"I'm
still grooving
on "The Peter Erskine Ride Stick" Signature Model drum stick by Vic Firth.
The best way to describe it? It's the perfect stick for playing the
Ride cymbal as well as the rest of the kit. We "morphed" all of
my particular favorite qualities from a number of different sticks
to make the best all-around stick for me; and that must be a versatile
stick ... with delicate and sensitive response, cymbal articulation,
yet be robust and durable ... because I play so many different styles
of music — as I'm sure you do, too! Plus, the balance and "feel" of
this stick is a revelation!"
Both models now available in plastic tip versions!
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And honorbal
mention must go to Evans Drum Heads and the brilliant people at D'Addario,
Inc., who have taken a great drumhead and made it even better. Lots
of models, too ...
Visit
the Evans Home Page, and check out their entire product line (which
includes not only Evans Drum Heads and accessories like their new
Drum Key, but also the D'Addario family of music gear like Planet
Waves audio cables — which I use exclusively in my studio)!
Please
also visit Zildjian's site or click on my photo below to check
out
my own Zildjian Cymbal set-up, featuring the K. Custom "Left Side
Ride" cymbal.
Peter's Zildjian Cymbal set-up
In October 1999, Alan Pasqua, Dave Carpenter and I played for 2 nights at the hippest new jazz club in L.A., "Rocco" in Bel Air (sadly, the club has since closed its doors). We recorded all 4 sets, and the resulting CD "Live at Rocco" has become a real favorite for many. Everything came together beautifully: the room's acoustics, Alan's incredible touch on a great piano brought in for the occasion, Dave Carpenter's full sound & stellar sense of time, and a room full of friends who listened to and supported us like crazy. Rich Breen was there to get every sound onto tape, and so here is the 2 CD set "Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua & Dave Carpenter - Live at Rocco". Special Offer at  Fuzzy Music
FREE "History of the DRUM" cassette with the purchase of any TWO items from the Fuzzy Music catalog.
FREE "History of the DRUM" CD with the purchase of any THREE items from the Fuzzy Music catalog.
Fuzzy Music Presents the Don Grolnick Group "The London Concert" CD.
(AVAILABLE NOW!!!)
The world of music lost one of its true poets when Don Grolnick passed away in 1996. Fortunately, his art lives on through his writing and recordings ... No more exciting example of both exists, perhaps, than this "Live" recording made in London's Queen Elizabeth Hall during what turned out to be Don's final jazz tour.
Be "there" with Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Marty Ehrlich, Robin Eubanks, Peter Washington, Peter Erskine and Don Alias, as the lucky audience was (along with the microphones of the BBC) when this once-in-a-lifetime band played what could rightly be called "their finest hour."
SPECIAL EDITION FUZZY MUSIC RELEASE
Sales proceeds to go directly to The Cure for Lymphoma Foundation in Don Grolnick's memory and name.
"The Don Grolnick Group / The London Concert" can be ordered NOW from Fuzzy Music.
Also ... be sure to visit the website dedicated to Don Grolnick, dongrolnick.com
Old News but Good News! "Sweet Soul" is back! This highly acclaimed recording from 1991 features Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Marc Johnson, Kenny Werner, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker and myself playing the music of Vince Mendoza, Kenny Werner, Dave Brubeck, Kurt Weill and Sir William Walton and Erskine. Fuzzy Music is proud to announce the licensing of this CD from BMG Records in Japan .. a generous 74+ minutes of classic jazz music made in New York during a most formative time in all of the above musicians' playing careers. Check it out, and get some "Sweet Soul" into your life!
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Fuzzy Musicis offering a Limited Edition CD of the Original Musical Score for "Side Man." Please visit the Fuzzy Music site for ordering information. The title of the CD is "Side Man Blue" and it features my original score for the play. |
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Other news at Fuzzy Music ...
Announcing the release of "3prime," a new CD by a new band on the scene, made up of 3 musicians who have known each other for many years and whose playing we have all listened to and enjoyed in various different contexts. "3prime" is a bold re-think of the piano trio format ... and, why not? With Abraham Laboriel on bass, Peter Donald on drums and Tom Ranier on piano, this "live" recording captures a sum which exceeds even the notable parts assembled for this new group.
All Fuzzy Music releases are now being distributed here in North America by CITY HALL RECORDS, so you can easily find our CDs in such retail outlets as Tower Records, Borders, Barnes & Noble and Virgin stores, etc., as well as such on-line vendors as amazon.com and CDNow. Of course, we appreciate your patronage right here at Fuzzy Music, too! Please be sure to visit the Fuzzy Music pages and check out our entire catalog; there are some RealAudio files so you can have a listen... and the music on the CDs (including "The Don Grolnick Group / The London Concert" and "Live at Rocco" and"Lava Jazz" and "Behind Closed Doors") is all pretty great.
Also, we are now enjoying distribution representation in several foreign countries now, including Italy, France, Switzerland and Japan. Fuzzy Music is interested in getting its music out to ALL music lovers, everywhere! If you are a distributor representing a territory not listed here, please feel free to contact us!
Juni
Peter Erskine - My 4th and latest ECM album feature pianist John Taylor and bassist Palle Danielsson, who both play brilliantly (as well as contributing some great compositions), and the legendary recorded sound of ECM albums done in Oslo, Norway at the famed Rainbow Studios (Jan Erik Kongshaug engineering, with Manfred Eicher producing) is always an esthetic treat as well as an educational experience to enjoy. I hope you'll get a chance to dig the notes (and the spaces between the notes!, a recurring theme these days with yours truly)! One of the early reviews which has come in (Billboard magazine) says: "Juni (further) proves that the trio is one of the most distinct live jazz outfits working today. The group has an inimitable sound, a limber, luminous conflation of rhythm and tone that proves so much more satisfying than the tired bopping of standards that so many more famous piano trios trot out. Erskine and company look inward, with searching, poetic treatments of highly original material. The drummer's "Twelve" is blue-note lyricism par excellence..."
Relativit
With Marty Ehrlich and Michael Formanek, on Enja. It's a wonderful Trio recording. Marty and Mike are 2 of the most creative and free-spirited musicians I know. Positively check this one out! It was picked as one of the year's "10 Best" by New Yorker magazine, and got a great review in downbeat magazine.
RELATIVITY
Trio E_L_B
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A new recording, featuring guitarist Nguyên Lê, bassist Michel Benita and myself (catalog number ACT9289-2 on the ACT label) ... a description about the CD from the ACT website: TRIO E L B
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"What seldom functions in everyday life is occasionally possible in music. "There is no single leader with us. We're all three on equal ground", guitarist Nguyên Lê commented. He continued, " We have something of a weakness for true democracy". No member of this trio, which was formed in France just two years ago, would presume the attitude "I'm the band"; and when that would be the case, then it would obviously go for all three. Three seemingly unspectacular letters suffice as the signature for this group undertaking: E_L_B. Written out, the initials stand for Erskine_Lê_Benita. And this is certainly everything but unspectacular. Whoever has followed jazz over the last ten to twenty years will give a whistle at these three names. The three musicians have crossed paths again and again on different projects. "Peter Erskine and I had planned to put together a group for a long time", says Nguyên Lê. The first trio appearance with Michel Benita occurred in 1994, and after a meeting at the MIDEM in 1999, the three decided to continue this formation as a working group. The eleven pieces at hand - four composed by Lê, four by Erskine, and three by Benita - work as a unified whole. At times the music sounds energetically rocky (Pong, Sao Sen), sometimes it's a loose and bouncy tribute as in Country Boy; sometimes a tremendously lyrical and sensationally quiet-sounding ballad unfolds (Autumn Rose). Considering its short existence, this is an incredibly mature trio. Seldom in jazz is the art of selfless interplay more complete as here. This give-and-take is closely linked, always an integrated whole, always more important than the occasional high-flying solo."
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Photo credit: ACT CF Wesenberg
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Other recordings which are available NOW:
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1. "Both Sides Now," Joni Mitchell w/ Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Mark Isham, Chuck Berghofer and Peter Erskine, ALL ARRANGEMENTS AND CONDUCTING BY VINCE MENDOZA, with a 70-piece orchestra, produced by Larry Klein, and winner of a couple of Grammy Awards. For plenty of photos and eyewitness accounts of 2000's Joni Mitchell "Both Sides Now" tour, you should visit JoniMitchell.com, and click on the "TOUR INFO" link. I also added some photos from the tour at my own Photo Gallery ... more backstage/behind-the-scenes kind of stuff; everybody's smiling!
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2. "Blood on the Floor" with John Scofield, Martin Robertson, myself and Ensemble Modern (of Frank Zappa "Yellow Shark" fame).
3. The Abercrombie/Erskine/Mintzer/Patitucci Band CD (Hudson Music) (See video release below as well!) Available NOW as a CD on the Stretch/Concord label! The band's name is now "The Hudson Project." The group is a swinger... funky, too! JUST RELEASED IN DVD FORMAT!
- 4. "Who Loves You" A tribute to Jaco Pastorius, with such musicians as Don Alias, Victor Bailey, Michael & Randy Brecker, David Sanborn, Steve Gadd, myself, Bob James, Will Lee, John Patitucci, Marcus Miller, Mike Stern and Bob Mintzer, et al. It's available on JVC, and it' s a terrific album... AVAILABLE NOW ON CONCORD RECORDS! if you're a Jaco fan in any way, shape or form, you should have this CD in your collection.
5. and my first solo album, "Peter Erskine"
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Oh say, can you see...?
The Abercrombie / Erskine / Mintzer / Patitucci Band
Live In New York City - A Concert Clinic
The Abercrombie/Erskine/Mintzer/Patitucci band is comprised of four of the most acclaimed musicians in contemporary music. Each has years of performance and recording credits, all having worked with a veritable who's-who of jazz and popular music. In addition, each has led his own band, and received great critical acclaim both as a composer and a player.
On this video the band performs a set of eight brilliant compositions - two by each member of the group - which range in style from the spiritual ballad feel of "The Well" by John Patitucci, to the second-line funk of "Cats and Kittens" by Peter Erskine; from the country-inflected swing of "That's For Sure," by John Abercrombie, to the strutting groove of "Modern Day Tuba," by Bob Mintzer. (Personal note from Peter: we also play a killin' version of my tune "Bass Desires!")
Interspersed between these phenomenal performances each member of the group steps forward to discuss his own approach to playing his instrument and to playing in an ensemble. A very special concert and clinic all in one.
Retail $24.95 - Running Time: 105 Minutes - Item # HL00320164
You can see and hear the "European" Trio in performance, titled "Peter Erskine Trio / Live at JazzBaltica." Autographed copies are also available directly from Fuzzy Music. The concert, taped in 1993, was one of those nights you would wish to have been recorded ... and it was! We played music from all three currently released ECM recordings, including: 1. "Everybody's Song But My Own" by Kenny Wheeler
2. "Pure And Simple" by John Taylor
3. "Touch Her Soft Lips And Part" by William Walton
4. "Palle's Headache" by Palle Danielsson
5. "Evansong" by John Taylor
6. "She Never Has A Window" by Vince Mendoza
7. "On The Lake" by Peter Erskine
8. "Clapperclowe" by John Taylor
Have you read...?
"Drumset Essentials, Vol. 1" was released by Alfred Publications in January of this year. The challenge and joy of writing this book has been in the focusing required to present the "how to's" of drumming to both novices and experienced players.
Here are reactions to the book by some of my colleagues and peers:
"Peter Erskine’s book, Drumset Essentials, explains the fundamentals of drumset playing clearly and musically and is full of practical tips and personal musical perspectives that only Peter himself would be able to notice and articulate. The play-along CD is a hip touch -- I wish this package was available when I was first starting out." — Steve Smith
"This is a much needed book for a variety of reasons. The text is clear and to the point, with accompanying photos that are appropriate to the text. Young teachers and students deserve this kind of clarity. Also, the student's reading material is both challenging and exciting. The part that I think is truly exceptional is the accompanying CD. All that a teacher has to do is put on track 2 of the CD. The student can then play along with the CD while trying to match Peter's touch, feel and timing. It will be one of the strongest experiences a student will ever have. This book and CD are a must for any teacher or student. I anxiously await the next installment!" — J.C. Combs, Professor of Percussion, Wichita State University
"Peter Erskine's "Drumset Essentials Volume 1" is one of the best presentations of drumming basics I've seen. An excellent reference source for beginning and advanced players, authored by one of the most astute, versatile players of our time." — Ron Spagnardi, Editor/Publisher of Modern Drummer Magazine
Peter's new book, the first in a series of three, is very well organized and thought through. Excellent conceptual information, exercises and playalong tracks. I especially like pp. 7-25...very easy to understand. The appendix is also excellent. Information on tuning, head selection, stick sizes, cymbals, etc. is very important for all drummers, no matter what their skill level might be. Also, books by drummers of Peter's importance and stature rarely have this information - his wealth of experience gives much credibility to this work. I think the exercises are simple and go through an obvious progression of difficulty...cool...also the tracks are fun to play along with and Peter's playing on those songs offers plenty of musicality and feel for those with ears to hear." — David Garibaldi
"The book comes across as being just for the one reading it, it's that personal in its tone ... clear, concise and thoughtful information presented by a true master musician, drummer and educator." — Skip Hadden, Professor @ Berklee College of Music (and a former drummer for Weather Report)
"Peter Erskine's Drum Essentials vol.1 is a fantastic introduction to the world of the drumset. Peter covers the most important topics such as basic technique and timekeeping. There is even a chapter on how to practice. The book is filled with practical exercises and musical advice, not to mention a great play along CD. This is the book I would choose for introducing any student to the drumset." — Chad Wackerman
"The Drum Perspective." Autographed copies are available directly from Fuzzy Music. "The Drum Perspective" is also available in "better stores" everywhere. The book deals with musical/aesthetic issues and the practical/ mechanical side of how to bring our musical ideas to life. "The Drum Perspective" comes with a CD filled with tracks which represent a virtual "Best Of" sampling of my recorded work, with corresponding drum charts from the original recording sessions, and/or accurate transcriptions and analysis, including Vince Mendoza's ingenious chart "Babe of the Day" (actual chart from the session included!).
Percussive Notes magazine (Percussive Arts Society) says this about the book in a review:
"There are drum books and then there is "The Drum Perspective" by Peter Erskine. This is part drum lesson, part clinic, part philosophy lesson, part collection of anecdotes but definitely something anyone who plays the drums should read... it is food for thought about the whys of music ..."
Jeff Potter, in Modern Drummer magazine, writes:
"In Peter Erskine's new book, our worthy guru shares his musical life lessons in an unpretentious style that's part homespun, part philosophical. The binding theme is the quest for how to best serve the music rather than one's own agenda. As one of the greatest all-around, versatile drummers, Erskine is most qualified to tutor this approach, and his anecdotes of ongoing musical discoveries are valuable food for thought. There are also plenty of mental/physical awareness concepts that you can begin exercising on your next gig ..."
Published by Hal Leonard. Signed copies available from my website!
The Trio of Peter, Dave Carpenter and Bob Sheppard, a/k/a "The Lounge Art Ensemble," has left the cozy, exclusive environs of the Los Angeles club scene, and taken its act on the road. We played at the Monterey Jazz Festival, as well as at Washington & Lee University in Virginia ... AND ... we just completed our first European tour! The band played 4 concerts in Finland and Sweden. We might have our next album already in the can, as the Finnish Broadcasting Company made an excellent "live" recording at our gig in Vasa, Finland, at the "Doo Bop Club." Stay tuned. Meanwhile, here are a couple of concert review excerpts, translated into English by our tour organizer, Mr. Erik Palm (of Umea Jazz Festival fame). America: you, too, have heard the Lounge Art Ensemble! We played last summer at the Santa Monica College, appearing at the free afternoon concert sponsored there by the Playboy Jazz Festival ... and, that same evening, we played Steamer's Lounge in Torrance, California. We've also enjoyed working in town at such clubs as Cafe Cordiale and Rocco's, where we recently did a live radio broadcast on KLON. Also: our first recording, "Lava Jazz," released to excellent response and reviews, is available here at the website: Fuzzy Music, or at retail outlets like Tower Records and Borders. This is why my wife and I started Fuzzy Music ... to get the music we believe in, OUT there to people.
Okay ... other gigs: played with John Scofield and Scandinavian musicians Lars Danielsson (bass) and Hans Ulrik (saxophones) a couple of years back as part of the JAZZPAR Event which is held annually in Denmark; French pianist Martial Solal won the prize that year, and good friend and incredible saxophonist Chris Potter was the recipient last year ...); anyway, Sco is playing better than ever ...! A "live" album is now out and available.
Oh yeah, that's me playing the drums on both of the Austin Powers movie soundtracks ... George Clinton did a great job scoring those films! THE SOUNDTRACK CD OF THE ACTUAL MOVIE SCORE IS NOW (FINALLY) AVAILABLE! I can also be heard on the soundtracks of the movies "The Majestic," "James Dean," "You Stupid Man" and "Speaking of Sex" (+ "3,000 Miles to Graceland" + "Fidel") as well as on the TV shows "Ellie" and "Leap of Faith" (did the main title w/ Luis Conte, composed by David Schwartz); AND that's me playing drums on a whole slew of re-created/vintage Burger King jingles.
Sir Andrew Davis, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Peter Erskine
Sir Andrew Davis, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Peter Erskine Took part in a BBC documentary (on composer Mark-Anthony Turnage) in London, and it was a tremendous thrill to play drums with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Got to enjoy that thrill (of working with the BBCSO + Andrew Davis) again in the summer of the year 2000, playing one of the solo parts (Evelyn Glennie will be playing the other) in a Double Concerto for Percussion, which was performed at the Proms in July. Mark-Anthony composed that as well. We will record the ppiece for the Chandos label in July. Meanwhile, plans are afoot to perform Mark's piece "Blood on the Floor" with the Berlin Phil & Sir Simon Rattle in September, and the Barbicon in London will host a Turnage marathon in January of next year. Yours truly will be there to play drums, alongside such stalwart jazz/modern classical gents as Dave Holland and John Scofield.
Also: my book, entitled "My Book" is still available in France, as well as from Caris Music Services here in the USA. (Fuzzy Music sold out its last stock of the books ... we will re-order some more in the future). It is a collection of my compositions, as well as a biography, discography, exercises, and photographs from my personal archives of some of the great musicians I've been fortunate enough to work with over the years.
I feel more and more blessed each day to be enjoying my music, my life, my beautiful family, and being a member of the global drumming community. Remember: if you're a drummer, support the Percussive Arts Society! (By the way, they have published a terrific new book called "Guide to Standardized Drumset Notation" written by Norm Weinberg; highly recommended for drummers, and all composers, arrangers, copyists, etc.)
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