Author: John

by Dana Kimble and James A. Strain Sammy Herman was New York’s first-call xylophonist for radio, television, recordings and live performances for over forty years. As the xylophonist for the NBC studios in New York from 1928 to 1966, his career spanned the “golden age” for both the xylophone and radio, and ushered in the…

by Lisa Rogers “Zildjian, my dream and hope.” – Gino Akiyama “Zildjian – the cymbal that makes me sound like myself.” – Trilok Gurtu “The sound of the Zildjian cymbal is part of my life.” – Tony Williams These quotes from a brochure celebrating the 370th anniversary of the Avedis Zildjian company in 1993 embody…

by James A. Strain Everett “Vic” Firth – timpanist, educator, entrepreneur and composer – says that he was “honored and delighted” when informed of his election to the PAS Hall of Fame. “Compliments from one’s peers are the thing a person values most,” he said, “so I feel it is a great distinction to be…

by Rebecca Kite Distinguished as both a performer and teacher, George Gaber’s lifetime achievements include work with many of the most important orchestras, composers and conductors of the twentieth century. His dedication to teaching and standard of excellence live on in his numerous students who are involved in all areas of music throughout the world….

by Rick Mattingly You’ll rarely see Jim Chapin without a pair of sticks and a practice pad. Part of it is his sheer love of playing; part of it comes from when his book Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer was first published in 1948 and he was frequently challenged to prove that the patterns…

by James A. Strain Elden Chandler “Buster” Bailey says that his induction into the PAS Hall of Fame “is one of the thrills of my life! I am humbled by the letters of recommendation written from colleagues, and very proud to be selected. It has been a very emotional experience. It made me weep.”   The…

by Rick Mattingly The first time vibraphonist Milt Jackson tried to sit in with a bebop band at a club on New York’s 52nd Street, the clubowner wouldn’t even let him in the door. “Dizzy Gillespie had called Charlie Parker up and told Charlie that if I ever came down, he should let me play,”…

by Dean Anderson His performance credits are staggering, like reading a who’s who in jazz: Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, Charles Mingus, Woody Shaw, Phil Woods, Sonny Stitt, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, Reggie Workman, Quincy Jones, Dexter Gordon, Tal Farlow, Earl Hines, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Frank Morgan, Hank Jones, Frank Foster, Phineas Newborn, Charles McPhereson, Jaki…

by James Strain For fifty years, Alexander Lepak, co-author of the famous Friese-Lepak Timpani Method, has been playing timpani in his hometown with the Hartford Symphony. His founding of the percussion department in the late 1940s and the percussion ensemble in 1950 at the Hartt School makes it one of the oldest university percussion programs…

by Rick Mattingly The small announcement that appeared in the December 1935 issue of Leedy Drum Topics gave no hint that drum history was about to be changed.  “Geo. Lawrence Stone, famous Boston drummer who conducts the country’s largest drum school at 61 Hanover St., Boston, Mass., is now offering a new book of drum…