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Hi there, welcome to the new-look website. Sorry it took so long to get up and running but hopefully the improvements will be worth the wait. And I’ll try my best to keep things as up to date as possible. Since the last update there have been a few things happening. Firstly, I completed two books for Sanctuary Publishing, the first 100 Tips For Drums came first and was followed at the end of last year by Crash Course-Drums. 100 Tips is aimed at the drummer who’s been playing a while and perhaps has a few gaps in their playing they want fill in while Crash Course is aimed at the beginner and is designed to get them up and running and playing along music within a few weeks.
Earlier in the summer I recorded an album with Australian singer/songwriter James Blundel. In June I played a drum event hosted by ACM student Leo Sutherland that also featured Mark Mondesir. The end of the summer saw another Bath Rhythm Course come and go it was a blast hanging out with Zoro for a few days. Shortly after Bath a call came in from Louise at Rhythm asking if I’d be interested in helping out with the new Rhythm magazine CD. Now, six or so CDs in things are beginning to run relatively smoothly. Just after the first CD was completed I embarked on another UK tour with Keith Emerson. We played a dozen shows, which were great fun. I actually have some footage of me playing the epic Tarkus that I’ll try to get converted and some clips put up here soon.
After Keith’s dates and another Rhythm CD I played a few dates with Ritchie Kotzen and Stevie Salas. I’d played a few gigs with Ritchie earlier in the year on some shows organised by Conford amps. Hopefully there’ll be some more dates soon and who knows, maybe even a rehearsal too?
Running up to the end of the year was busy as hell with Rhythm, the Crash Course book and teaching and writing course notes for the ACM. This year things are thankfully a little less intense and I’m making a serious effort to find time to practice, which had been sorely neglected over the last couple of years whilst trying to get the studio up and running.
There are some interesting things in the pipeline at present, one of them being Guthrie Govans CD which it looks like we might be re-laying rhythm tracks for at the end of April. Dave Kilminster’s and Jamie Humphrie’s are also moving along slowly….I also have a masterclass booked at Bob Armstrong’s new seminar room on the 30th May.
And finally, recently I’ve been listening to:
Jellyfish-Spilt Milk (stunning production and tunes-how did I miss this band?)
Muse-Absolution (great tunes and sounds)
The Mars Volta (amazing album-drummer John Theodore rocks!)
Jet-Get Born (its only rock and roll…)
Randy Waldman-Unreel (Vinnie at his virtuoso best)
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Well the studio is finally complete, OK, except for a few minor things. It’s taken all my free, and not so free, time over the last two years so and I’m glad to say it’s all been worth it. I can now sit and play my drums whilst watching the kids playing in the garden, keep cool with the AC and play into the night with the soundproofing. Feels good. Still a few niggles with the new desk and waiting on my Daking quad mic’ pre but the drums are sounding good. The Auralex Roominator kit has really help clean up the drum sound as has their Platfoam on which the kit sits. I can now hear a more defined ‘bottom end’ as well as clarity between the individual drums. Though I have to say the bare concrete floor and walls did have a great sound but unfortunately only for certain things.
Since completing the studio I’ve just finished another Rhythm CD and it was a pleasure to have Gary Husband come round to record. A stunning player and incredibly humble, he sounds great on the track he recorded. I’m now trying to back into practicing, it’s odd how over the last couple of years I’ve really fallen out of any kind of routine and it tough not to be distracted and remain focused for any length of time. Its coming back slowly with the aid of a few John Riley exercises and a few of my own which will probably appear in the shape of TD articles over the next few months.
Earlier in the summer I had a couple of intense drumming weeks starting with a clinic at Drumbeat in Newport, Wales along with Craig Blundell, Russ Gilbrook and Colin Woolway. We all had a great day and the following week myself and Russell were working together again, this time at Rhythmsticks along with Steve Alexander and Gary Husband. I’d been given the responsibility of organising the event courtesy of IGF, which was originally supposed to feature Keith Le Blanc who unfortunately was forced to pull out. It was a great day and a great hang.
The following week it was down to Bath for the IGF Rhythm Course. This year we had Simon Phillips, Craig Blundell, Russ Gilbrook, Gary Husband, Keith Le Blanc (yeah, he actually made this one!), Thomas Lang, Paul Elliot with myself and Colin Woolway there throughout the week. It was a great a week with Simon’s playing, drumkit and sound being a highlight for me. His attention to detail is inspiring.
On returning from Bath I completed a Rhythm CD featuring Russ Gilbrook then I rolled up the sleeves, dug out the tool box and got on with the studio knowing that I had two weeks in which to do it before Rhythm and more Total Accuracy/Lick Library backing tracks were due. Incidentally I’ve recorded around fifty or so transcribed backing tracks for Total Accuracy this year alone-good for the reading and transcribing anyway!
As for what’s coming up, it’s back to ACM next week where I’ll be teaching the improvisation degree course but only for a few weeks as I’m off on tour with Keith Emerson in the US. Rehearsals start around the 11th Oct, with the tour starting 21st in Seattle and ending 5th Dec in Reno, Nevada! Yep, it’ll be a long haul!! I’ll try and keep some kind of tour diary if possible. Watch this space.
Recently I’ve been listening to:
At The Drive In-Relationship Of Command
Joe Locke & 4 Walls Of Freedom-Dear Life (Gary Novak)
The Finn Brothers-Everyone Is Here
Muse-Any!
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Finally after ten days here in the US we have the first show under our belt. Last night we played in Everett, near Seattle on the first date of our tour supporting Tesla and the Scorpions. Everything went pretty smoothly apart from one keyboard sound which failed to trigger. Considering how slow rehearsals were to get going musically we did OK.
After arriving on the Monday we spent the next four days rehearsing in LA at a studio called The Works. It’s actually motion capture studio that has a couple of recording studios. They filmed the Matrix there and owner Clarke and his company were also responsible for Gollum in Lord Of The Rings! Also at the studio was the enormous Peavey kit of Bobby Rock who has his practice room there. After a brief chat we might see Bobby presenting some stuff on the Rhythm CD. On the Thursday I also had a meeting with Louise from Rhythm, who was over doing work for the mag, and Russ Miller who had bought along his audio for that months CD.
After rehearsals we had the weekend off and the first rain LA had seen in two hundred
days! Undeterred we took our hire car up to Malibu and Venice beach, a welcome relief from the confines of the rehearsal and hotel rooms. On Monday we took a flight up to Seattle and the following day we had a production rehearsal in the venue in Everett. All went well and myself and drum-tech-to-the-stars John (JW) Walsh stayed late-missed dinner (sorry John)-fitting the new RIMS mounts to the Mapex kit. John has worked with so many great drummers including Vinnie and to my surprise Billy Ward! He’s a great-not to mention funny-guy. We also fitted the new DW pedal (I like the Mapex Janus I just haven’t spent enough time with it and the DW felt good straight out of the box).
On to show day where to my surprise we even got a soundcheck and although the monitors are good it’s tough discerning parts in the ensuing wall of noise. Still, it’s all part of the job. After the show whilst picking through the CD of our performance backstage we had a surprise visit from another of JW’s previous employers, Alan White of Yes who lives relatively close by. He seemed a nice guy and had some nice things to say about the show (it turns out that he really is a nice guy as I learned later that he did in fact bring us down a 24” bass drum hard case to replace the softcase currently being used).
Finally, to a backdrop of hurricane like rocking from the Scorpions we climbed onto the bus, our home for the next six weeks, and headed for Portland, Oregon. Here we have a day off which for me means one thing, laundry. Ah, the glamour of life on the road.
This is more like it. At the Portland show due the Scorpions rehearsing during the afternoon we get a five minute soundcheck which for me involves hitting everything once and making sure everyone else’s sounds are in my monitor. Unfortunately by the time they call doors to signal the end of our lengthy soundcheck it’s clear that guitarist Dave K’s gear isn’t firing on all cylinders. Dave spends a few minutes ditching one amp to run in mono. We also learn that we need to drop a number and the end result of all this is that no-one’s happy, least of Keith, but we do proceed to play an angst filled performance that has a cathartic effect.
After the show when crew hands finally show up at 10pm (it’s union rules you know) our crew JW and Will supervise ‘the pack’ and we begin our seven hour drive to Boyce, Idaho.
The Boyce show goes without hitch and we’re soon on the road again, this time to Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s a long haul and we arrive at around 6am. We have a day off and I find a chance to pick up Elliot Smith’s last CD which proves to be as wonderful as anyone familiar with his work would come to expect. It’s a tragedy that this is the last new Smith release.
Heading out early myself and bass player Phil Williams finally get our laundry done then it’s on to the show where it’s another hurry-up-and-wait scenario. Apparently the Scorpions fancied a rehearsal which ended up costing them $4000 in overtime for local crew. For us it simply means no soundcheck and as there’s some pretty serious weather coming in there’s a fair chance that everything will run late in Denver tomorrow with the same net result.
Despite things running late we still got a brief soundcheck. Time enough for me to make sure my monitors were working. Last night I played most of the set with no monitors which was a challenge to say the least, I just didn’t get a chance to lean over and check what was coming out and the onstage sound is so loud I couldn’t be sure what was wrong. As a result it wasn’t a great performance but hopefully here in Denver I’ll make amends. Just time to a check a few bits of Rhythm magazine copy (a couple of gremlins meant that in the latest issue a couple of bits of audio were incorrect). Tesla drummer Troy Lucketta sticks his head round to say ‘hi’, which is nice and more than anyone else, other than Scorpions bass player Pawel, has done.
The show went well and was my first wearing earplugs. It was actually really tough discerning what was going on but it just gets so loud up there that I can’t afford to destroy my ears. However I like to make sure I have a few shows under my belt before using them just to make sure my monitors are well balanced. Post gig we take a brief look at the lunar eclipse then its back on the bus and with the muffled sounds of the Scorpions ‘Winds Of Change’ as a backdrop I’m editing the replacement audio ready to appear on the next Rhythm CD. Time for a beer in preparation for the 10 hour overnight drive to Omaha, Nebraska. |
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The delights of Omaha consisted of the Burger King across the road from the hotel followed by another 10 hour overnight drive this time to Rosemont, Illinois. After the show its overnight to Detroit and after that show its another shorter run finally onto Grand Rapids. All the shows are running pretty smoothly with soundchecks eliminated. It is after all full production so levels are identical from night to night with only the front of house sound changing what we can hear on stage. Though apparently after what appeared to be a much quieter gig in Grand Rapids we discovered that the Scorpions engineer has decreed that we must average only 98dB, Tesla 101dB and the Scorpions 103dB. Which does in fact the mean the Scorpions appear almost twice as loud as us. I believe Keith is looking into this.
We now have three consecutive days off as a result of the Cedar Rapids show being pulled. It’s the day after the election and the country will be reeling regardless of the result. Tomorrow myself and Phil are going to take a look at a Fiat Spider sports car which I spotted on Ebay and turns out to be in a garage just out of town. If it looks OK I hope to get it shipped back to the UK.
It’s election day here in the USA-let’s hope they make the right decision. I’m up early with my back hurting from another tired mattress. However, the good news is I’m now the proud owner of a Fiat 124 Spider! Shipping arrangements are under way and it should arrive in the UK about a week before me.
Well elections are over and unfortunately as far as the decision goes all I can say is Doh! We’ve just finished the show in St Paul and it’s bit cooler up here as we’re a lot closer to Canada. The show went well after re-adjusting the keyboard mix things sounded good and I felt comfortable. This was a big arena but because of ticket sales we set up half way down the room which was a little strange. A few adjustments to some Rhythm stuff and it’s time to settle in for a four or five hour drive in preparation for another day off, this time in Green Bay.
En route to Green Bay we’re almost thrown from our bunks to feel the bus grinding to a halt. Stumbling into the front lounge we discover that we hit a deer that had apparently made it across the road but decided to run back. Driver Ray returns, torch in hand pronounces the deer DOA, the front of the bus didn’t fair too well either.
The Green Bay show went well. Troy dropped by to talk drum solos. Also finally bumped into James Kottak from the Scorpions. Seems a nice guy-reminded me a lot of Simon Hanson! The drive after the show was long (8.5 hours) and gruelling (anti-inflammatory for back pain) but a mere warm up for tonight’s drive from St Louis, Missouri to Dallas, Texas which is down as 12.5 hours!
Actually managed to sleep on the journey-thank goodness for earplugs! A nice relaxed day off in Dallas and a smooth show the next night. After a relatively short drive of 4 hours we arrive Houston. I have most of the next Rhythm CD completed now though I need to purchase an update of burning software Toast (good for comparing levels too) after installing an operating system update disabled the old version (why don’t they warm you!). The show goes well: really loosening up into the drum solo now. Also purposely pushing myself to play different stuff each night, just to keep me on my toes. Strangely enough the relatively short 40 minute set seems to be just enough for me to get my daily drum fix. I can’t imagine saying that ten years ago when I was practicing six hours a day. Now, however it’s great just to get behind a kit every day. Plus the show is very intense and requires a lot of concentration, not to mention being a bit of a drum fest! It’s a good workout both physically and mentally. Am also managing to make progress on the new Technical Difficulties book which will hopefully accompany a DVD of the same name. Watch this space!
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Home news: Just spoke to my wife and learned that she drove our new Alfa into the post in our driveway (‘no of course I’m not angry’). £400 to repair, money I’d be a whole lot happier spending on an old Ludwig Black Beauty. Other news, we now have a dog, a springer spaniel called Fleur. Hopefully the worst of the housetraining will be out of the way (along with the car repair) by the time I get back! The kids like the dog though, apparently the first night Ellie went to bed crying because she loves her dog so much.
Here in the US, just finished the show in San Antonio. Took a wander around the Alamo this afternoon, learned a bit of US history.
In El Paso now with the hotel very close to the Mexican border and a few of the guys made the trip through for a few hours. Heard from the shipping company that all is well with the car, the wheels are in motion so to speak. El Paso and Albuquerque shows go well. Would really like to get some footage of the band now. Hopefully Clark will be doing some filming when he drops by. Ended up downloading Toast here in Phoenix-it’s cheaper than taking a cab to the local Apple store! As a result the next Rhythm CD is shaping up and sounding consistent.
A few days on and it’s Thanksgiving here in the US, something the British in our party don’t quite get! After Phoenix we hit Las Vegas, the ideal place to spend money on nothing-if gambling’s your thing-or expensive things you don’t really need. The show went well and we were off to Tucson, Arizona, a show that will take some time to fade from memory, at least by any of the crew involved. Held under the banner of County Fairgrounds this was an open-air show with what turned out to be wholly inadequate facilities all round. We were glad to leave after dealing with no dressing room/rider/drum riser and cutting down our set!
Onto San Diego where en route we watch a bit of the film Master and Commander, appropriate considering that the following day off we head down to the waterfront to the maritime museum where we discover the actual boat used in the film! The following day the show goes well and it’s onto Fresno where I manage to do some final checks on the next Rhythm CD which I get FedEx’ed off before we head down to the gig. With Fresno done it’s onto LA where we have a day off followed by two shows at the Universal Amphitheatre. Our day off is Thanksgiving so I’m now off for my Thanksgiving dinner.
The first Amphitheatre show goes OK though it all feels a little tense. I also forgot to bring my practice pad from the hotel did no warming up. Perhaps it’s psychological but I never felt completely relaxed as a result. The following day’s show went much better thought we discover afterwards that none of the guests made it in to see the show as the passes were left on the wrong door! The aftershow parties on both days look like something from 1987 with long hair and leather in abundance-strange.
Now we have three days off as a result of the Bakersfield show being cancelled. Next stop is Sacramento, then we’re off to San Francisco which is undoubtedly the most beautiful place we’ve visited. After a day in San Francisco it’s a short journey up to San Hose for our penultimate show. This could have been the last show as Reno was in doubt as cold weather closed in and threatened to cut off the route in and out. However it’s been decided that it will go ahead which is good news as I think I’ve had of enough days off.
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New Year 2005
Well the tour finally came to an end holed up in an incredibly dull and depressing gambling hotel in Reno for two days but the last show was fun with the inevitable silly onstage antics. Upon returning home it was straight back to work on another Rhythm CD with the deadline just days away. Fortunately everything went to plan and soon Christmas was upon us. And now with New Year out of the way I’m working on the April issue having just spent six hours yesterday recording the drums for a Dave Mathews band play-along, #41! After that marathon maybe it’s time to feature some Charlie Watts!
Nearly two months on my rather extravagant US purchase the Fiat Spider is still not here! Apparently it made it as far as Zebrugge but they’re waiting for a smaller vessel to sail to the UK! Ironically it now arrives in the UK the day I fly back to LA for some shows with Guthrie Govan’s Erotic Cakes. We’re playing at the Tone Merchants guitar store. They have an intimate but nice venue at the back of the store where we’re booked to play four nights in row the week of the NAMM show. Zak Barrett, sax player with the Fellowship, is coming along to join us for the second set each night.
My new Daking purchases are sounding great in the studio. The mic’ pre’s sound fat and the compressor is awesome. Hopefully this next US trip will also bear more Daking fruits giving me ten channels and two compressors but sadly meaning the Sony MXP 2000 broadcast desk will have to go.
I’ve recently been doing some recording for Brighton singer songwriter Ben Jones as well as drum tracks for my old friend ex-Motorheader Eddie Clarke. I’m also hoping to start work replacing drums on bass player Phil Williams’ CD soon as well as re-recording a track I recorded for acoustic guitarist Eric Roche. In the mean time it’s back to work on this months Rhythm CD.
Finally, the culture section….
Listening to: Futures-Jimmy Eat World…great songwriting
Reading: The Curious Incident With The Dog In the Night Time….unputdownable.
Gigs: Muse-Earls Court..Wow!
Happy New Year!
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At the end of January I was back in the US to play a few shows with Guthrie Govan’s Erotic Cakes. The gigs were at the Tone Mecca, a venue at Ed Yune’s Tone Merchants guitar store just down the road from the NAMM show where I also had chance to hang out a couple of days. The shows went well with one (not the best unfortunately) being filmed for some potential DVD footage.
On the subject of DVDs I also shot material for my upcoming Phrasing DVD recently. Provisionally titled ‘Phrasing and Expanding Ideas’ it’s aimed at making the most of your ideas. After a trial run-the clips from which will appear as downloads on the Lick Library website-we shot everything in four hours! It will also include some footage of a drum solo from a Keith Emerson show. If all goes to plan there will be two others to accompany this first DVD, all based around the Technical Difficulties material first seen in Rhythm magazine. Everything was filmed at my studio-which suddenly felt incredibly small-and I’m currently mixing the audio.
And finally my Fiat Spider is here! It arrived in Southampton the day I flew to LA! After a little work getting it through it’s MOT it’s almost ready to register (which you can’t do without an MOT-which you fail for not having registration plates and can’t do without insurance which you can’t easily get without registration plates either!). Check out the pictures!
Reading:
Dan Brown-The Da Vinci Code (how could the code breaking Sophie have never heard of the Priory de Sion with her work involving ancient texts? Hmm.
Dan Brown- Angels and Demons (ditto Maximilion and the Illuminati. I guess Mr Brown needs a way to explain this stuff to uninitiated).
Listening to:
The Music-Welcome To The North-very Mars Volta inspired vocals
The Killers-Great songs.
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June 16, 2006
Currently on a bus heading towards Phoenixville, PA. We’ve just played our first show with Keith Emerson featuring Marc Bonilla on guitar after Dave Kilminster left to tour with Roger Waters. Our first gig was at the Chance theatre Poughkeepsie NY where we also rehearsed for a few days. We’ve another 10 or so gigs here in the US and then it’s over to Europe for a couple more weeks. Once this tour’s over it’s off to Bath for me for the Rhythm course and then some much needed time with the family on holiday in Malta.
Prior to leaving for the tour I’ve had the usual hectic schedule of Rhythm magazine deadlines and ACM teaching as well as drum clinics and recording. As well as producing the soundalike tracks for Roadrock Music there’s been plenty of session work for various artists at the studio. Once I get time I’ll try to put up some clips of mixes once I receive them.
You’ll probably notice the SDS mentioned on the site too. This is something that I felt would prove useful to some drummers who want to understand the recording process better by offering the opportunity to record and mix their own drum tracks with them leaving with their own drum demo recorded by themselves. I know from my own earlier recording experiences how frustrating it was not being able to communicate how I wanted my drums to sound, so hopefully this process would develop a clearer understanding of that.
In fact on that front I’ll take an opportunity to rant here as I recently recorded the drums on what was to be a single for a female Australian singer. I’m assuming the song will still be a single but not with my drums. I recorded my parts to the tracks given to me and even by spending five minutes tweaking sounds I’m confident that these were great raw sounds, however when I spoke to the producer a week or so later it seems they ended being replaced by DFH (samples from Drums From Hell). Firstly the samples could easily have been triggered over the top using software such as Drumagog but it seems that the human element was an issue too (believe me, these drums were in time). My point here is that I don’t think a lot of these producers know how to deal with an acoustic kit as they’re so used to the world of programming and sample and/or loops. Treating acoustic drum sounds is an art and I believe that when these people turn up the individual faders and hear the dry ‘crack’ of a snare drum for example, they simply don’t know what to do with it to make sound like a great drum sound. Admittedly the drums on these sample CDs are very well recorded in wonderful sounding rooms but with good mic’s and pre-amps and well tuned drums comparable results are achievable. I guess I should just be happy that I got paid in this instance however I think in this age of bedroom producers whilst it’s wonderful to be able to record drum tracks from home, the people that then deal with the audio don’t have the studio experience of miking and treating acoustic drums and whilst it could be argued that this can yeald some unique and objective results the sad truth is that what ends up as the finished product either doesn’t sound very good or has samples rather obviously used or as with our original instance the drums are completely replaced. OK, rant over…and relax.
Guthrie Govan’s Erotic Cakes CD is finally finished and is available August 1st I believe. Listen out for the track Erotic Cakes on the next Rhythm CD. It’s frustrating just how long this album has taken to complete, Dave Kilminster’s And Jamie Humphrie’s seem to be going a similar route. It’s just so tough for all of us to find any time in between working to focus on these kinds of projects, which is a shame.
June 25th
We’ve now two more shows to go with Keith and we’re in a very wet and humid Bethlehem, PA. It’s an all day event called Nearfest today with Dennis Chambers and Niacin on before us?!? Unfortunately I’m sitting here in my hotel room while they’re on, enjoying some much need quiet time. We’re on a run of eight shows in a row which makes a lot of sense in terms of making a tour efficient but can feel relentless, even more so for Keith and Marc our techs.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Enjoy the summer and maybe I’ll you at the Rhythm Course or on the road soon.
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November
Music Live was last weekend and as well as clinics with my good friend Colin Woolway we also had a show with Guthrie Govan and Erotic Cakes. We had the new expanded format featuring Andy Noble on Hammond and apart from a few missed cues it seemed to go well.
Also been busy back at ACM as Term 1 draws to an end and Rhythm has been busy too with the new recording series. I’ve been honing my carpentry skills building a new garage for the old cars-the new ones will just have get cold and wet. And as well as working on a variety projects including the usual barrage of drum tracks for Lick Library’s backing tracks I’ve also begun teaching here at the studio. See the message on homepage for details.
September
Just back from the Scottish Drum Day and amongst other things preparing for a couple clinics this weekend in Cardiff and Barnsley (just around the corner from each other!). The drum day went well although it’s a lot of effort to play for twenty minutes or so. Seems like even more hassle when your taxi drops you at the wrong airport and you take a cab to the train station, then a train to Preswick, miss your flight a 10.20 by six minutes, then you’re told the next is at 17.40. So, after buying the last seat on that flight, I manage to buy a seat on Easyjet but from the other airport which I arrive at and get stung for £80 excess for my cymbals.
Prior to the show I sent off another Rhythm CD for issue 130 and I’ve already started work on the next which will feature the first audio to accompany the recording features. In the studio I’ve also been busy doing plenty of sound-a-like work as well a track on Tony Hadley’s forthcoming CD.
Talking of Cds Guthrie Govan’s Erotic Cakes CD is finally available from www.cornfordrecords.com. There are also some soundbites there to whet your appetite.
Jamie Humphrie’s album is coming along well and Dave Kilminster’s is ready but for vocals.
ACM is about to start up again where I’ll be teaching on the degree improvisation course
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Well the end of the summer seems to be upon us and I’ve finally gotten around to writing another update for the site. It’s been a busy year so far. As well as my usual Rhythm magazine commitments I’ve managed to find the time to do a variety of recording work including re-recording the drum tracks for Guthrie Govan’s Erotic Cakes (which are currently being mixed by Jan Cyrka). I also recorded Dave Kilminster’s rhythm tracks here at the studio along with Dave and Keith Emerson bass player Phil Williams. Talking of Phil I also recorded a few tracks for a CD of his and keyboard player Phil Taylor. They have some great material and I’m proud to be a part of it. Actually it was through Phil, both of them really, that I got to record four tracks for a recent Pete Cox EP. It was really enjoyable to record some great vocal material, especially with a singer as good as Pete.
In fact talking of singers I’ve also recorded half an album for jazz singer/pianist Claire Harper along with Guthrie and Andy Staples of Rhythm fame. The tracks sound really good and Derek Nash has done great job mixing it. I seem to play fairly regularly with Claire and really enjoy keeping my jazz playing in touch on those gigs.
I’ve recently returned from the Bath Rhythm Course where on the first day I played a show with guitarist Paul Gilbert. I was really looking forward to playing some of the Racer X tracks however the onstage sound was truly awful so I played the show from a damage limitation angle. Several people said it sounded good out-front but I’ll have to wait for a desk mix until I believe that!
Just before-and after-Bath I had a few rehearsals with Keith in preparation for the upcoming shows. And more recently had a few clinics for Mapex including a couple alongside Gregg Bissonette. The last Mapex appearance was at the UK Drum Fair after which I managed to drop by the Italian Car Show in Gaydon, Warwickshire-a good day all in all!
Upcoming projects include trying to build a garage/carport ready for the winter. I can’t put my cars through a UK winter unprotected-the Fiat would probably melt away as the tinworm took hold. On a musical note I’m off to Japan with Keith in a couple of weeks and we also have some European shows towards the end of the year. This will mean a few weeks away from the ACM where I’ve just started back teaching on the degree improvisation module.
Finally this post ends on a sad note. On September 6th, my friend and wonderful musician Eric Roche passed away after a battle with cancer. This is a terrible loss for everyone who knew him though most importantly for his family. A CD has been produced, the proceeds of which all go directly to Eric’s family and it’s available here:
http://www.philhilborne.com/merchandise.htm#eric
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