It's really limitless an can become a "Gear Obsession" if left untreated. Walking down the many isles of drum and cymbal manufactures at NAMM is like being wrapped in a warm blanket of percussive love.

Although the ringing in my ears takes a few days to finally go away, the deafening sounds of drum stuff "hurts soo good"! ~ That's the only way I can describe it.

I'll be releasing new videos from the show over the next couple weeks of some of the exhibitors and cool stuff that I video-ed for you to check out.

Acclaimed hard rock and heavy metal drummer John Macaluso (JAMES LABRIE, ARK, TNT, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, RIOT, STARBREAKER, HOLYHELL) recently shared his experience and drum knowledge with The Drum Brother.

Interview with John:

John has some great linear grooves to share. Here's another John Macaluso video I found on YouTube:

We all mourn the loss of another drumming legend. Freddie's influence will live on forever in the music of those he touched and those that continue to be influenced by those whom Freddie Gruber gave a little piece of himself.

Freddie Gruber, a respected jazz drummer who played with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, was close friends with Buddy Rich and taught such famed rock drummers as Rush's Neil Peart and session player Jim Keltner (George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Traveling Wilburys), died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 84.

... Hey Freddie... keep the horns hot and the skins tuned, we'll all be coming by to take our turn to sit in in due time. Your passing is not the D.S. al Coda, it's just a vamp before the the next tune on the greatest ticket of all time. We'll miss you... and see you soon.

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Dream Theater, the progressive rock/metal powerhouse, has added a new seasoning to their recipe. Like a great chef, Mike Portnoy, made Dream Theater's sound resonate with all the flavor of a 5-star meal. I remember the first time I heard "Images and Words" and the first time I saw them perform live. I've never felt more satisfied outside of eating grandmas Thanksgiving dinner. But the time has come for Portnoy to move into the next phase of his journey opening the door for a new chef to step into the Theater's kitchen to create a new recipe for the fans ot Dream Theater to savor.

In an interview by Zoiks! online, Mike Mangini reveals his motivation and vision for the new Dream Theater....

I’ve been a Dream Theater fan for a real long time. I’ve always thought Mike Portnoy was the best drummer of all time. When he left Dream Theater I was kind of shocked as was the rest of the Dream Theater fan base. However they got this new guy Mike Mangini who is just as good and a very interesting guy to listen to. After the interview I checked out the show near Chicago, IL and Mangini tore it up.

The group could not have chosen a better addition to the ensemble. MIke Mangini is a powerhouse, a musical drumming and a polyrhythmic virtuoso. I'm looking forward to tasting the masterpieces that this new chef is cookin up!

Check Out some of Mangini's fine solo work with DT...

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I was not aware of this and am always suspect when a member of the media "a non-drummer" says that someone famous is an "accomplished" drummer. What does accomplished mean... There are actually many famous celebrities that play the drums but rarely are they more than an average drummer. You can usually tell when they rotate through the same 4-5 drum fills that they play every 2-4 bars.

According to Hollywood Life, Justin is actually quite an accomplished drummer, but his fans don't often get to hear him drum. The Little Drummer Boy is the perfect Christmas song for him to display his talents as a percussionist.

So I dug up a couple videos to allow you to make your own decision about Bieber's drumming "accomplishments".

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Presented by The Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society —a three-year old organization that has donated over $18,000 in scholarships this year to local Bahamian performing arts students—the event also featured the talents of Eight Mile Rock’s dynamic dance troupe, Xclusiv Crew, as well as tap, ballet and hip hop numbers by students of the Lois Seiler Dance Academy, Georgia Taylor's School of Dance, and The Bahamas Dance Theatre.

An inspiring and well-attended set of workshops with the Street Beats was held the morning of the show, giving enthusiastic local students a chance to meet the performers up close and learn about their edgy blend of dance and percussion using everyday objects, such as paint containers and trash cans.

Created by a former member of the off-Broadway show, Stomp, The Street Beats Group creator, Zoilo Ruiz, has also composed and arranged for the World Famous Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, is a cast member of Slamm with legendary rock drummer, Carmine Appice, and is also the virtual drummer in the video game Rock Band 2.

So here's you homework assignment for this week... Help an elderly person cross the street, and go see one of these inspiring groups! Or at least search for one of their videos on YouTube. This is not the best video but gives you an idea. Check out the lower 2.

Stomp!

Blue Man Group

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Saw this guy busking with drums near Ellis & Market , San Francisco some time in September 2011.

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Five-piece Canadian ensemble ScrapArtsMusic brings reused items and industrial waste fashioned into instruments and innovative percussion and drumming music to Sangamon Auditorium, UIS. An energetic mix of metal and movement powered by muscle is sure to get your adrenaline pumping or interest piqued. Founder and musician Gregory Kozak is joined on stage by musicians Spencer Cole, Christa Mercey, Greg Samek and Malcolm Shoolbraid. Kozak wrote the compositions and built the 145 instruments with co-founder Justine Murdy who helped design the 4,000 pounds of inventive instruments and manages the band. Green never looked so gold. Music never sounded so melodious.

Here's an idea, start your own local group. Even if you only play on buckets. I took some of my students down to the pier one day and we played buckets groves for change. It's a real testiment to the innovation of the mind or a drummer. While the world is supposedly starving for work.. where are the bucket drummers? On e day me and 4 other musicians played in an obscure T(subway) stop near Berklee, we made over $100 in a few hours. Drummers have no excuse to go hungry... With all the jokes about drummers out there... and they think we are the "bums". Just play!

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Mark Walker performs a drum solo demonstrating several Brazilian rhythms: samba, samba reggae, baiao, maracatu, frevo and afoxe ...

There are many great books and videos out there on Brazilian drumming and latin drum patterns. Study this stuff if you want to take your drumming to the next level.

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