Istanbul Launches 1960’s Tony Williams Tribute Cymbals

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: Nice idea, tribute.

NAMM 2015: Istanbul launches Tony Williams tribute cymbals
Based meticulous study of Tony’s original cymbals
RhythmJanuary 16, 2015, 08:30 UTC

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NAMM 2015: Turkish cymbal maker Istanbul has announced an exciting new line, crafted in tribute to legendary drummer Tony Williams, created as faithful replicas of the now iconic cymbals made famous by Tony on the recordings of the ’60s era Miles Davis Quintet. These exclusive new cymbals will be made available initially as limited edition numbered sets.

Istanbul was granted exclusive access to the very same cymbals, made in Istanbul in the late ’50s, …used by Tony Williams on the Miles Davis Quintet’s historic recordings. These cymbals were given to Tony by…Max Roach. Colleen Williams, Tony’s wife, hand carried the precious cymbals to Turkey where the master artisans meticulously measured, weighed, gauged and recorded every facet of them.

Tony Williams Tribute Cymbal Limited Edition sets feature 22” ride, 18” crash and 14” hi-hats together with a deluxe leather cymbal bag, a selection of rare Tony Williams photographs and a certificate of authenticity.

Colleen Williams. ”It was a profound experience to attend this ‘rebirth’ of something Tony loved and treasured…”

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1710 Percussion Owner Gives Back to Where Love of Music Started

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Scott K Fish

Union grad donates drums to school
Posted: Thursday, January 29, 2015 4:00 am

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A Union High graduate who owns a custom drums company donated some of his wares to his alma mater.

Union High graduate Michael Caimona, founded Maryland-based 1710 Percussion in 2012. The business, which makes drums…, arose from Caimona’s hobby of building personal snare drums and refurbishing kits.

In December, Caimona built three custom snare drums and donated them to the Union High School music department…to show his respect to…where he learned to play the drums.

[S]aid Caimona. “My love for music took shape the moment I started drum lessons in elementary school. I had to give something back to the school.”

Caimona presented the snare drums to the music department and fielded questions from students for over an hour.

“We talked about music, my experiences in school and how I started building drums,” he said.

1710 Percussion’s focus is not limited to creating drums tailored to their clients; charity is an equally important part of the company culture.

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John H. Beck: The Snare Auditioned 1,618 Students

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: What a great project for a videographer: Chronicling John H. Beck’s stories as he “whittles down” the memorabilia in his music studio.

Drumming up, sorting out the stuff of a lifetime
Jim Memmott 3:09 p.m. EST January 27, 2015

History is made up of stuff. Letters, books, pictures, snare drums, stuff.

“For some reason, I never threw anything away,” says John H. Beck as he looks at his history, his stuff.

It’s all there in his full-almost-to-the-brim studio in the Anderson Alley Artists building…in Rochester. It’s cataloged, counted and cared for, but, really, Beck suggests, some things have to go.

For the moment, the studio holds materials from when Beck, who is 81, started playing the drums in bar bands as a 13-year-old in Lewisburg, Pa.

In 1951, he arrived at the Eastman School, with the ultimate goal of being…a younger Gene Krupa. “Once I got to Eastman, …I got hooked on classics,” he says.

In 1959, Beck came back to Eastman [School]…as a teacher of percussion, …for 49 years. [H]e also was a percussionist and timpanist for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for 44 years.

[N]o wonder that his studio is overflowing….

“Almost everything in here has a story,” Beck says….

Beck points out a snare drum. It’s a Rogers Dyna-Sonic…. …Beck used that drum to audition 1,618 students for admission to Eastman.

“They were the major drummers of their towns,” Beck says. [B]ut of those who auditioned, only 258 were accepted.

His students include Steve Gadd….

“I didn’t really teach him,” Beck says with a smile. “I just guided him.”

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Mitch Mitchell Brought Elvin Jones Style Into Hendrix

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Scott K Fish

John McLaughlin on Miles Davis, Mahavishnu and More
by Dean Budnick on January 23, 2015

mitch-mitchell-thumbIf you really listen to The Jimi Hendrix Experience, of course, Jimi is killing. He turned the guitar world on its ear. But Mitch [Mitchell], who’s really a jazz drummer, brought this Elvin Jones style into the Jimi trio. There’s some beautiful musical stuff going on in there.

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John Densmore: I Stole a Ginger Baker Beat in “Hello, I Love You”

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Scott K Fish

SKF NOTE: I love these little factoids, these little cobblestones making up the miles of road traveling through the History of Drumming. Thank you, Jim Clash.

LIFESTYLE 1/25/2015 @ 11:27PM 8,126 views
Doors Drummer John Densmore On Oliver Stone, Cream’s Ginger Baker (Part 3)
Jim Clash Contributor

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JC: You were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, with Cream. What do you think of Ginger Baker as a drummer?

John Densmore: Unique, really great, and really full of himself too. I did an interview with him one time and the guy asked Ginger, ‘What did you think of John’s drumming?’ And Ginger said, ‘Let me put it this way: We were The Cream.’ Well, screw you too [laughs]. But let me also say I stole a Ginger beat – just a couple of bars – in Hello I Love You. Robby [Krieger] said, ‘Why don’t you do something like Sunshine Of Your Love where Ginger turns the beat around?’ That was real cool, so I copped it!

JC: Did you say anything to Ginger at the RRHOF induction ceremony?

JD: Yeah. I said, ‘I thought you were supposed to be dead.’ And he replied, ‘I am, mate!’

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