With the launch of the latest in the Roots Jam series–Roots Jam 4: World Beats – Rhythms Wild!–prices for all the Roots Jam books and audio have been slashed. Save up to 80% off previous prices! New combo deals and discount bundles! New book formats and audio offerings! Order a la carte or in combos,… Continue Reading
I’m excited to announce the latest edition of the Roots Jam rhythm books series, Roots Jam 4: World Beats – Rhythms Wild! The book compiles fruits of my learning and playing experiences over the last dozen years, since the 2007 release of Roots Jam 3. These latest adventures in hand drumming bring you rhythms from… Continue Reading
–an excerpt from Roots Jam 4: World Beats For the last half dozen years I have played congas and percussion for a jam band known as Aquarius Victoria. Though we don’t perform live, we record everything on a high-end system and mix down a small portion of the weekly jams for public release on Reverbnation… Continue Reading
Samba du Soleil, based on Salt Spring Island, BC, has been playing Brazilian batucada music–arranged by Sam Miller and inspired from Brazilian master Celso Machado–for almost twenty years now. Personnel changes and musical variations continue, but the band plays on with ever zestful flavors of Carnival. The Samba du Soleil set list is featured in… Continue Reading
(an excerpt from a forthcoming memoir by Nowick Gray, My Generation) In the winter term (1971) I explored an intriguing new avenue of expression, one also well suited to the temper of the time. Musical Sound Awareness was taught by a black jazz musician, Robert Northern, who on the first day said to the class,… Continue Reading
fast tends to blur toward still flight gives way to small slow steps in between, the Groove Zone renowned for hot dancing build your vision up from there if you dare come dance with me in the garden of my desire you are the fuel to feed my fire Continue Reading
How to Play Ballet Style Dununs Playing dununs in the old village style–the traditional setup with bells on top of each drum, one drummer each–is great if you have enough skilled players for each of the three drums: dununba, sangban, and kenkeni. But often only one competent drummer is available to play duns, so the… Continue Reading
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons. — T. S. Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” I went to play music with a friend, and when he showed up he said there had been some upset in his family: his young son having a meltdown after a disruption in his routine. I said I could identify.… Continue Reading
