Peterson's Drum Blog

Cindy Blackmen Interview

2008-08-04T22:04:00.000-07:00

Note from Admin:
This interview is for July.

Petersons Drum Blog:
When you were 14 years old, you got your first real professional drumset. What was the first time you sat down behind it like?
Cindy Blackmen:
The first time I sat behind that kit was amazing because I worked all summer to pay for it and I had so much anticipation for playing it & I was so excited about playing a better instrument that I was completely elated!

PDB:
Tony Williams was a early influence to you. Why was he a big part of your drumming then?
CB:
Tony Williams was & IS a big part of my drumming because of his flawless technique, many innovations, his sound, his attitude on the drums & about music, his dedication to the instrument & the art of creativity, his compositional skills & his bravaro in general.

PDB:
You later moved to Boston to study at the Berklee College of Music with Alan Dawson, one of Tony Williams' teachers. What were some of his methods that you still use today?CB:
Alan Dawson was such a great teacher that I only took 2 lessons from him & I still practice the things that he showed me....... He showed me independence exercises in the Syncopation book & his rudimentary studies...... All awesome!

PDB:
Tell us about your days in New York City in the early 80's as a street performer.
CB:
I loved playing out there at that time because I could get 2 days of playing into one day cause we played for about 7 hours a day! It was a great place to work out things that I heard on record & had practiced & awesome to play that much. And some great people came out there too..... Even Dexter Gordon watched us one day!

PDB:
While in New York, you got to meet Art Blakey. You went to a lot of his shows and asked him a lot of questions about drumming. How much has he shaped your style of playing?
CB:
Art Blakey adopted me like a daughter & I called him Poppa! He taught me so much! ... Like how to shade the cymbals, he let me sit in with his band & even rehearse them once! And, to play behind him you had really step up to the plate because he play with the drive, power, feeling and heart of any huge force of nature. he also taught me a lot about things other than music which had to do with life in general..... He was a treasure!

PDB:
In 87' you played on your first compositions which appeared on Wallace Roney's 'Verses' album. What was your emotion hearing yourself on that.
CB:
Yes, those were my first compositions but on his first album Tony Williams played not me. And, Tony came into NY without his drums so I also had the honor of bring my kit for him , which by the way was his exact set up. I was so excited to watch him play the music AND my drums! And he didn't re-tune them or anything & told me that he liked the way they sounded... All of that was a complete honor!!!! And his interpretation of my songs was AMAZING! His concept is the most advanced that I've heard.

PDB:
A short year after the 'Verses' album was released, you released 'Arcane', your debut as a bandleader. What was the studio days like recording this album?
CB:
It was quick- we rehearsed one day & recorded the next. The album was done in less than 6 hours..... But needless to say I was absolutely excited because I was blessed with such great musicians like Joe Henderson, Wallace Roney, Buster Williams, Kenny Garrett, Larry Willis, Clarence Seay & more!Yes, that was an exciting moment.

PDB:
In your early Lenny Kravitz days, you made the first music video with him, 'Are You Gonna Go My Way.' What was it like to make that video?
CB:
I had never made a video prior to that so had no idea what to expect. It was great fun! We shot for abut 16 hours and to see the behind the scenes action was really cool...

PDB:
How did you finally adapt to playing for large crowds with Lenny?
CB:
That came by just doing more & more shows and it became very comfortable to do.

PDB:
In 2004, you left Lenny's band. How big of a decision was that to you?
CB:
Well, without getting into detail I'll say that then as well as my final departure from that band in 2007 was great musically. I was & am able to play with many more people & most importantly to play more adventuresome music- JAZZ/CREATIVE music!

PDB:
In 2005 you released Music for the New Millennium on your Sacred Sounds Label. How long did it take you to write it?
CB:
Not exactly how long it took to write that music because some of it was written a bit prior and some of it, just days before. I had a concept in mind because I wanted to weave a theme in & out. That song is called 'Insight" and we played it in several different ways throughout the Album. We recorded so much music that I decided to make it a double CD!
It can be purchased right now on www.cdbaby.com/cd/cindyblackman and there will be updates on my web site about other places to purchase it in the future on my web site www.cindyblackman.com and or www.myspace.com/cindyblackmanmusic.

Todd Sucherman Interview

2008-07-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

Note from Admin:
This interview is for June.

Petersons Drum Blog:
Your father was a drummer. What did he teach you when you first started playing?Todd Sucherman:
I took to the drums as an infant and when he saw I was serious about it around the age of 3 and 4, he showed me time on the drums. Basic time. We started on music notation around the time I was 6 or so.

PDB:
Your first paying gig was at the age of six. What was your set up like back then?
TS:
It was his set up really. A four piece kit with an 18" bass drum. Ride, crash, hats. It was a 1969 Slingerland kit and I still have it. It really is a beautiful sounding jazz kit.

PDB:
You later went to Berklee for a year. What was that like?
TS:
Much later! It was a special time. A fun and exciting 9 months I had there, and made many wonderful friends. I studied with Ian Froman and Skip Hadden as well as privately with Gary Chaffee. It's been 20 years already and I have many fond memories of that time.

PDB:
After Berklee, you returned to Chicago and became a session player. What was the recording scene like, in Chicago 88'?
TS:
Well, it took a while to infiltrate that scene. I knew several players in town and just started working and taking every gig I could. In time I was working with guys who were in the session scene and they sort of pulled me in. No easy task. There was a lot of work in those days (and I'm talking like an old guy now...) but most of that work was music for TV and radio spots. Again, it was an exciting time to be in my early 20s and driving from session to session never knowing what was around the corner musically.

PDB:
When John(Former STYX drummer)passed, you became the drummer for Styx. What was your first show like?
TS:
Well, I was brought in before then. John was in ill health and I was called to play the remake of "Lady" from the A&M Greatest Hits CD in '95. In '96 they called me again to Play on "Little Suzie" for Greatest Hits II. I was asked to do the summer tour in 1996 with the caveat that if John's health improved, the gig would be his. He died in the middle of that summer, so I've been around ever since. The first show was great---May 21st, 1996 in Cedar Rapids. I'll always remember that one. We did another 71 shows that summer.

PDB:
At first with Styx, playing live, did you want to play the songs like they were originally recorded, or give them your own style?
TS:
I always try to retain the flavor of the original recordings. I'm a different human being that John, as is anyone who would have the drum chair in this band, so it can only sound so alike, you know? I go for denser patterns and think in longer phrases perhaps. I enjoy updating things a bit but again it's important to honor the feeling of the tracks that were famous songs long before I came around. I'm not looking to jam "my thing" in there. If things fit nicely and musically, well, OK. The songs have to be recognizable to the paying audience!

PDB:
You put on a great live show. What do you do to warm-up before a show?
TS:
Nothing special except being loose in all my limbs and being on the verge of breaking a sweat. I stretch and warm up on a pad for a good 30 minutes or so before each show.

PDB:
You have a very nice snare collection. What is your favorite
out of them all?
TS:
Impossible to answer. They are all special to me for various reasons. There's not a dud in the bunch. I will say that Pete Stanbridge is a genius and might be the most exquisite builder of wooden drums--sort of a modern day Stradivarius of drums. (Stanbridgedrums. com)

PDB:
Have you ever played a show with one of your snares other than your Masterworks snare?
A. A Styx show? Sure. My main workhorse snare from 2002-2007 was a Pearl Ultra Cast. Great drum and one of the best in Pearl's arsenal in my opinion.

PDB:
Bubinga is your artisan finish of choice. How different in your opinion does the artisan wood on the inner plies differ on your new kit verses the old?
TS:
I've been in love with Bubinga ever since I saw the first Sonor Signature set at a NAMM show in '80 or '81. It's magical to me. I had Bubinga put in the inside of the drum more for aesthetics than sound. Again, being a fan of the old Sonors where they would match the finish on the inside, it gives the drums a hollowed out log look to me, sitting behind them peering in through the clear heads. The biggest sonic difference on the new kit is the round Reference bearing edge cut and the thicker shells from the 14" on up. The round bearing edge cut gives the drum a beautiful depth and rich fundamental tone. Very inspiring.

PDB:
Tell us about the gong bass, and what heads you chose for it.
Can you give us a run down on the cymbal set up?
TS:
All toms and gong drums have Remo clear Ambassadors. My live cymbal rig contains:
(All Sabian--all brilliant finish)

19" AAX Extreme China
14" AA Regular Hi Hats
6" AA Splash
8" AAV Splash
17" Vault Crash
19' Vault Crash
10" AA Splash
22" Chester Thompson Precision Ride
18" AAX Dark Crash
13" AAX Stage Hats
9" Proto Type Bell
10" Chopper
22" AAX Extreme China
20 AA Medium Thin Crash

PDB:
What was your idea for your new signature stick?
TS:
Well, I've been using them for four years but I suppose they've only been available to the public for a year or so. I wanted a fairly beefy 5B type size but made of maple, which is slightly lighter than hickory and much lighter than oak. Maple tips almost never chip and they dent in the middle instead of shredding like hickory does. As well, I wanted some weight shaved off right before the acorn tip so I could control the sticks easily even while holding them pretty far back. They are a bit unique I must say. I love the silky organic feel of maple as well as the ride cymbal sound. It's the stick I've always been looking for and they work in all applications and styles. ( Check out the Autograph Series Todd Sucherman SD330 W from Pro Mark---Promark. com)

PDB:
What head set up do you use live?
TS:
Remo clear Ambassadors top and bottom of toms and gong drum. Coated Ambassador on snare with Hazy Ambassador snare side. Clear Powerstroke 3s on the bass drums.

PDB:
What head set up do you use in the studio?
TS:
Same exact set up.

PDB:
Any plans for 2008-2009 clinics or instruction videos?
TS:
Yes! 2008 is shaping up to be a big year fro me. I've worked very hard on an instructional DVD that comes out August 5th called "Methods and Mechanics" from Altitude Digital. We filmed in HD Pro Resolution 4-2-2 in 16x9 and the eye and ear candy is pretty impressive, I have to say. It's a double DVD that clocks in at over 5 hours and has some unique things--lots of career navigational advice and thoughts on touring, practicing, achieving goals, and various mental aspects of playing. There are also solos through out as well as musical examples from Styx, Taylor Mills, and Jerry Goodman (of Mahavishnu Orchestra fame). I hope it proves to be enlightening as well as entertaining, and that it puts many musicians on the right path. I think a lot of young drummers are getting the wrong message and I think it's important.....really of paramount importance...to pass on information that can help people actually WORK in this business and find employment as musicians, and not just be stick twirlers and magicians. This is the culmination of playing for 37 years, since I was two. I hope it enhances the musical journeys of those who buy it and watch it. (Pre orders will be available starting the last week of July at Altitudedigital. com) As far as clinics? I'll be on the road through mid October so I hope to do some clinics in November and December if the economy lets me! Let's hope so.
(Check out the performance trailer of "Methods and Mechanics" at Drummerworld. com's video page....as well as clips at Altitudedigital. com)

First Promo Ad

2008-07-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Roland adds second CY-12R/C crash/ride cymbal to TD-12KV.

2008-06-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

Roland has recently announced that they are adding a second CY-12R/C cymbal pad to their TD-12KV-drum kit for no extra cost. Roland prides this cymbal for offering the "rebound, inertia and “swinging” motion of an acoustic cymbal." This cymbal also includes choking capabilities, making it even more similar to an acoustic cymbal than many other electronic pads. This will most likely put more interest in Roland's products due to the additional cymbal, and thus additional setup possibilities, at no extra cost to the customer.

Gig Talk 2

2008-06-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

People, you have to submit more storys! I only have two to post this month. Please remember that I love to hear from you and love to listen to your gig storys, so go submit them!

-Peterson

Nathan
My band A Legend Unknown got asked to open for "The Big Show" on the mainstage of SOMA, an abandoned movie theater transformed into San Diego's most legendary music venue. It had been a dream of mine to play mainstage for quite a while.

We showed up a bit late to the venue because of bad traffic, but when we got their everything was completely surreal. I entered the stage area and was greeted with the sight of two huge crane-like machines lifting several technicians up to set up the lighting that rested high above the stage floor. I began bringing my drums in, and was barely able to get my kick up onto the riser, it was so huge! After nitpicking every detail of my setup, I simply sat behind my drums and looked out over the empty, football-field-sized floor which was soon to be filled with 1000's of kids enjoying all of my band's hard work. I had the highest seat in the house, and it felt like a dream come true.

After soun d check, which was incredible (you haven't heard your drums at their fullest until you've heard them through 20 foot towers of powered speakers), I went down the street and enjoyed some Arby's curly fries. After that I went and mingled with people waiting in line for the doors of SOMA to open. The line stretched all the way down the line of buildings next to the venue, which was very pleasing to see. I saw so many of my friends in line that I did not even think would come, and it was amazing to have everyone there supporting us.

20 minutes later, we were standing backstage with seconds left til showtime. We did our ritual pre-show huddle, and after a few words of encouragement and a few mouthfuls of water, the production manager informed us it was time to go on. The stage lights went out and the crowd roared. I took a seat behind my drums as the twinkling keyboard triplets began. With a sustained cymbal crash and huge open d-chords from the guitarists, the lights shot on and the audience was illuminated. A feeling of great awe arose inside me, to see 1000 faces staring up at my bandmates and I, like gods. Our intro/breakdown commenced, and a huge void errupted in the crowd and suddenly filled with a swirling mass of flying fists, spin kicks, and various other hardcore dance moves. I had never seen so many people go so crazy for our music, and there are no words to describe the way I felt at that moment.

25 minutes later, we walked off stage, drenched in sweat, but inspired by the awesomeness of the size and power of the show we had just played. After loading up my drums,i met up with my friends and enjoyed the rest of the show. I was offered countless cigarettes (which I declined) by people impressed by our performance, and we received numerous complements and t shirt sales at our merch booth. After the show, the whole band and a big group of friends went to a tiny Asian restaurant and ate countless dumplings and drank bob a tea into the wee hours of the morning. When I got dropped off at home by my friend at 3 in the morning, I immediately went to bed, reflecting on one of the best nights in my life. So there you have it, my coolest gig story.

Seth
Once upon a time, i was in a Christmas play at church. I was actually playing in the orchestra, on the drumset. During the final song, we all smelled a burning smell. My friend, who was growing his hair out for locks of love at the time, had just been the proud recipient of a young lady holding a flaming candle. Needless to say, that was where the burning smell came from. And we all lived happily ever after (well... except for my friend. who smelled of burnt hair for a week). Good stuff.

New writer.

2008-06-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, some of you may know me as Indirect Delete on the Pearl Drummers Forum. Peterson commissioned me to be the drum news article writer for the site and I'm excited to start! At the moment I'm very busy so it might take me a little while to start, but expect news from me soon. I've been playing drums for about four years now and post constantly on the Pearl Drummers Forum. The drumming community is a warm and welcoming one and I'm glad to be a contributor to this excellent blog.

Inside Drummer - Vinny Appice

2008-05-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

Vinny is a major rock icon who we are very proud to have come to the site and be interviewed. Please enjoy.

Petersons Drun Blog:
What was your first drum set?
Vinny Appice:
My first set was a Carmine hand me down. Gretsch red sparkle.

PDB:
When you were 9, you took drum lessons from the same teacher Carmine had. Did he teach you anything before or after that time.VA:
Carmine was always on the road but when he did come by he showed me a few licks here and there.

PDB:
Who was your teacher and what did you admire most about his teaching?VA:
His name is Dick Benett. He was a great teacher, he had patience and he knew when you didn't practice the leassons.
He was also a great jazz drummer so when he played it was inspiring and made me want to practice.

PDB:
In 1980 you joined Black Sabbath on their Heaven and Hell tour, what was the tour like, being your first that big?VA:
Before that I played with Derringer and we were the opening band for Aerosmith and Boston so I was experienced in playing big halls.
With Sabbath I was now the headliner so it was a lot cooler!

PDB:
In 81' you appeared on the Sabbath album Mob Rules and then played on Live Evil in 82'. What kit did you use on those recordings and any reason why you choose those?VA:
I was endorsed by Ludwig, at that time they were the best and that's what I used on those albums and tours. I loved the sound.

PDB:
In 1992 you rejoined Black Sabbath, with Ronnie James Dio, for the Dehumanizer tour. What was it like for you to get back on stage with those guys after so many years.VA:
Well it's always amazing to play with these guys. They practically invented heavy music. It's playing with the best of the best! Total pros!

PDB:
How many instructional drumming videos have you released?
VA:
1

PDB:
Why do you choose to play single bass insted of double?VA:
Always did. I have a pretty fast, loud right foot and I intend to keep it that way by not becoming reliant on another bassdrum or pedal to fill up.

PDB:
You play a lot of clinics, what has been your favorite so far?VA:
I love doing clinics, there are no favs. They are all fun to do. I like meeting and talking to the people afterwards. After all if if weren't for them I would be here playing all these years.

PDB:
Have you or are you ever going to release a self titled solo album?VA:
No. I am a team playing a band member. I don't need a cd call VA etc to get off.
I just like to play in a kick ass band together and give it 110%!!

Link:

To find out more about Vinny, go to
http://www.vinnyappice.com/
or add him on Myspace,
http://www.myspace.com/vinnieappice

Or go to Vinny's Inside Drummer page: Click Here

New to the site...

2008-05-16T13:44:00.001-07:00

We have added a new calendar to the site. This is so you can see what's is going on and what is coming soon.

Go check it out!
http://peterson.ulmb.com/calendar.html

Updates v.3 BIG news! (Read!)

2008-05-03T20:38:00.001-07:00

To start off..

Bad News,
No marching section coming soon! That was an idea that went down the tubes, but I have not yet given up hope on it. So maybe you will see it later on in time, but I'll keep you posted on that news.

Another thing is, we are still having a problem with pop ups on the Inside Drummer page. Plus, the contact forms. Please forgive us for this problem, that can not be fixed.

And then the better news...

We have gotten a lot of great feedback from the Liberty DeVitto interview and the first Gig Talk. So much feedback, that people are starting to demand more interviews. So I have decided to switch the main reason for the website. It is now all about interviews and teaching about drums, insted of drum news all the time. So, to kick off this new switch, we will have 3 interviews from huge names in the business. But if I told you who they are, then that would take the fun out of it! Please do come back and see what's going on here!

and Dont Forget...
Gig Talk is always taking new storys from new and old drummers. If you send us a story, it will be posted. Last months was a very good post, I really want to say the same about this month to!

Contact Us
I love hearing from you! So contact us...

Add Us!

petersonsdrumblog@gmail.com

Gig Talk

2008-05-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well, for the first post in our Gig Talk, we have some good storys!
If you would like to submit a story, please do so by emailing us in our email form. You can find a link to that to the left of this post.

Tarik
Well, on March 21st, my band SHAPSHOOTER had a show in West Chester, PA at Fennario. It took forever to get there because I-95 was crowded due to the millions of people leaving Christiana mall. So, on top of getting there half an hour late, we saw the venue and it couldn't have been more than fifteen feet wide. But, we made due, accepting the teeny "stage" area and having a great first show anyway. Until the end of the night when the guy who was running the show just left without paying any of the bands at all. Needless to say, we were all pissed. But there was nothing we could do about it. We still played a great show and had fun, which just goes to show you that even assholes can't get in the way of having a great time!

Josh
I went to a block party where my dad's girlfriend's (mouthful I know) son, Paul was playing with a band. All of these musicians were older in their 30's while I was just 15. Well Paul knew that I played drums and decided that he was gonna call me up to play a few tunes with the band. I was called up unexpectedly and all the buzzed adults around were all cheering. I sat down behind the kit and played a quick little fill and it got quiet. The band told me we were gonna play "Mustang Sally", a song which I didn't really know the structure of, so i asked the drummer what the beat was. He gave me a verbal example and the band started to play. I kicked and everyone looked a little surprised that this "young kid" was playing, apparently, very confidently. I played through the song and then we proceeded to play Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused." After I finished I got off the set and bunch of people I didn't know were coming up to me giving m e compliments and what not. One guy even went as far to say that I sounded "like Bonham" (psh as if.) Even so it was nice to hear these things. Being a drummer I hated the way I played and pointed out everything I did wrong to my Dad. But all in all it was a great experience and nice to get some kind of reputation with older more experienced musicians. If any of you other drummers get the opportunity to sit in with a band, I highly suggest you take it. The experience is priceless.

Carl
I was playing a gig back in the 80's with my band ROCK ISLAND"..Smokin trio band BTW..Anyhow, I really liked this hot girl and she came to the gig...The theatre was packed to the walls...It was my time to show of..I did this wicked drum solo..I was breaking sticks left and right and just throwing them out to the audience..The place was on fire..Just me killing it on a solo..Anyhow...later after the show I was looking for this chick...Couldn't find her...I later found out that she took her mom to the show that nite,and she later took her to the ER cause out of 800 or so people,HER mom got hit directly in the head with 3 of my razor sharp broken sticks...Oh well...Never even got a kiss from her...Her mom wanted me dead...Don't know if thats a cool story or a cruel story...

Stefan Ray
Well, I guess when we all start playing drums we dream of playing to sold out arenas, huge drum solos, and travel the world. Can you picture yourself doing that? I was told a long time ago that if I could picture it in my head it was possible.

Fast Forward 19 years and there I was. Walking across the stage of Shania Twains stage to do the sound check on my kit inside Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville,FL. It was a hot July afternoon, but I could not even think about the heat. I was about 4 hours away from playing in front of the biggest crowd I had ever seen from behind a kit.

The stage is near the East endzone and there are people milling about out on the field and around the sound engineer. As I started hitting everything individually I was blown away by the sound. The kick drum actually did sound like cannon's going off in the empty stadium. Then the sound engineer gives me the signal to start playing around on the whole ki t to make sure it all sounds good. It was like a dream. It's 90 degrees outside and I do not even notice it. This got me really anxious for the actual concert. Shane Minor was the opening act for Shania and that is who I was playing for. I was filling in for his drummer.

The concert started a little late, but when the lights came up I couldn't see anything at first. All I could hear were my monitors and my drums were actually kicking my butt through the monitors. The monitors were so loud I knew I was going to have permanent hearing damage before the night was over. As the night went on and it actually got dark I could see the crowd really well. It was packed. Lighters blaring, people singing and screaming, and everyone swaying to the grove I was laying down. It is the most adrenaline pumping thing I have ever experienced in my life. It's like I was controlling all 50,000 people inside that place. It took me back to when I was in my room pretending I was Peter Cr iss jamming out to Kiss tunes in front of what seemed like the world at that age. I will never forget that day and night. It was the turning point for me. I got to experience a dream while I was awake. There is not a feeling like it in the world accept for when I get to hug my wife and hold my kids. They are another dream I experience while I am awake. Well, that is my coolest gig up until today. I hope you enjoyed it and remember, if you can see it, it can happen.

Inside Drummer - Liberty DeVitto

2008-04-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

Liberty DeVitto has come by to tell us what he thinks about drumming and the drum world. Peterson's Drum Blog is very glad to have him stop by and talk to us!

Peterson's Drum Blog:
What was your child life like?
Liberty DeVitto:
I was Born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 8, 1950, second generation Italian. Life began in a one room furnished apartment. My mom would empty a dresser drawer, line it with a baby blanket, and that became my bed. My Mom said it was the radio on top of the dresser, which she kept on all the time, that gave me my love for music.

PDB:
What did you you want to be when you grew up?
LD:
When I was a kid my first memories were to be a clown and join the circus,I love the fact that there were happy clowns and sad clowns... they captured every emotion...

PDB:
Liberty, Feb. 9, 1964 gave you the bug to drum eh?
LD:
O God that night changed my life..

PDB:
How big of a inspiration is Ringo Starr to you?
LD:
Ringo was and still is a great inspiration for me...He was the ultimate drummer in the ultimate band... and thats what i wanted to do, I wanted to be in a band and have girls screaming at me !!!

PDB:
How did you hook up with Mitch Ryder?
LD:
By the time I was 18 yrs old I had been banging around Long Island and had a good reputation as a drummer...Mitch's drummer (Johnny Siomas, Framton comes Alive)had gotten very ill.Mitch's tour manager called me and said they needed a drum to tour with them and they had heard about me...I said when do you need me... they said "tonight" , The first time I saw Mitch was when he walked on stage to preform..Mitch and I had a reunion last year at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...

PDB:
Supa's Jamboree was your fist studio gig. Tell us about that experience.
LD:
I had been in the studio before, but this was in Atlanta .. it was with guys who had done this before and had trmendous sucsess. It was a very exciting learning exsperance..

PDB:
You had to step away from the drums for a while due to the wreck coming home from the gig in Cleveland. What kind or re-hab did you do to get back your chops?
LD:
My first gig back was at a catering hall playin wedding. I learned more doing that then anytime else in my career...I was called on to play all different styles of music. It was fun.. I did that for 2 1/2 years..

PDB:
Your band "Topper" eventually became Billy Joel's band. Tell us how you hooked up with Billy.
LD:
I had known Billy enought to say hello when I was in High School... we both played in the same club together in different bands..Doug Stegmeyer(Bass) was in Topper , then he got the gig to do the Streetlife Serenator tour with Billy. After that tour Billy , who was living in Calf. at the time, wanted to move back to NY and put together a band that Recorded with him and also went on the road... (at the time he was using two different bands). He told Doug he wanted a NY style agressive drummer... Doug reminded him about me and the rest is history... The first album we recorded was "Turnstiles" the basic tracts were just me, Billy, and Doug... when Billy needed guitars doug and I brought in Rusell and Howie, and the whole "Topper" band was in the studio. Then with the addition of Richie Canata... that became "The Billy Joel Band"

PDB:
You were a Tama guy for a long time. Now with Mapex. What set up do you use?
LD:
I use Mapex "Orioin" along with sabian Cymbals, Pro-Mark sticks and Evans Heads.

PDB:
Can you tell us a little bit about Camp Jam?
LD:
We take kids we call "bedroom players" they practice all day and night, and put them in to bands, because thats what you really want to do as a musician , is be in a band...The see how it take team work and cooperation to make a band work..The come in the first day with their heads down , very shy.. then by the end of the week they are jumping around the stage doing solos like real rock stars...

PDB:
Little Kids Rock is your favorite charity. Can you fill us in on that?
LD:
LKR gives free lessons to inner city kids. It is just guitar, drums, bass, keys, vocal.. the things kids today want to learn...LKR supplys them with the instrument and if the kid sticks with the lessons for a year he/she gets to keep that instrument..

PDB:
Can you tell us about any studio ventures your involved in at the moment?
LD:
I record with a lot of "independant artists". There is some great stuff out there... It's a shame how bad shape the music business is in...thank goodness for the internet..

PDB:
What is one experience that comes to mind that sticks out while on the road with Billy all these years?
LD:
Well there were these two chic's .....
No I'm kidding, well there was these two chic's but I wont talk about that.... I would have to say playing in Cuba in 79, and Russia in 86....

PDB:
What advice do you give to young people you talk to when they tell you they want to play drums?
LD:
When your band starts going places and recording , get everything in writing, you may be great friends now but who knows what will happen down the road...

PDB:
One last question I have to ask...The groove you laid down on "Just the Way You Are", was that a natural feel thing or something you had to fit in or what? I've always loved that groove...
LD:
Its kind of half Reggae, the bass drum on three and half somba... with the little tom fill..

Links:

To find out more about Liberty, go to
www.myspace.com/ldthedrummer

To find out more about Little Kids Rock, go to
www.littlekidsrock.org/
www.myspace.com/littlekidsrock

To find out more about Camp Jam, go to
www.campjam.com
www.myspace.com/campjam

Or go to Liberty's Inside Drummer page: Click Here

Update v.2

2008-04-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ok everyone. I have been working really hard the last couple of weeks to get ready for a lot of stuff. In this post, I will tell you all that will be going on in the next couple of weeks.

1st- New Staff Member

Blair Winters has been added to the staff on Peterson's Drum Blog! If you need to contact him, push the contact us in the left side of the website and select other in the drop down menu!

2nd- New Marching Sections

Well to start off, with the new sections, I'll tell you about Drum Corp News. At the end of each month, our new marching section leader, Blair, will tell everyone about the drum corp world!

3rd- Marching Section Update

We have moved this back two months! The marching section will make it's first post on April 30 08. We moved it back because we have hired Blair to be in charge of the marching, so now everything is under control and will be up on the 30th!

4th- Myspace

Peterson's Drum Blog now has a Myspace profile! Each month there will be a different layout. It will be our favorite drummers or favorite drums. You know, just to change stuff around. So, Add Us!
www.myspace.com/petersonsdrum

That's it for now! We will now start to post drum news now that everything is mostly put together...

If you need anything else, have a idea, or have a question please email us.

petersonsdrumblog@gmail.com

Everything is back up!

2008-04-12T18:55:00.000-07:00

For the past couple weeks, things have really been messing up. So finally I went into the control panel today, and redid everything. Now all of the email forms are back up and running and I redid them, so they are now better looking. I also have added to the left panel the email form to fill out for you to be on gig talk. All you do is click the link, fill out the form and there it is! You will get a email saying if you will be on the front page or not.

I have a lot more stuff to do and more stuff to tell you, but that will be in my Updates #2 post tomorrow with all of the other news we're doing on the site. So come back tomorrow to get the rest of the news on the website.

Thanks.
-Peterson

Updates

2008-04-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

Peterson's Drum as been working a lot on the site. Making new graphics and making new pages. Below is some promo 'ads' for some upcoming things you'll be seeing on the site.

Yep...that's right! We're coming out with a marching section on the website. In this section there will be marching tips, marching merch. , and a lot more.

Moving on...Gig Talk is going to give you a chance to tell us your coolest gig story. Each story submitted will be on the homepage of the site at the end of each week.

We will update when things start to happen...But we sure would love to hear from you. So drop us a line...

petersonsdrumblog@gmail.com

Inside Drummer - Matt Disbrow

2008-03-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well it’s that time of the month! Peterson’s Drum Blog is very proud to present our first Inside Drummer interview . Matt Disbrow, from Ohio band Shakebase, is stopping by this month to tell you about his view on drumming and much more.

Peterson's Drum Blog:
Matt, before we learn about you, let’s learn about your drums. What are the sizes and color?
Matt Disbrow:
Pearl SMX: 22x18 kick, 10x8 and 12x9 toms (13x10 on occaision), 16x16 floor, and a 14x5 Pearl Chad Smith signature snare.

PDB:
How long have you had that set?
MD:
I've had it for about 4 years now.

PDB:
Do you plan to keep it longer, or do you have your eye on any others?
MD:
I plan to keep it for a very long time. They're very nice drums, with very versatile sound...I still have a lot of sound to experiment with. Plus, I've got a floor-kick converter on the way, so technically I will have two kits to use: the kick, 12, and 16 for a larger kit, and the 16, 10, and 13 for a smaller jazz/jungle kit.

PDB:
Now let’s hear about you. What or who inspired you to play and why?
MD:
I hadn't really found any instrument I enjoyed when I was younger. I played piano and trumpet. In the music store, I saw the drum section and I wanted to play from then on. In terms of drumming inspiration, I'd say I worship John Bonham as my lord and savior.

PDB:
What was your first gig?
MD:
My first gig was about 2 years ago at a benefit concert my school puts on.

PDB:
How did you become the drummer for Shakebase?
MD:
There aren't many talented drummers where we live. Two of the other members I'd been friends with for a very long time, and we just wanted to make music. Namely music that our town had never heard before.

PDB:
How long has Shakebase been around?
MD:
We've been official since July/August of 2007.

PDB:
Do you plan to go on the road with them, or is it always going to be a local band?
MD:
We plan on going on the road in the summer. Expect to see us in IN, KY, and quite possibly MI, PA, and TN.

PDB:
Do you write any of your own stuff?
MD:
I do write my own solo music, but I am usually to busy to write/record any of it. Most of my time is devoted to Shakebase, be it practicing or engineering some tracks.

PDB:
Is there any advice you want to give to new drummers?
MD:
Don't give up! It's hard! It's so easy to put your sticks down and get aggrivated, but really the more you practice the better you'll become. Pretty simple.

PDB:
Thanks Matt for the interview! Is there anything that you would like to add?
MD:
Listen to Shakebase and look out for a full-length album in May/June!

PDB:
I will inform the readers when that debut album comes out.

To find out more about Shakebase, go to
www.myspace.com/shakebase

To find out more about Matt Disbrow, go to
www.myspace.com/mattdisbrow

Or go to Matt's Inside Drummer page: Click Here

Inside Drummer

2008-03-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Peterson's Drum Blog has opened a section of the website. This new section is called 'Inside Drummer'. At the end of each month, Inside Drummer will be interviewing drummers from around the world. Some may be your idols, some you may have never heard of. But each of these people have been playing for some time now and know what they are talking about. We are still making many updates to it, just like the blog, so please give us time! To go to the Inside Drummer homepage, click on the link to the left sidebar that says Inside Drummer.

Please email me anytime to tell or ask me anything.

Thanks,
Peterson

Travis Barker Remix

2008-03-16T20:11:00.001-07:00

At the start of Feb. I was talking to Travis Barker about his "Soulja Boy" remix. He told me that he is having more than one remix coming out in the next few months to come. So I go onto Myspace today and he has told me that his newest remix is now on iTunes to buy. So I now give you "Low" the Travis Barker Remix. This video is of him in the recording studio. Enjoy!

iTunes, for drummers?

2008-03-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

Itunes have a lot of music, but for drummers too? Now, the answer is yes! I recently came across a CD put together by an iTunes user. On this CD, it has maybe 15 different drummers such as Simon Wright, Carmine Appice and brother Vinny Appice, Eric Singer, Jason Bonham, and much more. You can find this on iTunes by searching in the search bar "Drum Heroes". But the only downside is, all of these tracks have been redone, but honestly who cares? For .99 I'd love to hear any drummer jam to one of my favorite songs.

The list below are songs that I have purchased from iTunes. Do you see any of your favorite songs in here?