"The Drummer's Diary" - share w. us what happens to you drumming

If you don't find a specific forum, post your message here (please read all the forum list first).

Re: Re:

Postby ABAKUA » Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:24 am

vinnieL wrote:Hey Marcelo how's the cost of living down under? I may have to move LOL



Image

8) :lol: 8)
User avatar
ABAKUA
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3189
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: Earth

This Year's Trip to West Coast Journal

Postby windhorse » Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:03 pm

This is a little page I've set up for blogging this year's journal for my road trip. It will have whatever media that I generate, like pics, movies, and podcasts..
Right now, all that's on there is a movie clip of Alder Creek campground on Donner pass in the Sierra's.

http://mrcrowder.us/cong/trip09.html

I'm in Grass Valley now, and will be here until Friday.
Last night I went to a Rumba lesson with Gary Greenburg, and learned a few things! I also dropped off my favorite gourd I wanted re-beaded with Carol, a real artist with shakeres, and played the drums I'm carrying out to James. They were the lowest of the tunings there, and everyone had to check them out. I swear James, they sounded awesome last night! Today Gary is coming over to pick me up, and we're supposed to work on some Bata! I'm very psyched!
Tomorrow I'm joining the locals "by the river" in Nevada City for a Rumba, Friday Bob and I are going to Grass Valley's big Music Festival, then Saturday I'm going to see my friends in San Fran for 5 days, then next Thursday is a day in Forestville, and Friday in Eureka.
User avatar
windhorse
 
Posts: 1442
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
Location: Boulder/CO

Re:

Postby bongosnotbombs » Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:48 pm

See you when you get here Dave. By the way are you talking about those Skin on Skins
you're transporting for us? I'll be playing on those a lot, they're going to live 2 blocks
away from me! :D
User avatar
bongosnotbombs
 
Posts: 2865
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:17 am
Location: San Francisco, Ca

Re: This Year's Trip to West Coast Journal

Postby taikonoatama » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:34 pm

windhorse wrote: then Saturday I'm going to see my friends in San Fran for 5 days, then next Thursday is a day in Forestville, and Friday in Eureka.


I've got 4 days/nights of drumming set for Dave,

Saturday - Class with Sandy Perez in the afternoon and rumba afterwards at the beach. Bobi Cespedes gig that night, with Sandy on congas and bata:
http://www.lapena.org/event/1144

Sunday - Rumba in a friend Sam's backyard with local heavy, Cecil, ripping on quinto. Rumba at La Pena later in the afternoon featuring (typically) the likes of Sandy Perez, John Santos, Javier Navarette, Yaya Maldonado, Pili Martinez, Mejail La Brada, Chris "Flaco" Walker, Hector Lugo and occasionally Carlos Aldama and Jesus Diaz and others.

Monday - Study session with a group of Sandy Perez students

Tuesday - Drumming for a dance class in Napa - typically starting with a Yambu Matancera, into Guaguanco, Makuta,and Palo, maybe a Bembe, Iyesa, Mozambique, Comparsa, or whatever, depending on what the dance instructor wants.

This ought to get you prepped for Afro-Cuba camp in Humboldt.

James
User avatar
taikonoatama
 
Posts: 322
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2005 10:11 pm
Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Re:

Postby windhorse » Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:07 pm

Jeeze! I'm already reeling from a lesson I just had with Gary Greenburg! It was awesome! Golden!!! Unbelievably valuable!
What a summer!!!!!!??? Whoof!!
Lovin' it!

Dave
User avatar
windhorse
 
Posts: 1442
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
Location: Boulder/CO

Re:

Postby ABAKUA » Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:23 pm

Bobi Cespedes is a beautiful person. I was fortunate to meet her years ago when she performed here with Conjunto Cespedes for the Bacardi Festival about 2001 or 1999.. Cant remember exactly.
I hung out with the band, jammed, great bunch of people, real humble. Spent time mostly with their bassist, conguero, timbalero & bongocero mostly. I have some old photos somewhere, will try to scan them and put them up....
User avatar
ABAKUA
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3189
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: Earth

Re:

Postby Tonio » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:07 am

Hey Dave, could you say hi to Gary from Tony in San Diego for me?
I wonder if he remembers me LOL
Did you get lessons from him in CO, or are you already on your annual travels?

T
User avatar
Tonio
 
Posts: 1209
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 1:59 am
Location: San Diego

Re:

Postby windhorse » Thu Jul 16, 2009 7:20 am

Yes Tony, I can,, I'll see him tomorrow at the river front bata and song jam.
Yes, I'm on the trip now, and it was today at his new yet to be finished house.
User avatar
windhorse
 
Posts: 1442
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
Location: Boulder/CO

Re:

Postby windhorse » Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:06 am

The bata lesson with Gary was incredibly enlightening! I learned some great exercises to get used to how the Itotele fits into the ensemble. You know, those upbeats on the left hand - cha, and how the right hand tones on the enu play everywhere in the beat? These were exercises that you do to be able to do anything with the right hand while the left hand stays right in it's little slot. But, you also practice with the slaps on the pulse as well... Really cool stuff!
We had a wonderful day at the river! Lots of singing and playing bata. It was a nude beach, so the all the locals were laying out on the rocks in the water soaking up rays and our sound... They loved it! And Gary's ensemble was able to play the entire O Seco with little to no prodding from Gary... I was really impressed.

Tonight, I'm at Jame's house. We had the lesson with Sandy Perez today, and watched the show he was in... Amazing as always.
User avatar
windhorse
 
Posts: 1442
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
Location: Boulder/CO

Re:

Postby windhorse » Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:27 pm

I've been spending a bunch of quality time in San Francisco and Berkeley with James "Tyko" from our list, and with Geordie also from the list. We've been to about 5 rumbas and bata sessions since I've been here, Whoof!! What a trip!
Tonight, James and I are going to play at a dance class in Napa Valley.
I'm meeting up with Chris Walker tomorrow, and that will probably be an enlightening session no doubt!

Here's the latest interview on my tip blog:
http://mrcrowder.us/cong/trip09.html

Dave
User avatar
windhorse
 
Posts: 1442
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
Location: Boulder/CO

Re:

Postby Congadelica » Tue Jul 28, 2009 3:37 pm

Hi Dave
The does not seem to be working . :cry:
User avatar
Congadelica
 
Posts: 738
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:00 pm

Re: Re:

Postby windhorse » Tue Jul 28, 2009 4:22 pm

Congadelica wrote:Hi Dave
The does not seem to be working . :cry:


You must have Quicktime to run podcasts. Do you have a PC, and not a Mac? You can find the download with search function - [Quicktime for PC download]

So, after three days at the camp, I'm already just about overloaded!
Jorge from NY on our list is here, Tyko - James, and several of our friends and his study group are here. Also, of course David Peñalosa!
Highlights - last night OMG Jesus Diaz on three drum quinto Quarapachangueo! Sandy Perez...... Wow! the quinto solos he takes! And the Tres Dos is so tasty!! Second night Mike Spiro on Salidor, and Sandy Perez on Tres Dos.. Brilliant! They were trading licks where they slightly offset their open tone just behind a two muff triplet (including the tone) into the tone. The classes with Ramon Diaz are really cool... Can't believe I'm back here again!
User avatar
windhorse
 
Posts: 1442
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
Location: Boulder/CO

Humboldt

Postby windhorse » Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:11 pm

So, guys I'm recording the audio for everything I go to at the Humboldt Afro Cuban Camp.
I'm going to maybe edit what I find the most crucial and make into a CD to share with my rumba buddies back home.
You can PM me if you want what I make for reproduction. Of course, it goes with the caveat that it's only for personal study and not mass reproduction or sales.

Dave
User avatar
windhorse
 
Posts: 1442
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
Location: Boulder/CO

2 days left in Humboldt

Postby windhorse » Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:25 pm

Sorry guys, I know my blathering on about the camp is probably annoying to some of you,, but it's really so amazing that it's a crime not to have something posted here about just how amazing it actually is!!
So sorry!

Last night!! WHEW!!!!! MAN! Roman Diaz on the Tumba! OMG! really really soft sort of pitter patter resembling a palitos cata pattern with his hands,, but accented basses on the bombo note,,, builds up builds up,, he then plays a tone in the normal Salidor spot just occasionally,,, when the corus really busts out and we get the shaker doubling in the montuno, he starts ripping big fat tones in an amazing dialogue with Sandy Perez on - you guessed it - QUINTO!! WOW!

We stayed until about 3 in the morning, but they kept going apparently until about 6 in the morning!

Today, the second day of David Peñalosa's class with Abukua! Yeah! David is is a GREAT teacher! He had his books for sale here - and we were lucky enough to get nice discounts from a set of culled books he from the first production. Several of us had them in class, so he would point out the bonko parts - etc. he was teaching in the class, and it was really cool to have a book which he wrote as a study guide during, and of course, after the class.. Very informative!!
I felt a little bad that I didn't get the essential pattern locked down in class, but sometimes I'm just a slow learner David.. And thanks for your kindness..
I am however thorough, and will definitely study this! Probably by next year's camp I'll have that particualar "pick-up" phrasing down.. Or maybe the next year.. :o
Good stuff!!

Then, we walk up the hill a bit to the Brikomo dance class with Ray Gonzales.. (Guys, he's running a another trip to Matanzas in January! Let me know if you need his contact info.)
Mike Spiro was on the Caja just frikin' laying it down with a stick,, really fat big full resounding deep playing,, almost like Francesco A,, but a bit prettier and musical..
His son Remi on bell,, solid... and Sandy Perez on the middle drum with two sticks.. He had really nice dialogues with the caja sort of like Itotele and how it responds to the Iya in bata.. Nicely done!!

I just got the last Large T-shirt! Ward actually let me have his own, and traded with one of the last two remaining mediums so that I could have the last large! What a nice guy!

Okay,,, a moment of down time before getting cranked up again for a Sandy P class, then Comparsa rehearsal tonight..

Sigh!
User avatar
windhorse
 
Posts: 1442
Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:01 pm
Location: Boulder/CO

Re:

Postby TONE74 » Fri Jul 31, 2009 9:38 pm

Interesting, not annoying at all. Wish I was there. Hopefully you can get the recordings to some us so we can at least hear some of the magic. Thanks for the posts...
User avatar
TONE74
 
Posts: 269
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 3:12 pm

PreviousNext

Return to Open Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests


cron