Thursday, December 14, 2006

Phil Collins

Philip David Charles Collins! Since 1969, for the beginning of the Genesis, Phil Collins was around music and drums. Phil was born in Chiswick, London on 30th of January 1951. He started his career with the popular pop band, Genesis. Phil got his first drum set for Christmas when he was five years old, afterward he started playing the drums in his free time as a hobby, when he turned 14 he started learning music and musical notations in Barbara Speake Stage School, in the school he enter his first band “The Real Thing”. He also learned acting, and he also had little roles in school shows. But Phil despite of an acting career, so he turned fully on musical career and join his first professional band Flaming Youth and after that Ark 2, which didn’t make quite a success, they released 2 albums, but it didn’t sell in big amounts, so the band dissolved after the unsuccessful albums. In 1970 Phil noticed an ad with was in a search of a drummer for a band call Genesis, after losing three drummer. The audition was at Peter Gabriel’s parents, and it was a success, Phil became the drummer for Genesis. For five year they were playing around and then suddenly Peter Gabriel left the band to start his own. After many unsuccessful searches for a singer, Phil took the Peters place and the found Chester Thompson for the drums. The first album with Phil was in the UK’s Top 30 at nr.3 on the charts. Phil also played at a jazz drummer at a jazz band called Brand X but the Genesis was at first place. From the 70 to the 80 Genesis released many albums but they started to change their alternative rock style to pop, but it was not a bad thing because the first song was a success, in 1991 “We Can’t Dance” was on the tops. Phil also started his solo career which was also very successful, with big hits like “You Can’t Hurry Love”, “Againts All Odds”, and the biggest hit of all time “Another Day in Paradise” on which he received Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1990. Phil also worked on music soundtrack most known on Tarzan in 1999, the album was in top 10 in the US and for the song “You’ll Be in My Heart” he received an Oscar! He was living in Switzland, but know he is living in New York as his is will be touring in 2007 around Europe with his formal band, Genesis.

Some links:
Phil Collins Official Website
Phil Collins at Drummerworld

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Chris Adler

Chris Adler! The double pedal is very widespread in metal and other kinds of metal music, because of its fullness that helps the songs to be the way a metal song should be. Now days many other drummers, not just metal drummers, use double pedals to make the song more colorful, and indeed, it happens. Chris Adler was last years best metal drummer, chosen by the biggest and most known drummer magazine in the world Modern Drummer Magazine, he was also invited on the Modern Drummer Festival 2005, where he received his medal for being the best metal drummer for the year 2006. Chris Alder was born in Washington, DC on November 23, 1972. He was always around music, his mother taught him piano and saxophone, but he also learned individually guitar. He first played as a bass guitar player in local bands in his town. With thies bands he recorded several projects as a bass guitar player. In the 1990’s he attempted Virginia Commonwealth University, where he meet with some musicians with whom he form a band which toured successfully around American from 91 to 94. And in 1994 came the big change, after several attempts on the drums he finally put down the bass guitar and started playing on the drums with a new band which he and his dorm friends made. In 1999 they replaced their guitar player and changed their names to LAMB OF GOD. Since then they’ve been touring and recording unstoppably. In 2004 they released there album 4th and they where the main band on the Ozzfest 2004.


Some links:
Chris Adler at Wikipedia
Chris Adler at Drummerworld

Friday, December 08, 2006

Daniel Adair

Daniel Adair! Nickelback is today one of the best alternative rock band, they conquered the world with their individual music. The big hit came when their son, “Hero” has been signed to be the original soundtrack for the movie, Spiderman. After that they made many other video clips and in 2006 they made their 6 album, and many of they came out to be platinum album. In 2005 came up some problems between the drummer and the lead singer, so the drummer left the band, and this is how Daniel got to be the drummer of Nickelback. Daniel started drumming when he was 13 year old, his dad was also a drummer and he had a drummer so he started to play, for the first time he just slap as he could, and so he started air drumming on rock albums and he was influenced by big drummers as, Neil Perl or Lars Ulrich, the drummer of Metallica.


Some links:
Daniel Adair Official Website
Daniel Adair at Drummer World

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Jeff Queen

Jeff Queen! Jeff Queen is the worlds best snare drum player, with his ultimate playing, the amazing speed and technique, and most of all, he plays things that you can just imagine. Jeff started drumming when he was 10 year old, and at the of 15 he began his drum corps career with the local Marching Bands as Canton Bluecoast, Velvet Knights and The University Of North. He won many Snare Champions with his amazing play, for instance the Drum Corps International Individual and Ensemble Snare Drum Champion in 1994 and 1995 and later the Percussive Arts Society Individual Snare Drum Champion in 1994 and 1995. Through the years Jeff was trained by many famous drummers and percussions as Scott Johnson, a very famous snare drum player and one of the best known. He have been in to many marching camp where he learn the most important elements of playing the snare drums and performing with the marching band, this was the time when he realize that drumming is very important for him, so he began to take really seriously. Due to his father job in the army, Jeff traveled around the world as a kid, and saw many interesting thing in the world. So as time went by Jeff learn more and more, so he turn out to be the best in the field. He enter many competition and he won and won, in 1994 and 1995 he won more then 5 competitions where he was considered to be the best of all times. In 2000 he started touring around America and keep clinics where he talked about playing the best way on the snare drum, and to play as fast as it is possible without playing hard. Jeff also publish a DVD with a book, "Playing with sticks" in which he introduces the Moeller and the Velocity tehniques.


Some links:
Jeff Queen Official Website
Jeff Queen at Drummer World

Monday, December 04, 2006

Matt Sorum

Matt Sorum! A drummer who is known by many, through the world famous Guns N 'Roses rock band, as he was the bands drummer for seven year when the band was at the top of their career. Matt was born in Long Beach, California on the 10th of November 1960, his parent Joanne and David were from England and Norwegia. He was influenced by his mother who was a music teacher. After seeing Ringo Starr, as the drummer of Beatles, performing on the Ed Sollivan Show, he decided to start drumming. He was much influenced by many famous rock band and stars form the 70'’s and 80'’s, like Jimy Hendrix, The Beatles, The Doors and Cream. His two brothers helped him to make headway in the rock music. At the age of 14 he made his first band with the local friends. The bands name was Prophecy, after performing with the band at different concerts, he was call to play the drums at other band as The Starwood, The Whiskey and Gazzarri's Crazy Horse Wes. After gradueting his left his band and the town to play on the tour with Gregg Wright. At age 19 Matt was living in New Orleans and playing in clubs like Jimmy's and OL' Man Rivers. Matt returned to Los Angeles, and went to play in local bands around local bars. He was very know around the town due to his drumming, as he was playing in 10 band at the same time. In 1987 he heard about auditionion on the bacalledald The Cult, after performing he was officially the drummer for the band. Through the year he was touring the band as sideband for big bands like Metallica and Aerosmith. In 1990, as the tour ended, he was asked by Slash, the guitarist of Guns N'’ Roses, to join the band. So Matt joined Guns N'’ Roses, and recoded their first album, "The Use Your Illusion" Records I & II. Then in 1991, they went on tour around the world till 1993. He was drumming in famous song as "„Knockin' On Heavens Door"” or "Don'’t Cry". Due to a conflict between Slash and Axl Rose, he was fired in 1997, but he and Slash meet in 2003 and friend again and formed a new band with ex-Guns N'Roses bass guitar player Duff McKagan, the was called Velvet Revolver. Today they are recording their second album, so there are very successful with the new band.

Some links:
Matt Sorum's Official Website
Matt Sroum at Drummers World

Monday, November 27, 2006

Zildjian Part 4

So Zildjian Cymbal were getting famous in the first part of the 20th century, as the hole jazz music era was starting to spread all over American, and then in Europe. In the first world war, there were problem with the product as there were very hard to get all the elements for the making of the cymbals, but Avedis work hard and solve the problem. Jazz drummers such as Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, and Papa Jo Jones used Avedis Zildjian cymbals. The cymbals were made with both automated processes and hand hammering, but Zildjian ended the latter tradition in 1964 after a rise in demand resulting from the popularity of the Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr. In 1968, the K. Zildjian Company and all European trademarks were bought back by Robert Zildjian on behalf of the Avedis Zildjian Company. Robert Zildjian, with a man named Dick Dane, invented the modern process for pressing cymbals into shape around this time in the Azco factory. Prior to this it was done by bumping with the Quincy drop hammer. In 1970, Zildjian needed all their production capabilities at Azco for their regular Zildjian line, so the factory in Quincy would send up castings to be finished into cymbals at Azco. At one point Azco was responsible for 40% of Zildjian's output. In 1975 there were problems with the Turkish government, and Robert Zildjian went to Turkey and brought over a crew to start making K Zildjian cymbals in the Azco plant. This was an interesting time for the Zildjian clan because it was the first time that Kerope and Avedis Zildjian were working together to make the same Zildjian cymbals, after years of competing with each other as Avedis Zildjian and Keropa Zildjian Istanbul. These were made until 1979 when Avedis died and Robert split from Zildjian due to the conflict with Armand. Shortly after 1981, Robert started Sabian cymbals in the Meductic Azco factory, with Kerope and his son continuing on making Sabian cymbals. The Avedis Zildjian company continues to produce cymbals today in Norwell, Massachusetts. Armand Zildjian was the head of the company after Avedis's death until his own passing in 2002. The company is now run by Armand‚’s daughters Craigie and Debbie Zildjian.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Zildjian Part 3

After the Sultan helps the Zildjian family to get back to business, in 1909 Keropa passes the tradition to his first son Haroutune II, but he is not willing to continues the company, as he wanning to enter politics, so Keropa has no choice but to pass the tradition to his younger son Aram, but he finds difficult to manufacture the product in Constantinople so as he is forced to leave with the army to Bucharest, he makes the second factory in Bucharest. In the meantime Keropa's daughter take the lead for the company in Constantinople. Within time Aram return to Constantinople to lead the company. As time goes by Aram is getting older an he has know one to pass the tradition, so he writes a letter to his nephew, Avedis III, son of Haroutune, who is already living in America, that he is the only one who could continues the tradition, but Avedis had a really good going candy factory in America which he didn't waned to leave, so the hole manufacturing is relocated to American, Aram leaves Constantinople to help Avedis III to set up his first American factory. The factory is established in Quincy, Massechuset in 1929 just before the Jazz era has began. As Aram left Constantinople, every manufacturing stopped in there, but Kerope doesn't wants to stop the factory in Costantinople so he makes the new cymbal company K Zildjian ( Constantinople Zildjian ), but unfotunately in the 20th century Constantinople is changed to Istambul, so the Company will go on with the name, Istambul!