DRUMMER CAFE - Community Forum

These are the archived CD & DVD reviews by Drummer Cafe members from over past years.

To read the official Drummer Cafe CD & DVD Reviews (http://www.drummercafe.com/content/section/6/29/) by Bart Elliott, click here (http://www.drummercafe.com/content/section/6/29/).

Diana Krall Live In Paris (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005Y3ZM/drummercafe-20/002-6896413-1344851?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2)
Jeff Hamilton on Drums and John Clayton on bass.

One of the absolute best music DVDs I've seen.  Sound and camera work are great.  My biggest gripe with music DVDs is the camera work usually stinks BUT this DVD should used schools to train producers/camera folks.

One of the great things about this DVD is seeing Dianna's joy in playing with Hamilton and Clayton, two of her childhood idols.  She mentions how that as a teenager she would imagine herself playing with these guys and now she's doing it.  Inspiring!

If you enjoy FINE jazz, you won't get much better than this.  Check out Jeff's brush work.  Also, it's great to watch all the musicians keeping an eye/ear on each other so intently and their enjoyment in making this music really spills over.  

I give it 5 stars..  Enjoy. :D

I've seen that DVD. It's very good. Hamilton's dynamic control and ability to extract killer tones out of a minimal kit is impressive.

She's a hell of a singer too.

Good stuff.

I second the two thumbs up.


(http://www.swlearning.com/accounting/solomon/images/solomon_c10.jpg)

Led Zeppelin (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008PX8P/drummercafe-20/002-6896413-1344851?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2) 2 disk boxed dvd set. John Bonham. Moby Dick. Awsome. I loved it, more than 5hours of Zeppelin footage. It was great, too bad I lost it :(. All pros, no cons.

It was awsome because John Henry Bonham is better live than on cd.

I loved it because Bonzo was in it and Led Zeppelin is my favorite band.

It was great because it had a bulk of material that came from Albert hall 1970, Madison Square Garden 1973, Earls Court 1975, and Knebworth, 1979. That covered a large chunk of the bands existance.  WHen bonzo did his solo it was very well shot, the 2 cameras were zooming  in from varios angles so that you feel like you were right there next to him. The songs rolled on to the next smoothly and were well ordered. Tons of extra footage including interviews with Robert and Jimmy and a whole lot more.

Al Di Meola - One of these Nights DVD (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00063IWME/drummercafe-20/002-6896413-1344851?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2)
Drums: Ernie Adams
Percussion: Gumbi Ortiz

Very good sound and ok camera work.  The stage setup doesn't lend itself to great shots of Adams

One interesting thing about Di Meola is he pulls of this music off without a bass player.  On some of the songs, he instead has a string quartet.  Many of the songs have just keyboard/piano, Adams on drums, Ortiz on percussion and Di Meola.  It works very well. If you're not familiar with Di Meola this may be take a few viewings to get comfortable with - but it's worth it.  The compositions are great, some great dynamics and played very well.  The performance is ON.  I'm not too familiar with Adams work but I'm now suitably impressed.  This is not just about playing time - these seem like very difficult pieces to play.  Ortiz is a lot of fun to watch and he and Al have some fun playing off each other.  Al does some very cool percusive stuff on the his Ovation guitar and much of the time is putting the guitar through some very interesting effects.  

I like this is alot.  Four stars ;D

P.S.  I forgot to say that I love Netflix.  If you don't have it, and can spare $12 per month, get it - if only for the concert DVDs.  Most of us can't afford a huge collection of DVDs but Netflix can and their music DVD stock has been getting better and better.  Your local blockbuster doesn't have much of anything.  (I haven't tried the blockbuster online DVD rental so I don't know how their stock compares.)  There are even some instructional drum videos becoming available on Netflix.  No, I'm not a Netflix investor or employee!

Enjoy!

I have a list of Essential Jazz Standard CDs (http://www.drummercafe.com/index.php/content/view/3/29/) that I've pulled out of the VIP Lounge and now making available to everyone.

If you are wanting to add to your music library or needing some direction in what albums to purchase, this list is going to help you a lot.

I've included the artist, album title, drummer on the recording and the record label. Even if you are just wanting to study the stylings of a particular drummer, this will give you some of the best examples of their work.


Point to an album title to see more information and how to purchase the CD, many of which have been remastered. Follow the link to learn more about the recording as well as listen to sample cuts from the album.

Nice!

And this is just a small part of what you have been missing if you are not a VIP!  

I wrote this recently... thought I'd post it here....

The Bad Plus - These Are The Vistas (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000087N0V/drummercafe-20/002-6896413-1344851?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2)

I first came across the Bad Plus on Jools Holland's Friday Night show. At the time they were an obscure piano trio, unknown to the masses. Looking back now, all I can remember about that performance was that I liked them - but then again I liked a lot of the music on Jools' show. They were good, but I didn't jump out of my skin and run to buy a CD the next day (and had I tried, I would have probably failed to find it).

But some months later, something happened. Suddenly everyone was talking about them. They have become, in my mind, a symbol of young modern Jazz. Whilst some hardcore critics shun them, and claim that it is not "proper" Jazz, I disagree. The music is soulful and musical, despite the apparent chaos, lack of rhythm and dischords. Now I don't know exactly what Jazz is - this certainly is not comparable to the likes of Davis and Coltrane - but to me, this qualifies. After all, what else could it be? I'm not one to categorise music under a million different genres, and it doesn't fall into my staple set of Rock, Pop, R+B, Country or Classical.

In describing the music, chaotic is the first word to come to mind (hence I've already used it in this review). The pace is oft fast and furious. Driven by Dave King's powerful drumming, which for the most part is a display of seemingly random chops and hitting as many drums as possible in a given time - possibly the personification of "overplaying", but yet the majority of the time it works.

The chaotic tone is also brought about by Ethan Iverson's atonal piano playing - in his solos it often seems that he hits the "wrong" notes, which to me is an integral part of the sound. Some have claimed that this is becuase of his incompotence and lack of skill. Yet I know for a fact that if I (a non-pianist) were to sit down and try to play these tunes, the wrong notes I would play would sound much worse than Evan's. In fact, I am quite confident that every note played isintentionally so, and judging which "wrong" note to use is an important part of this music.

The covers are excellent - truly original interpretations of the songs (actually, I can only speak for Smells Like Teen Spirit and Heart of Glass, as I have no knowledge of the original Flim). They have "lovingly deconstructed" them, and piece together their own arrangements which truly epitomises their style.

That is, with the exception of Flim. As I said, I am not familiar with the original, the the Bad Plus version differs from the rest of the album. It is more cheerful, less chaotic, and dare it be said - maybe even beautiful?

I'll let you be the judge of that. This track does however show that the playing and style can be varied, and in the future I would like to see the two styles mixed slightly more readily - the contrast would work well.

Anyway, this is just my Sunday morning ramblings on the subject. Your opinion can, and most probably will differ. Buy the CD and make your own mind up.

MAN is this one kick butt Concert DVD. :D
I love the style of the drummer Shannon Larkin (former Ugly Kid Joe).
very flashly, not economy of motion, but very very cool style.
Shannon and the singer Sully (drummer for 23 years) do a double drum solo........ :D ;D 8)
they jam to YYZ, Bonham, Aerosmith (walk this way intro), with improv inbetween each section...
man that is so cool, and I think only Genesis has really done that double drummer previous, and the Dobbie brothers too I think.


so cool to have just seen Judas Priest in person with Scott Travis (who has a very individual and unique way of drumming as well)

all these adventures allow me at least to keep growing, each day at the drums is a new adventure, I always stretch in my exercise's, musically, so I try things I cannot do... ;)
now I have the DVD which honours Steve Gadd with vinne colaiuta and rick marotta....that should be cool...
back with a review on that tomorrow...gotta go play Voodoo by GodSmack right now...(I'm not the one who's so far away, when I feel the snake bit enter my veins) :D

Peter Bernstein Trio: Live at Smoke - with Bill Stewart on Drums.
This is my latest Netflix music video.  
4 out of 5 stars.  Sound is great, camera work is very good but I'd like to see more angles of Bill Steware on Drums. They are crammed in a small stage at this club in NYC so there's not much they can do with the camera.  Still, I think they do a fine job with what they have.  

This is solid swinging jazz, Organ, Guitar and Drums.  Some very laid back tunes to some moderately intense exchanges.  Each musician is exceptional.  It never ceases to amaze me what a good organ (Larry Golding) player can do to cover for bass.  Peter Bernstein's guitar gives that pure sound that is a real pleasure to the ear.

Bill Stewart is both a great sideman and a great soloist.  He does some very cool stuff.  You'll notice that at points, it seems he needs to anchor his hh cause he's kicking so hard it goes flying and at other points he seems to leap out of his chair.  With all that, he doesn't loose the groove and blends nearly perfectly.  Check out his soloing on Acrobat - really pretty stuff.

If you like good jazz, especially small combo, you will enjoy this.  

ENJOY!

 I have been a big Kings X fan, probably since the early 90's. They rarely have disapointed with any of their releases, though there was a dark time in the early part of this decade. I had stopped buying there cd's after Tape Head(which I love). They got a little weird and kind of Un-Kings X. Well with their new CD, Ogre Tones, they are back to top form. They sound like the Kings X of old with driving grooves, amazing harmonies and stellar production.

 The first track, "Alone" is instantly in your face and just plain rocks, they even made a video for it. If ever Kings X becomes mainsteam at all, I think this is the tune to help them along. Though after almost 20 years, I don't see them suddenly becoming popular on the radio or otherwise. I never understood why they never really caught on, they have a very radio friendly sound.
  Check out the single and video here....
http://www.youtube.com/w/King%27s-X---%22Alone%22?v=5GBT4RBR15E&search=kings%20x

I'm not going to go through every track, but if you are a Kings X fan and had lost faith, don't worry, go out and get this CD. If you have never really listened to them, it might be worth it to check then out now.  Jerry Gaskill's drumming is super solid, he's got such a great feel and he locks in with Doug Pinnick perfectly. The guitar work of Ty Tabor ,as always, is fantastic. He makes use of some 12 string guitar, and has a very layered sound overall. The vocal work is great, Pinnicks voice is soulful, the signature 3 part harmonies are in full swing, Ty Tabor takes on a little more lead vocal as well. To me, this is the best Kings X CD since Dogman, check it out.

I just wanted to say something about Frank Brigg's Complete Modern Drum Set (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786668342/drummercafe-20/002-9655860-1974438?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2) (Mel Bay).  There is a DVD included:).  I got this a couple years ago but just started getting into it.  

IMHO - This is a great book/DVD.  The book clearly lays out some great exercises with the DVD showing Frank do selected ones.  The camera gives you good angles with picture in picture of his feet on parts.  There is a lot here and the video clips move quickly from basic rudiments to to linear patterns to Ethnic & polyrhythms.  In addition to the exercises there are a lot of great grooves from simple rock to nanigo.  I really like the layout.  I can set my laptop next to the kit, put on the headphones and jump around to exercises or grooves as needed.  Since I've been wanting to learn more Afro-Cuban rhythms, I'm skipping over some stuff which I'll probably go back to.  So much stuff to learn and so little time.  The DVD clips do not show you any step by step instruction on how to do the excersise which I think is a good thing - I can stop and replay over and over without having to listen to him explain stuff - sometimes I just want to see the guy do and not explain why he came to this point in his playing blah blah blah.......

Plus, you get several solos in the DVD that Frank plays and they blow me away.  You'll enjoy the DVD just for these gems.

The only bad thing about this is where the DVD was recorded.  Looks like it must be in his garage studio with some pretty ugly drapes as background.  If you're looking for an intermediate + level instructional book with a DVD to demonstrating how these difficult things are done, I'd get it.  

Enjoy.

Being a small Genesis fan trying to become a bigger fan I recently bought the GENESIS - Turn It On Again: The Hits (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00001ZULV/drummercafe-20/002-9655860-1974438?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2) CD. Here is the track listing ( I will also note if it Collins or Gabriel singing )

1.) Turn It On Again ( Collins )
2.) Invisible Touch ( Collins )
3.) Mama ( Collins )
4.) Land Of Confusion ( Collins )
5.) I Can't Dance ( Collins )
6.) Follow You, Follow Me ( Collins )
7.) Hold On My Heart ( Collins )
8.) Abacab ( Collins )
9.) I Know What I Like " In Your Wardrobe "  ( Gabriel )
10.) No Son Of Mine ( Collins )
11.) Tonight,Tonight,Tonight ( Collins )
12.) In Too Deep ( Collins )
13.) Congo ( Collins )
14.) Jesus he Knows Me ( Collins )
15.) That's All ( Collins )
16.) Misunderstanding ( Collins )
17.) Throwing It All Away ( Collins )
18.) The Carpet Crawlers 1999 ( Gabriel )

To start off my first and only grief with the cd is the lack of Gabriel songs. I know they didn't have as many " hits " with him on vocals...but I think with 18 tracks they could have had atleast 7-8 from that era on the disc. Aside from that this is a great cd. If you like any Gensis or would like to get yourself more exposed to them this is the buy for you. Some of the songs I have never heard before have now become favorites. " Jesus he Knows me " is a great song. Great rock beat...just gets you moving.I think drumming if you have ever heard Phil Collins playing you know what your getting. But if you have never heard him drum...or didn't know he is a drummer your in for a surprise. Follow You, Follow Me has amazing rhythm and amazing beats behind it.Very Jazzy / Blues mixed with steady rock.All in all this is a great cd for anyones collection and again if you just know the name Genesis and wish to know what they are all about pick this cd up.You won't be disapointed.

I have to agree with Tae on the Led Zeppelin DVD. I am also really impressed with it.

I also thought that the Eric Clapton Crossroads DVD could be one of the best group of assembled musicians I have ever seen.
You got to love Joe Walsh, Robert Cray, Steve Vai with Tony Macalpine, Billy Sheehan, Dave Weiner and Virgil Donati on Drums.
What a concert.  It has made me a real fan of Tony Macalpine.
                                         Nutty

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000EMGAOY/drummercafe-20/002-9655860-1974438?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2)

I just picked this up yesterday, and so far its held my attention.  I'm traveling Friday, so I'll have more time to critical listen. But there isn't anything really bad here.

One thing that stands out is Chad Smith's drumming.  Tasteful and appropriate.  More importantly, his sound is HUGE, even on the slower, softer songs.  I strongly recommend this CD just for people to hear a mainstream drummer run the gamut of drumming intensity.  He can play as loud and fast as needed, and vice versa.

Edited May 29

This CD is easily the best CD I've heard this year.  After a week of sitting on the beach listening to it over and over on the IPod, I've realized the Chili Peppers may have struck gold here.  Everything about this record is absolutely great.  The tunes, arrangements, playing and producition are top shelf.  I predict this will win many Grammy's.

Joe Bonamassa! Have you ever heard of him? Say that name over and over and burn it into your memory! Or just go get the CD "You & Me"! Listen to it one time through and you'll never forget Joe Bonamassa again!
From the first few seconds of track one "High Water Everywhere" to the fade of the final track "Torn Down" I could not turn it down or off! I had no idea there were people making music  like THIS anymore! What a pleasant surprise!
For those of you that know of Joe and his skills, let me just say this is a new discovery for me! One I'm glad I was blessed enough to have fall in my lap! Joe’s tone is PERFECT! His playing is PERFECT! And though some tracks are polished, they are not overly so! I'd give that aspect a "10" as well! I love this style of music and Joe serves up this rocking blues offering with just the right amount of edge to make it real and believable! I especially like his originals on this CD. Track one as mentioned before was penned by Charley Patton. Joe's take on this blues legend is not over done and keeps the soul of the song throughout! Loved it! The next two tracks "Bridge To Better Days" and "Asking Around For You" are some of Joe's original work. I loved that too! "Asking Around For You" being one of my favorites on this CD! Nice job! There's covers of Ry Cooder's "Tamp'em Up Solid", Led Zepplin's "Tea For One", Sonny Boy Williams' "Your Funeral My Trial" as well! Nice job on all of them!  
With help from friends Jason Bohnam on Drums, Carmine Rojas on Bass and Rick Melick on Keys, Pat Thrall on Guitar and a 12 year old Harmonica player named LD Miller! (Yes it says he was 12 years old when the CD was recorded) This by far rounds out to be my favorite new CD I've heard in YEARS!
I didn't think anyone played or made music like this anymore! I have to say, I'm sure glad Joe Bonamassa's CD landed on my desk! Excuse me while I go crank it up to 11 for another listen!  ;D

Click on the link to listen to his live performance of "Bridge To Better Days" here....http://www.jbonamassa.com/ (http://www.jbonamassa.com/) That man ROCKS! ;D

TOTO: Falling In Between (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000CFX898/drummercafe-20/002-9655860-1974438?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2)
Redeye Distribution

First a little recap on the band: (aren’t you happy that we have a long weekend so you can spend the balance of it reading this ultra-long review??? � )

I have to admit that as a 14 year old growing up I was always a bit enthralled with the guys from Toto; they were all 1st call session guys who played on some of the most monumental tracks of the late 70s and 80s.  They also seemed to have this really cool California lifestyle happening. I would see photos and videos with them backing up other artists, riding in convertibles along the beach, dating models and actresses and generally living the good life.  This always contrasted with the pictures I would see of the “NY heaviesâ€Â� like Gadd, Richard Tee and Anthony Jackson, they were a little bit older and would always be playing in some dark smoky club with stern expressions on their faces and looking a little worse for the wear.  I guess the California thing just appealed to me more.

Truthfully, I was always more fond of their playing than their songwriting, I found that there albums were inconsistent in terms of solid material, they were capable of writing some great pop tunes but the same writers were equally capable of producing a variety of shlock that it would be enough to send Celine Dion packing for north of the border. So for every “Girl Goodbyeâ€Â� (one of Porcaro’s best ever tracks) and “Rosanna,â€Â� there was a “Rockmakerâ€Â� and “All Us Boys.â€Â�  

Nonetheless, they didn’t lack for talent, it is rumored that Toto guitarist Steve Lukather and Jeff Porcaro were responsible for actually putting together and producing most of the sound and concept that went into Michael Jackson’s Thriller, including Lukather getting his best friend Eddie Van Halen to play a solo on “Beat It.� Apparently Quincy Jones trusted them that much.

In listening to them from a musician’s perspective, I don’t think anyone surpassed them, then or now really.
I also empathized with their struggle to be seen as much more than studio jocks and become a force in popular music, which they did, if only for a brief period of time.

After winning 6 Grammy awards for Toto IV, which had “Africaâ€Â� and “Rosanna,â€Â� among others, things   took a downward turn for them as they fell prey to the familiar excesses of the 80s. The signature voice of Bobby Kimball was silenced when he was kicked out of the band for his drug problems which culminated in arrests and repeated rehab stays. After that they had a difficult time finding a lead singer, and their ensuing releases were never able to capture the chemistry or success of IV. Finally, in what seemed like a death knell to the band, and a tragedy in itself, Jeff Porcaro passed away in 1992 weeks before the start of a world tour. Luckily for them, Simon Phillips, who had played with Lukather in an earlier project, was able to cancel his previous engagements and do the tour with them. Eventually Simon became a full fledged band member.

Toto remained active by touring (very popular in Europe) and releasing various compilations, covers, tributes and live material, but since 1995 they have released only 2 CDs of original material. (1995’s Tambu , their last for Sony, and 1999’s Mindfields, which marked the return of Bobby Kimball, but was not originally released in the US). Both were certainly not bad works, but lacked focus, direction, and most importantly a hit single. Lukather’s influence in the band grew, as evident by the presence of harder edged material, but a casual listener would be hard pressed to find a hummable song on either.  One of the band’s problems is that their abilities were so diverse that they tried to offer something for everyone on their albums, great for musicians to listen to, not so great for sales apparently.

With their latest release Falling In Between, Toto find themselves without a record contract and very much in the DIY mode but in this case it seems to have liberated rather than detracted from their productivity.

The band made a collective effort in getting together and writing songs for this album while in the same room, this is apparent, while still eclectic in terms of style, Falling In Between is more focused than previous efforts. Also of note is that CD features some cameos from some of their friends, such as Chicago’s Jason Scheff and  James Pankow, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, and saxophonist Tom Scott.

The CD opens with the title track, a tight and powerful piece in which they give a nod to bands like Dream Theater, with 32nd  note  runs over  5/4 and a chorus in 11/8, but still manage to layer in some great harmonies and give the song a strong, Indian-influenced hook.  

Quickly following up with “Dying on My Feet,� a Steely Dan influenced track (may as well, they played with them too) feature a strong vocal performance from Kimball and the James Pankow Chicago-esque horn arrangements.

 A  band penned ballad “Bottom of Your Soulâ€Â� is next, nice song but what makes it so (for me) is the 6/8 groove put together by long time  percussionist Lenny Castro. (He and Porcaro came up with the groove for “Africaâ€Â�).

“Hooked,� about the excesses facing society today features an Ian Anderson flute solo. Good hook and very strong band performances.

Other notables on the CD are “Taint Your World,â€Â� a tribute to Edward and Alex Van Halen which resembles the fast shuffles and high harmonies present in VH staples such as  Ã¢â‚¬Å“Show Your Love,â€Â�  Ã¢â‚¬Å“Full Bugâ€Â� and “Hot for Teacher,â€Â� from the VH heydays. For me this didn’t work, it seemed that they were trying too hard  and that it would have been something that may have made it to the album VH did with Gary Cherone album (enough said there).

Greg Phillinganes recently joined the band as a full time member. His name may be familiar because he has been around for years, originally “discovered� by Stevie Wonder, he has had a career as a keyboard player with many artists including Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and others.

His first solo vocal contribution to the CD, “Let it Go� is probably the strongest on the album. Marked by a funky verse and a catchy hook in the chorus, he does a great vocal backed with their usual complex, lush harmonies.

“Spiritual Manâ€Â� is hymn-like, foray into Christian rock which touches on finding one’s way be it through god or John Coltrane. I had to listen to it a few times before I really started to get it and like it. It features  strong vocal performances from David Paich, Bobby Kimball and new addition Greg Phillinganes. Can’t say I know too much about Christian rock-I had 2 Petra albums before I realized they were a Christian rock band, but I think it is one of the albums strong points.

“No End in Sight� is the final cut on the US version, it is an anti war song, I’m not much into musicians spouting their political views to me but the hook on this tune is great, another highlight.

On the Japanese import version there is an avant garde 12/8 song in which they got (appropriately enough) avant garde trumpeter Roy Hargrove to blow on. Oddly enough the import version was cheaper on Amazon so I bought it with this song. My advice, forget about the money, don’t waste the minute and 45 seconds of you time it will take to listen to it.

This CD was recorded at Simon Phillips’ home studio (which I’ve read is really a two bedroom house in Sherman Oaks, with one bedroom and the kitchen dedicated to the studio part) and engineered by him. I’m struck by the amazing quality of the recording, everything is crystal clear and pronounced and mixed really well. That says a lot for his capabilities behind the board. Oddly enough, Phillips has put himself pretty far down in the mix, in fact it is the lowest and least prominent I’ve ever heard him.

That leads me to my other observation. While Simon Phillips has been one of my favorite drummers since I was growing up, I think that all the time he has spent focusing on engineering and producing has taken a toll in his creativity and aggressiveness behind the kit. Don’t get me wrong, they recorded the thing without a click track and he is spot on, his meter is always good and more importantly, his feel is great but in comparison to some of his other recordings I feel something is missing. He managed to put his own stamp on his work with Jeff Beck, The Who and Pete Townsend among others, here on his own project he seems relegated to the background. For Simon Phillips at his best, see my other review of Steve Lukather’s live DVD.

My only major peeve about this CD is that these guys are a group of musicians on par with just about anyone playing today. I really wish they would take one self indulgent song and just blow it out but they chose taste over self indulgence, it would be a great to hear something like “Jake to the Boneâ€Â� (JP) “Dave’s gone Skiingâ€Â� (Simon in about 4 different time sigs) or “Party in Simon’s Pantsâ€Â� off the Lukather Candyman  album (17/8) where they let loose and stretch out and have fun. On a CD like this, with so much emphasis on taste and restraint, there is plenty of room for self indulgence.

My overall impression of Falling In Between is that it is a very strong adult rock performance from a bunch of talented musicians who have lived a life. Now it seems they finally found an even ground. I don’t necessarily think they’ll get anything on the charts (but when was the last time Hall & Oates had an original up there?) but I’m glad to see they are in good form musically and still out there because they have something to offer. Toto has always been a great live band, aptly replicating what they put down in the studio, they are playing here in New York on June 24th; it should be a good show.

Steve Lukather & Los Lobotomys In Concert

Ohne Filter Musik Pur
In-akustik Gmbh
Recorded June 29th, 1994

So, while researching things for my ultra-long Toto review (my apologies) I ran across a Steve Lukather live DVD as recorded for a German TV show back in 1994. Simon Phillips was playing drums so I figured I couldn’t go wrong. Well, for once I was way right. If you are a drummer (which I’m assuming you are if you’re a DC member) or other musician who really likes rock/ fusion ala Tony Williams’ Lifetime, Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani or Steve Morse, this would be a great addition to your musical library.

It is also in my opinion, Simon Phillips at his best.

Steve Lukather is quite the musician; he has played with, and drawn praise from just about every prominent guitarist I can think of. Larry Carlton, Eric Clapton, George Benson,  Jeff Beck, John Petrucci from Dream Theater, Brian May, (who called him one of the best guitarists on the planet)  Warren DeMartini from Ratt, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt, Eddie Van Halen, one of his best buddies, and Les Paul. He has also recorded with some of the guys from Dream Theater, Will Lee, and tons of other musical notables. Not to mention playing on just about every significant record from the 80s and 90s.

I always liked the way he would get called to play on albums by “legit� artists like Quincy Jones, Barbra Streisand and even Frank Sinatra, yet he would hang out with guys like Eddie Van Halen, Brandon Lee (Bruce’s late son), Slash, and Tommy Lee, (I guess that explains all his tattoos.)

Interestingly enough, he is also a co-writer on The Tube’s “She’s a Beauty, and “Talk to Ya Later,� as well as the George Benson easy listening staple “Turn Your Love Around.�

Back in the 90s when I lived in Los Angeles I was fortunate to have seen him play at the Baked Potato (a very small bar) a number of times, once with Jeff Porcaro and a couple of times with Joey Heredia (who was doing the left foot clave’ thing way before I had heard of Ignacio). I took two things away from those nights; 1) They were all amazing musicians. 2) Steve Lukather likes drummers who can play really well.

(Last year I saw him with Joey Heredia and El Grupo, it was a scary fusion of latin and progressive rock, with some Jeff Beck thrown in. There are some recordings floating around somewhere-great stuff if you can find it)

Anyway, another one of Lukather’s side gigs was Los Lobotomys that went through  several loose incarnations over the years, the original  had Jeff Porcaro and Will Lee on the roster. (Will Lee was actually asked to be the 1st bass player for Toto but he declined because he didn’t want to give up his lucrative NY session gigs and move to LA-  David Hungate stepped up for the 1st four Toto albums, he is now a 1st call session player in Nashville). We all know where Will Lee is.

In 1994 Steve Lukather recruited bass player John Penn, keyboard player David Garfield and Simon Phillips to tour Europe. They were playing mostly material from Lukather’s album Candyman, on which Simon had played.

The DVD is not replete with extras like behind the scenes shots, or outtakes, it is basically a concert video shot for a German TV show. Still in all the camera work is very good, focusing on Lukather’s fret work and lots of over the shoulder shots of Simon’s stick work where appropriate. As a musician you’ll enjoy that part of it as it looks as though it was a musician who directed it.

The performances are top notch; they open up with “Hero With a Thousand Eyes,� a latin tinged rocker with Simon playing a Gadd like Samba. “Heroes� is a great riff based tune with some surprisingly strong vocals from Lukather and an equal amount of tricky runs and kicks from the band. Simon is duplicating some pretty complex parts from the studio cut using his Ocotbans. Lukather plays some amazingly fast, yet tasty passages on this one.

Other stand out cuts are “Extinction Blues� which sounds like it should have been a hit single back in 1994, why I don’t know. It is kind of Ratt/Dokken influenced, maybe 1984 would have been better. �

“Dismemberment� is a Jazz influenced instrumental where they get to stretch their improvisatory skills over some intricate chord changes. Simon is in top form in terms of creativity and power, balanced by incredible touch and sensitivity.

My favorite on the album is another instrumental titled “Party in Simon’s Pants.� This is the final tune on the DVD and they really get to stretch their musical chops on this one. First off, the song head is in 17/8 then it is launched into a fast shuffle very much like Jeff Beck’s Space Boogie, then delves into more esoteric Jazz changes. Lukather lays some nice things down over the rhythms section.

I could write a review on the rhythm section itself, by this point in the gig they are totally one unit locked into each other. Simon does an excellent solo over the 17/8 section to finish the song out, his performance here is one of those that just makes you smile. Simon’s performance on this whole DVD is simply inspirational, it is in fact a clinic for handling complex popular music forms; he plays very complex, very tasty, very powerful and very much in the groove, and that is only on a single song. Truthfully, the whole band plays really well, the best part about it is that it is plainly obvious that they are having fun.

I think this I on Amazon for about $10 so if you like stuff like Satriani, Vai, or Steve Morse, I’m sure you’ll not be disappointed with this.

Gomez - How we Operate (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000EQH2QU/drummercafe-20/002-9655860-1974438?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2)
This is the 5th album from these guys and In my opinion it is possibly their best. Incredibly easy to get into for pretty much everyone, but also has the sticking power of their older albums that weren't as easy to get into on the first listen.
It's a brilliant album for the summer with plenty of tunes that are ideal for sitting outside with a barbecue and a cold beer.
Some people may take time to get used to it due to the multiple singers that they use but I find that this adds to the appeal of this band.
The first song, Notice, just pulls you in and makes you want to listen to the rest of it. Definately worth a listen for indie fans.

This is a 1983 concert taped in Atlanta.  I picked it up for only $10 at Best Buy (http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=30991737&siteid=40906838&bfpage=1677809).  I don't own a lot of concert videos to compare it to, but on its own merits it's pretty good.  If you like the Police, it's a good value, especially for only $10. 

I'm a big Stewart fan and I was hoping to finally see him perform.  This DVD is a real treat.  Obviously, the camera doesn't sit very long on him, and there aren't any overhead shots or other angles that we drummers would appreciate.  However, for the viewer who has never seen any video of Stewart, it gives you a good idea of how he plays.

I was surprised that for most of the concert, his motions weren't as fluid as I had pictured in my mind while listening to him for all these years.  Honestly, he didn't look very comfortable for much of the show.  He had his left thumb taped up and I'm wondering if it was bothering him.  It appeared as if he was trying to stabalize it so that it wouldn't move.  They even showed him fixing the tape at one point.  Despite the taped thumb, he gave it everything he had.  He didn't seem to miss any of his trademark hi-hat and splash flurries, nor his rapid tom fills.  You could hear all of Stewart's notes quite well - and his Paiste's sounded just like the albums.

The production was good overall.    They showed a lot of the crowd which I enjoyed so I could be reminded of what I looked like back in the 80's.  Plus they caught a few funny moments too (someone reading a newspaper during the show).  However, the cutaways to the crowd became too much after awhile.  They also got a bit "artsy" on a few songs with slow motion and other effects. 

Summary:  If you like Stewart and don't have any other video (are there other videos???) then this is a must.  The trip down 80's memory lane is a bonus. 

The Police: Synchronicity Concert DVD (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000AANBG0/drummercafe-20/002-8570566-6255230?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2)

EDIT:
Just a follow-up to the Police concert DVD.  In the current Modern Drummer cover story, Stewy said he looks glum in the concert video.  So at least I wasn't crazy about that! 

He also said he has a new behind the scenes Police DVD coming out with TONS of good drumming footage.  I'll be getting that one!

This is not a drummer DVD per say, but as a musician and a fan of Jazz, A Life in the Jazz Century (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00009ATWF/drummercafe-20/002-8570566-6255230?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2) is a special DVD.  If you don't know Stéphane Grappelli  (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?link_code=ur2&tag=drummercafe-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&location=/gp/search%3F%26index=blended%26keywords=Stephane%20Grappelli%26_encoding=UTF8) (he's a self taught violinist) you should and this DVD is a great intro to his, and Django Rheinhart's, music and genius.  This took a very long time to make.  One of the best collections of amazing old footage I've seen - of course Grappelli's life and music spanned decades - most of the 20th century.  It is a documentary with interviews and history but has lots of scenes featuring the songs in full.  The whole family got into this one.  It was a little difficult understanding his thick accent in some of the interviews but I think that gave the whole thing more flavor - and it makes you listen very carefully.  If you need a break from monster drumming videos, this might be just the right medicine.

Wow! Just watched this and the goose bumps are still there.  Apparently this DVD came out last year and I hadn't seen it.  It is now my favorite DVD.  I've always love Chick and the gang, have most of their CDs but never got a chance to see the "Akoustic Band (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0009YA3YK/drummercafe-20/104-9351637-6086368?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2)" live (I did see the Electrik Band this past year).  This DVD is the next best thing.  Each of these musicians is phenomenal.  The music is powerful.  In fact, I can't think of a more powerful jazz trio - ever!  They communicate on a different level. They push the boundaries virtually getting lost in the music and then always come back to an amazingly satisfying groove.  Chick makes a hilarious remark about his new piece of technology - I won't give it away, you'll have to see it.  The stuff Chick does on his grand piano is great.  Patitucci is spot on. 

Weckl: what can you say.  It should be a requirement for all drummers to watch especially "Quartet #2, Part 2".  He makes the set sing like a bird.  Truly inspiring.

Video was fantastic. This was not a "drummer" video but the shots and angles were very tastefully and skillfully done.  I would have liked to see a shot of the feet once or twice but that's just the technical drummer speaking.  The audio was also great - AFTER, I changed the audio settings to standard uncompressed stereo.  For some reason, with the audio set to Dolby 5.1 (default) it sounded terrible, like it was in a tin can. 

This is now available on NetFlix so you don't have to buy it.  But I'm going to buy it anyway because this is a keeper. 

ENJOY!

Hmmmmm??   There’s been some interesting discussion about Marco Minneman on the café.  I have not been exposed to him or his music previously but thought I’d give it a try so I “NetFlixedâ€� his Extreme Drumming (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000AN4FK/drummercafe-20/104-9351637-6086368?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2) DVD.  Hmmmmm??  He is truly a phenom!  He is definitely (at least in my limited opinion) breaking new ground on the drum set.  I would also say his musical/technical skill set is approaching brilliant.  His speed, control, flavor and use of the set are top notch.  Do I like it?  Hmmmm?? 

The DVD itself is very well produced.  This is not an instructional DVD although there are a few takes on his technique I.e., finger control, music phrasing, interdependence, etc.  This is mostly a demonstration of his awesome chops and his somewhat interesting music – basically, like so many of the drummer DVDs; it’s a big infomercial for his other stuff.  The sound and camera work are very nicely done – you generally get the views/angles you want.  His kit sounds great.  He seems like a genuinely nice and interesting guy. 

Musically, I’m a fan of lots of styles, including complex fusion, some prog-metal, etc so I’m not scared of odd time signatures (listening, not playing) and the like.  Most of the tracks were played to a tape and several had a live Bass and Keyboard playing along.  I generally like the songs with real people playing vs computers.  There are a few songs, I think “Kateâ€� was one of them, that I really liked.  His groove on Motor was fun and exciting but reminded me of a Rube Goldberg machine – perhaps this was intentional.  In fact, I’d call his drumming style a kind of “Rube Goldbergâ€� style, I.e., if it is possible to do it, throw it in there.  For you folks not familiar with Goldberg.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg.  Like a lot of avant-guard artists, he has just enough musical taste or artistic sense to pull this off without embarrassing himself. 

Do I like it?  Hmmmm, I’m still working on that.

My bandmate just dropped a monster in my inbox (both in bandwidth and in music). He gave me a copy of some live sets from a Chicago jam band called Umphrey's McGee (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Furl%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps%26field-keywords%3DUmphrey%2527s%2BMcGee%26Go.x%3D6%26Go.y%3D8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325). He's hoping to give us some direction as we replace our guitarist and bassist (moving out of state), and this stuff is off the chart fun to listen to and play.

The recordings are from a September 2, 2004, recording in East Lansing. They are very difficult to describe, although they have the jam groove thing down. But they do more than run off on some intangential, odd-metered craziness, and they have more genres than a record store. One of the tunes, 40s Theme, sounds like something Frank Zappa might've concocted in his early days. Interesting to me, the lead instrument is a piano, which is sort of a reversal to jam band days gone by.

If you are bored with what you're listening to, this might be the disc for you.

Also, I downloaded the new single from John Mayer's latest, and it is SWEEEET. I'm impressed with this guy's ability to improve with every new recording. The single sounds like an old Marvin Gaye song.

I'm an older guy and I play country and classic (old stuff according to my son) Rock.  He's 13 and listens to alternative rock.  Last week he picked up this CD that was released on July 18th. 

I'm still not a big fan of screaming vocals and the sudden endings of a couple of the tunes, but over all I was very impressed with this band and their debut CD (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000G0MI86/drummercafe-20/104-9351637-6086368?%5Fencoding=UTF8&camp=1789&link%5Fcode=xm2).  What especially got my attention was Jon Wilkes on drums.  His licks are tasty, lightning fast and he has outstanding double bass chops. 

Two of the tunes, In Fate's Hands and Face Down are fine examples of new Rock music.  You can hear and see the group at their web site www.redjumpsuit.com

(http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000GIWS7E.01._AA160_SCLZZZZZZZ_V59375642_.jpg) Dream Theater - Score (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIWS7E?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B000GIWS7E) DVD Released - 2006

First off, I want to say  I am a huge Dream Theater Fan.  Mike Portnoy is one of my favorite drummers.  So when I saw this DVD I had to buy it!  And I am Very glad I did.   The low cost of this DVD was what made it even sweeter!  This is a 20 year Anniversary for the group, so what they decided to do was create a show that that showcased Their whole career.  So, the DVD starts out with 2 New songs from their Octavarium CD, then goes into a upwards time travel starting from 1986 when the group first formed.  They play at least one song from every album they made.   Al the way up to the last few songs, where they bring in the Octavarium Orchestra.   Brilliant orchestra I might add.  They accompany the band for the songs Metropolis and Octavarium.  Their 2 longest songs running around 20-25 minuites.  The bonus features on this disk include a few live recordings from another show they did.  They also have an Octavarium animation that is definetly worth a watching.   Then they have the documentary which for any DT fan is a much watch.   All in all this DVD set was Sweet.  Great music, Awesome drumming, not to mention guitar bass and synth.   But if you are interested in Prog music at all, and love great heavy drums, check this out!

Wow you are right.  Our percussion player just lent me a couple of their CDs: "Local Band Does Ok" and "Anchor Drop".  I like it a lot.  These are not the live jamming tracks but the songs are reall well crafted and compelling.  The playing is near flawless. Lots of cool stuff for drummer Kris Myers to sink his teeth into and he does it brilliantly.  There are a couple of tracks that are just so so but all in all, top notch!

Netflixed this DVD of a performance at the Blue Note in NYC. Chick Corea formed this band a few years back with some exciting young talent including Avishai Cohena on Bass and Jeff Ballard on Drums.  I had purchased the CD when it came out and enjoyed it alot.  I particularly liked Jeff Ballards unique drumming style on the CD.  He used a lot hands on drum set and percussion laced sounds.  This DVD was also good but Jeff's playing seemed jumpy and nervous. I can image that playing at the Blue Note with Chick Corea could make any young player VERY nervous.  On the other hand, he seemed to pull it off very well.  I was really impressed with his soloing using hands and no sticks.  You can tell he goes for a real organic sound (don't ask me what that means) and it fits wonderfully into the music.  I also was very impressed with Avishai on the CD but live it seemed a little off for some reason.  Don't get me wrong, if they were touring near by, I'd definately go and this DVD is worth watching simply because it is unique in a way that only Corea can pull off. 

(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0757914101.01._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_AA240_SH20_OU01_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
It's About Time (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0757914101?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0757914101)

You guys HAVE to get this book, especially if you are serious about your groove.  I cannot tell you how much fun I'm having with it.  I also believe it is helping me tremendously since I am doing better with it's exercises than when I first started it.  It makes for a great warm up or an entire practice session.

The first section gets one used to playing with their 5th limb as Fred Dinkins calls it or voice.  What you basically do is count out loud in different subdivisions (and's/E's and AH's etc.) and play against them.  Child's play right?  'Fraid not and I have been hip to playing and counting one, two, three, 4 part counting along time.  Good refresher for advanced players and a must for novice players. 

Then you get into this lovely three limb ostinato section of grooves where you play just about every possible bass drum pattern underneath several pages of very nice osti patterns which we use all the time.  This has really helped my hat work in particular.  The goal is to line everything up perfectly, read the rests correctly and work on independence.  This isn't "sick" independence but independence that a working drummer can use all the time.  Extremely practical stuff!

Then you get into playing "space".  It's awesomely (is that word?) fun.  You get slow, med. and fast tempos (on cd) per exercise.  Within these three tempos you are advised to play a 1/4, 1/8th, 16th note and triplet groove at the different tempos.  Once you lock into the cowbell intro's you play a couple 2 to 4 bars with the CD and then it drops out.  Your goal is to come back in right on the "money" or bass drum click.  So as well as a timing exercise it gets one counting.  You start out dropping one beat and move on up to 8 measures.

There is a section on "burying" the backbeat. 

There are a couple funky charts to play along with.  With and without drums

There is also section on stick clicking intros (ever start a song off too slow or fast?). ;D

There is a section on playing ahead, behind and on the beat.

There is a section where you play a chart where all the great time players (Ricky Lawson, Harvey Mason, Etc.) play their interpretations of ahead, behind and on the beat.  ALL IN THE SAME CHART!
It's so cool.  Then you get to take a crack at it of course minus the drums.

It's such a great book.  Check out this link and read thru the table of contents (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0757914101?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=0757914101).

If you are in the drumstore and look thru it, don't let the lack of ink on the page fool you.  You could insert any of your mega chops, linear grooves, backwards permutations in the exercises.

Plus the CD's are really easy to follow along with the book.

Best book I think I have ever bought.  I am not getting paid for this rave in any way.  I have never seen anything like it. 

His groove and ear for time as well as his dedication to groove is unparalled in my experience.  And honestly he is one of the nicest (tough teacher though) most genuine people I have ever had the honor to take from.  Can't wait till he comes out with his "It's about odd time" book which he told me he's working on.   8)

Despite my background, believe me I'm not an unquestioning Beatles fan.
So it was rather reluctantly that I bought The Beatles - 'Love' (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JK8OYU?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B000JK8OYU) album yesterday, as a Christmas present for my Mum actually.
How many more times can they re-release, regurgitate this 40 year old material?
Well it was a revelation and I sat entranced for 1 1/2 hours.
The album concept is a bit gimmicky, it's a remix with original songs layered over each other at times, and a small amount of new material thrown in, but in the end it's very respectfully and tastefully done.

Please, don't ever say Ringo Starr wasn't way ahead of his time, didn't know what he was doing, or couldn't groove. All that is kicked in to touch on 'Love'.

The drums groove hard from beginning to end. The drum parts are often highly innovative and beautifully played. And with these updated remixes, the drumming could be just as groundbreaking as anything by Questlove or Dave Grohl have been responsible for.
In fact, on certain songs, Ringo can be heard hard-riding his crash and slamming the backbeat, long before Nirvana was a twinkle in the eye. At least one other song features a high tuned, ringy snare, teamed with a low booming bass drum. And they say Questlove is a complete original.  ::)
I'm amazed at the quality of the original sounds, which have been isolated and cleaned up for the 'Love' album by Sir George Martin and his son Giles.

There are only a couple of occasions where the drum sound is dated IMO. If this album was released now by an unknown band, it would be hailed as a work of real importance. Everything about it is top drawer.

The production, the drumming, the overall musicianship and the songs.
I have a new respect for a group of individuals I already regarded as the most important in popular music to date.

This is a remarkable album, albeit one I probably wouldn't listen to very often, as it demands to be listened to.

Edit: Sorry I just remembered the CD/DVD review area.  :-[

Nice to hear that it's really good - I had a feeling it was going to be great when I heard that Sir George Martin produced it. The guy's a genius, and I doubt he did it for money, he's got more money than he can spend anyway.

Cool! Gotta buy it.

Good to hear it's tastefully done. Gotta check it out soon.

My take on Ringo (or any drummer) is: If the band sounds great, then they're great musicians. Even though Ringo claims to not be able to play a double-stroke roll to this day, in fact. I know people won't agree on this... ;)

I'm playing in a Beatles cover-band, and we try to get it as close to the originals as possible. Although, not with authentic instruments, suits, haircuts, doing plastic surgery et c.... ;D
Anyway, everyone who has tried knows that Ringo's drum parts are much harder to play than one might think. It's a very educative and fun gig  :)

Ringo is one of the best players around....He gets thrashed much more than he deserves. I feel that I was very lucky to have seen them play in their early years. He's shaped the style of many drummers over the years, including me. Now if I just had his talent and money....  :'(   Over the years the Beatles have remained a favorite of mine. I should get that for my daughter for Christmas. Then I can borrow it.    8)

Hi guys.

There is a new edition of the Weer Fusion radio.  Check out the band Hidria Spacefolk.  Something for everyone.  I can't tell what is synth and what is hand percussion at first listen.  It's trippin stuff though...tasty drumming.

Streaming Radio:

http://eer-music.com/WEER/Fusion_Rock_Radio.html (http://eer-music.com/WEER/Fusion_Rock_Radio.html)

Sevendust - Alpha (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000O2PS9C?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000O2PS9C)

Sevendust has gone through some major changes and setbacks in the last couple of years (you could also say over their entire career), and this last year was no exception.  They left their label, lost a guitarist to another band, and drummer Morgan Rose has had some real troubles in his life.  He goes into detail on the "special behind the scenes super BEST BUY special edition movie thingie" included on the disc. 

Drumming - This could be Morgan Rose's most powerful drumming yet, and that's saying something.  I don't think it's as inventive as previous efforts, like Animosity and Seasons, but the band has changed a little bit.  The music is a little bit simpler, and the songs aren't as hook laden as they were on Seasons.  The drums sound GREAT on this cd.  It seems that they FINALLY captured a good drum sound, something Sevendust has always struggled with.

Music - Sevendust is mad, and they're going to tell you about it.  The opening track, Deathstar, pulls no punches, opening with singer Lajons throaty growl, and the band in full Mosh pit mode.  They're calling this a "concept" album, but I don't really get the concept...yet. 

My conclusion:  If you are a Sevendust fan, like me, this will be exactly what you've come to expect from them.  It's a loud, raucous cd, with plenty of dueling vocals from Morgan and Lajon.  It's worth picking up, and it'll bother the neighbors.  It's definitely on the heavy side of things, so if you aren't into that, you might want to check out Animosity or Seasons, which are (slightly) less angry.

Nate

A million thumbs way up!

(http://typeonegative.net/images/da_cover.jpg) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ION6YA?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000ION6YA)

What a great recording.  If you aren't hip to them, then this would be a great 2 cd set to dive into.  I took me a while to get them, but once I did there was no turning back.  I'm so glad they did another record.

The first cd contains all the new releases and the 2nd cd has live versions of their biggest hits.

Lots of nice super slow metal done in a very refined fashion.  These guys can really ooze.  I've never heard a band with such texture.  It's amazing the sounds they can achieve sometimes- one has to be patient though, the tunes are long and development takes awhile.  It's just a really different rock/metal band.

Drumsound is much more natural sounding than the last two records; extremely huge sounding with not an uneeded note.  There are some spunky riffs on the record as well- adorned with Sabbath, Cooper and Beatles licks ala' the Type O treatment.  Great vocals as usual, albeit this is probably the hardest record I've heard from them (and of course I have them all)  ;D

Just an amazing band.  They are coming to Cleveland in a couple of weeks at H.O.B. and we have an opera box along with Foundation room passes.  PARTY ON GARTH!!!!!!  It's gonna be AWESOME.

http://typeonegative.net/tour.html (http://typeonegative.net/tour.html)

The sound was absolutely perfect.  Like a cd or something.
I've never heard them better. 

Basically these guys take an entire concert to do what most bands do in two songs.  It is something to behold!  The first guitar solo (this was played with the band) did not happen until about 35 minutes into the set.  It hit like a freight train too.

The whole concert was just bizarre and just when I didn't think it could get any better it did. 

John Kelly has a green sparkle pearl kit with ahead sticks.  Really huge sized 5 pc. kit.  He ghost notes everything underneath the huge back beats he was kicking.  I learned alot.  He's just so incredible- he didn't miss a note and man can he play SLOW.  Did not play his cowbell or dbl kick pedal until the encores.

Best 22 bucks you will spend to see a rock band this spring.  It's just really really different.  Highly recommended.

Run, don't walk, to a computer and order your copy of Bonerama's latest CD "Bringing it Home".

Bonerama is a New Orleans based funk-rock band featuring four (count 'em) four trombones, sousaphone, guitar, and drums.  The music they make with all that lower brass is amazing. 

Bonerama often cover well-known rock tunes.  Their first release "Live From New York" covered War Pigs.  The second, "Bonerama: Live at the Old Point", featured covers of Frankenstein and Moby Dick.  And this latest, "Bringing it Home", features covers of Ocean and Helter Skelter.

Stanton Moore is featured on the tune "Sprung Monkey".

Very, very cool music here.  If this stuff doesn't make your leg bounce while you listen to it, well then there's something wrong with you.  :)

http://www.bonerama.net/

(http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/4015/430320mu2.jpg) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005ND35?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00005ND35)

Ok, I'll preface this by stating the obvious - this recording is a few years old already (2001) - but it's an inspiring album that no drummer should miss. A recent thread brought up Jack's name and I had to pull this gem out for a listen.

The back story for this London performance is that they decided to scrap the material just for a hoot and just improvise. The result is a beautifully recorded concert of three masters interacting as only musicians that have played together for so long can do. I can't stress how nice this album sounds. We're talking crystal clear - every "chick" of Jack's left foot will snap into your gut with amazing digital quality, and those Sabian signatures just shimmer throughout. Jack is like a waterfall of time, honestly.

There are too many moments on this recording to point out in one review. Despite the lack of form, you can't help but be floored by Jack's time. Listen to him start out the second track, "Inside Out." Meter is irrelevant, it's just grooving. The intro to "Riot" is also amazing - it's an undulating current of time punctuated by some of his little splash cymbals every now and again. The whole album is a highlight, really.

I can't stress how much you'll enjoy this if you dig improvised music and good drumming. Jack sets the bar on this one. If you aren't normally a jazz guy give it a try anyway, the drumming will make it worth your while.

I'm netflixing all 9 of the DVDs in this box set.  I just finished disk 5, the Akoustic Band and it is absolutely one of the best DVDs I've watched to date.  I'm considering forking out the $90 for the set.  Technically the DVDs are great, HD with wonderful audio and very good camera work (which I think is remarkable given the small venue).  This is taking me a few weeks to watch since I can only have one checked out at a time but I'm finding myself sitting here waiting for the mail when one is due. It is that good.  I was planning on posting the review after the last one but having seen the Akoustic Band last night, I can't wait.  If you love good music, that is close to perfection.  If you love jazz you owe it to yourself.  If you love drums, well it don't get better than this.  If you only know Weckl from the fusion stuff, you are missing out.  His straight jazz sensibility is masterful.  The trio setting with Corea and Pattatuci is really dynamic and they improvise so well together.  Dave plays a small bright yellow 4 piece (with a lot of cymbals and his bongos on the left) that I think must be a Yamaha Hip Gig kit.  It sounds wonderful.  Most of us have (hopefully) seen Dave play with his fusion band.  This is different in some interesting ways. Not only the kit and his shirt (no T-shirt for this gig).  Even his posture was different - he wasn't stiff but he was sitting straight upright without the normal lilt - it just displayed a different attitude that was fun to watch.  Great choices in songs - well they all happen to be some of my favorites, including Spain which I think the Akoustic Band's version is by far the best.  Bessie's Blues and Humpty Dumpty were great (my bucket of adjectives is empty) and I could watch em over and over, in fact I think I will before I send this one back. 

The only negative for the DVD set is that they don't fill the DVDs with more songs.  I'm not sure if each group only played a short set (they did pack a lot into the week) but I was disappointed that each DVD only has 40 minutes or so of music. 
Hope you all enjoy it as much as I have....

Here's the description from Amazon...
chronicles the amazing four-decade career of jazz legend Chick Corea with a series of historic and unprecedented concerts! To mark his 60th birthday, Corea brought together world-renowned artists from his past groundbreaking music ensembles for a GRAMMY-winning concert reunion. At the famed Blue Note jazz club in New York City, Corea fronted live performances by nine ensembles, ranging from intimate duos to telepathic trios to powerful large ensembles, in an exciting mix of jazz styles. Captured in High-Definition Video and CD-quality sound, this extraordinary musical experience brings jazz to a whole new level!
Includes Bonus DVD: Rendezvous in New York: The Movie with over 100 on-and-off-stage minutes with some of the biggest names in jazz today, reflecting on a lifetime of musical partners, collaborations and creative adventures. Narrated by Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day).

SONGS (Bands actually)
CHICK COREA & BOBBY MCFERRIN DUET
NOW HE SINGS, NOW HE SOBS TRIO
REMEMBERING BUD POWELL BAND
CHICK COREA & GARY BURTON DUET
CHICK COREA AKOUSTIC BAND
CHICK COREA & ORIGIN
CHICK COREA & GONZALO RUBALCABA DUET
CHICK COREA NEW TRIO
THREE QUARTETS BAND

The Godfathers Of Groove (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KX0HNW?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000KX0HNW) 2006

Okidoke, People Get Ready as Everyday I Have The Blues or
 Is It Just My Imagination here in the Summer Sun in Sweet Home Chicago. Long live New Orleans as I play My Fathers Song, Flipity Flop. ;D


9 tasty tracks on this CD featuring ...

Rueben Wilson on Hammond B3
Bernard Purdie "the funkiest soul beat in the business"
Grant Green Jnr Guitar
Jerry Jemmmott Bass guitar

62.37 minutes of groove at it's finest.


Nice in the pocket shuffles of funk, jazz and soul. Nice background music for a wine and dine or just to close your eyes and lap in the feel. 8) 8)

Totally recommend to any drummer.

I'm getting a little pumped for Oz Noy's new release, Fuzzy (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TIO4U0?ie=UTF8&tag=drummercafe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000TIO4U0), so I went and got Oz Noy Live to help me bide the time. This is unapologetic jazz/funk/blues/rock instrumental jamming, but what makes it so good is Oz Noy's beautifully harmonic style of playing. You ever ate something new and had multiple flavors jump out at you as you chewed? This is Oz Noy's playing. I can hear Jimi, Scofield, Wayne Krantz, but I can also hear some Wayne Shorter, a little bit of Coltrane, some things I've never heard before. He's sort of the happy medium between post-bop and sonic assault.

Will Lee and Keith Carlock support beautifully, and Carlock is especially home in this kind of no-man's land between swing, funk, and rock. He just makes everything sound natural while occasionally stepping out with some chops.

Some people don't like Noy because they don't like his sound. While I've never polled the world, I suspect these are the same people that just don't like fuzzy guitar playing jazz, like Scofield and Stern. Noy is like them in some respects, but very, very unique all the same. If you like Wayne Krantz you will find a new hero in Noy.