Episodes
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February 19, 2024 Drummer, teacher and entrepreneur Trey O'Toole is the next guest on Backstage at the Enharmonic!
Trey is a professional percussionist and instructor with over 30 years of experience and is co-owner of Pulse Drumming MusicWorks in Ventura, CA.
He holds Bachelor of Music with emphasis on orchestral percussion and has a strong understanding of western harmonic theory, ethnic studies, world music, and jazz. He is passionate about teaching and serving his community in California and beyond through his longtime association with the Percussive Arts Society, especially the Drumset Committee on which he served for six years.
Today Trey talks about Pulsedrumming.org and his incredible story of acquiring one of Neil Peart's drumkits!
For more about Trey please visit him online: pulsedrumming.org
For more info about the Percussive Arts Society please visit: www.pas.org
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April 7, 2023 Busy Nashville drummer, Jim Riley is the next guest on Backstage at the Enharmonic!
Jim is the drummer and bandleader for multi-platinum group, Rascal Flatts as well as being an Adjunct Professor of Drumset Studies at Belmont University Since moving to Nashville in 1997, Jim he has played over a thousand of sold out shows for millions of fans. His television credits include The Grammy Awards, The Tonight Show, The American Music Awards, The Voice, American Idol, Dancing with the stars, Oprah, and The Today Show. Jim’s recording credits include Rascal Flatts most recent album ‘Back to Us’ including the #1 hit single “Yours If You Want It”, ‘Me and My Gang (album)’, EA sports ‘MADDEN Football’, Brian McKnight’s album, ‘Ten’ as well as TV/movie soundtracks for “Heaven is Real”, ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’ and The hit show, Nashville.
Jim’s has been constantly recognized by his peers as being one of the best in the business. 2011-2015, 2017 Jim was voted “Best Country Drummer” by the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine as well as winning “Best Drum Clinician” in 2009. The readers of DRUM! Agree voting Jim “Country drummer of the year” 2008-2010, 2012-2013.2016
In May of 2014 Jim was featured on the cover of Modern Drummer.
For more about Jim please visit him online: https://jimrileymusic.com/ and on Instagram
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Episodes manquant?
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October 28, 2022 This episode is about two years overdue! It is a tribute to my late undergrad percussion professor, Joseph Goebel (11/8/39-10/26/20) who passed away on October 26, 2020. He was truly, one-of-a-kind! This episode features me and my memories of The Chief. It begins with the first time that I met him, at my undergrad percussion audition. Through a series of vignettes I attempt to paint the picture of studying with and observing Joe. I talk about his studio, what was meaningful to him, his famous spaghetti dinners, the Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony 'timpani challenge', the national tours with the West Chester Univeristy Percussion Ensemble, his unique sense of humour and of course, the most valuable lesson that he ever taught me right after our last time performing together in Clearwater, Florida at the Adam's Mark Hotel. Hail to the Chief!
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May 29, 2022 I'm very happy to welcome my good friend, drummer, author, educator and historian, Daniel Glass back to the podcast! Today we do a deep-dive into his brand new burnin' album, The Daniel Glass Trio: BAM!
For more about Daniel, the trio, the album, etc.. please visit him at https://danielglass.com/
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March 25, 2022 This short edition of Backstage at The Enharmonic features a recorded phone conversation that I had with the legendary big band drummer, Harold Jones. He was helping me prepare for a university-level master class. We dicusss: learning brushes, warming-up, plastic brushes, preparing to play new material with a big band, and more!
[This phone conversation was placed on February 7, 2020, exactly one month before the world shut-down. Just something to keep in mind as we are referencing his 'upcoming concerts' with Tony Bennett, etc...]
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Wednesday, September 30, 2021, Mt. Airy, Philadelphia: I had the privilege to sit down and chat with drum legend, Mr. Jimmy Wormworth! Jimmy is best known for playing drums with the groundbreaking vocal jazz ensemble, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, plus his work with Al Haig, Lou Donaldson and for being house drummer at the Five Spot in 1959.
This edition of Backstage at The Enharmonic is very special, it’s the first interview that I’ve conducted live and in person, and would like to thank bassist Mike Merritt for suggesting that I interview Jimmy, and a big thank you to James Wormworth, Jimmy's son, for helping to coordinate this session.
The range of topics that we discuss are as varied as Jimmy’s career:
Lambert Hendricks and Ross blatant inequities in network television in the late 50s and early 60s. early influences and what inspired him to become a musician. the calling card of every jazz drummer, their ride cymbal sound. his opinions and thoughts about new music. words of wisdom for young and aspiring drummers of all agesOur interview begins in the late 50s with Jimmy's recollections of meeting Kenny Clark...
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Friday, June 18, 2021 My next guest is certified super-star, Dame Evelyn Glennie! I've been following and admiring her career for 20+ years now. Through video conferencing technology I was able to chat with Evelyn based in London, from my home studio in Philadelphia. In today's segment, Dame Evelyn discusses her earliest music lessons in school, learning percussion with none of the traditional method books, the most important lessons that she learned from her two most influential teachers (Ron Forbes and James Blades), having the right musical mindset for doing extended solos and cadenzas, her favorite rock bands, her first snare drum and seven piece Premier drumset, how Scottish folk music continues to influence her music-making, her takeaways from the shut down, and so much more!
Dame Evelyn Glennie is the world’s premier solo percussionist, performing worldwide with the greatest orchestras, conductors and artists. Her solo recordings exceed 40 CDs and are as diverse as her career on-stage. A multiple GRAMMY award winner and BAFTA nominee, Evelyn is also a composer for film, theatre and television. Evelyn was awarded an OBE in 1993 and has over 100 international awards to date, including the Polar Music Prize and the Companion of Honour. Evelyn is currently forming The Evelyn Glennie Collection with a vision to open a center that embodies her mission to Teach the World to Listen.
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June 13, 2021
THE DRUM RUDIMENT EDITION
Ten of my favorite drummers tell us about their favorite Drum Rudiment!
The panel includes:
TOMMY CAMPBELL CLAYTON CAMERON LIBERTY DEVITTO MATTHEW HOWARD DAVID LU SHERRIE MARICLE JON BERMUDA SCHWARTZ CHIHIRO SHIBAYAMA MICHAEL VOSBEIN JOHN "DR. THROWDOWN" WOOTONPlease consider checking out all of these great artists online to see/hear/learn more about their percussive artistry.
Thanks for listening!
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May 21, 2021 At long last, Julian Bliss, internationally renowned clarinet phenom, and I get to chat! It's been two years in the making, but through the beauty of video conferencing we were able to conduct the interview. The interview starts well, at the beginning, discussing when and why Julian fell in love with the clarinet. From there we hit a lot of topics, including, performing for the queen at just 12 years old, transitioning to a professional adult musician, his love of danger, on and off stage, the forming of his jazz septet, lots of talk about a mutual hero, Benny Goodman, some exciting news about a brand new EP which he recorded with percussionist Joby Burgess, being released in June, and even talk about skydiving with his clarinet, while dressed as a bumblebee, performing Flight of The Bumblebee!?
Julian Bliss is one of the world’s finest clarinetists, excelling as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, jazz artist, masterclass leader and tireless musical explorer. He has inspired a generation of young players as creator of his Conn-Selmer range of affordable clarinets, and introduced a substantial new audience to his instrument.
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March 5, 2021, I'm very happy that one of my longtime inspirations in the field of percussion agreed to chat, Mr. Anthony J. Cirone. Anyone who has ever studied percussion has said the name, 'Cirone!', countless times, due to his groundbreaking snare drum solo book, Portraits in Rhythm. The book is used at every high school, college, and percussion studio in the world as a barometer of a student's reading ability and musicality on the snare drum. I've been using this book since the mid-1980s and still find new challenges in it today!
Anthony J. Cirone received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from The JuilliardSchool. In 1965, he obtained positions with the San Francisco Symphony as a percussionist and at San José State University as Professor of Music. He also served as a lecturer at Stanford University from 1983 to 1992. In 2001, Mr. Cirone became Professor of Music and Chair of the Jacobs School of Music Percussion Department at Indiana University, a post he held for six years until his retirement in 2007.
Mr. Cirone has over 120 published titles, including three symphonies for percussion, four sonatas, a string quartet, orchestral works, and textbooks. His book Portraits in Rhythm for Snare Drum is used worldwide for training percussionists and his publication The Great American Symphony Orchestra - A Behind-the-Scenes Look at its Artistry, Passion and Heartache has received high acclaim. Another of his books, The Evolving Legacy of Portraits in Rhythm celebrates the original book's 50th anniversary.
In 1999, Mr. Cirone received a Special Distinction Award from ASCAP for his Pentadic Striations for Orchestra, and in 2011, he received a Paul Revere Award for Graphic Excellence in Book Design and Educational Folio. He is Executive Percussion Editor for Meredith Music Publications; a published author for Alfred Music; and a clinician for Zildjian, Yamaha Corporation of America, and Remo Inc.
Mr. Cirone is a member of the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.
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October 3, 2020 I am excited to welcome drummer, composer and band leader Sherrie Maricle to the podcast! I've long been a fan of her drumming, music and music-business acumen. Today's chat begins with her early years begrudgingly playing a metal clarinet in the school band and comes full circle when we discuss the jazz institution that she's captained for nearly three swingin' decades, The DIVA Jazz Orchestra!
From the drum set Sherrie leads The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, her quintet FIVE PLAY and co-leads the 3D Jazz Trio. From Carnegie Hall, she performs with The New York Pops and from celebrated stages everywhere, she is music director and drummer for Broadway star Maurice Hines. Sherrie is also a busy freelance performer and a published composer/arranger.
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August 8, 2020 (originally released as a video interview on YouTube) This is a follow-up interview with Count Basie's favorite drummer, Harold Jones.
American pop and jazz drummer Harold Jones is best known for his tours and recordings with Tony Bennett and for his five years with the Count Basie Orchestra.
In a career spanning six decades, Jones has toured and recorded with Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, and Ray Charles. He has also played with major symphony orchestras, including those in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vienna.
Sean J. Kennedy and Harold Jones discuss the origins and invention of the drumstick bag!
Other topics include: Dealing with the COVID-19 shutdown, the upcoming premiere of the new big band chart by Philly Kroc Jazz Orch called "Stick Bag Jones", and a very special guest interviewer has some questions for Harold about some of his famous collaborators.
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May 16, 2020 (originally released as a video interview on YouTube) This interview is with Count Basie's favorite drummer, Harold Jones.
American pop and jazz drummer Harold Jones is best known for his tours and recordings with Tony Bennett and for his five years with the Count Basie Orchestra.
In a career spanning six decades, Jones has toured and recorded with Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, and Ray Charles. He has also played with major symphony orchestras, including those in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vienna.
[FYI: Harold contacted me a few days later with a fact check from the interview: "The engineer at Lucas Films is Leslie Jones (daughter of Spike Jones) The engineer in L.A. is Al Schmit. That said - I have had a lot of really good engineers. I'm a Lucky Boy!", H.J. 5/16/2020]
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February 3, 2020 At long last I had a chance to chat with Susie Benchasil Seiter! We've been trying to schedule this interview since late 2018 and I'm thrilled that it finally worked out. The scheduling difficulties can be attributed to the fact that Susie is one of the hardest working musicians in show biz! She's a conductor, orchestrator and mom of two beautiful baby boys. I had the opportunity to work with Susie a few times during the Evanescence/Lindsey Stirling world tour in 2018, and I've been a fan ever since.
In the interview we discuss how she got the gig with Evanescence and Lindsey Stirling, her philosophy of conductors and conducting, where she first learned to conduct, the unexpected and lasting influence of a college chemistry teacher, the impact that famed Hollywood composer, Alan Menken had on her career choice, and the challenges of a being a female conductor in a male dominated profession.
Susie Benchasil Seiter is a prolific conductor and orchestrator for film, television, video games, and live concerts. She recently completed a worldwide orchestra tour as conductor and music director for multiple Grammy-winning Evanescence and Billboard Music Award winner and YouTube sensation, Lindsey Stirling. She's conducted orchestras all over the world, including including the Royal Philharmonic at London’s Apollo Hammersmith, The Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Madison Square Garden, the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap, and the Sydney Symphony at the iconic Sydney Opera House.
Susie Seiter believes that orchestral music should be shared and celebrated by all generations, and she takes great pride in her contributions as a conductor and orchestrator. Originally from Baltimore, Seiter now calls Los Angeles home, where she lives with Chad and their sons.
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August 11, 2019 For as long as I can remember my next guest, Jim Catalano, has always been the face of Ludwig Drums for countless other musicians and me. Jim recently retired from Ludwig Drums after a 36+ year tenure and shared many stories and lots of great advice with me during this interview. During our discussion, he recounts how first hearing a drum and bugle corps warming up in his backyard while growing up in Western Pennsylvania ultimately started him on the path for a career in music as both a performer and industry professional.
Jim is an Adjunct Instructor of Drums / Percussion at The University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College. In addition to his many freelance gigs Jim stays busy playing the drums for Truth in Jazz Big Band, Jazz Assemblage Big Band and French Quarter, and even leads his own band, from the vibraphone, called VibeNation.
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December 3, 2018 In the spring of 2017 I had the opportinity to meet and work with the suberb conductor, Joseph Modica. Joe was conducting the orchestra backing the sensational Italian pop-opera trio Il Volo, for their Notte Magica tour across north America. Joe is one of the finest conductors I have ever played for, and a great guy too. In the interview we discuss his first conducting experiences, some cool gigs (like working with John Williams!) and balancing a life in music.
Joseph Modica is Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Redlands and the Director of Pastoral Music at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Hollywood, CA. Dr. Modica is the Conductor of the Festival Choir at the Idyllwild Summer Arts Camp and has prepared choruses for “Video Games Live” in Anaheim, CA and in collaboration with Trudell Orchestras, LLC , he contracted and prepared choruses across the country for the National Tour of “Star Wars – In Concert.” In 2002 Dr. Modica prepared the chorus for the American Ballet Theatre production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which was aired on PBS, and released on DVD as part of the Great Performances series.
Choirs under Dr. Modica’s direction have toured in Italy, Australia, Hawaii, New York, Washington D.C., Washington and Oregon, Florida, and the Bahamas. In 2013, he conducted Mozart’s Requiem in Carnegie Hall, and his choirs have sung High Mass at Basilica San Marco in Venice and Basilica San Pietro in Rome, and have been fortunate enough to sing for Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.
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June 4, 2018 If I have ever interviewed someone that I could categorize as a character it is definetly my next guest, saxman, Jerry Weldon! Brimming with enthusiasm for life and jazz, Jerry has held the tenor saxophone chair with many of jazz music's founding fathers including Lionel Hampton, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Jimmy Cobb, to name but a few. Most notably though it is his nearly 30 year collaboration with Harry Connick, Jr. that has made his saxophone playing known worldwide.
In 1990, Jerry became a charter member and featured soloist with Harry Connick, Jr.'s newly formed big band. Since then Jerry has toured the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia with Harry. Jerry can be seen daily as a member of the house band on HARRY, Connick’s daytime television variety show
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January 10, 2018 I've been looking forward to this interview for a long-time, one of the most inspiring teachers I ever had, drumset player and percussionist extraordinaire Mr. Ray Deeley! I was very fortunate to take private drumset and percussion lessons with Ray while a high school student ('85-'89). Ray taught at numerous Catholic high schools through-out the Philadelphia area, and coincidentally one of his students at another school was Heather High, who I would later meet in the percussion ensemble at West Chester University, which eventually led to our marriage, four great children and a wonderful life.
After attending Mastbaum Vocational High School in Philadelphia with classmates the likes of Lee Morgan, Ray Deeley received a full scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Fred Hinger and graduating in 1955. After graduation he worked as a first-call drumset player and percussionist touring the world with A-List musicians and entertainers, including Vic Damon, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Liberace, Milton Berle, Don Rickles and Julie Andrews, just to name a few. He also traveled with the Dick Clark American Bandstand tours to Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Hong Kong, performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, worked as a studio musician at Cameo-Parkway Records, and later taught drums and percussion for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Bucks County Community College and Immaculata University. Today Ray exercises daily, continues studying and practicing drums and percussion and performs for various musical artists throughout Philadelphia and South Jersey.
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January 8, 2018 My first guest of the new year is award-winning drummer, author, educator Daniel Glass. In this episode we discuss Daniel's unique experiences growing up in Honolulu, Hawaii in the 60's and 70's, his college days leading a Pink Floyd cover band, moving to Los Angeles and studying at the Dick Grove School of Music, manning the drum chair in Royal Crown Revue, his life as an educator, publishing and multi-media guru, and the importance of establishing 'your brand.'
Daniel Glass is an award-winning drummer, author, historian and educator. He is widely recognized as an authority on classic American drumming and the evolution of American Popular Music. A member of the pioneering swing group Royal Crown Revue since 1994, Daniel has recorded and performed all over the world with many top artists, including Brian Setzer, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Jose Feliciano, Michelle Shocked, Mike Ness, Freddie Cole, Marilyn Maye, Air Supply’s Graham Russell and KISS frontman Gene Simmons. For two years running, Daniel was voted one of the top five R&B drummers in the world by readers of Modern Drummer and DRUM magazine. Since 2011, he has been the house drummer every Monday night at New York’s legendary Birdland Jazz Club.
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October 12, 2017 My next guest started taking drum lessons at just 4 years old: Bernie Dresel! Growing up in western Pennsylvania getting a healthy diet of polka and hillbilly music and eventually moving onto to study classical percussion and music education at the Eastman School of Music, Bernie has become one of the most in-demand recording and live drummers on the planet. We talk about the challenges of breaking into the music business today and the patience that is required, how his classical percussion and drumset chops lead to more opportunities, the level of sight reading ability needed to be a studio musician, how music brings humanity to cartoons and movies, the impact of Buddy Rich, performing on the tv special celebrating Frank Sinatra's 80th, and the value of not using click tracks.
Bernie Dresel has been one of the busiest studio and live musicians in the world as both a drummer and percussionist since moving to Los Angeles in 1983 after graduating from the prestigious Eastman School of Music. He has traveled the world, occupying the coveted drum chair for Grammy Award-winning Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band since its inception in 1999. And also, for an overlapping 15 years (1992 to 2006), he was the drummer for the multi-Grammy Award-winning Brian Setzer Orchestra, selling close to 4 million records. Modern Drummer magazine’s readers’ poll named Bernie “Best Big Band Drummer” and Drum! Magazine has put him on their list of “53 Drummers Who Made a Difference in the ’90s” as well as honoring him with a Drummie® for Best Big Band Drummer.
Bernie Dresel’ s jazz orchestra, The BBB, is without question one of Los Angeles’ most exciting large jazz ensembles, if not on the planet. It is one of the most innovative and original hard-swinging large jazz ensembles ever. The BBB provides potent testimony to the sheer exhilaration of big band jazz...a combination of intense swing and fiery soloing, as well as tight ensemble playing, powered by Bernie Dresel’s extraordinary drumming talents.
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