Episodes
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Christian has to use all his tools available as The Rock N Roll Archaeologist when he heads to Palm Springs, CA to sit down with legendary drummer Hal Blaine.
At age 88, Blaine performed on 40 No. 1 singles and has played on more than 35,000 recorded tracks. A member of the fabled Wrecking Crew, he has backed such stars as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, the Ronettes, the Carpenters, John Denver, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, Steely Dan, The Byrds and many others.
As we release this podcast, Blaine, who is already in The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, was given The Grammy's Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's 60th annual event.
Hal Blaine was the busiest recording session drummer in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s, playing the drums on — by his count of the Musicians Union Contracts — thousands of recordings, from the Wall of Sound productions of Phil Spector to Brian Wilson’s productions of the Beach Boys, and including most of the pop/rock performers in Los Angeles in the ’60s, as well as such notables as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. His memories were published in 1990 and the book, Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew is currently in its 3rd iteration.
Join Christian as he sits down with this drummer extraordinaire for some great stories, as well as his love of Zildjian cymbals, then head over to Zildjian.com for additional information on the history of Zildjian, our beautiful cymbals and this podcast.
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Widely acclaimed for his versatility, technological prowess and groove, Omar Hakim is one of the most successful drummers and session men of the past forty years.
An American jazz, jazz fusion and pop music drummer, producer, arranger and composer. He has performed with some of the most high-profile music artists in the world, including David Bowie, Sting, Madonna, Dire Straits, Journey, Kate Bush, George Benson, Miles Davis, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and more. Bowie described Hakim as "a fascinating drummer, with impeccable timing and always fresh in his approach." Omar has left his imprint on hundreds recordings including several under his own name.
In 2017, Omar Hakim was named the new chair of the Percussion Department at Berklee College of Music.
Join Christian as he sits down with Professor Hakim and they dig into all things percussion, including his love of Zildjian cymbals.
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Missing episodes?
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This podcast is a special episode of Deeper Digs in Rock, a production of the Rock N Roll Archaeology Project. A joint effort, created by the RNRAP team with the support of the great folks at the Avedis Zildjian Company - makers of Zildjian Cymbals.
The Zildjian story spans two continents and four centuries, but at its essence, it is an American story. So the show begins with the story of Zildjian’s move to America, in the closing years of the 1920s. This old-but-new American company has only been operating a few weeks when the Great Depression hits, but Zildjian somehow manages to survive, and eventually, to prosper.
Then to the origin: 1618, in what is now known as the city of Istanbul, Turkey. A young metalsmith has developed a secret bronze formula that produces high-quality cymbals with unique musical properties. The Sultan is impressed, commissions his work, and grants him a name.
Maker of cymbals: Avedis Zildjian.
The Zildjian story takes us across oceans and continents, through centuries of history. We visit the great concert halls of Europe and Jazz nightclubs in Harlem. We hear whispers of palace intrigue and witness the rise and fall of empires; escape war and genocide, and endure economic hardship.
And through it all, through ingenuity and determination—and no small amount of luck—Zildjian continues on, making the world’s best cymbals and helping shape the story of popular music in America.
All the lines converge on February 9th, 1964, when The Beatles came to America. The Rock N Roll Era brings new challenges and opportunities to Zildjian.
The episode closes with a really fun, informative visit to the Zildjian facility in Norwell, Massachusetts. We meet some of the key people at Zildjian, and talk about what the next four hundred years might bring.
Settle in, listen, and enjoy, then head over to Zildjian.com for additional information on the history of Zildjian, our beautiful cymbals and this podcast.
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This is the official podcast of the Avedis Zildjian Co. Zildjian is the world’s largest manufacturer of drum set, orchestral and marching cymbals since 1623. Discover our unique story and beautiful sounding instruments. Subscribe to be among the first to listen to our premier episode out in a couple weeks - 'The Company You Keep: The Epic Story of Zildjian and Music in America' Head over to Zildjian.com for additional information on the history of Zildjian, our beautiful cymbals and this podcast.
