Hall of Fame 1994

by James A. Strain Hailed as the “first concert marimbist,” Vida Chenoweth, following in the steps of Clair Omar Musser, was one of the most influential artists ever to perform on the instrument. She pioneered compositional, performance and interpretive techniques commonly used on the instrument today, among these the performance of polyphonic music via independent…

by Rick Mattingly He says that being elected to the pas hall of Fame is “quite an honor” and cites previous inductees as “a pretty prestigious bunch of folks.” But Emil Richards says that the biggest thrill is in being given the same honor as his first major influence, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, who was elected…

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…