I am a semipro-level drummer with vocals. I play in The Baker Street Irregulars (when they're playing, which currently they're not), serving up a tasty stew of post-punk pop rock, ska, spacious art-rock, funk and whatever else is delicious. Right now I'm looking for something different to do, preferably something that will push me to stretch my skills, maybe grow some new muscles. Email me with invitations!
Influences and style
I sound a bit like a mix of Stewart Copeland, Chester Thompson, Omar Hakim and 60's-70's-era rockers like Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker and Bonzo. But mainly I sound like me.
My formative influences as a little larval drummer were the first Muppet Movie soundtrack; an obscure Cat Stevens album called 'Numbers'; 'Sports,' by Huey Lewis & the News; and megadoses of The Police. I grew up in Australia in a time and place where records were expensive and radio was lame. To those first influences I went on to add Omar Hakim from Sting's first albums, then some Weather Report and The Dregs. Back in my college days, I took conga lessons one summer from local master Arturo Rodriguez and at that time also learned some latin grooves for drumset from Scott Mercado, the drummer for Candlebox. I even took tabla for a year or two, and once took a taiko workshop. In the end I recognized that I enjoy stick drumming more than hand drumming.
What I want to learn: everything, but especially jazz, New Orleans styles, double bass footwork, timbales, maybe drumline stuff, and maybe some dumbek for the tasty licks.
Miscellany
Non-smoker, non-user, basically don't drink. Very non-flaky. Own transportation & practice space. Laid back, cooperative guy. Take direction well, take initiative too. Been drumming since I was 10.
I don't require that my collaborators have all the same interests as me. I don't claim to know all the cool stuff out there. Nor do I care about stuff like age, gender, race, orientation, class, education, etc. (right-wing bigots can kiss my hairy ass, tho). Let's just make some good music, alright?
I can read drum charts, but I don't do it often enough to be able to sight-read.
Singing is fun. In my current groups I often sing backup while I play. I sing in 'lead' range. I've never fronted a group, but wouldn't mind trying. A cappela stuff would be fun too.
Listening favorites
I listen to instrumental music at least as much as "worded" music. For me, lyrics are usually (not always!) just something to say while you're singing, so a piece like Sting's "Fields of Gold," which is really all about the words and not about the music, doesn't really rev my engine. Here are some favorite albums and artists.
- The Police
- The Beatles, "Abbey Road" (mostly prefer the odd numbers)
- Bela Fleck, and lots of it
- Chris Thile, "Not All who Wander are Lost"
- Weather Report, "Black Market" and "Heavy Weather"
- Phish, "A Picture of Nectar"
- Genesis Live: The Mama Tour (this is a video; it rocks except for the junky pop medley at the end)
- Rush, "Hemispheres" + "Moving Pictures" (boo for Lee's voice)
- Bob Marley, "Legend"
- Bobby McFerrin, "Spontaneous Inventions"
- Jeff Beck & Jan Hammer's 1975 live album
- Tenacious D! (but only their eponymous album)
- The Dregs, "Industry Standard"
- Jazz a la "Maiden Voyage," "Time Out," "Joe Cool's Blues"
- Funk a la Stevie Wonder, James Brown, the Meters
- Stewart Copeland, "The Rhythmatist"
- Presidents of the United States of America
- Puggy, "Dubois Died Today"
- Gomez, "How We Operate"
- Gotye, "Making Mirrors"
- In the classical vein, I lean toward contrapuntal stuff, not heavy Romantic
Interests, Aims, Dreams, etc.
Since I have a family and home and happiness here, I don't want to pursue the big time and tour. I'd love to be part of a well-loved local band, playing Puget Sound gigs and occassionally one-shotting to places farther out around the Pac-NW. The grandest gig I'd likely pursue would be to play Bumbershoot. Not interested in a world tour or MTV or Shea Stadium.
As for projects, like most musicians I have a wild flock of ideas flapping around my head, and I'm open to others. Here are some:
- Medley band - I'd love to play in a band that could do, say, three to six songs in each of various different genres—kids' music, hard rock/metal, world music, jazz, pop rock, prog rock, newgrass, ska/reggae, N'Orleans blue funk, etc., etc.—and not sound lame at anything.
- Prog band - I'd be up for doing original prog tunes if I found a talented songwriter, but more practical would be a cover project that picked a handful of challenging tunes and worked them up for a concert or two, then moved on to new ones.
- Multiple drummers - It would be a blast to play together with another drummer and/or percussionist(s)—maybe in a band, maybe as a drum duet or ensemble; maybe jamming, maybe playing set pieces. It's something I'd like to experiment with.
- Gypsy shades - I dig the scales used in Arabic, Gypsy, Klezmer and suchlike music, so I'd enjoy playing with someone who could throw some of that into the mix.
- Japanese - I speak it, so I could enjoy working with Japanese musicians if our interests were compatible. It would be cool to try creating some fusion tunes using Japanese scales and rhythms within an American/Western band framework. And if there are any taiko players out there who'd like to try collaborating with a drumset player, I'd be your guy.
- Electronics - If you're willing to take me by the hand and lead me through the process of adding effects, incorporating loops and whatnot, I'll gladly go along with you. I myself don't have that expertise yet.
- Putting on a show - something with costumes and choreography!
No thanks, not interested
...in muzak, bubblegum pop, buttrock, serious country, hard punk or death metal or gothic stuff, weepy depressing wear-lots-of-black music, or jazz that's so smooth it has no edges to it (I don't like that marshmallowy-soft jazz guitar or EWI sound). Also I'm not interested in playing only a straight beat in song after song after song.
Gear
This is what my kit has most often looked like for the past few years. >>>
On stage, I swap between a 5.5"d birch snare tuned "medium sharp" and another 6.5" maple snare tuned "medium fat." I have kerchiefs tied to them so that I can easily adjust the choke, allowing more or less ringiness by flipping the cloth on or off the head. Gives me a lot of flexibility of style.
Historically I have tended towards Zildjian cymbals, but not exclusively. Today I own 14" Mastersound hats, 20" A ping ride and an old 10" splash all from Zildjian, an 18" unmarked Sabian reproduction of an original Buddy Rich crash-ride which resides in the collection of Donn Bennett, a 13" Stagg crash that convinced me not to judge a book by its cover, and a 6" Sabian splash (more like a splish). I'm also using a 12" Zildjian splash that I'll probably buy from its owner.
I bought a double bass pedal sometime after the turn of the millenium, after nearly 20 years of playing single kick. I haven't really pushed or felt pushed to play double-kick-oriented material, so I still can't really use them well enough to apply much outside of practice—I usually leave them at home. But I am making slow progress, and someday I'll put it to use.
I plan to buy a new, killer kit this year. Starclassic? Hmm... And I need an alternative ride (maybe dual-lathed?) and a mid-sized crash. And I'd like to throw in a China type...and some electronics...and random toys like woodblocks an' cowbells an' shit... More targets! Hee-hee!
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