Steve Bowman:
I try to capture the "spirit" of a song by listening to the lyric, melody, progression and tempo, and by working with the songwriter, producer or band to find the best parts, tones and feel for the track.
Phil Collins once said "If the drum track is solid everything else seems intentional." He's right.
My favorite drummers are Ringo, Mick Fleetwood, Bun E Carlos, Steve Jordan, John Bonham... I also love Jeff Lynn's drum production. And Steve Gadd's ghost notes, and Karen Carpenter's voice (AND drumming)...
I am located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Sometimes a simple change can make a big difference. Maybe you have a song that's missing something or a great song that isn't working live. Maybe you have stalled out on a song you think has potential.
Maybe I can hear something you are missing.
Great songs are a must, but you have to play them well too. Combining attitudes, egos, skill levels, and musical preferences are all part of the challenge we face when creating a band. Sometimes it takes hard work for players to gel together.
I can save you time (and pain) by working with your band to identify any weak spots in the songs or the set as a whole. Whether you are trying to improve your live show or preparing to record, I can help your band groove better, play more dynamically, and try to get everyone "playing for the song".
Drummer Akira Tana's website features reviews, sound bites, itinerary, biography, cds, drum set-up.
Akira Tana was born in San Jose, California. He received degrees in East Asian Studies from Harvard University in 1974 and percussion from the New England Conservatory in 1979. Since moving to New York, he has established himself as one of today's most sought-after drummers on the international jazz scene.
Recognized for his ability to ignite the spark of many top rhythm sections and create pure musical dialogue with mainstay soloists, his colorful interactive style has led to concert, club and recording work with jazz greats such as Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Zoot Sims, Hubert Laws, Milt Jackson, Jim Hall, Art Farmer, The Paul Winter Consort, Paquito D'Rivera, James Moody, J.J. Johnson, Lena Horne, and The Manhattan Transfer, just to name a few. His work has not solely been limited to the jazz field; he has performed at the Tanglewood Festival under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa and Gunther Schuller and has accompanied diverse artists such as Charles Aznavour, Maurice Hines and Van Dyke Parks with performances on over 100 recordings.Tana has played at many international jazz festivals, and has toured throughout the world. In the jazz education field, he has given workshops and clinics at a number of U. S. colleges including University of Pittsburgh, University of Georgia, University of Miami, and Berklee College of Music. Of particular interest was a concert-clinic tour of South America with the Heath Brothers sponsored and presented through the U.S. State Department ...
Drummer Tony Reedus' website features reviews, sound bites, itinerary,
biography, cds, drum set-up.
Tony Reedus was born in Memphis in 1959, took up drums at age 14, and soon after started playing with his school band. Inspired by his uncle, veteran Jazz Messenger pianist James Williams, Reedus became interested in playing jazz and began developing his conceptions in high school through private studies and analysis of the styles of personal influences such as Chick Webb, Art Blakey, Louis Hayes, Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Tony Williams and Victor Lewis.
After high school graduation, he enrolled at Memphis State University in 1978. In addition to music studies, he worked in local clubs with saxophonist Herman Green and numerous other Memphis musicians. Also during this period Reedus performed with stellar New York musicians such as Milt Jackson, Slide Hampton and Frank Foster. During an appearance at Memphis' Blues Alley, Woody Shaw showed up, and was impressed enough to ask the drummer to audition for him in New York ...
Stewart Copeland was the founding member and drummer of the Police. The Police were the biggest band of the late seventies and early eighties and Stewart Copeland's work with Andy Summers and Sting inspires new artists and bands to this day. This website has been created to showcase Stewart's past work and inform his fans of what he's working on at the moment. Within these pages you will find some great videos and articles covering Stewart's past and present work. Please feel free to dip your hand into the Stewart Copeland 'cookie jar'.
Numan Elyer web site one of the best darbuka, doumbek players.
Numan is a multi-percussionist of Turkish origin and is now permanently based in London. His main instrument is the darbuka, although he is proficient in many others. He is a full-time musician who prides himself on his professionalism.
Numan is one of the pioneers of the new ‘all-finger’ style of darbuka playing and is fast gaining a reputation for himself in the UK. His range, ability and ear for all rhythms enables Numan to play many musical styles, not only those from the Middle East. As well as performing, he is a session player and teaches.
Instruments Played:
- Darbuka
- Frame Drum (def)
- Bongos
- Hand Cymbals
- Tambourine
- Davul
- Ghatam
- Djembe
Mike Orris, Jr. was born on July 16th, 1985 in Reno, Nevada. His early childhood was filled with inspiration from his Father who would practice in front of him on an old Ludwig drum set. His aspirations grew more and more for the instrument and by the time when he was forced to live with his Aunt and Uncle when he was a young child, the drums came right along with him. At the age of nine he had the drums set up in a converted garage in the back of his parent's house. With no schooling and a natural feel for music Mike progressed rather quickly and was playing with an extreme metal band by the time he was ten years old.
As well as his love for drumming Mike found an interest in playing the guitar and the bass and quickly came to understand the instruments and began writing music. His first performance with an original band was when he was thirteen years old and since then he has been performing, recording, and achieving his goals. At the age of thirteen Mike began to practice on a regimented schedule and learned the fundamentals that he skipped over in the previous years which included diversifying his capabilities and styles, learning rudiments, listening to great drummers and musicians, etc. He states that his knowledge and skill of other instruments has definitely helped his playing in all aspects because he can feel, sense, and understand where the other musicians are coming from within a musical situation. He believes that it makes his playing flow more easily and more freely when playing with others ...