SKF NOTE: Whatever goes around, comes around. The first time I saw this photo of Myron Grombacher‘s 1983 Ludwig drumset, I thought of earlier drummers such as Chick Webb using the same concept with cymbal stands.
I also thought Grombacher’s was one of the cooler looking drumsets to emerge in the early 1980s.
Chick Webb (Courtesy marcdedouvan.com)
SKF NOTE: Bernard Purdie’s 1990 solo drum performance is from a larger drum project in which Chip Stern asked me to take part. The general idea was having a percussion magazine and a companion audiocassette.
The project never went public. I am posting this performance with Chip’s permission.
SKF Blog: Fun stuff. Thumbs up to Pete Best for his sense of humor and historical perspective.
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http://www.itv.com
Beatles drummer Pete Best to play himself in new John Lennon play
The original Beatles drummer, Pete Best, will appear in the comedy production Lennon’s Banjo, in Liverpool next year.
The show, which tells of a quest to find the first instrument John Lennon learned to play, is based on the novel Julia’s Banjo by Rob Fennah and Helen A Jones.
“I read the novel Julia’s Banjo some years ago and thought it was a great mix of fact and fiction with regards to the Beatles and the elusive banjo.
“It made me smile – a really enjoyable read. So, when speaking to Rob Fennah about the book becoming a stage play, I said in passing ‘I should play me!’ And lo and behold, here I am doing a few of the performances,” said Pete Best.
Life is Better if You Pursue Your Passion
Scott K. Fish, Special to the Piscataquis Observer • December 8, 2017
All my life I wanted to be either a writer or a musician. At age 18, figuring I didn’t have enough life experience under my belt to write anything worth reading, I refocused most of my energies on becoming a professional musician: someone who earns a living playing music.
I had been smitten by the drums 12 years earlier, but didn’t own my first drumset until I was 18. Before then, I started easing my way into high school garage bands as a lead singer. One of those garage bands — I think we called ourselves “Potter’s Field,” — was hired to play a school dance. Our drummer, Denny, quit the band a few days before the dance, and no one could change his mind.
Finally, Denny said to us, “You can use my drumset, if you want to.” I don’t know what was going on with Denny, but it wasn’t that he wanted to sabotage the band. He just really, really didn’t want to play anymore.
As sorry as I was to see Denny quit, when he offered the use of his silver sparkle Gretsch drumset — I saw an opportunity. “I’ll play drums,” I announced to the other band members. “Well, who’s going to sing lead?” asked Jimmy, the bass guitarist. “I will,” I said. “I’ll do both.”
At that time I had neither sung nor played drums before in public. I knew the basic mechanics of playing drumset, but I still had never owned a set. Other than noodling around on friends’ drums for a few minutes, I had never played a full drumset. But I certainly did know the “Potter’s Field” song repertoire.
Life Beyond the Cymbals
A Blog about Music and Popular Culture
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Life Beyond the Cymbals
Writing About and Reviewing Classical Music and Jazz
Life Beyond the Cymbals
A Drummer's Look at Drums and Drumming
Scott K Fish 
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