Episodi
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Memphis based drummer and drum educator Tom Lonardo has a wonderful approach to drums - play fearlessly and realize the drums are a place of peace. The son of a bass player and music store owner, much of Tom's life has been devoted to music. Learn about his path to the drums, his own drum education and his thoughts on approaching the drums. Deep stuff here, I promise!
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When I started the podcast back in October of 2018, I had a list of people I really wanted to talk with. One of those at the top of the list was this episode’s guest, Stanton Moore. Whether you know him as the drummer for Galactic, or with other bands and projects covering a wide range of styles, as a drum educator and founder of the Stanton Moore Drum Academy, as a clinician, or for his signature Crescent cymbals by Sabian or his own Stanton Moore snare drum, he is a drummer’s drummer.
Stanton's excellence and passion in all things drums – and all things life in general, I’m sure – make Stanton the perfect musician for the new and returning drummer to listen to and explore. In this interview, we talk about a wide variety of subjects, from high school drum programs to equipment to some wonderful tips on timing, the jazz ride pattern and, for the first time anywhere, as far as I know, anyways, a definition and demonstration of “playing in the cracks.”
Special note: Now that I've been back at drums for a couple of years, I decided to record the signature outro jazz ride pattern that has become our theme song. So that's me you hear on the kit at the very end of the episode. Let me know what you think - unless you don't like it. After all, as Stanton advises in this episode, we've got to be kind to ourselves.
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Episodi mancanti?
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Ulysses Owens Jr. has firmly established his place in drums, from his work as a jazz drummer, educator, and author of his upcoming Hal Leonard publication on brushes. Lauded in publications like Jazz Times, All About Jazz, and The New York Times, Ulysses reputation is well deserved and firmly secured.
Keeping a busy schedule of touring, workshops, recording, producing and teaching, the Grammy award winning Owens, well known for his work with the Christian McBride Trio, remains gracious and humble, always looking to help his fellow artists, giving back the lessons he’s learned. Case in point – Owens is artistic director for Don’t Miss a Beat, Inc., a youth-empowerment non profit founded by his family in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
We caught up with Ulysses on the same day he was flying to a gig in the UK. He happily shared with us his thoughts on drum education, his new Hal Leonard book on brushes, his upcoming book on the music business, and thoughts on the importance of becoming a good listener and taking the time to get back to the basics.
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Artist, writer, musician, drummer and filmmaker, Cindy Goldberg is getting great reception for her new feature length documentary, "Beat Keepers: Women with Rhythm." Exploring the challenges and prospects women face in the drum community. Cindy was kind enough to talk with us about her film, her path to drums, and her own empowering ideas for new and returning drummers.
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Toronto based drummer, Sarah Thawer, has been bringing Indian rhythms, infused with her incredible talent and energy, to numerous stage and recording projects. Her love of the instrument is seen in every video and performance she graces, proving once again that those with the greatest passion for the instrument make the greatest drummers.
Sarah studied jazz and world music at York University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She received the Oscar Peterson Scholarship, the highest award given by York. For all her academic achievement, Sarah, like so many of the drummer’s we’ve talked with this first season, started playing at a very young age and never touched a drum book--technique or otherwise--until college, developing a very natural style inspired by the Indian music her father performed and listened to.
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He's been the drummer for the best of the blues, from Albert Collins to Albert King to the "King of the Blues" himself, B.B. King. Tony TC Coleman, this episode's guest, talks about how he came to appreciate the blues and how aspiring drummers need to approach playing it. A self-confessed natural, Tony has mastered the "less is more" style, placing groove above all and making it pay off in a wonderful career that continues to keep him one of the busiest blues drummers around. A living legend we can all learn from in an amazing "no holds barred" interview!
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Tony Bartone has been playing drums most of his life. His early training in rudiments definitely paid off as he grew to become a working professional with some pretty high profile gigs, including a year on the set of Everyday with Joan Lunden. Today, Tony teaches a wide variety of students in his home state of New Jersey; he’s also an accomplished piano player and vocalist who gigs weekly. We met up on the phone early one Saturday morning before his student’s began arriving for lessons to talk about his path to drums, his professional experience, and his advice to new and returning drummers.
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David Anderson is another drummer who came to us through our interview with legendary drum educator, Ed Soph. A student of Lee Rucker at the University of Central Oklahoma, David would also drive three hours to Denton, TX to study privately with Soph.
Between Rucker and Soph, along with inspiration from his brother -- the late William Salter, a professional drummer twenty years his senior -- David made it out to LA where he is still flourishing as a working drummer and drum educator.
David has toured and recorded with some incredible musicians, including Eddie Harris, Dionne Warwick, The Rippingtons, Tom Scott, Hubert Laws, Chaka Khan, and Larry Carlton, to name just a few.
For listeners serious about drumming, David is a wonderful inspiration. He had a dream from a very young age, knew what he wanted to do, and, despite his doubts, stuck with it. And that’s what being a pro takes, regardless of what you’re doing. It’s hours and hours of practice, chasing down lessons three hours away with the best teacher you can get, knowing that the practice and learning never ends, and ultimately, having a belief that you can do it. And all of that takes courage, because devoting to something you really want takes courage.
For those of us who have less ambituous dreams, like being able to play locally without embarrassing ourselves too, too much, well, that takes courage, too. And time. And practice. And a belief in yourself.
For all his success, David strikes me as an incredibly humble, grateful person; he was kind enough to share stories of his history, work, and approach to drums.
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Originally from Connecticut, drummer/drum educator Craig Pilo graduated from the University of North Texas in 1995 and began life as a working musician in LA a year later. One of his earliest gigs was with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson! He’s also worked with Pat Boone, Edgar Winter and was on tour for several years with rock and roll Hall of Fame’s Frankie Valli. Craig continues to work with the group Little Fish, as well as Player, which became famous for the song "Baby, Come Back." He also keeps a busy schedule recording and teaching, including a faculty position with the California School of Music.
Having studied with Alan Dawson, Ed Soph, Dave Weckl and Jeff Hamilton, to name just a few, Craig’s professional work and lifelong teaching and learning makes for a wonderful interview for Contraption’s new and returning drummers.
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We depart a bit in this episode to feature a filmmaker instead of a drummer. Jeremy Bout, a prolific filmmaker, speaker and overall inspiring individual, is the founder of Edge Factor, whose mission is to “inspire and equip communities through the power of storytelling.” The story Jeremy talks with us about here is his incredible film, Masters of Resonance, which features the story of John Good of DW drums and the journey of a centuries old log from river to rock stage.
The film is actually way more nuanced than that, but it’s something you have to experience. For it’s not only about the building a a great DW kit for famed drummer Neil Peart, but also an inspiring story of following one’s passion, whether that be drumming, drum making, or any other thing you call your own.
I first learned about Masters of Resonance while doing the first interview for Contraption, which was with drummer Paul Wertico. I had actually interviewed Paul the day after he returned from LA as a panel member for a screening of Masters of Ressonance, in which he appears.
Jeremy was happy to share his story and the story of the film, which I encourage you to see.
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Detroit-area jazz drummer and drum educator Sean Dobbins has been
playing since he was a very young man. As a student in the Ann Arbor, Michigan school system, he was fortunate to study under Louis Smith, an amazing trumpet player and long time Blue Note
recording artist.
Influenced by jazz greats like Ed Thigpen, Elvin Jones and his
favorite drummer – Art Blakey - Sean has performed with an amazing number of artist over the years, including Bennie Golson, Frank Morgan, Tad Weed and Mose Allison, to name just a few. Interestingly, Sean is our third interview with a person whose played with Mose Allison!
While Sean keeps busy with numerous gigs and recording sessions, he
also excels as a drum educator, a career move that came as a bit of a
surprise for Sean who, early on, never dreamt he would teach. He’s
not only an Applied Professor of Jazz Percussion at Wayne State
University, but also the Director of the Ann Arbor Public School’s
Summer Jazz Program. It was great talking to Sean about his
approach to drums and in our interview he offers a great deal of
insight for the new and returning drummer. -
There are many reasons so many drummers respect Ra-Kalam Bob Moses. His seminal book Drum Wisdom brought out his 8/8 concept of playing to resolution points. His ground-breaking 1973 album, Bittersuite in the Ozone, marked the start of a solo recording career that continues through this day. He's worked with some of the most respected names in jazz, including playing with Jaco Pastorious on Pat Metheny's classic 1976 debut album, Bright Size Life.
The godson of Ed Shaughnessy, young Bob Moses was fortunate to grow up in the same building with such greats as Max Roach, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones. Admittedly getting into drums as a young teen to impress others, he soon was inspired by seeing Coltrane and realized that music was about much more than what people thought or admired. From that point on, Bob Moses began playing music from the heart, music that could fill the world with much needed love. In a world of fakes and copies, Ra-Kalam honors his own heroes by going his own way in life, music and art.
In this very special episode of Contraption, I am honored to talk with Ra-kalam Bob Moses, who shares stories of his past, news of his current and upcoming work, and his overall “drum wisdom.”
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The title of this episode is “Embrace the Mundane,” but I really hesitate to call it that because today’s guest, Gina Knight, is as far from mundane as you can get.
An incredible drummer, amazing teacher – and by day a super real estate agent (no, I’m not kidding), you probably know Gina as YouTube’s Drum Lessons Girl. Her lesson on the half-time shuffle has netted nearly 700,000 views.
Gina is an incredibly busy, gigging Chicago drummer as well as a singer and all around entertainer. She’s even played drums in several episodes of the Fox hit series Empire – and she’s so humble, she didn’t even mention it in our interview.
So, why call it “embrace the mundane?” Well, that’s Gina’s incredibly profound advice to new and returning drummers, and by the end of this episode, you’ll see why it’s so important.
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In January 2017, when Drum! Magazine published “10 Drumming Educators Share Their Number One Piece Of Advice For Students,” they talked with a veritable who’s who of those at the very top of their field. Among them, today’s most honored guest, Ed Soph, whose work as a professional drummer, clinician, and ground-breaking college professor has made him one of the most respected people in drumming today.
Soph enjoyed a career playing with such greats as Stan Kenton and the Woody Herman band. You may have even played along with him as the drummer on a number of the Jamey Abersold play-along records. In 1987, after twenty years on the East coast, Ed and his wife returned to his alma mater, the University of North Texas, where he eventually became the first tenured professor of drumset at any public university in the US. Some of Ed’s students have become famous in their own right, including Jazz drummer Ari Hoenig, LA-based Jason Sutter, and the legendary Dave Weckyl.
Born in California and raised in Houston, Ed—like so many of the drummers we’ve talked with in this series, began at age four or five, when his father, who enjoyed playing ragtime piano, came home with a wood block and encouraged Ed to play along. Drum lessons soon followed with teacher Elder Mori. Soon Ed was playing gigs and learning from the older, more experienced member of the band.
Recently retired from UNT, students still learn from his books and YouTube videos, including a series of Quick Tips he made for Evans. A new series of videos is coming soon to The Drum Channel.
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There are few musicians who, although strongly associated with a particular instrument, transcend that instrument to exhibit an overall musicality. It’s not about technique, proficiency or virtuosity -- It’s about serving the song as the music pours out of every pore of his or her body.
Jaco Pastorious was such a musician – the man who changed the role of the bass and the way it’s played. Tied to that iconic sunburst Fender jazz that he personally defretted, Jaco went beyond the bass – he was the music.
Johnny Vidacovich, today’s guest on Contraption, is that same kind of musician.An incredible drummer in the tradition of New Orleans hitters like Zigaboo, Herlin Riley and Stanton Moore, Johnny goes beyond the drums to infuse every set and song he plays with that rare musicality that touches those he plays with and those he plays for.
Johnny credits growing up in New Orleans and hearing the sounds and beats of the bands that passed his modest childhood home. It began, he says, during his infancy, before he could walk or read. It’s part of his DNA – part of his very soul.
You’d think someone as gifted and talented as Johnny Vidacovich had set out his whole life to be a working musician, but he was working as a drummer without really thinking about it as a career – that was until his daughter was born when he was 31.
The truth of the matter is Johnny has worked hard – very hard – for his legendary reputation. Taking lessons with New Orleans drummer Charlie Suchor after getting his first drum kit when he was twelve, that eventually led him to a life changing offer as a high schooler…
It should be noted that Johnny was happy to talk with us – he loves to share his story and his ideas related to playing – to be a musician. So all I can say is I’m humbled and honored and so appreciative to have had this time with Johnny to share with all of you.
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Mark Lanter, musician, drummist, vocalist, educator, author, producer, and wilderness enthusiast, has been a working musician since age 14, with a steady schedule of touring, recording, and teaching. In addition to his work with the Black Jacket Symphony, which performs covers of iconic albums, Henri’s Notions and other bands and projects, Mark teaches private lessons out of his Birmingham, Alabama studio, as well as jazz studies at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and his own hybrid Music Appreciation class with an emphasis on The Beatles, American Music, and Jazz Appreciation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
His most recent project as producer and drummer is titled Big Band Of Brothers, a tribute to the Allman Brothers. Over the years, Mark has played or recorded with an incredible number of notable musicians, including Mose Allison, Michael Hedges, and legendary jazz guitarist Mundel Lowe to name just a few. Mark is a regular performer-in-residence at the W.C. Handy Blues and Jazz festival and teaches the Handy Jazz Camp.
Mark talks about his path to the drums, his career, his approach to the kit, the importance of getting his "10,000 hours," and the hard-to-define concept of "swinging the band."
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Bob Everett, owner and founder of Beat It Music, Ltd., Canada's biggest vintage drum shop, has worked as a touring pro since he was twelve years old. He’s also owned a restaurant, worked as a contractor, done stand up comedy, and been a part of the famed Canadian group, Done on Bradstreet. He’s also the proud father of three-time Grammy Award winning drummer/producer, Sean Everret. Bob’s Calgary, Alberta Beat it Music is a cross between vintage drum shop and museum. I had the chance to catch up with Bob via Facetime from his home in Brad Creek, Alberta, which lies between the beautiful Banff National Park and Calgary. Bob and I had a wonderful conversation about vintage drums, his career, his playing, the line of Agean cymbals he carries, and his advice to new and returning drummers, including his secret key to successful drum tuning!
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Famous for his work with the Pat Metheny Group, Paul Wertico is a seven-time Grammy Award winning drummer. Paul's discography includes a veritable who's who of music, and he has won the reader's poll in both "Modern Drummer" and "Drum" magazines. In addition to his work with his own Paul Wertico Trio, Paul is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at Roosevelt University Chicago College of Performing Arts. He has been featured in the new movie, "Masters of Resonance," and is a frequent guest on panels and at special music events. In this interview, Paul talks about his path to drums, his career, and his philosophy of drums. Paul also talks about his exciting new book, "Turn the Beat Around: A Drummer's Guide to Playing Backbeats on 1 and 3" (Alfred Music 2017), as well as his successful battle with prostate cancer.
