Drums // Current

Inside a drummers head?

Interviews about the future of drumming and why people do it

eponomus
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26 days ago
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1 comment

Tne Symphony

Love/Romance Poetry

shannonfarlouis
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1 month ago
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Drum Boggie -NY

Drum Boogie is a FREE one day music festival on the lawn of Cornell Park, Rondout... more

amaness
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1 month ago
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V-Drums, Recording, Midi, Sample Sets

recordingquestions
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2 months ago
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DRUM! Magazine Traps Travis Barker's "Fly" Kit

DRUM! Magazine's October cover story features Travis Barker and his new flying drum... more

drummer40
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2 months ago
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Playing the Part: A songwriting documentary

Featuring a new song called "Play the Part" by unsigned band the Oliver Twists, this... more

atomburke
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2 months ago
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This Is New York -- Brooklyn - Coney Island - Tribe

I live in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York City, which is right along the Boardwalk... more

TomHunter
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3 months ago
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2 comments

Exclusive: Peek Inside Imogen Heap's Music Box

Imogen Heap takes Current Music shopping in the California desert, where she searches... more

CurrentMusic
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3 months ago
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15 comments

United Kingdom Talk Video Saturday 15th August 2009

Saturday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch or listen to the show on... more

ChrisReardon
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3 months ago
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How Hand Drumming Reduces Stress and Connects People - X8 Drum Circle Community

I thought drum circles had gone out with the seventies, but I was way off. It seems... more

csyounts
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3 months ago
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Band Practice

Nick & Joe audition a drummer for their band and hilarity ensues. Edited on Windows... more

NickMagnet
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4 months ago
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LARRY McDONALD - "Talks About DRUMQUESTRA"

Drumquestra is the debut album from Jamaican drum master Larry McDonald. Being far from new on the scene, McDonald is considered one of the finest percussion exponents in the world, with a career beginning at the heart of the Ska scene over 40 years ago. His list of credits includes collaboration with heavyweight artists Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Lee Perry, Toots & the Maytals, The Wailers, Bad Brains, Taj Mahal, Earnest Ranglin, and the Skatalites to name but a few.

As you might expect from a percussionist, Drumquestra is heavy on the drums. The album consists of fifteen tracks of reggae, dub and world music featuring a drum orchestra playing over 20 different percussive instruments. Often transcending reggae, the music explores rhythms of wide-ranging influence that McDonald has borrowed from Africa, Brazil, Cuba and beyond. Non-percussive instruments are sparse, with a 'barely there' presence filling in the gaps to give a warm sound.

Drums aside, the album is also song driven featuring vocalists Toots Hibbert (Toots and the Maytals) along with Ras Tesfa and Mutabaruka.

The first song Head Over Heals featuring Dollarman, and the second tune Brother Man start the album with an upbeat dancehall flavour - no old time reggae tunes here! By the time the seventh track comes around, the sound is stripped back with McDonald bringing his drumming prowess to the fore.

The last part of the album has a strong Jazz influence, perhaps proving McDonald can try his hand at anything. I think Larry McDonald himself best describes his eclectic music style. He states, 'I knew that rhythms from many places could work together to develop different textures. I wanted to take the Jamaican rhythms I was familiar with, like Kumina and Rasta and weave them together into a foundation of old and traditional sounds but introduce them as new with diverse beats and textures'.

http://www.myspace.com/mediacprmusic
http://www.mcprmusic.com/

Video produced & directed by Robert O'Haire
at straw2gold pictures
edited by Jeff Burns
http://www.straw2goldpictures.com/Drumquestra is the debut album from Jamaican drum master Larry McDonald. Being far... more