Jimi Hendrix Experience

I think there is at least one time in every musician’s life when they are completed fixated on one player or another. You study their style, set up your gear like them, and try your best to mimic their grooves, solos and fills. Sometimes, you can even obsess over them. (Sidenote: A letter to Neil Peart when I was about 15 years old actually did get a reply from the man himself! This was way before email of course).

For me, one player in particular, before Neil Peart, was Mr. Mitch Mitchell. Back in the day, my brother turned me on to Jimi Hendrix, and my first band covered Hendrix tunes. Looking back, I can’t name another drummer who could perfectly weave loose, bouncing jazz chops with the fire, attitude and groove of a rock drummer.

Mitch Mitchell in the studio

He was one of the funkiest drummers of his time. That is the main reason why I thought it would be great to feature a drum mix of his studio take of “If 6 Was 9″. As you listen you can actually hear the genius at work, with his unorthodox rhythms and fills. It’s all there:

He was one of the masters at creating a circular feel. You can hear it every time the band kicks in. He was even moving feels from triplets to straight 16th notes(at about 2:15). You’ll hear a bit of Tony Williams thrown in there too. Check out around the 3 minute mark. He just had something that no one else did.

Hope you enjoy this candid listen inside the genius of Mitch Mitchell.

I love the internet “tubes”. These “tubes” sometimes put us in touch with interesting people we otherwise may never meet. Diego Stocco is one of those people for me. Diego is a sound designer, which is an area of music I enjoy exploring. Diego creates sound(s) for many applications including video games, movies, and sample libraries. I stumbled upon his Vimeo profile a while back, and I was fascinated by his work. Check it out when you get a chance. With titles like “Bedside Table Bass” and “Drying Rack”… you are sure to find something out of the ordinary.

I contacted him a few months back, and he recently sent me a link to his latest work. It’s called “Music From Sand”. It’s a short track composed entirely from the sound of sand! Using various sampling techniques, he was able to pull beautiful, rich textures and tones from playing around with sand. The one technique that really grabbed my interest was how he created parts of the rhythm track. By taping DT Series Piezo Film to his fingers, he recorded the sound of his fingers hitting the sand. The sound that he produced is just brilliant. Have a listen and see for yourself:

The older I get, the more I realize that music is freedom. And, this video is a perfect example of just how free it can be.

I have the day off, so I am planning to write some blogs to fill in the gaps. Big gaps. It’s the musician’s creed of “hurry up… and wait!” There is A LOT of waiting around when you are on tour.

Look forward to the rest of the shows. 16 more to go!

Ivan Pacheco

For those of you that thought the high school marching band wasn’t very cool… check out Ivan Pacheco ripping it up on a snare drum. During this video he displays amazing chops, and breaks into some nice grooves. He actually takes it to another level.

I’m not just saying this because I was in the Amityville H.S. marching band either!

Ivan Pacheco on Snare Drum

John Bonham

This is a drummer’s dream! A web site dedicated to streaming Led Zeppelin’s rough mixes, drum-only takes, rehearsals, and alternate takes. The ability to listen to John Bonham upclose is something a drummer should not take for granted. There is no other drummer that has even come close to his groove and feel. There are some gems for everyone at this site:

John Bonham / Led Zeppelin Sessions

Do yourself a favor and have a listen. The only drawback is that you will need to download the ‘non-standard’ RealOne Player if you don’t have it already. It’s not the most user-friendly music player to use, and the install can be a bit tricky if you don’t follow the instructions.

A very special thanks to Andrew Elledge for the Zep link!

Billy Preston

Hearing that Billy Preston had past away really hit home. He was a favourite around the house when I was younger. “Nothing from Nothing” and “Will It Go Round In Circles” have always been favorites of mine, but it wasn’t until much later that I found out that he was a highly sought after player for the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and Eric Clapton. I was fortunate enough to actually see him live in 2000 with Clapton in Boston. It was a smooth show, especially with Steve Gadd on the kit. Billy Preston was a free, inspiring musician.

Rest in peace Billy Preston…

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Last weekend we went to catch Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings at the Prince of Wales here in Melbourne. We had been hearing these rave reviews for about a week before the show, so we were hoping it wouldn’t spoil it if they weren’t as good as everyone was saying they were. Even radio DJs were betting that it was the best show they had seen all year, and you know they must see quite a few.

From the first note this band had the entire audience in the palm of their hands. Every tune they played was as if it came down from somewhere up above and blessed the audience with groove. I have never seen a band switch gears so effortlessly before, and Sharon Jones delivered it all with a smile. She knows. It’s the only way to describe her. She just knows music and life. And what a voice.

The band were first rate, dressed in suits, and played in the pocket all night long. The drummer played kick, snare, hats, and a crash/ride. That’s it! He turned it out though, especially with such a mean left hand. I think every drummer should try that setup sometime, it’s a true test to see how musical you can be. Sounds like it would be easy, but it isn’t.

The band was headed to Europe next. If they come to your city, or you see that name somewhere in your city, go buy tickets. You will witness a true celebration of music, in the form of a nasty, funk & soul review.