Giveaway: Mickey’s Drums, Jerry’s Greatest [All About de Riddim]
Hey! Let’s talk about drumming and rhythm and percussion, and give away a couple of CD’s: Mickey Hart’s 1991 collaboration with Airto Moreira and a number of amazing percussionists from around the world – Planet Drum; and Mickey’s latest project, Global Drum Project, a collaboration with some of the same legends, including Nigerian talking drum legend Sikiru Adepoju.
- You can check out the eCard here.
- And check out the Mickey Hard Collection here.
But that’s not all! I’ll also throw in The Very Best of Jerry Garcia, Rhino’s 2-cd release chock full of Captain Trips’ excellent solo and live material.
For the contest in question, let’s focus on the drummin’. To have a chance to win these CD’s, I pose one question to you fine ladies and gents….
Who is your favorite drummer(s) / percussionist(s) and why?
Neal Peart? Bonzo? Bun E. Carlos? Animal from the Muppets?
I just realized I have no clear favorite, but if I had to choose, I know who would be up there. Jon Fishman of Phish always blew my mind at their shows – how he could stay in rhythm and navigate through their myriad of mind-blowing jams. Fela Kuti’s drummer, Tony Allen, never ceases to amaze me when listening to Fela’s great Afrobeat catalog. I love the way Prince drums in “Irresistible Bitch” – a 1999-era B-side. But I recently found out that’s Morris Day doing the drummin’.
So let’s pick your brains. Leave a comment below with your opinion. The winner will be chosen from the comments in a week or so.
More about the Mickey Hart CD’s after the jump….
Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart’s innovative Planet Drum CD convened some of the world’s finest drum talent for a collaboration that won the very first GRAMMY for world music—bringing together Nigerian drum legend Babatunde Olatunji, Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, Nigerian talking drum ace Sikiru Adepoju, and Puerto Rico’s master conguero Giovanni Hidalgo, among others. The 1991 album spent an unprecedented 26 weeks at #1 on the Billboard world music chart, and continues to sell as a perennial favorite.
Fifteen years later, the musical partnership of Hart and Hussain—which began with their groundbreaking 1970s world fusion experiment Diga Rhythm Band—resumes, with a fresh collaboration of tranced-out grooves, elegant electronic programming and hypnotic tuned percussion and again enlists the great partnership of Adepoju and Hidalgo. This time they are joined by Taufiq Qureshi on percussion & vocals, Niladari Kumar on sitar, Dilshad Khan on sarangi, and the late, great Olatunji in sampled vocals from the original sessions. Elements from Hart’s various world music recordings, including the Kaluli tribespeople of Papua New Guinea’s rainforest, are woven with the live performances into a danceable, multi-textured celebration of rhythm.
Following on the heels of Mickey Hart’s acclaimed Global Drum Project album, Shout! Factory presents The Mickey Hart Collection, a series focusing on landmark world music albums masterminded by the Grateful Dead percussionist. At The Edge, Mickey Hart’s Mystery Box and Supralingua join the already-reissued Planet Drum and Diga Rhythm Band’s Diga.
13 Comments
Chuck B.
I have many drum heroes. My belief is that a good drummer learns and develops his own style by watching, studying, and assimilating the playing of his heroes. It is tough to single out one, but my first choice would be Carmine Appice. Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, and Beck, Bogert, & Appice are only a few of his contributions to rock music. His innovative drumming and relentless talent has set the groundwork for many notable musicians and continues to inspire modern drummers to this day. On one occasion, he handed me and a drummer buddy of mine a stick each after he finished performing. I can still feel the energy that came out of that piece of wood and consider it a prized possession. Not only did he confirm his “hero” status, but proved he was a regular guy and not just a rock star by spending time talking to us after the show. To watch him play is the ultimate percussion experience. Carmine is the BEST!
Jennifer Thompson
Tim Bogert hands down my all time favorite. But it’s a close call between Carmine and him.
Greg
#1 and #2 on the all time great list happen to be a couple of my favorite bands. Rush is one of those bands you either love or hate. I really got into Rush in high school with the release of ‘Moving Pictures’. Hearing Neal play his instrument was revolutionary.
However, I have to vote for John Bonham who played for one of the best rock bands of all time. Bonzo’s display of greatness are displayed in some of my favorites like Kashmir and Misty Mountain Hop.
Michael
While not qualified to enter, I have to submit the following list… Shelia E., Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band) (seriously, find a you tube video of this guy, he is INSANE) and Buddy Rich.
Cam
Also not qualified, but for the record the first few were:
-Rodney Holmes (Santana, SKB, Project Percolator)
-Cindy Blackman (Pharoah Sanders, Kravitz)
-Jack DeJohnette (Gateway, various ensembles)
-Tim Daisy (The Vandermark 5)
Thierry
A number of names that immediately come to mind: Earl Palmer, Hal Blaine, Ronnie Tutt (seriously, navigating these three guys’ discographies makes for a pretty incredible survey of the last 50 years of popular music). As far as more contemporary picks, I would have to say ?uestlove (the Roots), Glenn Kotche (Wilco) and Danny Goffey (Supergrass) and, though he hasn’t been heard of in years, the Stone Roses’ Reni (seriously – check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umwQG7fue84 ).
However, my favourite drummer of all time has to be Levon Helm, and my opinion has only been reinforced after spending nearly three hours being mesmerized by his playing (from about 5 feet away!) at a recent Midnight Ramble at his barn studio in Woodstock.
Michael
Ooh, I forgot ?uestlove!
Owen
John Bonham is top of the list. In fact, he’s on a list of his own. A drummer known as much for the notes he played as the notes he didn’t. Two words to prove my point… D’yer Mak’er. With that out of the way, we can start the list that can include everyone else 🙂
Lars Ulrich
Steven Adler
Tommy Lee
David Lovering
Jimmy DeGrasso
whiteray
I have to go with Hal Blaine. I’m not qualified to discuss drumming and percussion on a technical level, so I can only say that almost every time i notice the drums on a record from the years I was growing up — one made with session cats, that is — it turns out to have been Hal Blaine. (Some of the same happens with stuff done these days with Abe Laboriel Jr.) As for Blaine, maybe this is specious, but I’ll just conclude: “Be My Baby.”
Pete
Peart solo. Um yeah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vyJWDvz_GI
Darius
The first time I remember being aware of the drummer was the release of the first Cream album, and that was Ginger Baker. To this day, I am amazed that only three musicians produced all that sound.
The amazing sound of only three musicians also leads me to my second choice, Stewart Copeland of the Police. As subtle as Baker was blunt, but just as great.
Finally, in my book, you can’t play with Weather Report and Sting’s Blue Turtles band and not make this list. Omar Hakim was actually the first one I thought of, and I would listen to anything he played on, (which is quite a bit!).
Pete
The winner this time ’round and congrats to….
Chuck B.
Thanks all for your entries….
Jerry Kregan
Carmine for sure. Just pure genius.