That's the Shot: Brass Queens

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Last Saturday, I joined Brass Queens for a celebration of International Women’s Day in Downtown Brooklyn. I love everything about this picture, from Stephanie’s megaphone, to Nora’s Sinatra Orchestra Golden Nugget jacket, and my gold bling (gold and black are the official colors of BQ).

I have a few upcoming outdoor dates with this group and we will be hitting the studio in April to record some music. (In case you missed it, they put out an EP in January. I play on the last two tracks, “Mad” and “Liza.” Here’s the link.)

If you’re in Brooklyn this spring and summer, keep your ears open for the sounds of New Orleans on the streets. It just might be us!

Video: Harofei - from Psalm 147

It’s always an honor to work with my brilliant friend Solomon Hoffman who once again put together a group of 100+ musicians for his new work, Harofei (Here is his previous liturgical work, which I was also a part of, ICYMI).

For my part, I contributed triangle, finger cymbals, drum set, and some suspended cymbal rolls for good measure. I am really happy with how everything turned out and I’m looking forward to whatever Solomon has in store next!

In his own words:

I am filled with gratitude to the 100+ people who have come together to create this second in a collection of remote Psalms. I offer this to mark the one year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic declaration. This text from Psalm 147:3-4 translates to “healer of the broken hearted, renewer of their bones/the counter of the stars, who calls their names.”

I wrote this setting in early 2020, with no idea of what was in store. Now, I hope it can bring some healing after this year of unprecedented loss and suffering. Since July, I have seen this loss up close in my work as a hospital Chaplain in NYC. I have also witnessed the power of community and resilience, which I hope to reflect in this piece. I dedicate this to those we’ve lost, those who are grieving, and those who have given all they can to provide care throughout this year.

If you would like to purchase this track, you can do so on bandcamp at this link: https://solomonhoffman.bandcamp.com/track/harofei

Proceeds will go to Make the Road New York’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, supporting undocumented and immigrant families that have been affected by the pandemic.

Baileys Commercial

Here I am, casually playing snare drum in this marching band for a Baileys Deliciously Light commercial starring Neil Patrick Harris. We shot it on a VERY cold day in the Hamptons last month. Thankfully we didn’t have to do too many takes because my hands were absolutely freezing! We didn’t get to sample the product, but based on the amount Neil and his friend Michael were drinking, I’d say it’s pretty good! Here’s the full video:

SPD fun!

I got the Roland SPD-SX out for the first time in awhile today and had some serious fun rocking out with it and my Busta Rhymes playlist. Am I prepared to go on record saying he's my favorite MC? And what is happening with the Pussycat Dolls??? This song slaps! Anyway, I have a few different percussion samples going on the SPD and a trigger running into it from the acoustic bass drum. Hybrid drumming is always a blast!

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Out Today: Brass Queens - Royal St.

Congratulations to Brass Queens on the release of their new EP, Royal St! I’ve been playing with the Queens since the summer and it’s always fun. The ladies and the music they make are simply infectious! They play with a few different drummers and I am honored to play on “Mad” and “Liza” for this release. Above is a picture from the recording session we did a few weeks ago. They took my lunch “dietary restriction” seriously, which I always appreciate!

Have a listen and enjoy!

Now Playing: Her Sound, Vol. 1

Today is release day for Ethan Carlson’s Her Sound, Vol. 1, and it. sounds. amazing! I’m extremely proud of this one, as I tracked all of the percussion on my own. It was HARD TO DO and it nearly drove me to the edge, but the payoff has been extremely rewarding.

The album is produced by Thousand Faced Theatre in association with the incomparable Ryan Scott Oliver and features many fantastic musicians (with orchestrations by Solomon Hoffman) and an array of talented singers. I first played this wonderful music at Don’t Tell Mama in June 2017.

Here’s some info on the recording. Give a listen below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Her Sound is a new song cycle that reimagines the ancient stories of women in the Bible. Instead of the tired tropes of “wife”, “mistress”, and “whore”, discover the untold accounts of a rebel contemplating the cost of knowledge for a bite of an apple, a disobedient wife celebrating her community of women, a groundbreaker escaping the walls that trap her, and many more.

Play Along: Do It (The Phryg)

I’m starting to feel cozy in my new studio space, but I still have a long way to go on getting everything dialed in. I’ve been jamming along to the new single from one of my favorite bands: Do It by The Phryg! This song really has me missing live music! It is played expertly by Collin Patierno (guitar), Bryan Walters (lead vocals, bass,, Nico Sleator (keys), and Phil McNeal (drums). Check ‘em out: www.thephryg.com

For my part, I decided to explore some clave based cowbell grooves interspersed with tambourine accents at the end of each bar during the verse, a purposeful reference to one of Bryan’s favorite bands, Umphrey’s McGee. For the pre-chorus, I move the cowbell hemiola feel to the cymbal stack to provide some accents in the sonority. For the chorus proper, I lay down a straight-ahead cowbell/tambourine groove. The section that follows features an interesting melodic breakdown that I compliment with tom feels a la Pink Floyd, another one of Bryan’s favorite bands. The last section took some time to work up. It’s sort of a combination of 5-over-4 and a clave. The first time through the pattern I play a a shuffle that serves as a ‘rhythmic illusion” before filling through the hits the second time through the pattern. Here’s what those accents look like:

Enjoy the song and please check out and support the Phryg. When live music is back, come find me in the front row at one of their shows.

New Year // New Digs

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I began moving into my new rehearsal space just down the block on Monday night. It was a reminder of how much schlepping gear and moving in general sucks! Thankfully, my wife helped me out and we were able to get all of my “essentials” over there in two trips with our car.

I spent Tuesday morning setting up drums, the afternoon decorating and practicing, and all of today setting up mics and my new audio interface. It was an intimidating task, but I’m really pleased with how the recording setup is panning out (nice pun), though there’s a lot of work to be done on getting the drum sounds dialed in, which I plan to tackle tomorrow. Once I’m feeling good in that department, I’m going to get to work on recording a cover of a new song that I’ve really been enjoying playing along with. Stay tuned!

That's a Wrap: 2020 (Thank God)

My wife and I, March 22, 2020

In just a few hours, the most unusual year of my lifetime will come to an end and we will all collectively breathe a sigh of relief. Personally, the year started off strongly: I was playing the 11 o’Clock Numbers series at West End Lounge (both series and venue a casualty of the pandemic), made a trip to the Bahamas for the Broadway Across America conference (which was when the threat of COVID became a reality), started Gold Dust Women with a bunch of bad ass ladies, and was looking forward to a few musicals coming down the line. Those musicals weren’t to be, of course, as the entire theater industry was forced to shut down.

While there was no end in sight for the longest time, we now see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel thanks to two promising vaccines. When we will be fully vaccinated and back to some semblance of normalcy is pure speculation at this point, but I’m going to try my darnedest to be hopefully optimistic going forward.

Tomorrow I’m moving into a rehearsal space of my very own for the first time since high school. I can’t wait to be fully set up to record at all times and I’m looking forward to taking on some more private students in a virtual setting. And having all of my drums outside of my Brooklyn apartment is going to open up so many opportunities for feng shui improvements which I know my wife is looking forward to! (Have I mentioned that I got married in 2020? See, it wasn’t all so bad!)

My last project for the year is this beautiful tribute to Olivia Harris’s mother, who lost her battle with cancer in December. Today I reflect on Olivia’s words and I’m hoping we all see some growth in 2021.

Everybody’s a garden

Sowing joy and pain.

Everybody’s a garden.

Why can’t we let it rain?

Reflections on The Grinch

This year would have been my fifth year of playing the national tour of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but 2020 had other plans! It’s been bittersweet to be in NYC right now instead of freezing my butt of in Milwaukee or watching live music til the sun comes up in New Orleans, but on the other hand, I got to spend Thanksgiving with my wife for the first time EVER and we will get to celebrate Christmas from our own apartment.

Still, I miss the escapades that come with touring. I miss the thrill that comes with the curtain rising 8+ times a week and the antics that take place with my orchestra mates after every show. I miss the feeling I get when grandparents point out all the instruments in the pit to their grandkids before the show. I miss the theatre.

Though I know this show inside and out, I’ve never actually seen it, except for the occasional times when I can see above the lip of the stage, and even then, I’m playing so much during the show itself that I can only watch 2 or 3 scenes. Therefore, I am SO EXCITED that tonight I get to watch this musical on television, starring Matthew Morrison as the Grinch himself. I have so many questions — can an unsuspecting worldwide audience handle ‘Whatchamho?’ Will ‘Shopping’ be cut? What exactly happens on stage during ‘Down the Mountain’ that everyone raves about while I’m trying to not drop a stick? Will the quartet nail the harmonies in ‘Now is the Time?’ How many times will I cry? I can’t wait to tune in to NBC tonight to find out!

Here are a few of my favorite drum moments from the 2018 tour. Enjoy!