Now available in paperback edition!
In this meticulously researched biography, author Pelle Berglund presents the first comprehensive book on the life of Buddy Rich, still considered by many to be the greatest drummer ever to pick up sticks. Using interviews with many of Buddy's band members (some conducted by the author himself) along with extensive sourcing of quotes from practically every interview ever given by Buddy himself, a complete chronology of Buddy's life is presented – along with insights into what drove him and what he thought about the various situations and people he encountered through his life.
One of a Kind recounts each chapter of a life lived in the spotlight: childhood star Traps, the Drum Wonder; young jazz drummer with Joe Marsala an Bunny Berigan; star sideman with Artie Shaw, Harry James, and Tommy Dorsey; and leading various incarnations of the Buddy Rich Big Band. A twentieth century icon, Buddy's relationships with Shaw, Dorsey, Count Basie, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Gene Krupa, Norman Granz, Lana Turner, and his family, including wife Marie and daughter Cathy, are insightfully investigated.
Never-before-seen photos of Buddy culled from the private collection of collector Charley Braun add a new perspective on Buddy's life – including a 16-page featured photo section.
Beyond providing a complete timeline of Buddy Rich's life, One of a Kind provides a glimpse into the mind of a musical titan who demanded greatness from himself and those around him, and became of the most celebrated and controversial stars in music.
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List: 19.99
In Start Somewhere to Go Somewhere, Nine Inch Nails drummer Ilan Rubin provides a system for taking core drumming concepts such as rudiments and applying variations to them to come up with a full vocabulary of fill and solo ideas for the drumset.
“The purpose of this book is to accomplish a few things that should be beneficial to every drummer, regardless of skill level or genre,” says Rubin. “On the macro level, it's meant to show you how creativity can develop and flourish from the more basic elements of drumming, while keeping musicality at the forefront and strengthening your weaker side. On the micro level, it takes a step-by-step approach from warm-up exercises and routines, to applying rudiments to the kit, gaining balance and consistency, and eventually showing the near limitless possibility of mixing up all of the above.”
In this book, you will learn:
• Taking an initial basic idea/sticking/pattern rudiment and systematically notifying it to gain a huge arsenal of ideas based on one concept.
• Technique-building exercises to train both hands to equilibrium.
• Ways to apply the most important rudiments and stickings to your playing, including diddles, flams, hertas, drags, and more.
• A graduated approach to taking each sticking and rudiment from a basic exercise to an orchestrated drumset concept.
• Fully ambidextrous/mirrored stickings to develop your limbs equally, whether you play righty, left, or open-handed.
• Real-world orchestration ideas for fills solos.
• Includes audio examples recorded in Ilan's personal studio.
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List: 29.99
Steve White has put together a collection of his favorite exercises and rudiment combinations that he has worked on and is still practicing to continually improve and develop his drumming. In collaboration with UK drummer Russ Tarley, they have collated all the elements Steve has practiced over the years into this book to form a practical approach to using these concepts to help any drummer develop their skill set around the kit. This includes Steve's favorite rudiment applications, systems for developing coordination, independence and time, studies in rhythm, linear phrasing, transcriptions of a solo performance and famous studio recordings.
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List: 19.99
When he burst onto the international stage in 1971 with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham had already recorded with Miles Davis and dozens of others. But it was his otherwordly playing with Mahavishnu that redefined what was possible on the drum set. Cobham's first solo album, 1973's Spectrum, beacme a number one hit, spawned three future jazz standards, and cemented his place as a drumming legend for all time. But Cobham was far from finished, and in a career that has now spanned seven decades, he is considered one of the titans of the instrument, someone whose work is essential study.
With COBHAM: The Music and Drumming of Billy Cobham, the work and life of this drumming colossus is explored and analyzed. Written with Cobham's direct involvement and culled from dozens of hours of interviews with him, the book presents a biography of his early years and the development of his career, and then documents select important recordings and projects from 1968 up to the present day. Cobham gives his views on the industry, writing music, leading a band, recording, education/clinics, and other topics.
Presented in a coffee-table style full-color layout, an extensive collection of photos (many culled from Cobham's personal archives) documents Billy's history – including his contributions to the innovative setup of the instrument itself: left-hand-lead/ambidextrous playing, double bass drums, the contemporary large kit with instrument innovations such as the gong drum, and an endlessly creative approach to playing the drums in ways that continue to defy convention.
The book includes many note-for-note transcriptions from throughout Cobham's career, including tracks from the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis, his extensive library of CTI recordings, and many of his own albums, including classics from Spectrum, Crosswinds, Total Eclipse, Warning, Power Play, and more.
Also included are exclusive interviews with John McLaughlin, Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, and contributions from Wayne Cobham (Bill's brother and collaborator) and Ken Hoshino (Tama drums). Contemporary legends who count Cobham among their main influences also contribute their views on Billy's importance: Will Calhoun, Dennis Chambers, Gary Husband, Simon Phillips, John Riley, Steve Smith, and Narada Michael Walden. Rounded out by a complete discography and a collection of industry advertisements over the years, the book can be used as a musical analysis, biography, or an entertaining look at photos and history of the legendary music career of Billy Cobham.
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List: 29.99
