Desert Drummer

When I was younger I remember those moments when a hit song became old. I mean, God help you if you were caught listening to this old song. In my mind, good music is always good music.  That would include the music that my parents listened to, which I also loved. I grew up with Latin Jazz (Tito Puente & Rene Touzet), Chicano Rock (Santana, Malo, El Chicano, War), R & B (Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & the Gang), Motown, popular music from The Doobie Brothers, Chicago and so much more. And I still love that music!  This is important to share because you can see what kind of music I did not grow up listening to, with Classical and Jazz being the top two on that list (more on that later). If you look at the big picture, this also means that there would be a lot of great music to discover in my lifetime . However, that was not going to happen for some time because I spent my youth listening to my favorite Rock music  College Studies  It didn't take long for me to realize th

Well it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing   is the famous title of the song released by Duke Ellington in 1931 as well as the point of view of various Jazz musicians when it comes to the thing that makes something musical. I respectfully disagree with their subjective point of view because there are so many different types of feel in different types of music with no particular feel being superior to another. We all simply gravitate towards a genre of music or even a song that simply moves us. Personally I love Rock, Pop, Country, World Music, Progressive Music, Movie Soundtracks, Classical, Fusion, some Jazz and will even admit as a drummer of all people that I like some Electronic music.All of these genres come in handy because I am one to experience a vast array of moods and feelings throughout my week. Honestly, traditional or straight ahead Jazz is a genre that I never really cared for. The first reason is because my father loved Latin Jazz so while some peopl

Every now and then I am asked why I don't use traditional grip when I am drumming. For me it's one of two simple answers:  I don't like it  or  it doesn't feel natural to me.  They are usually taken aback because they have seen several drummers (and I'm guessing some well known drummers) use traditional grip so they are curious to know why I am not part of that crowd. That's when I say that it serves no purpose to me because I am not playing a drum that is tilted to my right. Again, more confusion so the conversation continues.  Before I continue I need to say one simple thing: there are many who will disagree with me and that's okay. It's all about personal preference, which means that I am entitled to my opinion as well. In The Beginning... I started taking drum lessons during the spring semester of my 3rd grade year. My first teacher was Swede Meredith who was a great teacher and a professional Jazz drummer who had performed all over the world. He had

I always find it interesting to talk to drummers from different eras and musical backgrounds. This is something I get to do quite often because I work in a number of musical settings such as Country, Rock, Pop, Latin, World Musical Theater, and even Christian. Of course these genres also have a fan base that extends from children to the elderly so opinions vary with some being rather ho hum while others are rather strong. My age puts me in the middle of the various points of view that come from either side of the discussion. I am from a more modern era than the old school jazz drummers yet not quite as eccentric as some of the younger drummers. However, I say  eccentric  with all due respect because this new generation of drummers is doing things that are just mind boggling even though I may not fully understand their musical vision. Nevertheless, I have great respect for drummers on both sides of the aisle. When I talk to the old school Jazz drummers one of the first things they do is

Being a KISS fan and a person who likes a good heart to heart discussion I must admit that I really enjoy the podcast called  Three Sides of the Coin  because these guys are not just KISS fans talking about their favorite band but also guys who aren't afraid to tackle the issues that most KISS fans prefer to avoid. They have taken heat over the years for what they have said about every member of KISS but I do appreciate the fact that they do not back off or water down their opinions for the sake of getting along with others who truly don't know what they are talking about. I have sat there for hours listening to their show with the guys making be laugh and at times saying things that gave me an "A-HA" moment when they throw out thoughts and ideas that make perfect sense. Meanwhile, there are other media moguls who claim to be unbiased about their perceptions of KISS who then make statements that show absolute allegiance to certain former members who are obviously thei