Author: John

by Rick Mattingly Relaxing in his Knoxville hotel room after his PASIC ’83 clinic, Tony Williams reflected on what he hoped he was giving to other drummers. “I would like to be able to give off the same things that inspired me to really love the instrument and love music,” he said. “That was one…

by James A. Strain Widely regarded as a most versatile and musical drummer, Shelly Manne (1920-1984) was a founding father of the West Coast jazz scene in the 1950s. Manne possessed a phenomenal technique, which he channeled into some of the most creative, lyrical drumming ever heard. His solos were unique, sometimes humorous, and above…

by Terry O’Mahoney Performer, teacher, instrument manufacturer, author, mentor—Alan Abel was all of these things. Abel performed under some of the greatest conductors of our time including Eugene Ormandy, Riccardo Muti, and Wolfgang Sawallisch—all Music Directors of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He performed most of the major works of symphonic repertoire and participated in numerous world…

by Rick Mattingly There has been a long-standing misperception about Roy Haynes – one that the influential jazz drummer wants cleared up once and for all. “Everything you read about me says I was born in 1926, but that’s wrong. I was born in 1925, so I’m 73 now, not 72,” Haynes says, proudly. “When…

by James A. Strain One of the most recognizable names in the field of mallet percussion is the namesake of the J. C. Deagan Company, John Calhoun Deagan. Trained as a concert clarinetist, Deagan’s dissatisfaction with the intonation of the glockenspiels used in theater orchestras with which he performed led him to experiment with the…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss The formation of NEXUS was the result of a rather complex network of relationships among the members. Bill Cahn and John Wyre grew up in the same Philadelphia neighborhood, studied with the same music teachers (including Fred Hinger) and went to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Russel…

by Payton MacDonald John Beck is the percussionist’s percussionist. As a performer he has worked in a variety of situations, including the “President’s Own” Marine Band (1955-59), Principle Percussionist with the Rochester Philharmonic (1959-62), Principle Timpanist with the Rochester Philharmonic (1962-present), jazz drumset with a variety of artists, including Coleman Hawkins and Hot Lips Page,…

by Gordon Gottlieb Arnie Lang is one of the ‘youngest’ people I know. Consistently living in the present, possessing a ripe sense of humor, a keen mind, an open fascination and curiosity about so many things, a man who tells you the truth-this is the stuff you want in a best friend. I love hanging…

by Dan Moore For Terry Gibbs, boxing is a metaphor for his life. He once wanted to be a boxer, and many of his most significant life experiences relate in some way to the pugilistic arts. That Gibbs is a percussionist who makes a living hitting things is perhaps a bit of a stretch, but…

by Lauren Vogel Weiss “Whether as an arranger, teacher, clinician, judge, company spokesperson or friend, Fred Sanford was simply the best…. He was the first, the best, the great artist, the person without whom so many of us would have struggled for acceptance and respect. Thanks for everything, Fred; your legacy will live on through…