobody plays eighth notes like Ginger.There’s a certain swing to his rhythms. His toneand feel are equally unique, since for one thing,Ginger seems never to hurry through a section ofmusic. He is always the rock. Through Cream’ssuccess, his notoriety skyrocketed, and he becamesomewhat of a pop-culture victim. As critics weretrying to make a fuss out of whether rock musicwas as “valid” as jazz, Ginger and the band werecaught in the crossfire. There is no doubt in mymind that part of the price of Ginger’s popularityand subsequent fame resulted in his being askeda multitude of incredibly silly questions aboutrock music versus jazz. It is no wonder that heseems to loathe interviews. I suspect his relationshipwith his trusty drum company brought thisrare interview to fruition. As for my experiencewith the interview, you will soon see what kind of“shot across my bow” I received within the first10 seconds of our chat...Billy Ward: Your drum tech, Yard, recentlymentioned one of your longtime heroes, an Englishdrummer named Phil Seaman. Tell us moreabout him and how he influenced you.Ginger Baker: You don’t know who Phil Seamanis?!BW: No.GB: Oh, what a f’in woolly!BW: [nervous laughter]GB: Phil Seaman is up there— he’s one ofthe best drummers in the world, bar none!He was a jazz player, not rock ‘n’ roll butjazz! He played with Kenny Graham’s AfroCubists, Joe Harriet and Jack Parnell’s BigBand. Phil never got to America.BW: Why didn’t he get to America?GB: Why? He was a junkie! The first time Imet Phil Seaman, I was playing in the Flamingo,and saxophonist Tubby Hayes heardmy playing and ran out to get Phil, who wasin Ronnie Scott’s club. I didn’t know he wasthere, so I got off stage at my gig to be confrontedby God!BW and GB: [laughter]GB: We then went back to Phil’s place athalf past three in the morning and listenedto music until half past nine in the morning.He had a huge collection of African drumrecords. He played them for me all throughthe night. He was saying things to me like,“Okay, now where’s the beat?” It was like ahuge door opening up!BW: Did you study with a teacher?GB: No. I’ve never had a lesson in my life. Idid share a flat with Phil for a while, though,and that was quite an experience! We usedto practice together, and if I forgot something,he would whack me on the arm withhis stick.BW: Ouch! So most of your playing is by earmore than from method books and such?GB: Yeah. Max (Roach) was also a huge influenceand is a great friend of mine now. Iwas listening to Max and Phil when I firststarted playing, and I got a gig with a tradband.BW: What’s a trad band?GB: Traditional jazz—what you call Dixieland.This trad band was playing NewOrleans music, and there was this clarinetplayer named Johnny Dodds.BW: Any relation to (drummer great) BabyDodds?GB: Yeah, Johnny Dodds was Baby Dodds’brother. They gave me all the Baby DoddsHear Me Talkin’ To Ya records and they said:“This is what we want you to play like!”(Hear Me Talkin... is one of an incredible seriesof records from the early days of recordingby Louis Armstrong and the Hot Five—or with the Hot Seven). Those records reallyblew me away. They were probably the biggestinfluence of all, apart from Phil. I reallylearned a lot from Baby Dodds because hewas mostly listening to the other guys. Mymain goal is to make the other guys soundgood. Of course, Art Blakey, who I had thepleasure of doing a drum thing with, andElvin Jones... Philly Joe Jones... these guyswere all influences. They also all becamegood friends of mine, as well.[EDGE 7.0] 9

BW: There are a lot of really nice people in thatlist.GB: All drummers are nice people. That’swhy they always get ripped off, you know?BW: Max Roach was ahuge influence on all ofus with his melodic drumming.GB: Yeah, when I was 14,I heard The Quintet of theYear with Charlie Parker,Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie,my pals CharlieMingus and Max Roach.It was the (now famous)Massey Hall Concerts. Ihadn’t even started playingthe drums yet.BW: John Bonham?GB: I didn’t like John Bonhamat all. He really pissed me off one daywhen he said, “There’s only two drummersin British rock; there’s only me and GingerBaker.” I thought he was a cheeky old (expletive).BW: Your feel always leaves such a personal fingerprint.I feel like I can always tell when it isyou. For one thing, your cymbals sound the sameon all of these different records you’ve made... somany different styles.GB: That’s because they’re the same cymbals!I’ve had those ride cymbal and hi-hatssince 1966. The youngest cymbal on my kitis, I think, 1973. That’s how good Zildjiancymbals are.BW: That splash cymbal in my favorite BlindFaith song, “Had ToCry Today,” is so amazing.It’s so loud in themix and feels so violentfalling down over themix. Has anyone in yourbands ever given you ahard time because youare playing somethingmore original than theyare used to?GB: Not nowadays.BW: Hah! Nobody isgoing to mess with younow, man. But in theearly days?GB: Not in the early days of Cream. I mean,there were problems with Jack (Bruce—bassistwith Cream) but there have always beenproblems with Jack all the way through to(our last show in) New York, which is whyCream will never, ever play together again!BW: I’m so sorry.GB: Bass players—there aren’t really manybass players that I can get along with at all.BW: Yeah. I don’t get it. They’re playing fourstrings and one note at a time. What’s so hardabout that? Do you have to make adjustments“I really learneda lot from BabyDodds because hewas mostly listeningto the otherguys. My main goalis to make the otherguys sound good.”when you play rock versus jazz?GB: I’ve never played rock. When have Iplayed rock?BW: Well, most people think of Cream as rock,for one thing.GB: Well they are totally wrong. Cream wasnever a rock band!BW: But in jazz, the cymbals carry more of thesonic imprint, and the drums are the chatter beneathand within the cymbals and...GB: Well, that’s the fault of those horribleengineers in that case. Any band you see,you’ll see the drummer banging away on hiscymbals and hi-hat, and you can never hearthem. Because of the engineers, the onlything you can hear is the kick and the snare!Very seldom do you hear the tom-toms andalmost never can hear the cymbals! This happensin so-called pop music more than jazz.That’s one reason I like jazz records more.BW: When I first saw you, you had a Ludwig kit:Silver Sparkle.GB: I played Ludwig from 1966 up until1997 or so, 31 years. I moved over to DrumWorkshop not only because they were nicerpeople to work with, but also because Ludwigfell apart. I knew all the Ludwig family,but they sold the company to Boosey andHawkes, and it all went downhill. I had agig in New York at Iridium (jazz club), andLudwig wouldn’t send a kit. DW sent a kitwithin five minutes, and then they made akit to my specifications.BW: What are those specifications?GB: Do you mean the sizes?BW: Yeah.GB: The bass drums are 11” deep. With Ludwig,I had to get them tocut them down!BW: Wow. Your bass drumsare 11” deep?GB: Yeah. My right bassdrum is a 20”x11”, andmy left is 22”x11”.BW: How do you tunethem?GB: I tune all my drumspretty loose.BW: Your drums alwayssound in tune with thesong.GB: Well, I do attempt totune the drums for each song! I used to getin big trouble for that in the old days, yousee. The band is tuning up, and I’m joiningin and they yell, “Hey! We’re trying to tuneup!” And I say: “What the (expletive) do youthink I’m trying to do?!” [laughter] Theycouldn’t understand that a drummer mightwant to be in tune with the band. That’s thething with Drum Workshop, you know?Their shells are in tune on my kit. They tunethe shells before they do anything else, sothere is a good pitch scale to the drum kit.BW: Yeah: Timbre Matching. Some folks thinkthe old days of drum making are the best years,but apparently you don’t feel that way.GB: No, I love my DWs.BW: Were some of your bands more fun for youthan others?GB: Blind Faith was one of the most enjoyable.Playing with Stevie (Winwood) is a joy.You know, Stevie plays the drums prettywell, too. Playing with Ron Miles in Denverwas also super enjoyable. It’s probably thebest jazz record I’ve ever made! He plays thetrumpet and writes the most incredible music!It was a quartet and would go to an octet,going to four pieces to eight pieces. Youshould get the record! There’s some incredibletime stuff on there!BW: Now for the stupid question: on “Sunshineof Your Love”...GB: No.BW: You don’t want to go there?GB: I don’t want to talk about it.BW: Well, I read in a Mix magazine that TomDowd (engineer great) said it was his idea toturn the beat around to thedownbeats and then you guysgot the take.GB: Tom Dowd said it washis idea?! Now we’ve goteven Tom Dowd trying tosay it was his idea? Totally“Whatever you aretrying to play, youshould be able toplay at any tempo.You know, it’s veryeasy to play thingsfast. It’s a lot moredifficult to playthem slowly.”>Time Machine: Ginger Bakerf’in amazing! I mean, I thought he was a brilliantengineer! Absolute rubbish! Absoluteutter nonsense! There’s so much crap writtenor said about “Sunshine!” Some people havebeen telling lies for so long about it, theyactually now believe it!Jack (Bruce) brought“Sunshine” in and itwas “dada-duda-du-dudu-duda-du”and it wasthat speed. [Ginger sangthis more than twice asfast as the original!]BW: Oh my!GB: I said, “Why don’twe slow it down, and I’llput the backwards beaton it?” So it went: “BhuDa Da Da (Hu) Da Da(Hu) Da Da Bua Da.” Inever got credit for it and I never will, yousee? This is why I didn’t want to talk about“Sunshine,” because how it came about hada huge influence upon the song, and I gotno credit whatsoever for it. Drummers gettaken advantage of all the time!BW: What are your most influential records?GB: Well, I’ve told you about one, The Quintetof The Year record. Duke Ellingtonat Newport ‘56, titled, Diminuendoand Crescendo in Blue, is another.There really aren’t many. John Coltrane’sA Love Supreme, with Elvin(Jones), is another. Of the stuff I’vedone, I think the Blind Faith recordis great. Also, the Ron Miles record,Coward of the County, may be my bestjazz record.BW: Any advice for a younger drummer?GB: Yeah. Get a day job! [laughter]I mean one of the best things I gotfrom Phil is that, whatever you aretrying to play,you should beable to play atany tempo. Thismeans whatyou are playingyou have to be able to play it really slowlyso that all the beats are even. You know, it’svery easy to play things fast. It’s a lot moredifficult to play them slowly. Another thingI got from Phil was to use your left [weaker]hand more. Not just when you are playingthe drums. Do everything the other wayaround. I used to be quite a good danceplayer, and I used to practice playing my lefthand against my right hand [syncopation].Also, when I was writing music, I wouldwrite with my left hand. I can still writepretty well with my left hand, but I’m notreally too active anymore with the writing.My point is the more you use the left hand, itequalizes the right hand, and that is ideal fora drummer. You will notice that when I play,I lead with either hand. Technique shouldbe there, not to play the technique, but to beable to play what you hear. If you can leadwith any hand, then it doesn’t matter whereyou finish. At the end of your fill, you cancome off with any hand!In addition to the obviously great Cream recordings,Ginger’s playing on the Masters Of Realityalbum has won my ears and heart for thelast two weeks as I write this. He is a master ofSelected Discography:1965 Sound of ‘65 Graham Bond1965 There’s a Bond Between Us Graham Bond1966 Fresh Cream Cream1966 Full Cream Cream1967 Disraeli Gears Cream1968 Wheels of Fire Cream1969 Best of Cream Cream1969 Blind Faith Blind Faith1969 Goodbye Cream1969 I Feel Free Cream1969 Rock Sensation Cream1970 All Things Must Pass George Harrison1970 Free Kings Ginger Baker1970 Ginger Baker’s Air Force Ginger Baker’s Air Force1970 Swlabr Cream1971 Winwood Steve Winwood1972 Heavy Cream Cream1974 Baker Gurvitz Army Baker Gurvitz Army1975 Cream Cream1975 Portrait of Cream Cream1975 Kick Off Your Muddy Boots Graeme Edge Band1976 Hearts on Fire Baker Gurvitz Army1980 Levitation Hawkwind1984 Backtrackin’ Eric Clapton1984 Graham Bond Organization Graham Bond1987 Ginger Baker’s African Force Ginger Baker’sAfrican Force1988 Crossroads Eric Clapton1991 Storyville Robbie Robertson1993 Stages of Clapton Eric Clapton1994 Cities of the Heart Jack Bruce1995 Finer Things Steve Winwood1996 Keep on Running Steve Winwood1997 Sitting on Top of the World Jack Bruce2001 African Force Ginger Baker2003 BBC Sessions Cream2003 Flying In & Out of Stardom Baker Gurvitz Army2005 Farewell Concert Cream2005 Live Baker Gurvitz Army[EDGE 7.0] 11

Time Machine: Ginger BakerTechnique shouldbe there, not to playthe technique, butto be able to playwhat you hear.dynamics and space. Who else canplay such an aggressive fill withso few notes, and with no extramuscle? The taste and the musicalityare always there with this cat.I realize this is a difficult record tofind, but it would be a perfect firstrecord for a young drummer wantingto get into jazz. That is, assumingthey are already listening andplaying along to Louis Armstrong John Goodwith Baby Dodds! The rest of his recommendedlistening is all first class: Blue Chip.By far, my favorite single performance ishis treatment of “Had To Cry Today” with BlindFaith. I look forward to buying that new DVDsimply in the hopes of seeing him play that songand whack that little splash cymbal!As a drummer, he has accomplished so muchwith such a steady arsenal of fundamental drummingskill, while still becoming a true seeker of allthings creative and diverse.Ginger’s drum tech yardgavrilovic on tuningGinger’s kit:It’s very simple, really. I tune from thefloor tom up to the rack toms, as Ginger’sinstructions are to let the drumssing with no damping on the toms atall. The pitch of the tuning comes fromthe snare, so that the drums are in tunewith each other. The bass drums havea DW muffler and an intact head, withno hole cut out. The snare is tuned to afairly low pitch. It’s all determined bythe sound and stick response.John Good Talks about Ginger’sKit with EDGE:EDGE: Tell us about Ginger’s kit.John Good: Ginger reallyspent a good amount of timedescribing to me what hisdrums from the past reallysounded like, and it reallymade me feel like it was upour alley. He wanted big, fatround drums, but smallerdrums really. When I thinkabout Ginger Baker andhis playing, I just think ofbombastic drumming andbigger sounds, but in reality,the drum set was 8x10”,9x12”, 11x13” and 12x14”. Then, hismain kick drum was 12x20”, andthen the left side was 12x22”.EDGE: I believe he mentioned his 11”-deepbass drums.JG: Well, he says it was 11” deep, but inreality, it was a 12”. He also plays a smaller13” snare, and you just wouldn’t thinkthat’s the kind of sound that he wouldhave wanted...Yard GavrilovicEDGE: Is that what heused to play? I didn’tthink they made 13”snares back then.JG: No he didn’t,but he was usingthis to do a lot of hisjazz gigs. He hadthis thing where hewould play poloduring the day andthen play with hisjazz band at night for all the people thatwere playing polo. So he kind of incorporatedwhat he knows and what he usedto play into this jazz thing that he wasdoing. And this was the kit that he usedon that big DVD with Cream when theyplayed at Royal Albert Hall.EDGE: How about the pitch of the drums?JG: In this respect, he just wanted themTimbre-Matched in sort of medium tonesbecause he was going to use this for somehigher jazz tunings, and he was also goingto use it for some heavy stuff. To mydelight, these shallow bass drums reallypunched hard. Remember, the longer thebass drum, the boom-ier it is, and whenyou shorten up the bass drum, you reallyget this nice fat, but punchy, sound. Itreally exemplified that kind of construction.EDGE: Were the shorter bass drums Ginger’sidea?JG: He said, “I’ve always had shallowbass drums in the past.”Because he wasn’t used to dealingwith a custom drum maker, he said, “WellI don’t have to cut them?” I said, “No, no,we make the drums to the size that you’rerequesting, or the sound that you’re hearingin your head, just tell me about it.”I was very happy when we made thesesizes, because Jim Keltner and I had justmade a 12x20” that just roared! So, Iknew that it would work really well. So,the 12x22” really surprised me, as well.It was a very nice drum. This was a fewyears back, when the shells were 6- and 7-ply with 3-ply hoops. Smaller drums arethinner, and thicker drums are larger. Sopretty much, that’s Ginger’s kit.6700>©2006 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved.6710>LET’S TALK HARDWARE< FEATURESDW 6000 SERIES CYMBAL STANDS feature tube joint memorylocks, low-profi le fl ush-base design with aluminum legs. Both stands also featurean infi nite toothless tilter with TechLock ® , making DW 6000 Series cymbal standsnothing less than professional grade.6000 Series Cymbal StandsTell us about your 6000 Series CymbalStands:Billy Ward: All these stands have a smallfootprint on the stage AND in the trap case! Thehi-hat stand is very smooth and solid. Most allof my work could happen with these stands andit does if I’m the one carrying them!It’s light-weight, but is it heavy-duty enoughfor the road?Billy Ward: Yes. These seem to be modeledafter the old vintage lightweight stands, butthey easily handle the heavier cymbals we playtoday. They have stronger locks and betterfelt washers than the old stuff. DW is alwaysimproving the smallest details, like the rubberfeet.“Light and reliable.”—Billy Wardthe reverend | avenged sevenfoldwww.pacificdrums.com

DW PICCOLO TOMSBIG SOUND IN A LITTLE PACKAGE.JUST ASK TERRY.“PICCOLO TOMS ARE ANINTEGRAL PART OF MY SET-UP.”>Tech TipsSelecting the right snare forthe jobBy Yard GavrilovicEvery drummer knows that picking the right snarefor the job can be a confusing, and oftentimes, time-consuming task. To the contrary, aseasoned drum tech knows exactly what works in every situation. In this installmentof Tech Tips, veteran crewmember to the stars, Yard, explains what it takes to makethat all-important choice, then make it sing.ed Ambassadors.For live work, I steal all the great workMick Hinton did for John Bonham. That’sa CS Smooth White Reverse Dot with 40-strand wires—you’ll never ever beat thatsound.EDGE: Is a drop-style throw-off or side-to-sidebetter?is flat, and that the bearing edges are true.Also, we don’t want any flat spots prior tore-heading and tuning. That would be a terriblewaste of time. As for bearing edges, Iprefer a 35-degree cut for a drier sound. Thesnare bed should suit the snares that you areusing, or you will choke the drum.If you prefer, use a metal drum for morering.YG: It depends upon the drum, but I do likethe drop-style for most applications.EDGE: What do you think of flanged hoops vs.die-cast?EDGE: How about miking?YG: Flanged hoops for me!PICCOLO TOMSARE THE PERFECT WAY TO ADD NEW TONAL POSSIBILITIES TO YOURKIT WITHOUT THE NEED FOR EXPENSIVE ADD-ON COMPONENTS ORCOMPLICATED MOUNTING HARDWARE. AVAILABLE IN 8”, 10” AND 12” DIAMETERS, THESE CHROME-PLATED, SOLID-STEEL DRUMS COME COMPLETE WITH TB12 MOUNTING BRACKETS TO MOUNT TO ANY EXISTING DW TOM STANDOR ACCESSORY TOM CLAMP. JUST ONE OF A FULL LINE OF AUTHORIZED DW FACTORY ACCESSORIES TO HELP YOUCUSTOMIZE YOUR KIT.Visit www.dwdrums.com to see the full line ofgenuine DW Factory Accessories and Replacement PartsYard GavrilovicEDGE: Metal or wood?Yard Gavrilovic: I love metal snares, especially6.5x14”.EDGE: How do you decide what’s right for aparticular venue or recording situation?YG: It’s not my call unless I am asked. In mostcases, the producer/engineer and drummerwill usually decide on this in advance. Ultimately,my job is to realize the sound that’sin their heads. I’ll even play the kit for theengineer until the sound is achieved, so thedrummer is still fresh for the track.EDGE: What’s the best way to decide on theright head combination?YG: For most drummers, this tends to be alltrial and error. From a very early age, drummersdiscover a combination of sounds thatthey mimic from their favorite records anddrummers. For that reason, every drummerwants to hear something different. I like toshow up at a session with a 40-foot trailerfull of snares and hand-pick the right soundfor the room. Now, to answer the questionat hand, for most 5x14” snares, a combinationof Remo Coated Powerstroke3 or Ambassadorbatter on top and a Diplomat snarebottom will suffice for studios. That’s SteveGadd’s favorite choice.On Vintage kits we use Aquarian AmericanVintage top and bottom or Remo Coat-YG: I am the village idiot when it comes totechnology, so I leave it to the sound crewto decide. After all those years of readingmanuals on the bus, they need an outlet torelieve the pressure on their brains. Generally,I try not to meddle too much in otherpeople’s specialties.EDGE: How often do you use vintage snares?YG: We use vintage snares for all of our studiowork. We’ve found that they’re easy totune and are pretty consistent in recreatingthe sound required for any session.We have a huge selection of snares, butour standard studio selection is a mix of bothmetal and wood standards from some of thebetter-known American drum companies ofthe day. Tuned high or low, they all soundgreat.EDGE: How much does size matter?YG: In the studio, a 5.5x14” should sufficewith a piccolo for the odd whack!EDGE: What’s your take on bearing edges andsnare beds?YG: Now this is the most important area ofany drum, because if these are badly machined,you may as well record the box thatyour take-out came in! We strip and overhaulall of our snares and check them for“true” on our cast iron saw bed in our veryown woodshop. This ensures that the snareYard Gavrilovic is the owner of The VintageDrum Yard (www.vintagedrumyard.co.uk) inthe United Kingdom, and, along with his fivesons has been a regular crew member for EricClapton, The Who, Cream, Annie Lennox, Eurythmics,Paul Simon, George Michael and NatalieImbruglia. He also has maintained a longassociation with drummers such as Zak Starkey,Steve Gadd, Ginger Baker, Jim Keltner, HenrySpinetti, Steve Barney, Steve Ferrone, Paulinhoda Costa, Ricky Lawson, Jodie Linscott, DannyCummings, Carlos Hercules, Jerry Brown,Thomas Dyani and many more. His family iscurrently covering tourswith The Who, GeorgeMichael and Orson.get the latest:• Tech Tips• Online Clinics• Clinic Schedule• Clinic HighlightsThe DW Education Department@ www.dwdrums.com[EDGE 7.0] 15

Pro-File: new bloodMetal’s young guns:Chris “Seven” Antonopolous • Dan Lamagna • Alexei Rodriguezby YaelToday’s new crop of metal drummers is asserious about their craft as one mightexpect. After all, they’ve been reared on decades of established metal bandsthat have helped shape the most recent generation of heavy-friendly metal masters.On special assignment, metal drummer extraordinaire Yael meets with three of theseso-called new bloods to give us their take on the state of the metal union and whatrevs their metal engines.Meet Alexei Rodriguezfrom 3Inches of Blood.You may haveheard of Alexei before,or you mighteven have witnessedhis furiousdisplay of intensityand relentlessYaelpower on the drum kit during his years withCatharsis, Trial or Walls of Jericho. Currently,Dan LamagnaPhoto by Wayne/Headlamphe’s recording and touringwith 3 Inches of Bloodand has recently joined theDW/PDP family of artists.When I spoke to him, he wasshowing off his brand newLX Cherry to Black FadePDP kit with the PDP racksystem. We had the opportunityto catch a few showsand catch up with Alexei.Here’s what we learned:Yael: How would you describethe state of metal today?Alexei Rodriguez: When Istop for a moment to ponderthe state of metal and thestate of the music industryin general, I become acutelyaware of a sense of déjà vu.I notice the ebb and flow andthe emergence of innovators,the explosion of imitators,the underground determiningwhat will be mainstream,then a collapsing on itself asthe market saturates. There’salso the question of what isunderground versus what iscommercial these days.Yael: How does that pertain toyour current band?AR: The only difference nowis that I’ve finally startedto see myself in that grandscheme. Hopefully, I get toadd my two cents to the mix. Iremember back in 1985, whenmy best friend first turned meon to metal, and like so manyothers, my life would neverbe the same. At the time, it“My conscious refusalto let the industrydictate whatwas good musicinevitably led medown the path ofpunk.”—Alexei Rodriguezwas too new to me todifferentiate betweenthis or that sub-genre,but I knew immediatelythat I had found my newreligion. Finally, herewas music that insistedon being heard, while atthe same time, it didn’tseem to care about beingaccepted. Now thiswas something I couldrelate to!Yael: How did you arrive on the scene?AR: As I became more deeply involved inthe music, I also became aware of the varioussub-genres and developed a healthyadolescent contempt for all things “glam”or commercial. My conscious refusal to letthe industry dictate what was good musicinevitably led me down the path of punk. Atthe time, we all believed punk was corrupted,with its totally irreverent abrasiveness,not fully realizing how easily any shtick canbe chewed up by the industry and then bespat out as a watered-down shadow of itsoriginal intent. It was somewhere duringmy metal-to-punk evolution that I beganplaying drums. The two genres probablygot equal playtime in my ghetto blaster, butmy main inspiration will always be rootedin Black Sabbath, Slayer, Led Zeppelin, Metallicaand Iron Maiden.Yael: How does your musical evolution translateto your playing?AR: I think my musical ear took over andlet me know that, however much I likedmetal, the only thing my skill level wouldcurrently allow me to get away with wasthree-chord punk rock. My evolution fromthere is a long, gradual blur as I moved bothinto darker spaces in my head and soughtto constantly challenge myself. I tried to embracethe intensity of whatever music I wasplaying from punk to hardcore, and whenmy chops and precision finally allowed, I returnedto metal.Yael: Do you participate in the song writing process,and do you play anyother instruments?AR: Needless to say,when I switched fromalto sax to drums in theschool band, I must havedriven the poor band directorout of his mind.Throughout my journey,I’ve discovered the importanceof good songwriting, and it’s becomeclear to me that I couldhave just as easily endedup a music critic in someother reality. So I try tohave input in the songwritingprocess as much as possible. Asidefrom the song itself, I’ve also learned thatone true thing that separates all good musicin the world from great music is the sinceritywith which it is executed.Yael: When did you first realize that drummingwas your passion?AR: It was only in the last couple of yearsthat I became conscious that my life literallyrevolves around my instrument. It has nothingto do with earning a living, so much asit does with just living every moment. Youknow, not getting caught up in superficialsocial dramas, not playing for the labels,for the paychecks or for the “market,” butfor the soul. I play for all of the people whoexpress their most inner selves vicariouslythrough my music.Yael: How did you come to find bandmates thatshared your passion for the music?AR: Anything less has never lasted morethan a hot minute in my world. That’s exactlywhat happened to my beloved bandmatesin 3 Inches of Blood. I needed a group whosemusic was as fun to play as it was challenging,whose attitude was fiercely independent,but didn’t take itself so seriously. I wasseeking that perfect combination for myself,but also for the good of metal and the stateof music in general. I wanted to avoid “newmetal”and the pitfalls of a band that takeson only the elements of what they think certainpeople want to hear, hoping for the tourbuses and rock star fantasy life.“I grew up as adrum geek andhave been playingdrums most ofmy life. My styleis inspired by thedrummers I followedwhen I wasgrowing up.”—Chris “Seven”AntonopolousYael: So how do you fight the system thesedays?AR: Any artist knows that you can onlyplagiarize for so long before it reaches totalstagnation. I feel I’ve found a band willing tojoin me in facing off against such insincerity,all the while enjoying afew good laughs. Anythingelse that one getsfrom 3IOB is up to theirunique perspective, andI’d never presume to tellsomeone else what mymusic means to them.Maybe in some alternatereality, my band is somehowthe savior of metal,but regardless of suchpompous notions, it’ssaved me. It’s helped mesee a bigger picture. It’srestored my faith in theart form.Yael: You seem to be very much on top of yourgame, respected by your peers and fans alike.How does that feel?AR: I’ve gone from a kid who just neededto vent and bang on stuff, to punk rock idealistwould-be revolutionary,to artist and then back again.Only now, I actually feel Imight have the tools to beexactly where I need to be inthe grand scheme of things.Today, the day after my 32ndbirthday, the idea of perhapsliving in a tiny studio apartmentforever isn’t the most appealingidea in the world, butas long as I have my music,my instrument, my art, thingscould be a lot worse. I’ve hadthe opportunity to do a fewother projects along the way,and I love to keep my palletvaried. For the time being, 3Inches of Blood is my vehicleto artistic Zen. Melodramaticas that may sound, the otherday while playing a surpriseperformance on my new PDPkit at a friend’s tattoo shop,I had a completely religiousexperience. I experienced amoment of transcendence,knowing I was doing exactlywhat I was meant to be doing,playing exactly what I wassupposed to be playing, withall of the energy and sincerity>Pro-file: new bloodthat a body could hold. Those are the momentsthat make everything worth it. AsI’m recalling this, I can’t help but practicallyleap out of my seat with child-like anticipationfor tomorrow’s show, where I get to doit again.Next, we sat down with Chris “Seven” Antonopoulos,who also joined the PDP family thisyear. Chris combines showmanship with solidgroove. He’s most recently been touring withMinistry side project RevCo, and his own band,Opiate for the Masses, is also making a lot ofnoise these days. Chris took a little time out totalk about his gear and his influences.Yael: Tell us about your new PDP set-up.Chris “Seven” Antonopoulos: I couldn’t behappier to have you here and to have thisamazing company behind me for this tourand my upcoming recordings with myband.Yael: Tell us about the drums you’re using onyour current tour and the kit you’ll be recordingwith?CA: I’m using PDP all-maple drums witha custom Exotic Tiger Ash finish. They’reamazing! I can’t even tell you how manyAlexei RodriguezPhoto by Yael[EDGE 7.0] 17

Pro-file: new bloodcompliments I get with these drums. I’ll beusing this kit when I’m in the studio becauseI feel each tom totally sings.Yael: What pedals and hardware do you use?CA: I’m about 12 days into a two-month tourat this point, and my new gear is so solid. If Ididn’t have my new set-up, I’d be worryingthat something would collapse on a nightlybasis and that my rig wasn’t going to makeit through the whole tour. I hit pretty hard,so I need my gear to stand up on the road.Now, it’s the last thing on my mind. I use the9000s on the kicks. Amazing! I’m playing the5000 hi-hat pedal because I like the feel, andmy new PDP rack is all around me.Yael: What sizes are you into?CA: I’m using two 24” kicks, a 14” rack tomand 16” and 18” floor toms. It’s kind of funnybecause when I was putting this kit together,I was talking to Marc Lewis who alsoplays PDP, and he told me how much I wasgoing to love it. I couldn’t ask for more froma drum company. You beat the hell out of itand the very next night, it’s still giving back.I can’t say the same for my sticks and headson a tour, but this kit is simply amazing.Yael: How did you land the tour with RevCo?CA: I grew up as a drum geek and have beenplaying drums most of my life. My style isinspired by the drummers I followed whenI was growing up. Someof my main influencesinclude Shannon Larkin,Tommy Lee and RoyMayorga.Yael: How do you feel aboutthe metal scene today?CA: I have been playingwith Opiate for awhile now, and we’vebeen on a few great tourswith bands that don’tnormally get radio airplay. These toursare sponsored by companies like Vans andJägermeister, so it seems like there are moredoors opening up for the underground metalscene today. You just have to work harder.Get your band in a van and go. I just see myselfplaying and continuing to play drumsfor a very long time. I’ve been lucky enoughto cross bridges and meet all kinds of people,and I get to play the kit of my dreams.“I practice everyday,that’s how Igot here. I stay ontop of my game becauseyou neverknow who is listening.”—Dan Lamagnamusic I learned to play first, as a drummer.A lot of the music I listened to in the early‘90s became a blueprint for the drummerI’ve become today. I soaked up a lot fromthose drummers.Yael: How do you feel aboutwhere your career is headed?DL: I feel like thingshave been moving alongfor me. Every year itseems like I am makingadvances. Hopefully allof these little steps willadd up to somethingbig. I’ve got DW, Vaterand Sabian behind me, aband with the four bestplayers I’ve had the chance to work with,and we’re out there together spreading ourmusic to the masses. I’d say that I’m whereI’d like to be, and I’m headed in the rightdirection. I also have a drum teaching businessthat I’m growing when I’m home. I’mstarting to get to a point where I’m happywith my playing, and Suicide City has reallyopened up some new doors for me. It’s reallyan amazing feeling.Edutainment.the biggest names in drumming brought to life.more than a learning experience, more than mere entertainment,it’s a whole new way to experience your favorite drummers.Finally, we met up withthe drummer for NewYork-based metal outfitSuicide City. Dan Lamagnais the PDP veteranof the three and hasbeen with Drum Workshopfor almost two yearsnow. He also chimed inabout the metal biz andhow he initially joinedDW’s rock roster.Yael: How did you reach your goal?DL: I practice every day; that’s how I gothere. I stay on top of my game because younever know who is listening. I have thisopportunity because of the people I haveworked with, and I’ve done my best to makea positive impression on people all along theway. I’ve been recommended for other gigs,too, because I try to be as professional as Ican. I’m learning that it’s a small business,and everyone knows each other.Chris “Seven” AntonopolousPhoto by HadasYael: What’s your take onthe state of metal?Dan Lamagna: Anyonewho listens to metalcan tell you that it is astyle that thrives withoutmuch help fromthe outside world.What that enables us todo as a band is make aname for ourselves bytouring and selling ourCD by ourselves, withouta lot of help fromradio or other media.It’s almost expected tobe that way these days.Metal was the style ofYael: What brought you to Drum Workshop?DL: Originally, I was looking for help gettingpedals from DW because I’m loyal tothat gear; it’s been loyal to me all these years.You introduced me to the DW Artist Team awhile back, and I had the opportunity to explainmy situation to them. They offered meaccess to the full line of DW and PDP gear,and I decided to play the drums and hardware,too. It’s really great having a companylike that behind you. I never have to be worriedthat something will break down, but ifit does, these guys are there for me. I thinkthey treat me better than any other companybecause we’re not an established band yet.We’re a band that’s on the rise, but they stilltake great care of me.Check out these other titles from DW DVD:at right: Stephen Perkins:A Drummer’s Life,Tony Royster, Jr.: PureEnergy, Terry Bozzioand Chad Wackerman: D2:Duets Volume two andSolos & Duets, MarcoMinnemann: Live in L.A.©2006 Drum Workshop, Inc.Available in the US from World Music 4all – 866-89-MUSIC (68742)In Canada from Canadian Print Music Distributors – 800-668-5767

On the RiseOmar Gongoria: Kinkyphotos by HadasThe world of latin alternative music continues to explode.A new generation of spanish-speaking music fans is being exposed to a new generationof innovative latin bands. Omar and Kinky are blazing new trails and the fans areresponding. For that reason alone, they are on the rise. >>>EDGE: When did you get started playing?Omar Gongoria: I started playing when Iwas 11 or 12 because I saw this drummerat a wedding. It was in El Carmen, a littletown like two hours from my home town ofMonterrey, Mexico. They were a “Norteño”band, playing the traditional style from theregion. I was inspired watching him playand decided that I would also become adrummer.EDGE: How did you come to join Kinky?OG: I was studying music in Texas, and I decidedto take a break and go to Monterrey toplay with different people. Then Ulises, whowould become the keyboard player in Kinky,invited me to this music lab project that hehad with Carlos, who is now the guitar playerin the band. It was at Ulises’ house, andmost of it was about recording ideas in anold computer. He had put some music programsin there, and we were playing withloops and samples just to have fun.EDGE: Tell us about your unique set-up andhow you developed your rig.OG: From the beginning, all I knew was thatI was into playing different styles of music.From electronica to Latin to rock, I knew Iloved it all, but I hadn’t yet decided if I wasgoing to play drum set or percussion. Atthat time, I was learning hand drummingtechnique with Roy Galvan, a friend of minefrom Mexico. One day I woke up with thisidea of combining both things. I spent sometime developing the set and was addingthings to it as the music required. Little bylittle, it started to turn into what it is now.Even from the start, I felt really natural playingstanding up and combining percussion,drums and electronics. I found it more excitingthan any one of the three, and fun everytime I played. After we recorded our firstalbum, I had to add some more electronic elements,like the TD10 Roland brain and theBoss 505 sampler. I trigger everything withpads because I found it interesting and challengingtrying to recreate exactly what wehad recorded in the studio. It’s so funny thatI end up sampling myself.EDGE: Does the set-up differ live vs. studio?OG: I don’t really have a studio set. I usewhatever I have around, and I work a lot onthe computer, making loops and programmingdrum machines. The studio is alwaysabout experimenting. I like to create newsounds. For example, I have a set of pans,spoons and cans that I don’t use in my liveset, but I use them in the studio. Then, I liketo tweak them with processors or effects.You can get great things from throwingaway all of the rules. During the recordingprocess, I also like to separate all of my percussionparts. I don’t really have a formulafor doing this, but I separate it all in sections,like for drum set. Then, I do the samefor the congas, timbales, bongos and everyother hand drum that the song requires. Afterthat, I add the colors, such as cowbells,shakers, cascaras, bells, pans, cans and anyextra sounds I can think up, but there’s nodefined “studio set.”I never really consider how I’m goingto play the parts live when I am recording.That’s how the idea of combining percussionand drum set continues to evolve.EDGE: Do you consider yourself more of a drumset player or a percussionist?OG: I don’t know. I think maybe a percussionist,because once you start to involvehand percussion, it takes over. I think thatin the future, both things are going to becombined more often. I think the Internethas opened a window to the world, and cultures,ideas, even styles of drumming, willbe shared. Now you can go and see what’shappening on the other side of the world,and music is developing faster than ever.New generations are growing up with somany choices of music, that it’s really changingthings.EDGE: You’ve been playing Gon Bops percussioninstruments for a while now. Talk aboutyour experience with them.OG: I heard about the congas through afriend of mine, but I’d never really playedthem before. Now I’ve been playing themmore than a year, and I think the sound andthe tone that you canget from them is differentfrom all other drumsout there. I’m using aCalifornia Series quinto,conga and tumba in aRegal Blue. My kick andsnare are matching, andthey look great. I also useGon Bops bongos. Theyare very bright and sharpsounding. The thing thatI really notice is the attentionthat the companypays to its products.It’s a very special thing,because every drum istreated as its own instrument.I also think the newDW percussion hardware“I think that in thefuture, both drumset and hand percussionare goingto be combinedmore often. Musicis developing fasterthan ever. Newgenerations aregrowing up withso many choicesof music that it’sreally changingthings.”>On the Rise: Omar Gongoriaworks great for people like me, because youcan set everything very easily, and it’s solid.I use Gon Bops cowbells too. They have thisnew kind of clamp that attaches very easilyand fits all of my other stands. I’ll never goback to my old bells.EDGE: Kinky is a blend of so many musicalgenres. How do you create your drum parts?OG: I mentioned I like to work with machines.I spend a lot of time programmingwhile we are traveling. I make beats onplanes, in hotels, on the bus and anywhereI can set up my laptop. Laptops are greatbecause you can take them anywhere, thenyou can layer the other instruments later.This entire process is without even liftinga drumstick. After that, I go into the studioand start recording and combining othersounds. I never think about a specific drumpart for a song until thesong is coming together.In some songs I mightnot even play at all. Inother songs, I mightjust play a tambourineor congas. I respect themusic, and just want tomake the song work.The process is veryspontaneous. I am veryinfluenced by electronicmusic, so I always liketo leave some electronicelements in there. Forexample, I’ll leave someparts in there that I hadprogrammed previouslyand let the band playalong with the parts.Then, I can add my flavorover the top.The live show is incredibly high energy. How doyou get ready for a show? Do you have a particularwarm-up routine?OG: I definitely have a warm-up routine.I warm up for 30 to 45 minutes before theshow, playing single strokes, then doublestrokes, then triplets and so on. I also dosome stretching and warm-up movementsfor my legs and arms.EDGE: What are your major influences?OG: I listen to lots of different music, fromjazz to electronica and beyond. With theband, we are very lucky to have the opportunityto travel and find new music whereverwe go around the world. We also havethe chance to play in live music festivalswhere we can give and receive many musicalinfluences from different musicians andfans. These days I’m listening to lots of Africanmusic like Mamady Keita. I really enjoythe improvisation and the phrasing. Myinfluences range from Trilok Gurtu to ElvinJones to Tito Puente, Stewart Copeland, BillBruford and so many of the old Cuban playerslike Chano Poso, Changuito and PatatoValez.EDGE: What’s in store for Kinky and Omar inthe next year?OG: We’re releasing a new album this year,so we’re about to head out on tour. The albumis going to be released in the U.S., Canada,Europe and Latin American countries,so we’ll be covering all of those places. Afterit’s over, we’ll go back home for Christmasdinner and some tamales. [laughs][EDGE 6.0] 21

LET’S TALK PEDALSWhen did you start playing 9000 seriespedals?Stanton Moore: I’ve played these pedalsas long as they’ve been around.9000 Series PedalsHow’s the feel compared to other pedalsyou’ve played?Stanton Moore: The pedal feels supersmooth and sturdy. It feels like it’s not going tobreak on the gig. It’s the best pedal I’ve played,and my techs agree.9002>9000>< FEATURESTHE FREE-FLOATING ROTORDRIVE SYSTEM allows the shaft toturn independently of the rotor, directing energyfrom the pedal board straight to the beater. Thedesign also uses friction-reducing ball bearingsto optimize the already incredibly smooth,gravity-defying action.“Smooth, sturdy,reliable, killer!”—Stanton Moore©2006 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved.InfiniteAdjustableCam >DW 9000 SERIES PEDALS feature an infi nite adjustable cam, allowing thepedal to be easily set from Accelerator to Turbo Drive or anywhere in between.DW 9000 SERIES PEDALS are packed with stateof-the-artinnovative features that provide a smooth, fl uid andquick response. They’re also built to last. The world’s top playersinsist on 9000 pedals because they know they can count onDW’s reputation for road-worthy reliability. Pro features and properformance make professional grade pedals.

Road Stories:Journey’s Deen Castronovo &Def Leppard’s Rick Allenphotos by Rob ShanahanThe touring marriage between these two iconicrock bands is just that, iconic.Def Leppard hails from Sheffield, England and brought the UnionJack flag to American pop culture with their brand of heavy guitar-lacedanthems. Journey, on the other hand, is as American asapple pie. A Bay Area fixture, Journey was a hit-making machinefor three decades. Together, both bands are making their waythrough the summer months playing a nostalgic mix of top-tenhits from a selection of multi-platinum albums, and fans are packingarenas and sheds with lighters ablaze.This was a duo we didn’t want to miss, so we packed our bagsand headed to Las Vegas, where both bands headlined a soldoutMandalay Bay Event Center. Journey’s high-energy stickman(and now lead vocalist for three songs), Deen Castronovo, andDef Leppard’s Rick Allen shared a unique experience on the tourthat cemented a close bond between the two, but was also a perfectentrée to our new feature, Road Stories.[EDGE 7.0] 25

The Drummers of VegasLarry Aberman • “Zumanity”Jamie Borden • “Phoenix”Tris Imboden • ChicagoFrancois Jutras • “O”Herman Matthews • Tom JonesRuss McKinnon • Barry ManilowEric Scribner • “Ka”I’ve been here in Las Vegas for three yearsplaying with the show “Zumanity – AnotherSide of Cirque du Soleil” at the New YorkNew York Hotel and Casino. In those threeshort years, I’ve witnessed a lot of changein this town. New concert venues are openingall the time, and with all of the new casinoscome new shows. New houses, condos,parks, malls, roads, even music storesare popping up all over the place. There’s areason why some say it’s fast becoming theentertainment capital of the world.Because there are more shows than everhere in Las Vegas, there are also more musicianshere than ever before. In fact, someof the most recognized drummers aroundeither live here, or are here for extended periodsof time gigging.Herman Matthews is in Las Vegas 10to 12 weeks a year with Tom Jones. RussMcKinnon is here 30 weeks this year withBarry Manilow. Tris Imboden is here aboutsix weeks with Chicago, and Nigel Olssonis with Elton John over at Caesar’s Palace.François Jutras just finished an eight-yearrun with Cirque du Soleil’s incredibly successfulshow, “O,” and is staying in town asa session drummer. Eric Scribner with “Legendsin Concert,” a Vegas mainstay, is hereyear-round and has been for 22 years, whileJamie Borden is LV “born and raised.” Jamieperforms at the Rio and is an educator withseveral instructional DVDs to his credit: apretty accomplished bunch of guys and agreat support system. After all, drummingis a brotherhood, and we all tend to stick together.Needless to say, I spend a lot of timehanging with my peeps here in LV. No coincidence,many of them play DW drums.There really is quite a scene developing.After reading about Nigel in the last issueof EDGE magazine, I thought it mightbe interesting to talk to the drummers of LasStory and photos by Larry AbermanVegas as one of their own and try to sharesome insight into the drumming lifestylehere and how it’s rapidly evolving. DWagreed.I decided the best way to get the inputI was looking for was to hit the street. Iwanted to talk to my drumming compadresaround town to see if they could shed somelight on what it’s like to be a working drummeron (and off) the strip.The first question was fairly straightforward:what’s your impression of Vegas?Herman remarked, ”Vegas is the place to be.You can tell just by the growth of the city itself.You can’t even get a flight in or out onthe weekends. Seems like when I tell peopleI’m going to Vegas, they’re either cominghere or going back.” Tris added, “Vegas hasgone through a metamorphosis. Chicago’sbeen playing here regularly for at least 12years now. In the ‘80s I think most performersperceived Vegas as the great entertain-ment bone-yard. The realityis now everybody plays here.It used to be, ‘Oh, you’replaying in a casino?’—like ithad a bad connotation. It’snot like that anymore at all.Those days are way over.”Russ explained, “I startedworking in Vegas 20 yearsago. In the ‘80s and early‘90s, the town was prettydead. But when the Cirquedu Soleil shows and the bigname artist contracts startedrolling in, all of a sudden youcould work with the best musiciansaround, make a goodliving and sleep in your ownbed every night.”Immediately I recalledVegas entertainment history,the old Rat Pack days, thegolden era of the ‘60s and‘70s. Russ had an interestingtake, “Elvis played over 800shows on the stage I play onat the Vegas Hilton. The vibethere is incredible.” Eric’sbeen here a while, so he’sseen it all. He comments,“I’ve worked in a lot of casinosthat don’t exist anymore.The Sands, the Dunes, theLandmark, they’re all gone, imploded. Theoriginal dressing rooms at the Sands werereally cool. There, you could feel the vibe ofthe Rat Pack, like it was yesterday.”Everyone can easily agree on one thing:the town has been undergoing a renaissanceof sorts for over a decade and shows nosigns of slowing. So“I think most performersperceivedVegas as the greatentertainmentbone-yard. The realityis now everybodyplays here.”—Tris Imbodenwhat does it meanfor drummers andthe drumming communityas a whole?How has all of thischanged the drumminglandscapein Vegas? I askedthat, as well. Jamiereplied, “Thescene has definitelychanged. I playedthe Las Vegas PAS[Percussion Arts Society] Day of Percussionthis year and on the bill were two ofmy biggest inspirations in my career: RaulPineda and Danny de los Reyes. So, guys ofthis caliber are coming here, not just to play,but to educate.” Herman added, “I see somany guys just being in Vegas for a coupleof weeks at a time, be it you, Larry, CharlieWatts, Charley Drayton, Gene Lake, ZacAlford, Omar or SterlingCampbell. They’re all comingthrough Vegas with differentbands, and we get tohang out.” Tris laughed andcommented, “It definitelywasn’t like that in the early‘90s. Back then, we wouldbasically haveSiegfried and>The drummers of vegasRoy comeby, but thatwas about it!But man, if you sit here longenough, you’re gonna seejust about everybody, all ofyour friends, all of your heroes.Either they’re playing abig arena like the MGM Gardens,Aladdin or a venue likeHouse of Blues.”In recent years, I can’t helpbut notice the transition back to entertainmentgeared toward adults. The “What happensin Vegas stays in Vegas” tag line is alltoo true these days. But during the ‘90s, thecity took a different approach. Vegas billeditself as a place to bring the entire family—not anymore. François explained, “Now thetown is built around adults. There’s not a lotto do with the kids. They don’t want to seeHerman MatthewsTris Imbodenkids. The theme park at MGM shut down.Wet and Wild is closed. Treasure Island hada pirate show outside and now it’s sexy girls.They just want adults playing and drinking.They’re the ones spending the money.” Hermanadded, “When I was first coming here,it was very family-oriented. Now it’s basicallybecome more like its name, ‘Sin City.’You can come here and get as nasty as youwanna be.”So what does a drummer do in “SinCity” during his down time? My day usuallygoes something like this: between 10a.m. when I get up, until my artist call at 6p.m., I’m free to do what I like. I spend a lotof time in my studio. With the Internet, I’mable to do a lot of session work for peoplethat live hundreds, even thousands, of milesfrom me. I also do a lot of composing. I like[EDGE 7.0] 31

The drummers of vegas>The drummers of vegasto hike in nearby Red Rock Canyon; it’s oneof the more beautiful places I’ve seen. Afterthe show, I might go to a club to see aband, hang out or go eat. I definitely haveto make sure I get enough sleep! So whatdo my counterparts doin their off-time? WhenJamie’s not playing withhis band, Phoenix, he’scrazy busy. He noted,“I just signed to do aseven-title DVD series.I have exclusive licenseto use 22 Rush tunes forthese upcoming projects.I’ve been workingclosely with Neil Pearton this whole thing andhave his blessing. So basically,I’m in hardcorecreation mode. I mean,I’ve got seven DVDtitles to script!” For Trisand Herman, their visitsto LV are limited to two weeks at a time.But they do enjoy the break from the constanttravel that’s inherent in a busy touringschedule. Tris said, “What’s cool is you getto actually unpack your suitcase. You get tohang up your shirts and use the drawers inthe hotel room. I like to get into a routinehere. Get a little breakfast, hit the gym everyday, and hit the pool. It’s nice.” Herman hasa similar experience, “When I get to Vegas, Isettle in. I like to read and catch up with mywebsite. It’s like a vacation. Also the TomJones organization looksat Vegas as ourhome base. We doany rehearsingwe’rehere.while“Barry Manilow isriding an incrediblewave. We recentlyperformedon American Idolin L.A. and had tofly back to Vegasin Barry’s jet to dothe show here thatnight. We’re bookeduntil 2009.”—Russ McKinnonAlso, here I try out new stuff, new gear.”For Russ lately, things seem to be a bit ofa whirlwind. “Barry Manilow is riding anincredible wave. We recently performed onAmerican Idol in L.A. and had to fly backto Vegas in Barry’s jet todo the show here thatnight. I’m so glad to behere. Pretty soon we startrecording the follow-updisc to his number onemusic of the ‘50s discwith a music of the ‘60sdisc. We’re booked until2009.” On his down time,Eric likes to spend a lotof time with his family.“Music is something thatI do, but I’m also a fatherand a husband. Familyalways comes first.”Finally, I couldn’tlet the opportunity go bywithout talking aboutgear. After all, we’re all DW aficionados.For “Zumanity,” I use a custom all-Built-InBottom drum set. I’d put VLTs in there, butI’m scared they might shatter the plexi-glassbooth I’m in! I do use VLTs in my studio. Thesound is just amazing! With all the playingI’m doing, I’m especially grateful for the AirLift tractor seat with the backrest. Comfy!I also love the 9000 pedals something awful.I’m not alone. Tris enjoys his 9000s andVLTs. “Well, how do you improve upon perfection?Yet they manage to do it again andagain. Their 9000 pedals are incredibly silkysmooth. I never thought they could topthe 5000s, but somehow they did. Andwith the VLT drums, all I know iswhen I first heard them, I couldn’tbelieve the low end, and the sustainwas just stupid.” François happily playsan Edge snare with his Pacific kit. “The shell,the bearing edge, it’s all quality. I use a 7x12”Edge snare. I love it—it’s an amazing drum.”Russ uses Collector’s Series drums that areTimbre Matched a bit higher than usual.“When the drums are Timbre Matched low,I tend to overdrive them. I hit them too hard.But I want the 16” to have the bottom of an18”, so we used VLT technology on the floortoms to get that.” Herman says, “If JohnGood and Don Lombardi say this new thingis good, I trust them. I just use it. They knowwhat they’re doing.” Tris went on aboutDW, “Man if something doesn’t exist, it willin about five seconds. They’re so on it.”I can recall an interesting observationabout DW drums that came after I playedeach one of these guy’s drum sets. Most of ushave a very similar set up—VLT drums withcoated Ambassador heads. I have to say, Iwas amazed how each set had its own personality.My conclusion was that DW drumsallow every artist to have their own voice,their own expression. The drums don’t tellme how to sound. Tris also commented onthe subject, “That’s so true, but it’s all withinthe DW color of sound, though. Isn’t thatamazing? The sound is unique, and I definitelyfeel part of a special family with DW.They’re a great company.” Herman closeswith these words of wisdom, “DW drumsand hardware adapt to your personality allthe way around. My set-up sounds like me.So in the end, DW is always true to whatyou do.”So on your next trip to Las Vegas, keepan eye out for the LV drummers. The DW-Pacific-Vegas connection is growing as fastas Vegas itself; you’ll hear us in the shows,arenas, clubs, by the pool, everywhere yougo in the real “city that never sleeps.” Oneday, you might even join the club.François JutrasLarry AbermanEric ScribnerJamie BordenRuss McKinnon[EDGE 7.0] 33

LIVE!photos by HadasWith the follow-up to their platinumsellingdebut, ocean avenue, LP and the boysin yellowcard have hit the road once againto support their sophomore release, lightsand sounds. the band is notonly selling records, they’reselling out live venues as theycement their reputation as oneof the most high-energy bandsaround. to see more exclusivephotos of lp and yellowcard in[EDGE 7.0] 35

DW Drum NewsNew products and innovationsDW Exotics getverticalGroundbreaking newgrain-matching processmakes it all possibleThe latest Exotic offering from DW isa new way of looking at rare woodfinishes, literally. The idea wasborn from the desire to use exoticwoods that were just not largeenough to wrap larger drumssuch as bass drums and floor toms. “Theissue has always been the seams,” commentsExecutive Vice President and DrumDesigner, John Good. He adds, “We knew ifwe could just find a way to artistically bookmatchthe vertical seams, we would be ableto create our own version of what MotherNature might have intended.” In 2005, aftermuch experimenting in DW’s own customshell shop, the process was perfected. Thedrums were officially launched at the winterNAMM show and have been the talk ofmany trade shows since their release earlythis year.The new Collector’s Series ® VerticalGrain Exotics drums are available in fivedistinct Exotics, including: Cocobolo, Koa,Macassar Ebony, Movingue and Red Gum.Each can be customized by combining itwith any of DW’s virtually limitless arrayof lacquer color choices. Then pick fromany of four drum hardware colors to createa completely personal look. The Exotic finishesare added to either DW maple or birchshells to ensure the sonic clarity and consistencyDW is famous for providing. All Collector’sSeries drums are crafted utilizingCollector’s Series ® Maple Drums with Natural Lacquerfinish over Red Gum Vertical Grain ExoticDW’s exclusive Timbre-Matching ® processand include the unique True-Pitch ® tuningsystem, S.T.M. ® (Suspension Tom Mounts),Built-in Bottom with VLT technologyand a choice of DW Coated Clear or ClearEdge drumheads by Remo USA.“With Vertical Grain Exotics, we’vefound a way to take what nature has alreadymade beautiful and turn it into a work ofThe new 9000 Series rack systemeasily complements any set-up.New DW Racksystem raises thebarTouring drummers willappreciate the featurepacked9000 rackOver the years, Drum Workshop hardwarehas become synonymous with professionalquality, reliability and heavy-duty roadprovenperformance, but if drummers preferreda rack system, they would have tolook elsewhere. That is, until now. Thisyear DW unveiled its new 9000 rack systemand gained immediate praise from thosedrummers who had always wanted a morethought-out, drummer-friendly design.The 9000 rack features heavy-dutystainless steel tubing, matching hinged rackclamps and a wide variety of accessoriesto accommodate virtually any set-up. DWFounder and R&D Specialist Don Lombardiexplains, “We wanted to utilize a tubularsystem that drummers were used to seeing,but we also wanted to add a few bells andwhistles to make their life easier.” Some ofthe “bells and whistles” Lombardi refers toinclude a nameplate with a cleverly integratedlevel for accurate set-up, and rubberfeet with integrated spikes to eliminatecreep on carpeted surfaces. “We knew whatdrummers would expect from DW, and wewanted to come to the table with some innovativeideas that wouldn’t disappoint,”Lombardi explains.DW 9000 rack systems are availableanywhere DW hardware is sold,and a full selection of rack parts andaccessories can be found online atwww.dwdrums.com.hot new glassfinishply colors makethe cutDW adds several newGlass finishes afterthe runaway successof “Broken Glass”When Executive Vice President andDrum Designer John Good launchedBroken Glass in early 2004, he had noidea how wildly popular the finishwould become. More than two yearsand hundreds of Broken Glass kits>Drum Newslater, Good reflects, “We received the sampleand immediately thought it outshined thesparkle finishes we all grew up loving. Butwe had no idea it would become the newstandard.” He continues, “If an artist wantssomething showy for stage, the first thingwe’ll suggest is glass because when the lighthits it, it puts on a show all its own.”Available in Blue, Champagne, Green,Gold, Ruby, Super Tangerine and the originalthat started it all, Broken Glass, eachglass laminate is applied to the shell usingDW’s proprietary manufacturing processthat bonds the entire surface of the materialto the shell. In addition, overlap seams areemployed to ensure that drumheads alwaysseat firmly against the bearing edge surface.The result, Good says, is a drum that looksas good as it sounds.Like all Collector’s Series drums, thenew Glass FinishPly colors can be orderedin combination with any shell configurationor drum hardware color option. The Glassfinishes are also integrated into DW’s onlineKitbuilder ® kit configurator that can befound at www.dwdrums.com/kitbuilder.Above: Gold GlassCocoboloKoaMacassar EbonyMovingueRed GumBlue GlassBroken GlassChampagne GlassGreen GlassRuby GlassSuper Tangerine Glass[EDGE 7.0] 37

The Real Low Down.Your entertainment system has a sub-woofer.Shouldn’t your drum set?The DW Bass Drum WooferCreated to act as a sub-woofer for the drum set,this specialty drum is designed to utilize thesympathetic frequencies from the bass drumto further enhance the roundness and low-endpunch many drummers are looking for. Use it liveor in the studio to build a bigger, beefier bassdrum sound. The 8”-deep drum comes in 18” to28” diameters and can be customized to matchany Collector’s Series® kit. A May-ATM25BD isfactory installed (internal miking for the bass drumis also recommended). Woofers can be mounteddirectly to the bass drum or on a cradle.DW’s Latesthat trick is awinner9550 and 9577 specialtyHi-Hats Represent the Latest inHardware TechnologyThe 9550 Universal Remote Hi-Hat usesDW’s famous universal linkage assemblyto increase response and virtually eliminatethe drag associated with many cable remotehi-hat systems. The smooth, effortless feel ofthe 9550 makes it a perfect candidate for aprimary offset hi-hat or for a same-side remote.All of the heavy-duty features associatedwith the 9000 Series line of hardware,like heavy-gauge steel tubing, integratedvise memory lock and lateral cymbal seat adjustment,all come standard. The 9550 comescomplete with auxiliary pedal, DWSMMG1and DWSMMG2 mounting clamps and universallinkage with tow extension options.With the 9577 hi-hat accessory, drummerscan add a unique tandem hi-hat totheir bag of tricks. The 9577 is an upper hihatattachment that fits any DW hi-hat standthat accommodates a 1” tube. It allows twosets of hats to be controlled from the samestand. DW Founder and R&D SpecialistDon Lombardi comments, “It’s perfect fordrummers who want to add a smaller setof hi-hat or effect cymbals, but don’t wantto deal with a massive amount of hardwareto pull it off. Plus, you can play patterns byalternating between the two sets of cymbals.It really is a revolutionary way to approachplaying hi-hats.”9550 Universal LinkageRemote Hi-Hat9577 Tandem Hi-HatCollector’s Series ® Bamboo SnareDW, The Drummer’s Choice.®Sheila E.©2006 Drum Workshop, Inc. The DW logo is a registered trademark of Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Shown above: Collector’s Series® Natural Satin Oil overCurly Maple Exotic with Satin Chrome Hardware.Get a Woofer and discover what the pros already know.Whether you’re playing stadiums,doing studio gigs or just playingaround town, the Woofer is theway to make your bass drum comealive. Front-of-house engineers andproducers have raved about theresults— all of the low-end attackyou normally get from your bassdrum combined with a thicker,fatter body. Pros like Sheila E.,Billy Ward, Tony Royster, Jr., TerryBozzio, Stephen Perkins and othersdemand Woofers— and so shouldyou.Visit your favorite pro drum shopand get the low down on a Wooferfor your kit. You’ll be happy you did.Billy WardTony Royster, Jr.East meets WestCollector’s Series Bamboo Snarecombines the warmth of woodwith a bright crack usually associatedwith metal snare drumsDW has long been known for its wide varietyof metal and wood snare drum shelloptions, so what could offer something sounique as to get the attention of ExecutiveVice President and Drum Designer JohnGood? “We had toyed with so many shellideas in the past and felt like there was reallynothing new out there that we hadn’tseen. That, and the snare drum is an interestinginstrument. Its tonal qualities are differentthan every other drum on the kit, yet it’sthe sonic signature for every drummer. In anutshell, it has to sound like a good snaredrum should sound,” Good explains.The new Bamboo Collector’s Seriessnare comes in 5x13” and 5x14”, and is craftedusing horizontal bamboo stave construction.The drum has no reinforcement hoopsfor added projection and DW’s 45-degreebearing edge for resonance and attack. Thedrum also features DW crimped Coatedheads by Remo USA and DW’s Delta ballbearingthrow-off. The drum also can becustomized in any available finish to matchany new or existing drum kit.“This drum has surprised some of ourmost discerning artists. I think they’re sofamiliar with the sound of brass and maplethat they are skeptical about anything thatmight replace their favorite drum. Withbamboo, we might have found a new favorite,”Good concludes.

One of the most enduring and prolific artists in music history has justhit the road for another sold-out world tour. Make no mistake, beingknighted by the Queen of Pop is an honor reserved for only a fewelite drummers. Madonna’s Steve Sidelnyk has held the drum now forquite some time, and when we asked him to document life on the roadwith the Material Girl, he jumped at the chance. Private jets, five-starhotels and throngs of adoring fans... tough gig, Steve!To see more of your favorite artists backstage, check outwww.dwdrums.com/artists[EDGE 7.0] 41

©2006 Drum Workshop, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Abe’s drumming style embodies his passion, feel and true love for the music.He’s first call with rock’s biggest names,and for more than a decade and a half, he’s played DW.DECADESAbe Laboriel, Jr.’s Choicesince 1991.DW, The Drummer’s Choice.®

Don’t justpracticehard,practicesmart.Go Anywhere Practice KitWarm up backstage or practiceyour chops without waking up theneighborhood. The lightweight,portable Go Anywhere kitmakes it easy to practice anytime,anywhere.Part of the complete line of SmartPractice pads and accessoriesavailable wherever Smart Practiceproducts are sold.©2006 Drum Workshop, Inc.>DW Drum ClinicGroove EssentialsBy Tommy IgoeAre you ready to get your groove on? Good,because no matter what kind of music you play, whetherit’s simple or complex, it has to be in the groove.The word “groove”doesn’t simply meanit’s perfectly intime—if it did, drummachines and computerswould havethe best grooves inthe universe, andwe know that’s notthe case. Rather,Tommy Igoe“groove” means howyou play the time. A little on top, a little bitbehind, intentionally phrasing in front ofthe bass or behind the guitar, or perhapsright down the center to let other instrumentsplay in front or behind. These are justsome of the possibilities when you have fullcommand of your groove.Every drummer has different tendencies.A few common ones, for example, areto simply rush or drag, play faster whenyou get louder, slower when softer, speedup coming out of a fill, slow down whenswitching grooves and a thousand more. Weall have some of these tendencies and thesooner you discover what your tendenciesare, the sooner you can eliminate them fromyour groove, because they truly are groovedestroyers. While great grooves are oftenorganic and very human, sloppy playingwill ruin any hope of getting a deep pocket.My “Groove Essentials” series is designedfor all players, of all skill levels, to discoverthose tendencies and take the action neededto conquer anything standing between youand your groove, and expand your groovevocabulary. We’re going to look at a basicgroove, a few variations for each grooveand, best of all, a chart and play-along trackfor you to explore. Let’s get to work...The groove essentials universe is brokeninto five families that all grooves can fitin: rock, funk, jazz, world and, the groovewe’ll discuss here is from the hip-hop/R&Bfamily. It is the 15th groove of the 47 exploredin “Groove Essentials.” Let’s take alook. (See Fig. 1)Can you see the “connective tissue” ofthis groove? Before I tell you where it is, tryto visualize it yourself. See it? This groove isan example of a more “open” construction,where multiple limbs work together to formthe connective tissue that binds it together.The eighth-notes in this groove are formedby the ride cymbal and hi-hat working togetheron the downbeats and upbeats toform a continuous line of eighths. Coordinationis naturally an issue with this grooveand should be approached with caution.Take it slow and steady, practicing with ametronome at all times while learning thecoordination.As with all grooves, what counts is howyou play it. To give this groove a hip-hopflair, try giving it a little bit of a swing. Allthe sixteenths need to sit back in the pocketa little bit to give a rounder feel that is oneof the hip-hop genre’s calling cards. You canplay this groove straight, too, of course, andit works great like that, too.For you budding session players outthere, in terms of authenticity, this groove isdefinitely too “wet” to use on a hip-hop recording.One thing that most R&B and hiphopproducers insist on is a very dry drumtrack. So, the ride cymbal part you see herewould have to go. You can just move theright hand to something that doesn’t ring somuch or do what I did on a session, throwsome tape on your ride cymbal so it barelyrings. The artist loved it! Then again, I saw?uestlove last week, and he was playing hisride the entire time, and it sounded great,so maybe things are changing yet again. Themoral of the story: be open to any possibilities.It’s variation time once again. Let’s takea look at what kind of trouble we can getourselves into by creating two variationsof the main groove. These variations arerelated to the main groove but skewed justenough to make a powerful difference. Firstup: Variation A. (See Var. A)Looks pretty easy, right? Well, as usual,looks can be deceiving. This uses one of myfavorite hi-hat techniques: using the openhi-hat sound on the downbeat (instead ofthe upbeat, which is more common). Theopen hi-hat must be a perfect eighth-notein length, no shorter, no longer. Why? GoodFig. 1Var. AVar. BChartquestion. It’s because the length of theopen hat sound is the consistent “glue”that holds this variation together. Anyshorter or longer than a perfect eighthnoteand it will start to clash the snare/bass drum interplay going on underneath.It is so easy to play this groovebadly, so be careful.(See Var. B)Here’s a different approach to thisfeel that I recommend you play at letter Aon the upcoming chart. As far as the connectivetissue, we have the eighth-notesbeing played by the foot on the hi-hat and>DW Drum ClinicExercisesthe upbeats on the ride cymbal. Please,please, please, don’t flam! Unintendedflams are groove killers. They create clutterand confuse the ear of the listener. Tobe sure, you must record yourself and listenback with a critical ear to see if yourgroove is as accurate as you want it tobe.KEYAnd finally, the chart (see chart).Whoa, there’s a lot going on here, wouldn’tyou say? Don’t worry if you can’t read, just listento the song a few times first. For advanced players,you’ll notice letter A is repeated the last timethrough the form. I’ve constructed the arrangementthis way so you have some solo space to explore.Perhaps “fill” space may be a better wordhere, since the song doesn’t stop and there are littleaccents from the other musicians popping aroundyou as you make your contribution at letter A. It’llbe obvious when you get to this point in the chartthat there is a lot more space, so musically fill it upa bit and take charge. Too bad the chart doesn’t tellyou all that stuff, right? Ah, yes, the joys of chartreading; get used to it.The fun of this chart is taking a hip-hop inspiredgroove and then throwing it into a decidedlyun-hip-hop musical situation! I’m a firm believerthat all music cross-pollinates and doesn’tlive in a vacuum; we all borrow from, and influence,each other. This is one of my favorite tracksin “Groove Essentials” and I hope you have a ballwith it. Go to tommyigoe.com and download theMP3 file “groove 15-FAST.”I’ll leave you with one thing to think aboutas you head down to the practice room: you arenever as accurate as you think you are when playingin real time. You must record yourself playingwith these songs and then listen back with acritical ear to truly judge your performance andgroove contribution. Record yourself with the latestcomputer gizmo or a cheapo vintage cassette,doesn’t matter, just record yourself somehow,some way. When you do, you’ll hear things younever thought were happening as you were actuallyplaying, and you’ll be in a great position tofix them and concentrate on the stuff that’s reallyimportant: the music.Tommy Igoe is the leader of New York’s FridayNight Big Band at the famous Birdland Jazz Club. Heis the principal drummer, assistant conductor and creatorof the drum set book for the “Lion King” on Broadwayand is the author of the “Groove Essentials” seriesof products published by Hudson Music. More info onTommy can be found at Tommyigoe.com.For more “Groove Essentials,” visitwww.dwdrums.com/eddept[EDGE 6.0] 45

BJ: Yeah, like on this new Sebastian BachCD, there’s a few ballads. I mean, unless youcan really competently play a ballad, you’rein trouble. It’s something that you can learn,just listening to records and learning feel,not the technical side, but the feel. I meanyou really have to feel that music in order toplay like that. You have to be in those situmetalBobby JarzombekHammerHe’s the thinking man’s metal drummer, backing metalgods like Rob Halford and Sebastian Bach. this chopsinspiredspeed demon pulls out all of the tricks, whileyears of experience have taught him to still lay it downlike a metal hammer.EDGE: You’re new to DW. What made you decideto switch?Bobby Jarzombek: Well, I’ve always beenintrigued with drums and the innovativestuff that’s been coming out of DW. I’ve alsonoticed that a lot of guys have been headingover to DW, and I’ve been wonderingwhy. In looking a little further and checkingout some of the products, I thought that everythingwas cool, and the finest drums forsure. I was a little bit dissatisfied with myformer company, and that’s what led to mechecking things out. So I went out to Oxnardand checked out the whole factory and themaking of the drums. I was definitely soldon it, you know, when I saw everything goingdown. I saw the entire operation at work,with everybody involved all the way fromthe guys in the paint area with the masksover their faces to Don Lombardi at the top.I was just impressed with the whole operation,so I had to make the change.EDGE: So as a hard rock/metal drummer, youhave to have some pretty serious stamina obviouslyto make it through a show. Talk a little bitabout how you stay in shape and your practiceroutine.BJ: Well, I think it’s important to always tobe in shape to play metal drums. I mean, obviouslywhen I go into a rehearsal situation,I make sure I know the songs really well. Irun through the set on my own, just witha click track, multiple times on each song.Then, I’ll do the whole set again and again,just keeping up double bass chops, keepingup speed chops. So when you’re doinga 45-minute show, it’s like a breeze. The ideais to be relaxed up there, but intense. So Ijust make sure that I’m in shape to play theshows.EDGE: Do you also have a workout routine thatinvolves physical training or cardio?BJ: I used to run years ago. For like twoyears, I would run steadily about three orfour times a week, you know, a few miles ata time. I did that on and off for many years.And I think it was right around the Rob Halford(lead singer for Judas Priest) “Crucible”time in 2002. We were doing rehearsals andpre-production, then were in the studio fora long time. That was such an intense time,and right around that time I quit running, Inever went back to it. Maybe it’s not a goodthing that I never did, but I still try to stay inthe same frame of mind as if I was runninga few times a week, just with my practiceroutines.EDGE: Do you have certain rudiments or footexercises you focus on when you practice?BJ: I work on what I call “concepts,” where Ihave particular patterns that tend to evolveand become more complex patterns. Youcan take it as far as your ability and yourdrumming vocabulary allows. I have theseconcepts that I work on, and they’re intense.It might be a hand exercise or a foot exercise,but if you work on it diligently in therehearsal room for three or four hours aday, then you’re going to get a pretty goodworkout. These concepts are not anythingspecific, just something that I happen tostumble upon, or something that I think isa cool exercise or rudiment. Sometimes it’sa stamina kind of thing or a polyrhythmicthing; it always changes.EDGE: What other styles of music have youstudied, and what other types of music have influencedyour playing?BJ: Oh, you’re going to open up a can ofphotos by Matthew Friedworms if I go there. I grew up playing inSouth Texas, where I’m from, San Antonio,and if you want to make a living in that areaof the country, then you have to know a lotof different styles. Obviously I grew up witha lot of heavy metal drumming and heavymetal drummers. I’m a fan of drumming,and being a working musician, I learned toplay a variety of styles. There was a lot ofcountry music and there was Tejano music,for example. I’ve done CDs and live showsfor years and years doing country music andTejano music. I’m a hell of a country drummer,too, by the way. I don’t know if youknew that. I’ve done quite a bit of that kindof stuff. But it’s kind of a weird mixture becauseit’s country music mixed with heavymetal music. I was part of the regular “A”team of studio players down in San Antonio,which isn’t saying a whole lot when youconsider where San Antonio is on the musicalmap, but it was still cool. I’d also playa lot of classic rock, whatever San Antonioallowed me to do in order to make a living.I really stayed true to my heavy metal roots,though. That’s where my passion comesfrom when it comes to drumming, and that’swhat I grew up listening to. Even then, I gothrough days where I listen to nothing butCuban stuff, or bebop ‘50s jazz, like olderElla Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. I owneda lot of that stuff.EDGE: So do you feel that any of those styles ofmusic influence your rock playing?[EDGE 7.0] 47

93681275410I don’t know if there’s a dream gig. I’ve alwaysbeen a side man and never really been a bandmember, so that would be a dream for me: To bean equal partner in a successful band.ations where you’re able to play that musicand express yourself within that music. Ithink that playing different styles of musichas really helped my timing and control. Ifyou’re just a metal drummer, you’re just goingto play the same fills that everybody elsehas played in that particular genre. And ifyou think about the guys who are well educatedin metal drumming and rock drumming,they pulled from so many differentgenres of drumming.EDGE: What was the last tour you were on?BJ: Lately I’m back and forth with SebastianBach. At the moment, we’re not on the roadsteadily, but we’ve been doing a ton of flyins.We just came off doing some dates withGuns ‘n’ Roses, and we were in Japan playingwith KISS, Alice in Chains, Godsmack,Steve Vai and a whole bunch of bands. Itwas awesome! We just did some headliningshows in Europe, too. I’m back for a littlebreak, and then we’ll go back out do somemore stuff, then who knows?EDGE: Do you have a tech that you normallywork with on the road?BJ: There’s been a few different guys overthe years. When I was with Halford, wewent through a few different guys. Sadly,one of the guys, Clint Leteiur, died about ayear ago. He was teching for us for a coupleof years, and he’d also worked with a lot ofdifferent people like Racer X and Godsmack.For a little while I was using Jose Baraciowho was the tech for Mike Portnoy, and he’son the road with Joe Satriani. Lately withSebastian, we’ve been doing so many flyinsthat the promoter will provide a guy tokind of help me. It’s hard to use a tech whenyou do fly-ins because they don’t know theset-up and how you want everything set. IfI’m there, and there’s a guy that speaks Englishin whatever country I’m in, and he canjust hand me stuff, I’m cool. So that seemsto be the way we’re doing it lately, until weget steady dates where we’re on a tour withrouting, then we’ll hook that up. But yeah,if there are any of you guys out there thatwant to tech for me, give me a call.EDGE: What do you think your dream gig wouldbe? I know that’s kind of a loaded, question butlet me rephrase that—are there any artists thatyou haven’t worked with that you think might befun to work with in the future?BJ: When I was growing up, I was really intoZappa. I was hoping that one day I wouldplay with Zappa, but obviously, that’s nevergoing to happen. I don’t know if there’s adream gig. I’ve always been a side man andnever really been a band member, so thatwould be a dream for me: to be an equalpartner in a successful band. Tool is a greatband. Opeth is a great band. I really likethe fact that those guys are heavy, and theyplay heavy music, but their songs are greatsongs.EDGE: We talked a little bit earlier about otherstyles of music, and you mentioned some artists,but are there any rock or metal drummerswho influenced you when you were learning theropes?BJ: I guess my biggest influence when Istarted playing was Neil Peart. He’s still agreat drummer. If you ever have any doubtsabout Neil, just because of the way drumminghas evolved, you know, there are guysout there that are doing really crazy polyrhythmicfour-way coordination things, butif you go back to the Rush records and reallytry to listen to the parts that were playedand learn the parts, you’ll realize how musicalhis drumming is. I loved Simon Phillipsand his whole approach to the drumkit. I’m still playing the whole left-handedthing, partly because Simon Phillips playsopen-handed. Terry Bozzio, the stuff he didwith UK, Zappa, Missing Persons, that wasreally big for me early on. Then later on,Deen Castronovo, just his fire and the wayhe played, the power in his drumming wastotally amazing. Deen, I guess, was probablythe only player I ever heard on a recordand 30 seconds later was like, “Who is this?This is the most amazing drummer I’ve everheard.” You know? I listen to a lot of guyslike Thomas Lang, Marco Minnemann andVirgil Donati for ideas as well. These guysdo crazy things with a drum set.EDGE: You just mentioned Simon Phillips andhaving the ride cymbal over on the left side. Canyou talk about that a little bit? Also, talk aboutthe cymbal behind you, because that’s kind of anunusual thing, too.BJ: Well, the left-handed thing, I speak aboutit briefly on my DVD. It just kind of evolved.I guess it came about in the early ‘90s. Fora few years, I played a conventional, righthand on the hi-hat crossover. I was playing afew patterns, one of these concepts that I wasworking on, and I was trying to get my righthand to move around the toms and my lefthand was stuck underneath my right hand.It was becoming difficult, so I pulled the lefthand and said, “Well, maybe I can put the lefthand on the hi-hat and the right hand on thetoms.” You know, try it open-handed. Needlessto say, I ended up getting the patternthat way. I thought, “Man, you know I’vealways wanted to do this switch-over thing,I’m gonna go for it.” And I just started practicingeverything open-handed. So I wouldplay gigs, and I would play right-handed,and my set at home would still be set up lefthanded.I would practice left-handed, thengo off and play gigs right-handed. I kept doingthat for about six months. Then I had atour with Riot. I told myself, “I’m going tolearn all these Riot songs left-handed. AndI’m going to play them that way.” I startedlearning everything at the time, playingthings left-handed. So I just went into it fullforce and ended up sticking with it. Thatwas how I initially got over the hump, byjust forcing myself to learn all of the materialleft-handed. So it wasn’t so much like Iwas doing particular exercises or anything.It was more like I was learning material andplaying that way.EDGE: How about the cymbals behind you?BJ: Yeah, that’s a crazy story. A friend ofmine was a guitar player for Dokken. DonDokken split from Dokken and formed hisown band. So my friend was talking to meabout auditions they were having for drummers,and he said, “Yeah, we had this oneSet-up Specs:DW Collector’s Series Birch Drums in RegalBlue to Black Burst Lacquer Specialty with BlackHardware20x22” Bass Drum (x2)6.5x14” Solid Shell Snare Drum9x10”, 10x12”, 12x14” Tom-Toms16x16” Floor Tom5000TD3 Delta3 Turbo Single Bass Drum Pedal (x2)9500 Hi-Hat Stand9900 Double Tom Stand9999 Single Tom/Cymbal Stand9700 Straight/Boom Cymbal Stand (x8)9100M Standard Drum Thronedrummer that auditioned for the gig, andhe had this one cymbal, it was almost like itwas behind him or something.” And I waslike, “What? Cymbal behind him?” Andhe was like, “Well not really behind him. Itwas like when he played around the kit, dida roll around the kit, the guy had to reachreally far toward the back of him to hit thecymbal.” I was like, “Wow, that’s kind of different.”I thought about it, and I went outto my practice room, and I thought what itmight be like to put a cymbal behind me andplay. So I set up a cymbal on my right sideand played around with it and kinda tooka back swing at it, and it was pretty easy. Ithought, “Well, this is cool,” so I fooled withthat for a few days and then set one up onthe left side and did the same thing. On theleft, I ended up having to have it a bit higher;it just felt more comfortable with the leftone a little higher than on the right side. So,I ended up with those two cymbals behindme. I started doing that in the early ‘90s livewhen I was with Riot. Then, it got to be sortof a trademark thing where people startedto notice it.EDGE: Do you consciously work on being a“showy” or visual player?BJ: There was a time when Tommy Lee andeverybody started to do the stick twirlingstuff, and I told myself, “I’m not going todo that. I’m not going to be a part of thatwhole stick twirling, throwing sticks thing.”For a while I thought that, then I changedmy mind. I thought it’s only going to makeit more visually appealing if I do it, so I startedto twirl the sticks again. You know, thattechnique between the middle finger andthe index finger. I started to work on thatwhen I was playing, and I thought, “Thisis pretty cool. You can do a lot of stuff withthis.” I was already playing open-handed,so there was never a crossover problem,and I was able to do it withboth hands. Then I thought,“There are endless possibilitieswith this,” so I just started gettinginto twirling with both hands, and thenstarted throwing tosses and whatever elseI could think up. The cymbals behind meadded a whole new dimension to that. It’snot something that I practice all the time.I’ll go sometimes weeks or months withouteven twirling a stick if I’m recording orwhatever.EDGE: There must be a lot of work that goes intoall of those tricks.BJ: There is, but I really only have about threeor four different moves. If you do them inthe right places, in certain ways, you learn tomake the most of them. You can hit a drumand come back with a twirl, or hit a cymbaland do kind of this upstroke cymbal twirl.That’s where you can hit the cymbal fromunderneath and then follow with a twirl.There’s a lot of different tricks you can useto make it a little bit more unique.EDGE: Do you have any final thoughts or anyadvice that you’d give younger players?BJ: I’d say that the main thing is to stay inschool and to take lessons. Learn as muchas you can and widen your drumming vocabularyand your musicality. Say, if you’re18 years old and you’re anxious to get outon the road, you can wait a few years. Youdon’t have to go out there and go crazy.Take a few years to learn what you can, goto a music school and take a few lessons. Theroad will always be there, all that stuff willbe there, and you’ll be that much more preparedfor it.[EDGE 7.0] 49

Pacific Drum NewsNew products and innovationsPacific goesbig with MXRRock Sizes and 8-ply All-Maple Shells make this kita true rockerRock drummers rejoice: your wait is over.With an eye for detail and desire to outfit seriousrock players with a kit that’s ready forthe stage or studio at a price they can actuallyafford, Pacific has recently unveiled itsnew MXR Series. Pacific artist and drummerfor Motion City Soundtrack, Tony Thaxton,comments, “I fell in love with my Pacific kitimmediately. The drums sound and lookamazing.”MXR comes with Pacific’s first ever 24”bass drum. In fact, the 18x24” kick comesnon-drilled. Instead, the 9x12” rack tom canbe mounted to any existing cymbal stand viaa PDAC991 tom clamp that comes with thekit. Both the 12x14” and 14x16” floor tomscome on DW-style resonant floor tom legsfor maximum projection. A matching 6x14”snare drum completes the package andhelps to make MXR a hard kit to pass up.DRUMMER Magazine, one of the UnitedKingdom’s premier drum publications, proclaimed,“When you want it hard and loud,Tony Thaxton and his MXR Cherry Fade (photo by Hadas)but with plenty of scope for finesse, thenyou really have to check this baby out.”Available in an Ebony Matte finish andCherry to Black Fade Matte finish, MXR haslooks, too. And if that wasn’t enough, Pacifichas added a host of impressive pro featuresusually reserved for more expensive customkits. The set also comes with an 8.155 hardwarepack that includes a CB800 straight/boom cymbal stand, CS800 straight cymbalstand, HH800 hi-hat, SS800 snare stand andSP450 single bass drum pedal. For moreinformation on the MXR and the full lineof PDP drums, pedals and hardware, visitwww.pacificdrums.com.Steel 805s area Real StealPacific adds Chrome-Over-Steel 805 Snare Drums tothe MixSo you want a side snare that has plenty ofattack, or a main snare that’s loud enoughto cut through the Marshalls? Pacific hasthe snares for you. These chrome-over-steelbeauties are available in 6x10” and 6x14”sizes and come in three different drumhardware colors for a totally custom look.Choose from Chrome with Chrome, Chromewith Black or Chrome with Red, each withmatching throw-off and butt plate. The6x10” “popcorn” snares even come withan included 10.5 mm tom bracket for easyset-up. Just add a PDAC991 tom clamp, andyou can put the 10” 805 anywhere you wantusing any existing stand. No need for additionalsnare baskets or heavy mountinghardware. With a retail price tag of $217.99for the 6x10” and $254.99 for the 6x14”, everydrummer can add this firecracker toChrome-over-steel 805 Series snare drumstheir arsenal.Pacific ExpandsFS All-Birch kitswith New Add-On TomsDrummers Can Now add 8”and 16” Toms to their 5-pieceFS OutfitsIn additional to two brand-spanking-newcolor options for 2006, Natural to CharcoalBurst and Cherry to Black Fade, Pacific isnow offering 7x8” and 14x16” add-on tomsto the line. The 8” tom comes complete withan S.T.M. (suspension tom mount) and canbe mounted via a PDAC991 tom clamp orTS900 tom stand. The 16” floor tom comeswith legs and is the perfect addition forthose drummers looking for a double floortom set-up or an option to the 12x14” thatcomes with the 5-piece package.Drum Workshop Executive Vice Presidentand Drum Designer John Good explains,“The entire kit, including the newadd-ons, are F.A.S.T. sizes. It’s a term wecoined for Fundamentally Accurate SizedToms. This means that the depths are de-MXR Ebony with optional8x10” add-on tom[EDGE 7.0] 51

DW Classic Logo Tee(PR20SSBL)Above: DW Trucker Hat with Patch (PR10HAT05), PDP Camo Hat (PR10PDPHAT06), DW Retro Ball Cap (PR10WNHAT06),DW White Logo Hat (PR10WHAT06), DW Corporate Logo Hat (PR10HAT01), DW Flex-Fit Hat (PR10HAT04)Birdseye Maple LXE in Natural to Tobacco Burst lacquerPDP’s LatestExotic is an EyeFullPacific Adds BirdseyeMaple to its LXE LineFollowing the success of last year’s LXElaunch, Pacific has added a stunning newwood to its Exotic LXE Series. The newhighly figured Birdseye Maple kits are finishedin Tobacco Burst lacquer and join thealready popular Charcoal Fade KurillianSXE Solid Maple Snare Drums with Exotic Finisheskits being offered. Executive Vice Presidentand Drum Designer John Good comments,“When we released LXE, we were reallyproud of the way they looked and sounded,but we didn’t know if Pacific was ready foran Exotic. It’s a slightly different sound thanDW, more open sounding with that 8-plymaple shell. And with the high-end Exoticfinish, people really got what we were tryingto do.”LXE comes in standard 5-piece configurationsthat include an 18x22” bass drum,8x10” tom, 9x12” tom, 11x14” floor tomand matching 5x14” snaredrum. 7x8” and 14x16”add-on toms are also available,and drummers canalso upgrade to a matchingSXE solid shell snare ifthey so choose. The basicconfiguration comes with aheavy-duty 9.155 hardwarepack, and that includesan HH900 hi-hat stand,CB900 straight/boom cymbalstand, CS900 straightcymbal stand, SS 900 snarestand and SP500 pedal.“It’s great to be able to useyears of custom drum makingexperience to create akit that more drummerscan afford to own,” Goodadds. Birdseye Maple LXE kits are availablethrough any authorized Pacific Drumsretailer. To find the dealer nearest you, visitwww.pacificdrums.com.New SXE SnareDrums are aSolid ChoicePDP’s First Ever Solid ShellSnare Drum Delivers ProPerformancePacific is following up on the success ofits line up of SXE snare drums with thelaunch of two new SXE Solid Shell snaredrums. The 5x14” drum features an allmaplesteam-bent solid shell for warmthand sonic clarity. Its exterior is finished ina choice of exotic Kurillian with a CharcoalFade lacquer or new Birdseye Maple with atraditional Tobacco Burst lacquer. Both havea recently upgraded drop-style throw–off,crimped-coated DW heads by REMO USAand heavy-gauge steel flanged hoops.SXE Solid Shell snare drums match thetwo available LXE Series colors for thosedrummers who want to upgrade to a solidshell or simply prefer the added projectionthat a one-piece shell can provide. The fullline of SXE Snare Drums is available forview at www.pacificdrums.comAbove: DW colored Tees (navy/white, olive/orange,maroon/yellow, yellow/black and white/navy)DW Bottle Opener(PR60BOPENER)DW DVD Travel Mug(PR60TUMBLER)DW Golf Towel (PR60TOWEL)DW Wristbands(PR60BAND)Above: DW Hoodie (PR20BKHOOD06), DW Dickies Shirt (PR20DICKIES06),DW Collector’s Series ® Badge Tee (PR20BADGE)All DW Drumwear and DW DVD Items can be ordered at www.dwdrums.com. Select items are available through authorized DW dealers.

The Making OfDrum Duets Vol. 1By John WackermanAs a child, I was surrounded by drummersand always wanted to do a project that focusedsolely on the instrument. The ideawas to play these musical drum duets withdrummers that I had always admired andthat had inspired me to be a drummer. I hadalso wanted the players to be extraordinarilydiverse, with styles ranging from rock, jazz,fusion, punk and ska to progressive, R&Band bebop. Many different genres, one commondenominator: they’re all great drummers!And with help from my wife Linda,we began to plan the logistics of how wewould record these noted drummers. It goeswithout saying that working with some ofthe world’s best drummers was an amazingexperience, and the resulting project was atrue labor of love. Here’s an artist-by-artistlook inside the making of my new CD, JohnWackerman: Drum Duets Volume 1.Steve GaddLinda and I flewinto Rochester,New York, andheaded to TheStudios at LindenOaks. It’s aworld-class facility,and Steve’sdrums were set upin front of the studio’sacousticallydesigned brick wall. Steve says it’s one ofthe best rooms for drum sounds. The engineerand drum tech gotsounds up before Stevearrived. Steve cameto the session early,which gave us a littletime to hang out in thecontrol room and talkfor a bit; he’s extremelycool and easy to talkwith. For my duetwith Steve, I chose acover of Jimi Hendrix’s“Manic Depression.” Iwanted it to be a classicrock song, and I knewSteve would play someamazing stuff on it. It’salso in three-quartertime, so I thought itwould make an interestingdrum duet. Becauseit had been a while since he’d heardit, Steve asked to hear the original Hendrixtrack to get the vibe of the song. After that,we looked at the chart, and he headed intothe tracking room for some fine-tuning andlast minute tweaks. It was interesting to notethat Steve plays his hi-hats with the heaviercymbal on the top.We recorded the first take, and Steveplayed amazing! He nailed everything wediscussed on the chart. The exceptionalthing about Steve is his musicality. Whenhe solos, you can hear melodies that takethe duet to new heights. Not only does hehave incredible technique, butalso an infectious groove; when heplays it’s truly soulful. After thatfirst take, he came into the controlroom, and we listened. Steve had acouple of ideas and did one moretake. He took the second take in aslightly different direction, and itwas also amazing! After listeningto the playback, Steve made someexcellent arrangement suggestionsfor the piece that we ended up usingin the final mix. Steve Gadd isone of the most professional andgracious people I have ever metand is deservingly a drum icon.Peter ErskineI first met Peter when I was a kid.My dad would take my brothersand I to the Stan Kenton Jazz Camps. Later, Iwas influenced by Peter’s playing with StanKenton, Maynard Ferguson and WeatherReport. Havingthe opportunity towork with Peteron this project wasamazing. Peter’spiece is an originalcomposition, andI wanted it to becontemporary jazzwith an edge. Hepicked up on thatimmediately and captured the essence ofwhat I was trying to achieve.On Peter’s duet, I used a DW ClassicsSeries prototype set. This is DW’s new vintage-inspiredseries that utilizes a speciallydesigned shell configuration to mimic thevintage drum sounds we sometimes look forin certain recording situations. I thought itwas a good “old school” choice for the piece,and it sounded amazing! The session tookplace at Peter’s home studio in Santa Monica,California, and it was a really relaxedvibe. Peter’s wife Mutsuko was a gracioushost and made us feel right at home. Oncewe began, Peter played through the chartand nailed all of the odd-time measures andsolo sections. His playing is so musical, andI love his phrasing. Peter is one of the nicestpeople I know and is deservingly known asone of the purest of jazz drummers today.Steve SmithMy old friend, and legendary drum tech anddrum designer, Jeff Ochletree set me up withSteve. Jeff has been teching for Steve as oflate and has also teched for John Bonham,Billy Cobham and many other great drummers.We recorded the track up in Oregon,where Steve owns a home. He’s also livingin New York these days and is part of theNYC jazz scene. Steve is a great guy. He’svery meticulous about his playing and gives110 percent. It’s obvious that he loves to playdrums and loves to record. He has a reputationas a serious player, but he also comes upwith some great ideas. He added many creativefills against the odd time measures andmade the duet come alive. It’s interesting tonote that he’s into Eastern Indian rhythmsand incorporates them into the drum setflawlessly. Not only a great drummer, Stevewas also a great host.Josh FreeseI’ve known Joshand his familysince we were kids,and it’s been fun towatch his drummingcareer reallyexplode over thepast several years.He’s worked hardto get where he isand now is a first-call drummer. When I decidedto do a drum duet version of Queen’s“We Will Rock You,” I instantly thought ofJosh. Josh had just finished up a tour withSting, and we pulled an early morning session.He played on one of my DW sets andfelt right at home. There’s no question thatone of the reasons for his busy work scheduleis that he plays with great intensity and>The Making of Drum Duets Vol. 1really lays intothe drums. That,combined with hisfeel and ability to“play through,”means he has greatpocket and gets agreat sound out ofthe kit. Josh was soeasy to work withand added a greatflair to the track. Another great thing aboutJosh is that he’s willing to try anything andis open to suggestions. He really cares abouthow the composition is evolving and wantsto capture the best performance possible forthat particular track.Alex AcuñaI’ve been a huge fan of Alex’s playing myentire life. He has the unique talent of beingboth a master drum set player and percussionist.His career is a testament to hisnatural ability. From his days with WeatherReport to the countless movie and televisonsoundtracks on his résumé, he’s a truedrummer’s drummer and an all-aroundgreat guy. For Alex, I wanted to do a piecethat would feature him in a fusion setting.It was important to keep him in his elementand play off of his strengths. The result wasa duet that shows off Alex’s prowess. Hisfeel is second to none, and he has Latin rootsthat influence every style of music he plays.When he sits behind the drums, he reallycomes alive. He was open to collaboratingon the tune, and it took the piece in someinteresting new directions. Alex is anotherseasoned drummer with some amazing storiesto tell. It was a blast to work with him,and I hope the opportunity presents itself inthe future.For more on the making of Drumduets vol. 1, go to www.dw-Hear audio clips and buythe CDat www.dwdrums.comThis project demonstrated that as uniqueand different as each drummer can be, theyall have a commonality; they’re talented,meticulous, serious and extremely creativemusicians. They all have impeccable technique—andthey know when to use it! Theyall take direction and never let their egosget in the way of the recording, and theyall think musically. To reach such heightsas a professional drummer is no easy task,and these players proved that it takes morethan luck to build a long-standing career inthe business. This project also proved thatdrumming is a common language. No matterwhich style of music we were performing,we always had a common understanding.This CD is a dream come true for me, sowhy stop here? Look for Drum Duets Vol. 2coming soon, and always realize your ownmusical dreams. No one will do it for you.What theartists have tosay:“I think that John’s recording,with all of the different guestdrummers, will prove to be avery important documentation ofdrum set percussion in this newmillennium.”—Peter Erskine“He has a lot of spirit in his music,and his playing reflects that of hissoul.”—Gary Novak“We need more of this kind of musicbecause drum or solo instrumentalprojects now are so predictable.”—Ricky Lawson“He’s got many of the world’s bestdrummers playing on this, and hegets to show what he’s about as aunique player and writer.”—Chad Wackerman“It took a lot of foresight andbackbone to tackle this project.”—Ron Tutt“Basically, John wanted me to reallygo for it and play to my peak, whichis always fun and exciting to do.”—Steve Smith[EDGE 7.0] 55

93681275410Latin StyleBorn in peru and raised on a healthydiet of traditional bebop and latinrhythms, he’s one of drumming’strue multi-taskersAlex Acuñaphotos by Tony BarberaEDGE: You come from a very musical family.How did that influence your drumming?Alex Acuña: From the very beginning, mybrothers took lessons from my father. My fatherwas a music teacher, and I observed thenuances and different ways he taught mybrothers. He never used the same methodbecause he was able to understand that everybodywas different and had a differentunderstanding. So he treated them differently,and he taught them differently. I thought,“Wow, that’s a great thing.”EDGE: Were you all playing music?AA: Yeah, all six brothers.EDGE: And were you all playing percussion?AA: No, my father was a high school musicteacher, so he was able to teach themguitar, saxophone and trumpet. He playedevery instrument including percussion,but he didn’t want to teach me because mymother told him not to teach me music. Shedidn’t want me to be a musician. I was theyoungest of six, and she wanted to me to bea mechanic or carpenter, something differentthan my brothers, so I’d always have ajob. Ironically, I’m the one who became themusician in the family. I really learned frommy brothers and how they approached myfather’s lessons. Some of them were veryperseverant about studying and being preparedfor my father. The ones with more talentdidn’t need to study as much. They justthought, “Oh, I can get it, no problem.” Andmy father was serious about that. He said,“You have to respect this. You wanted to bea musician, I’m going to teach you, and youbetter practice.” So I learned those thingsfrom the family, especially how to read musicand how to formally play music. At avery early age, I got a sense of that from mybrothers. They loved music and they playedfor the love of the music, not just for money.I learned that from them.EDGE: Did you get formal musical trainingfrom your father, too?AA: No, I played on my own. My brotherswere the ones who were teaching me. I alsoused to play trumpet when I was a kid, butmy brothers taught me, not my father. Notto mention, I always had an incredible lovefor listening to music, and my passion is stilllistening to music. I choose percussion becauserhythm was, and still is, a mystery. Idon’t say a mystery in that it’s difficult ormysterious. I say mystery because it’s stillbeing discovered: more and more and morerhythms. Plus, the sound of the congas andthe bongos and timbales, the drums, thecymbals and cowbells all fascinate me. Sinceday one, I’ve enjoyed playing both percussionand drums. I don’t knowif I have mastered both, butI truly love it.EDGE: Didn’t you haveformal musical trainingat some point?AA: Later on,when I cameto San Juan,PuertoRico, I gotmarried,and mydaughterwas born.At thattime, I wasalready workingand playing inbig bands. I alreadyknew how to readtrumpet and followthe chart. Then, whenmy oldest daughterwas born, I said, “I’dbetter take this seriously,”so I went tothe conservatory. Asit turns out, I onlywent to 5th grade because at a very earlyage, I also needed to support my mother.My father was there, but he was like a singlefather. So when I was 12 years old, I had toquit school to be the head of the house. Eventhough I was the youngest one of the wholefamily, my brothers got married at a veryearly age, so they left to the city. So I wastaking care of family. I have always takencare of family. That helped me musicallybecause I always had to gig a lot to pay thebills. When I was 10, I had to make money.Even though I was pursuing the money orpursuing the job, the music was never leftout.Set-up Specs:Collector’s Series® Maple Drums with Natural Lacquer overRedwood Burl Exotic and Chrome Hardware18x20” Bass Drum5x14” Snare Drum9x12”, 14x16” Tom-Toms9000 Single Pedal6500 Hi-Hat Stand6300 Snare Drum Stand6710 Straight Cymbal Stand9100 Standard Drum Throne[EDGE 7.0] 57

“One of the main reasons I playis because I love people. When youlove people, you love cultures.When you love cultures, you lovetheir music. And when you love themusic, you just love the world.”EDGE: So what led you to go to music schoolin Puerto Rico? At that point, you had alreadybeen gigging for a long time.AA: Right. Well, I wanted to go to thenext level. My daughters inspired me tobe home and to get to another level. AndI was discovering other styles of playing,seeing other great musicians and admiringthem. I’d ask, “How did you learn this? Ohman! You study multiple percussion andstudy a little harmony, and that’s how toplay ballads and this and that?” So I wentto conservatory with my basic 5thgrade music education. I knew theonly way I would be accepted wasto lie, so I told them I graduatedfrom high school. They gave mea reading exam and a recital andthey said, “Oh, so you can read...you’re in.” To this day, I still like toread and still read a ton of books inmy free time. They put me in theensemble playing percussion, andI started with little ballads and alittle timpani. Then came the entirespectrum of classical percussion. Itwas a great thing. It’s such a wonderfulthing, because now when Ido movie dates, I’m one of the fewLatin percussionists in Los Angelesthat can follow a conductor.EDGE: So what led you to be a studio musicianbefore you came to the United States?AA: Well, even in Peru, I was already doinga lot of sessions in the little town whereI was born and raised until I was 16. Imentioned that my brothers started gettingmarried and going to Lima, the maincity of Peru, but I stayed in my little townto raise my sisters and my nephews, andtake care of my mom. I was just giggingwith little bands around town, just tryingto survive, but my brothers started recommendingme for gigs in Lima. They’d say,“You know my little brother can really playdrums, and he reads really well.” So theyused to call me to do some gigs in the city.Finally I said, “Oh yeah, maybe I shouldmove to the city.” So I moved to the cityand immediately I started working on televisionand radio. I was 16 years old and recordingand working from 9 a.m. to about3 p.m., five to six days a week. So anyhow,I first came to the United States on a contractwith Perez Prado. He was the originalMambo king. When he saw me playing inPeru, he said, “I have a nine-month tour inthe United States. I want you to play withme.” I laughed at him. I was only 18. I said,“Come on man, the Americans are the oneswho invented the drums,” meaning, thereare plenty of drummers over there, youdon’t need me. He said, “No, no, no, thefeel that you have for the music is what Iwant for my music.” So I came here witha nice contract and a residence card. Nowthey call it a green card. When I finishedthe contract, he left for Mexico, and that’swhen I went to Puerto Rico.EDGE: What made you come to the UnitedStates to stay?AA: When I was in Puerto Rico, I was justpreparing myself. Then, when I discoveredMiles Davis and John Coltrane, ArethaFranklin, The Jackson Five, Ray Barettoand Tito Puente, you know all that greatmusic from the ‘60s, it changed me, and Isaid, “I’d better go around there.” But letme tell you something, I think every humanbeing has an inside mirror where youlook at yourself and say, “I don’t think I’mready. I don’t think I’m ready to go there,but I’m going to test it out.” Then, peoplestarted calling me from Puerto Rico tocome to record in Miami and New York;the word gets around. So I came to NewYork and said, “Man, this city’s too big forme! I don’t think I’m ready for this place.”So I kept going back to San Juan, PuertoRico. Then, when I discovered WeatherReport in 1970, I said, “That’s the band Iwanna play with.” Then I got a contract tocome to Las Vegas and worked there forthree months. My passion for Latin music,jazz and all kinds of good music keptgrowing, and I knew I’d be coming back tothe United States to play jazz. Really, thatwas my vision, my goal.EDGE: So mid-’70s you hit Las Vegas, right?You played with the likes of Diana Ross and ElvisPresley in what many consider Vegas’ heyday.Describe that scene in Vegas at the time.AA: Believe it or not, every time I made amove, it’d be with the band. Every season,I’d make the trek from Peru to the UnitedStates to Puerto Rico, and back to the UnitedStates again. I was ready to come back tothe United States now, but I wasn’t readyto come to New York or Los Angeles. I said,“I’m not ready for Los Angeles, either. It’sway too big.” When I say it’s too big, I don’tmean the physical distance; it was more themusicianship in Los Angeles at the time. Iwas still intimidated, and the concept of LosAngeles was just way too heavy. I was workingat the Playboy Club in Century City,[laughs] and I already had my family. ThenI said, “No, I can’t stay in L.A. I’m going toLas Vegas. Pack everybody up!” So we alldrove to Las Vegas. I think I had about $2,500in my pocket. In those days, Vegas was only$300 a month for a two-bedroom apartment.I thought, “I can survive here.” I started atthe Hilton as the house drummer. Therewere like 25 drummers lined up for the gig,but they kept me employed. They took goodcare of me for reasons I don’t know. Maybe itwas because I was able to double on percussion,and it saved them some money. A lot ofthe big acts that came to the hotel had theirown rhythm sections, so they’d say, “Canyou play percussion?” I said, “Sure!” Backthen, I was playing with Ike and Tina Turner,the Temptations, Paul Anka, Gladys Knightand the Pips and even Elvis. I was playingpercussion because they’d have their owndrummers on tour with them. My first gig inLas Vegas was Olivia Newton John. She wasopening for Charlie Rich. Charlie Rich was acountry western singer. [laughs] So I stayedthere for about a year, and I’d get my steadycheck every week. So, I bought a house, andmy kids were going to school. Everythingwas very comfortable. Then this percussionistfrom New York named Don Alias camethrough town and saw me perform with theTemptations. That’s when he said, “Man,we have to play together.” He invited meto play with his band, and we played with> On the Record:Peter Erskine:EDGE: Tell us about your earliest experienceslistening to Alex play in Weather Report andthe influence that he had on your playing withthe group.Peter Erskine: I really discovered Alex onHeavy Weather, and I didn’t have to waitfor the album to be released. I got a cassettefrom Jaco the night I met Jaco. They hadjust finished the album, so I got a sneakpeak, and I said to Jaco, “This is the versionof Weather Report that I’ve been waitingfor” and I absolutely fell in love withAlex’s drumming. It was perfect. Thosewere perfect drum performances on thatWilly Bobo and just gigged around Los Angelesand San Francisco.EDGE: So, when did Weather Report come intothe picture, and how did that impact your careerat the time?AA: Everything changed. Oh yeah! Joe (Zawinul)came to Las Vegas to hire me. He’dheard about me, but he wanted to see how Ilooked. He said, “Hey, Alex!” And he’d lookat me. I would say, “What are you lookingat?” Every time we walked together in thelobby of the hotel, he’d look at me, the wayI walk. Then he’d say, “Stop! You can play,man, I can tell you can play!” Later he toldme he could tell I was a serious musician,just by the way I walked. That’s the kindof guy Joe is, very insightful. Next thing hesaid was, “I’ll give you a list of instrumentsthat you’ll need for the gig.” The very nextweek, we’re rehearsing at Frank Zappa’s studioin L.A. Before me, they had been playingChester Thompson on drums. On basswas Alfonso Johnson, Joe on keyboards andWayne (Shorter). I really didn’t understandwhat they were playing. It was way over myhead. Sometimes I was able to get the beat,and sometimes I didn’t get it. Harmonically,I couldn’t follow them at all. That’s because Iwas a little self-conscious, and I was makingit more difficult for myself by over-thinkingthings. I thought, “Music isn’t supposed tobe intellectual; jazz isn’t supposed to be intellectual.”These guys were just improvising.[laughs] So another voice said in my head,“So why are you just standing there, jumpon it!” So I jumped up on the percussion thatwas there. We jammed, and it all soundedso modern, for lack of a better term. Waynegot up from the table and he came to me. Hesaid, “Alejandro, nice to meet you.” I said,“Man, you’re my idol. The music that youwrote for Miles Davis...” Then Wayne said,album. Aftergetting to knowAlex and workingwith himover the years,I knew that ifI was ever in aposition whereI was the producerof an album, Alex is the first percussionistI’d call. And I love playing withhim. It’s a luxury to work with a percussionistwho’s also a drummer. They reallyunderstand the choices that the drummeris going to make and the elbow room thatthe drummer wants and needs. I never feellike we have to discuss anything when we“If I were a percussionist, I would play theway you play.” I said, “Wow, man, really?Am I hired?” He said, “Oh, no, no, no, weare not auditioning you. I just wanted to tellyou that if I were a percussionist, I would interpretmusic the way that you interpret it.”EDGE: So they never told you that you were actuallyhired?AA: No, they never told me anything. Wespent a week here in L.A. rehearsing, andthen I went back to Las Vegas to pack myluggage. They were already working on myvisa and my first tour to Europe. We startedin Amsterdam, and we were there for twowhole months.EDGE: And that was before Jaco Pastorius?AA: That was before Jaco. This is 1975.EDGE: That was a legendary rhythm section.How did that come to be?AA: I was still playing percussion at thetime. Chester was on drums. Man, beautiful!I have some live Weather Report recordingsthat are amazing. I learned so much withthose guys.EDGE: You’re known not only as a hand percussionist,but also as a world-class drum set player.You’re equally respected on each. Not manypeople can claim that. How did you develop thatskill?AA: Man, interesting! From the very beginning,I loved to play anything percussive. Tome, it’s all the same, whether I’m playingwith a stick or my hands. When I hit a congaor a bongo, my hands—it just feels amazing.It’s a transforming feeling. Also, translatingrhythm to the drum set through yourplay. I think the admiration is mutual.We really like each other.EDGE: In the context of Weather Report,did his prior performances influencethe way you played certain tracks?PE: Sure. I didn’t have a lot of thatvocabulary, and I had to respond tothe musical challenges the best way I knewhow. Ultimately, it would come out soundingquite a bit different because Alex isAlex, and I’m me. But it wasn’t for my lackof trying. Some things were almost out ofrespect to him. It was the way he did it. Iwouldn’t even try to imitate that.[EDGE 7.0] 59

SelectedDiscography1971 This is Jazz, Vol. 10 Weather Report1973 Best of Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald1976 Black Market Weather Report1977 Arabesque John Klemmer1977 Captain Fingers Lee Ritenour1977 Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter Joni Mitchell1977 Heavy Weather Weather Report1978 Black Forest Luis Conte1978 Captain’s Journey Lee Ritenour1979 Collection Lee Ritenour1979 Extensions The Manhattan Transfer1980 Autoamerican Blondie1980 Ella Abraca Jobim Ella Fitzgerald1981 Mecca for Moderns The Manhattan Transfer1982 Heartlight Neil Diamond1982 Touchstone Chick Corea1984 How Will the Wolf Survive? Los Lobos1985 Rit Lee Ritenour1985 Atlantis Wayne Shorter1985 Dog Eat Dog Joni Mitchell1986 Brasil ‘88 Sergio Mendes1987 All Systems Go Donna Summer1987 Richard Marx Richard Marx1988 Rattle and Hum U21988 Urban Daydreams David Benoit1989 No Woman, No Cry Joan Baez1989 Selected Sadao Watanabe1989 World in Motion Jackson Browne1990 Neighborhood Los Lobos1990 Tiempo de Vals Chayanne1991 Ceremony The Cult1991 Heart of the Bass John Patitucci1991 Mambo Kings Original Soundtrack1991 Storyville Robbie Robertson1991 Woodface Crowded House1992 Fat City Shawn Colvin1992 King of Hearts Roy Orbison1992 Matters of the Heart Tracy Chapman1992 Night Calls Joe Cocker1993 Native Land Don Grusin1994 De Mi Alma Latina Placido Domingo1995 Vanessa Rubin Sings Vanessa Rubin1996 Hits Joni Mitchell1996 This is Jazz, Vol. 19 Wayne Shorter1997 Cookin’ For You Eddie Marshall1997 Loving You Shirley Horn1998 Human Being Seal1998 Priceless Jazz The Yellowjackets1998 Todos Los Romances Luis Miguel1999 Looking Forward Crosby, Stills, Nash& Young1999 Slowing Down the World Chris Botti2000 Telling Stories Tracy Chapman2002 Best of Weather Report Weather Report2002 Faces & Places Joe Zawinul2002 Silver Lining Bonnie Raitt2003 Alegria Wayne Shorter2003 Escapology Robbie Williams2004 Dreamland Joni Mitchell2004 Only You Harry Connick, Jr.2005 Good Night and Good Luck OriginalSoundtrack2005 The Long Road Home John Fogerty2005 Songs of a Prarie Girl Joni Mitchell2005 Rio/On The Line Lee Ritenour2006 Forecast: Tomorrow Weather Reportlimbs—equally as amazing. They’reso different, but at the same time, theyinfluence each other so much. But oneof the main reasons why I play both isbecause I love people. When you lovepeople, you love cultures. When youlove cultures, you love their music.And when you love the music, you justlove the world. I’ve been blessed, travelingto Cuba and going to Puerto Rico,coming to the United States, going toBrazil, going to Africa, going to Japan,going to Europe and so many parts ofthis world. All those places have incrediblemusic. Seeing those culturesand people first-hand has given me apassion that continues to grow in me,and is still growing. When I was livingin Puerto Rico, I’d play in the streetsand become friends with people. WhenI came to the United States, it was thesame thing. I saw the rock drummers,and I said, “Wow, man, amazing stamina.”When I saw the jazz drummerslike Jack DeJohnette, Tony Williams,Gadd, Erskine, I said, “Man! I wannaplay like these guys.” If there’s ever anopportunity to be inspired or furthermy understanding of the drums, I’m there.When I’m not working, I practice at home.For example, tomorrow I have a Latin percussionsession at 2 p.m. By 10 a.m., I’ll beplaying with a couple of Latin CDs so I canget warmed up to go and perform. Dayafter tomorrow, I have a pop session ondrums, so in the morning I’ll play R&B orwhatever for a couple of hours. SometimesI just play with a click, and try to grab thatstyle, that groove.EDGE: You have such an energetic vibe whenyou play live. Is that just Alex being in the moment,or is it something you consciously do tobe a performer?AA: It’s not so much being a performer,it’s just that the music really takes you toanother place. We can define it in manydifferent ways, but I have a word to definethis: it’s like “worship.” It’s like givingthanks. It’s like being thankful and enjoyingthe moment, not only because I’vehad a good career, but just being thankfulthat I’m alive, healthy and still playing andmaking music. I really admire people likeRoy Haynes. When I saw him last year atthe Modern Drummer Festival, he was 80,and I said, “That’s how I want to be.” So, Itake care of my health. I exercise, eat properlyand try to avoid bad times. The idea isto play as long as I can.EDGE: You’ve worked with so many artists inso many genres of music. You talked about doinga Latin session one day and a pop sessionthe next. How do you adapt from gig to gig andmold yourself to play with such a wide varietyof musicians?AA: One example is when I was hired todo a session with U2, the first day I sentall of my percussion gear, everything thatI owned. Bono and Edge were there, alongwith the producers and engineer. I thought,“Man! What can I play to complement thisband? They have a sound, they have astyle.”“I can get that Latin sound, andthat’s the drum set I’ve always hadin my heart and in my head.”EDGE: And you don’t want to mess with it.AA: I don’t want to mess with it! [laughs]Right there, the honesty has to come out.You have to tell them, “You really want me toplay this tune?” They said, “Oh no, we wantyou to contribute.” I replied, “OK, play methe track.” They played the track over andover for me, and I just relaxed and listenedalong. Not thinking, just listening. Listeningis what it was all about. All of a sudden, Iheard an overtone in the music. That overtonegave me an idea to use this drum thatI hadn’t used in a while. They didn’t hearthe overtone, but I did. I said, “You don’thear that?” They said, “What?” “That tone!”“No we don’t hear that.” “Well I’m goingto try that, OK?” So I went and I got one ofmy huge frame drums and started playing.They liked the fact that it was a complementarybass tone that was rhythmic, but notclashing with the bass or bass drum. It wasan open door, you know. Now we had commonground. I was more relaxed, they weremore relaxed, andwe could just becreative.EDGE: So that’show you approachall these different artists, you listen?AA: Yeah, listen and see what you can dowith the track.EDGE: How does working with an artist in arecording situation differ from doing a moviesession?AA: Well, with a film session, everythingis written down for you. You kinda haveto read what is there. Oftentimes, they callme in to be the utility man, you know, ifthey need an extra snare player, or an extragong player, cymbal player or bass drumpart. With the timpani or mallets, nobody’sgoing to touch that; Emil Richardshas a lock on that. Those guys are hiredto play that stuff. Just like they hire meto play the congas, timbales, bongos andshakers. That’s my territory and nobody’sgonna touch that. There are other specialdrums, other sounds, effects and everythingis written, and right there is when youhave to also listen. The utility stuff is alsowritten down, but it’s up a for a little moreinterpretation. For film, the important thingis to follow the click, follow the conductor,and play with the ensemble. With a movie,it’s also more like a perfection situation.You’re following a recipe. It always has tobe perfect. It’s orchestrated, and you have torespect that situation.EDGE: You’ve very recently made the move hereto DW. Talk a little bit about why you’ve madethe change and how you feel about your new kit.AA: Sure! First of all, I was made aware ofGon Bops. I had played Gon Bops drumsfor years, and most of my friends still haveand cherish their Gon Bops congas. When Ifound out I could be a big part of re-releasingGon Bops to the masses, I thought it wasa very special opportunity. It made me emotionaland I said, “Wow, man!” It’s not aboutmoney or becoming famous or being in the“They played the trackover and over for me,and I just relaxed and listenedalong. All of a sudden,I heard an overtonein the music. it gave me anidea to use this drum thatI hadn’t used in a while.”magazines. You know, we all had that. Beenthere, done that. It was about respect andthe respect that Drum Workshop has for meas an artist. They also value my input as aplayer that has experienced many situations.I’m a part of the design team, and that’ssomething I’ve always wanted. So, I was introducedto DW drums after being up at thefactory for Gon Bops. They make their customdrums up there, too, and it’s just amazing!I had already tried the pedals and wassold. Once I got my first taste of the drums,I also knew this was the sound for me. Iwanted a full tom sound, but with plenty ofattack. John Good made me a special VLT kitwith 6-ply hoops, and that was it! To tell youthe truth, I wasn’t so interested in the drumsat first because I’d been with Yamaha foralmost 25 years. I was in the NAMM showand was tapping a lot of the drums in theDW booth. In the past, everyone said, “No,those drums are rock ‘n’ roll.” In fact, theyprobably still say that, but I said to myself,“I’m not going to be influenced by anyoneelse.” Once I gave them a chance, I realizedhow versatile they were and how this hadbeen a sound I had been searching to findfor a very long time. Everyone at DW toldme to take my time and think it over. Theysaid, “Alex, take your time with the drums.There’s no rush.” Then one day I went tothe factory, and John Good started explainingthe philosophy about shells and wood.He physically played some toms and somebass drums, and then I was able to understand,not that I was trying to be convinced.It hit me. I said, “I’m going to improve mysound.” I wasn’t changing my sound; I wasmaking it better.EDGE: So what is the sonic difference betweenyour DWs and what you had been used to?AA: My new kit has depth, it has tone, it’sso easy to tune. It also has color—or timbre,as it is referred to—that I had never experienced.They’re also incredibly versatile and,in my case, the drum set has to be versatile. Ican record it in the jazz studio, on a pop gig,record it with rock or R&B projects. I can getthat Latin sound, and that’s the drum set I’vealways had in my heart and in my head.

Pdp spotlightJonah David • Matisyahuthe practicing just doesn’t happen, but I reallytry to keep that goal if at all possible. I alsostretch every day and do my best to hit the cardio.If I can get in 30 minutes of cardio threedays a week, I feel great. I’ve been slacking onmy regular workout routine this last run— justtoo jetlagged.EDGE: What have been some of your favorite gigsrecently?JD: Honestly, it all depends on what style I’mplaying. I like a lot of overtones on the highpitchedtoms when I’m playing jazz. The addedresponse of the heads makes it easier to articulateat lower dynamics more clearly. WhenI’m playing with Matisyahu or Roots Tonic,I love a clear, warm sound. I never tune mytoms very low. I use Evans drumheads. In myopinion, the EMAD is the greatest bass drumhead on the market.Breaking the boundaries of Pop, Rock andReggae is no easy feat. Despite the pitfalls, rising star JonahDavid is ready for the challenge. In this latest installment of PDP spotlight, Jonahspeaks out about paying his dues, life on the road and landing that big gig.EDGE: You’ve been on tour for a bit supportingthis latest release. How’s the road treating you?Jonah David: It’s treating me well andchanging me, that’s for sure. I’m becomingmore and more used to living out of mysuitcase and depending on the tour managerto schedule my life. I was more usedto staying at home and hustling my schedulemonths in advance. It’s a weird feelingto come home off tour and sleep in my ownbed. Sometimes, I wake up in the morningand get scared because I feel like I’ve forgottento play or I’ve missed sound check.I also noticed that I’ve started asking questionslike, “What day is it?” or “Where amI?” There’s also the all-important, “Hey, doyou have that European adapter I lent you?”I remember waking up one morning in themiddle of the last run incredibly jetlaggedand calling the front desk asking a hotel receptionist,“What country am I in?” Otherthan that, I’m seeing so much of the worldand meeting so many people. I’m learningmore now than I ever have before.EDGE: Have you always played reggae or haveyou had to adapt to that particular style of music?62 [EDGE 7.0]JD: I can’t remember exactly when I was firstexposed to reggae, but I’d definitely say thatI was pretty taken back by it. I just rememberfalling in love withthat sound. It was agroove that I was ableto grasp and developfairly quickly. I didn’tthink that I was goingto really play reggae atthe time. I was a jazzhead.Then I got a callfrom a buddy of minenamed Mike Heady,who wanted to stopplaying with a reggaeband to focus his studieson jazz. I neededthe work to pay therent, and he knew Icould play, so it allworked out. Withina couple of years, Iwas playing in fourTop 40 reggae bandsand touring New Jersey.We’d go up anddown the Garden State Parkway during thesummer. It was the busiest time of year forme. Sometimes I’d play 13 shows a week.Playing “Margaritaville” and “The ElectricSlide” paid my college fees for quite a fewsemesters. I had no idea that I was pavingthe way for the gig with Matisyahu. I feelthat I still have a lot to learn in terms of thestyle, and I don’t always play it traditionally,“We’d go up and downthe Garden StateParkway during thesummer. It was thebusiest time of yearfor me. Sometimes I’dplay 13 shows a week.Playing “Margaritaville”and “The ElectricSlide” paid mycollege fees for quitea few semesters. Ihad no idea that I waspaving the way for thegig with Matisyahu.”but we’re not playingstrictly traditional reggaeanyway.EDGE: You have somepretty serious chops.How do you stay in shapewhile on the tour?JD: Wow, thanks for thecompliment! Ideally, Itry to keep sticks movingin my hands forat least four to sevenhours per day. We’vebeen playing onetotwo-hour soundchecks where we runthrough grooves andnew material. Afterthat, I’ll usually practicefor another two tothree hours before theshow. The set is anotherone to two hours on top of that. I carry mybooks, pad and metronome around with mealmost all the time. I’m actually kicking myselfright now because I just left everythingbackstage at the Chiemsee Reggae Festivalin Germany. It’s getting mailed back to me,but I won’t see it for a couple months becauseI’m still on tour. I have to stop at theGuitar Center when I get home. SometimesJD: Playing in Japan was a blast! The showsthemselves were nothing spectacular, but Ihad never been there before. I also brought myfiancée with me and proposed on the steps ofthe Seen Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo. The countrywas so incredibly beautiful. I really fell inlove with it. I want to visit again for a longerperiod of time and really soak in the culture. Iwouldn’t mind living there and studying Taikodrumming and karate for a year or so.EDGE: Talk a little bit about your new kit and howyou got hooked up with Drum Workshop.JD: Man, my new kit is really beautiful. 8” and10” mounted toms, 12” and 14” floor toms, 22”kick and 14” snare. I’m seriously digging theKurillian finish. It’s one of the new PDP exotickits. It’s a Charcoal to Natural Fade, and itlooks and sounds amazing! I have another DWkit being built with the same finish, but witha Blue to Natural finish and with Gold hardware.To answer the question, I got into DWbecause of the pedals. When I was just startingout, I had a DW 5000 single pedal, and it wasamazing. I wound up trading it for some cymbalswhen I bought a double kick pedal, but Iwasn’t ready to lose the DW 5000, so I woundup trading the double with someone else justto get that exact 5000 back! At the time, I knewnothing about the honesty and integrity of thecompany; I just wanted to get through the firstcouple pages of “Realistic Rock” and “Syncopation”with a metronome. When I got older,and my career started blossoming, my goodfriend Yael made a call to Steve Vega over atDW. We talked, and everything just felt right.It’s good to work with people who you couldconsider to be family.EDGE: What’s your idea of the ultimate drumsound?EDGE: Which drummers have influenced youmost, and have you met any of them?JD: I’d have to say that most of my influenceshave been Jazz drummers. Many of thempassed away or retired before I even picked upsticks. Let’s see: Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones,Tony Williams, Billy Higgins and Max Roachare all big influences. Elvin Jones is a majorinfluence on my playing, and I got to meethim through my teacher Ralph Peterson at theBlue Note a few years before he passed. I metRoy Haynes too and he is still killing it! LennyWhite is also a massive influence. There aretoo many to name; it all depends on what stylewe’re talking about. I got to really hang withSly Dunbar while he was working on Matisyahu’snew single, “Jerusalem,” and Desi Joneswho works with Jimmy Cliff. He’s crucial. Hewrote one of the first and only good booksout there on reggae drumming. I also listen tosome of the Philly guys too, Questlove fromThe Roots and Chuck Treece.EDGE: Where do you see yourself in a few years?JD: Well, married for starters! I do have a longtermgoal of finishing college. It’s somethingthat I’m going to do when the time is right.The next few years are not completely clearbecause nothing is cut in stone in the musicbusiness. A safe assumption would be that I’mstill playing with Matis, but I’ve also appearedon a number of other recordings with RootsTonic and some other artists. I’ve also releasedone of my own recordings. I’m really just continuingto get a foot-hold in the entertainmentindustry. Who knows: maybe I’ll start my ownlabel, maybe I’ll try acting or fashion. MaybeI’ll be teaching English in Japan while I studyKarate, or living in Ohio with my wife. Younever know where life takes you.Introducing new PDP SXE SolidMaple Shell Snare Drums withcustom-inspired exotic finishes.Check them out atwww.pacificdrums.com

©2006 Pacific Drums and Percussion. All Rights Reserved. The PDP logo is a registered trademark of Drum Workshop, Inc.

LET’S TALK PEDALSWhy does the 5000AD3 work for you?Greg Upchurch: I’ve never really usedanother pedal, and when I’ve tried other pedals,they never react the same. It’s the only pedalthat’s really quick and consistent.5000 Series Delta3 PedalsTell us about the feel:Greg Upchurch: Well, it’s powerful withouthaving to put too much power into it.You don’thave to fi ght it. It becomes almost like that extralimb. It’s very honest to what you’re playingwithout feeling overly mechanical.5000AD3>DELTA TRI-BEARING SYSTEM >

cora coleman-DunhamPrince’sTrustIt’s every drummer’s dream to get acareer-altering gig that catapultsthem into the spotlight. There’s nodoubt this savvy newcomer hasfound her prince.EDGE: What drew you to play drums?photos by Stephen Moralessense, considering my dance experience.Cora Coleman-Dunham: I actually startedbeating on buckets, and in middle school,just playing around in the backyard. Then,in high school, I joined the marching band.EDGE: So how did you make the transition fromplaying on buckets and being in the marchingband to drum set?CC: Well, I actually got some congas froma pawn shop to travel with the jazz band inhigh school. In 11th grade, the drummer thathad been the primary drummer for the jazzband graduated, and my teacher noticedthat I was a pretty quick study, and he said,“Hey, why don’t you just try the kit.” It justsort of went from there.EDGE: So, were you self-taught or did you takeformal lessons?CC: I started taking formal lessons in collegeat Howard. I had played drum set for abouttwo years before college. My drum teacherwas a trumpet player, actually. He was agreat communicator, I mean, he played keyboard,too, but he could communicate whatI needed to be a drummer. He’d say, “Hey,you know you have to practice rudiments.”You know, just fundamental stuff.EDGE: But that’s interesting, coming fromsomeone who’s more melodic than rhythmic.CC: Yeah, it was funny because in elementaryschool, I tap danced, which is anotherrhythmic aspect, I guess. I did tap dance,ballet and jazz dance. It all helped me hearthings a little differently, but it’s really thesame approach as drum set. My drum teacherat Howard would say, “If you can danceto it, then everyone else can.” That madeEDGE: For people that don’t know, a few yearsago you won Guitar Center’s Drum Off competition.How did you get involved with that?CC: Actually, I was staying with familyfriends at the time, and I couldn’t really playdrums at their house. So, I would always godown to the Guitar Center in Hollywood.The manager of the store and I becamefriends, and he encouraged me, “Hey, you’realways in here playing, you should do theDrum Off.” Plus, I had done it before when Ilived in DC, and, man, did I need a new car.That was the grand prize that year. I’m stilldriving the car I won at Drum Off.EDGE: So you won the Drum Off, and that’show you were noticed by the drum industry. Beforethat time, had you ever thought about endorsements?CC: I was looking at Remo and definitelylooking at DW, but figured there was a timingthing about it, you know. I was interested,but I didn’t really know the process. Iknew people who were endorsed, and I waslike, “Man, that must be pretty cool.” I alwayssaw Sheila E. with DW, for example.EDGE: Now that you’ve transformed from aspiringdrummer to a professional player, whatrecommendation would you give to players startingout who maybe don’t have a big gig yet, butare looking to get there?CC: I would definitely encourage them toplay as many styles of music as possible andlearn to read, I mean, as much versatility asyou can create for yourself. It just makes youthat much more marketable and gives you awider vocabulary.[EDGE 7.0] 69

398621574“My drum teacher was a trumpet player, actually. Hewas a great communicator. He Could communicatewhat I needed to be a drummer. He’d say, ‘Hey, youknow you have to practice rudiments.’”EDGE: What styles of music do you play, andwhich one would you consider to be your specialty?CC: Let’s see, now I’m playing pop. I wasplaying gospel and started off playing jazz.I don’t know if I have a specialty. I’ve alsoplayed R&B, and I’ve played blues a lot, too.I really enjoy the blues, come to think of it.I’ve even played some alternative stuff. Imean, I toured with Pink for a second. So Idon’t know if I have a particular specialty.I’d like to say that I could at least approachall styles.EDGE: Right now you’re touring with Prince.How did you land that gig?CC: He came to a gig. I was playing with thiskeyboard player and R&B singer out here inL.A., and Prince came. We played two sets,and in between his bodyguard came up andsaid, “Hey, Prince is back there, and he wantsto talk to you.” So, on the break, we just talked.We talked about music and gear and everything.One of the things he said was thatit’s important to have the best gear for whateveryour craft is, to produce the maximumresults. After the gig, he was gone, but hisassistant came up and was like, “Hey, youknow, P wants to get you a kit, whatever kityou want.” That’s when I got my first DWkit. Then, we did a party at Prince’s house.He had all these “after-parties,” like the BETawards, the Grammys and the Oscars. Everymajor event, he had a party, and we wereplaying, and he was always sitting in withus. It wasn’t an announced thing, it just kindof happened.EDGE: Now the rhythm section of Prince’s newband is you and your husband on bass. What’s itlike playing, working and living together? It’s afairly unusual scenario.CC: It’s really good, actually. It’s sort of relaxingbecause we don’t have to wonderwhat the other person is up to. It’s also coolbecause, in addition to playing in band together,we’re both from Houston, we sharea lot of the same values and, most importantly,we’ve been friends all of this time, somusic is just another common thread. It’sdefinitely fun in the house, you know.EDGE: What do you listen to around the housefor inspiration?CC: Always Aretha, always Patti LaBelle. Idon’t know, Nancy Wilson, a lot of gospel.EDGE: What’s in your iPod?Set-up Specs:Collector’s Series® Birch Drums with Tangerine to Blood RedSparkle Lacquer and Black Hardware18x20” Bass Drum8x14” Collector’s Birch Snare Drum7x8”, 8x10”, 9x12”, 10x13”, 11x14” Tom-Toms9002 Double Pedal9500 Hi-Hat Stand9300 Snare Drum Stand9900 Double Tom Stand9991 Single Tom Stand991 Single Tom Clamp9700 Straight Cymbal Stand (x2)9100M Standard Drum Throne934 Cymbal Arm934S Cymbal Arm (x2)CC: I’m always adding things, but here’swhat I have right now: Tye Tribbett, JamesBrown, CeCe Winans, Prince, Patti LaBelle,Larry Graham, a few audio books by RobertKiyosaki, The Avila Bros, Bootsy Collins,Bobby McFerrin, Aretha Franklin, Bill Withersand India.Arie. I also just added the FooFighters and Maroon 5!EDGE: Who are some of your favorite drummersand why?CC: Let’s see: Terri Lyne Carrington, GordonCampbell, Billy Cobham, Aaron Spears,Philly Joe Jones, Munyungo Jackson, ClydeStubblefield, Poogie Bell, Mickey Hart, EdThigpen, Grady Tate, Lionel Hampton,Buddy Miles and Jabo Starks.I think these guys are my favoritesbased on my experience with many of thesegreat drummers and having the fortunateopportunity to learn directly from many ofthem. Besides the fact that Aaron, Terri Lyne,Gordon, Grady and Munyungo are phenomenallytalented, the thing that I admiremost about their playing is the humility andintegrity that these artists possess. Althoughthey have chops for days, they only playparts that complement the music. If at onepoint it calls for a crazy fill or lick, then theydo it, but they respect music enough to playwhat makes sense. I appreciate Ed Thigpenand Grady for their “feel” and brush work,and revere Clyde, Poogie and Jabo for theircommitment to the groove. Buddy Miles,Mickey Hart and Lionel Hampton are my favoritebecause they take risks, and they wereinnovators. It’s hard not to also appreciatetheir aggressiveness and their creativity.EDGE: It’s funny, many of the serious R&Bdrummers we know learned to play at church,and a lot of them still do. They attribute a lotof their chops to playing at church. Do you feelthat’s affected your playing, as well?CC: I actually think it comes mostly frommarching band. That’s where I got my chops.I really only started playing gospel the lastcouple years in high school. I didn’t growup playing in church. I grew up Catholic, sothat was mostly tambourine and guitar.10EDGE: Let’s talk gear. Tell us about the new kit.CC: Tangerine Sparkle Fade, it’s a beautifulkit. It’s got 8”, 10”, 12”, 13” and 14” toms. Igot the Neil Peart Snare, and I got this crazy8x14” snare; it’s beautiful! It’s all with 9000hardware, of course. Prince loves the kit, Ilove the kit, it’s a great, great color and greatsound. The shells are birch, and all of thedrum hardware is black.EDGE: Does your studio kit differ from yourtour set-up?CC: Yes. I only use the SPD-S pads and theTD-20 module for live shows, unless I amactually recording on V-drums. Otherwise,my basic set-up is the same. I might switcha cymbal or two around or remove a tom; itreally depends on what the music calls for.EDGE: When you get a new kit or a new piece ofgear, do you feel like it changes your playing?CC: Definitely my approach, because it’sgot a different character, you know. I’ll alsochange up the way I sit sometimes. Like if Isit lower, I feel old, like an old guy, [laughs]you know, like the old school approach.Michael Bland, Prince’s old drummer, usedto sit low, and that’s a different way of approachingthe kit. Because the toms used tobe so big, they sat so low, I guess. I have amore aggressive approach if I’m sitting overthe toms, so sometimes I sit much higher.Little subtleties like that make a big difference.EDGE: Describe a typical day on tour.CC: I guess it depends on whether we are onthe tour bus or flying, but for the most part,we wake up, pray, work out, eat breakfast,do a little reading, tour around the city a bitand get to sound check a few hours beforethe show. Depending on how far away thehotel is, I might bring my clothes along tothe venue. We usually get to the venue whilethe workers are still setting up chairs andgetting the room together. I connect withMike, my tech, and we discuss any changesor set-up concerns. Sometimes we play foran hour or so, and then on to dinner. Afterdinner, I get hair and make-up done, get awarm-up in and head for the stage. After theshow, there will usually be an after-party,where we’ll get to jam for another two hoursor so. We normally don’t finish until around2 a.m.! I’m usually back in the hotel roomjust before sunrise. Then, we’re on to thenext city.EDGE: What’s your warm-up routine like?CC: My warm-up is usually whatever time Ihave between sound check, hair and makeup.I usually grab atowel or two in thegreen room alongwith a pair of 3Ssticks. SometimesI spend time justtwirling the sticksbetween my fingersjust to get themmoving. Other times,I sit and just playsingle, double andtriple strokes aggressively.I try to let mywarm-up time be asecluded activity, ifpossible, just to getmy mind in showmodeand refreshmyself on any pivotalarrangements or transitions.I also work on page changes andpatch changes on the SPD-S pad.Electronics are usually an afterthoughtfor many drummers, butI try make it part of my warmup. Let’s see, I also do traditionalmarching rudiments, such asflams and Swiss armies, in thewarm-up as well.EDGE: Does Prince give you a solo?Describe your recipe for the perfectdrum solo.CC: Yes. I think the perfect drumsolo gets right to the point. Itshould also have some sort ofdirection and dynamic range, insteadof playing for the sake ofplaying. I think a great solo makesa non-musician say, “Wow.”EDGE: Where do you see yourselfheaded and what goalshave you set for yourselfin terms of yourmusic career?CC: That’s a goodquestion. I try topride myself on juststaying positive, butI really don’t knowwhat’s next. I’m alwaysnetworking.I’m always communicatingwith peopleand always establishingrelationships.I want to get moreinto writing andleave a mark there. Ialso definitely wantto perform and haveoptions.[EDGE 7.0] 71

new artists[17][11][3][7][9]Jan Windszus[12][13][14]Adrian Ost • Powerman 5000 [1]Alex Acuña • independentAlvaro Lopez • independentAndrew Hurley • Fall Out Boy [2]Andrew “The Butcher” Mrotek • The Academy Is...Angel • PIG/SwitchedBenjamin Byrne • Starsailor [3]Bertram Engel • Peter MaffayBilly Goodness • Sean Patrick McGrawBilly Miller • independent [4]Bobby Jarzombek • Rob Halford/Sebastian BachBodo Stricker • 2$Haircut/Final Virus [5]Bradley Webb • Blue Man Group/independentBrandon Saller • AtreyuBrandon Wakeham • If Hope Dies [6]Brian Flenniken • The Mad Caddies [7]Caesar Griffin • Joss StoneChris Witten • World PartyCory Jenkins • Tito Jackson [8]Craig Randolph • independentDaniel Galluci • Cirque du Soleil “Quidam”Dan Lamagna • Suicide City [9]Dave Hooper • independentDavid Carr • Third Day [10]David Lemonds • Keith Anderson [11]Derek Bloom • From First to LastDonald Guillaume • Fugees/Wyclef Jean [12]Eric Boudreault • Cavalia/Waza [13]Eric Scribner • Cirque du Soleil “O”Gene Trautmann • Eagles of Death Metal [14]Gordon Marshall • The Moody BluesGuy Davis • Reuben [15]Henry Cole • independent [16]Hernan Hecht • Hernan Hecht/X-pression QuartetIan Matthews • KasabianJason McGerr • Death Cab for Cutie/educatorJeff Gilbert • KutlessJimmy Fox • James Gang [17]Joey Waronker • independentJonah David • Matisyahu [18]Jonny Quinn • Snow PatrolJoshua Eppard • independentKevin Haskins • Bauhaus [19]Lawrence “LB” Breaux • independent [20]Lori Peters • SkilletMarc Allen • FinchMaria Martinez • independent/educator [21]Mark Chadwick Hagedorn • GizmachiMeggers • The CasualtiesNathaniel Mullins • Gloria Trevi/David Melillo/studio [22]Omar Abidi • Fightstar [23]Patrick Caccia • Eric SardinasPatrick James Keeler • The RaconteursPeter Erskine • independent/studioRaul Pineda • independent [24]René Detroy • independent/We Will Rock YouRené Martínez • IntocableRichard Bailey • IncognitoRobert Perkins • Michael Bublé [25]Rod Bland • Bobby Blue BandRyan Hoyle • Collective Soul/studio [26]Sammy Siegler • Nightmare of You/Rival Schools/CIV [27]Scot Ellis • She Wants RevengeSean McDaniel • Monty Python’s SpamalotSeven Antonopolous • Opiate for the MassesShawn Fichter • Peter FramptonSpencer Smith • Panic! At The DiscoTom Meadows • Lucie SilvasTrevor Freidrich • 18 VisionsWalter Rodriguez • Yanni[2][23][21][6][8][10][16]Adriana Hernandez[1][15][24][22]Ben Rose Photography[26][4]Dinah von Niessen[5][18][27][25][20][19]DW Drums, Pedals & HardwareDW Pedals & HardwarePDP Drums, Pedals & Hardware

VISIT WWW.DWDRUMS.COM TO BUILD YOUR VERY OWN CUSTOM DREAM KIT TODAY