The Creator wants us to Drum. (God) wants us to corrupt the world with drums, dance, and chants. We've already corrupted the world with power and greed, which has gotten us nowhere. Now's the time to corrupt the world with drum, dance, and chants.----Babatunde Olatungi, Nigerian master drummer

Monday, August 23, 2010

Friday, August 20, 2010

Drummin' Guitar: using the guitar like a drum

Drummer Richie Hayward of Little Feat Dies

Richie Hayward, Drummer, Dies at 64
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: August 14, 2010

Richie Hayward, a rock drummer who was an original member of Little Feat, an eclectic band that has maintained a devoted following for decades, died Thursday near Vancouver, British Columbia. He was 64.

His death was confirmed by his publicist, Bridget Nolan, who said Mr. Hayward had been suffering from liver cancer and was waiting for a transplant.

Over the past year, benefits had been staged on behalf of Mr. Hayward, who had no health insurance.

Mr. Hayward formed Little Feat in 1969 with the guitarist, singer and songwriter Lowell George, the keyboardist Bill Payne and the bassist Roy Estrada, and remained a member through its various incarnations. Though basically rock, its music drew from a variety of other genres, including country, jazz and blues. Among the band’s best-known songs were “Willin’ ” and “Dixie Chicken.”

The group fell apart in 1979 after Mr. George died, but re-formed in 1987 and had been touring ever since. Mr. Hayward last performed with Little Feat on July 11.

In addition to working with Little Feat, Mr. Hayward recorded with Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Buddy Guy, Barbra Streisand and many others.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Washington Park Summer Festival







Went to the first of the Washington Park Summer Festival evenings featuring Portland Taiko (Japanese Drumming: http://www.portlandtaiko.org/) and Lions of Batucada (Brazilian drumming:http://www.lionsofbatucada.com/)at the Rose Garden Ampitheater in downtown Portland. There was a crowd and lots of rhythm!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Tohpati and Ethnomission: Save the Planet






Tohpati and Ethnomission





Whoa!! Drummers, you gotta give this a listen! Just watched this video and was blown away by the funky world-ethno-jazz-fusion group Ethnomission. Pulled this info off the internet:

Tohpati Ethnomission is a band formed in 2009. The kingpin of this band is a guitar player who is called Tohpati. Tohpati is known as a member of the band that is called Simak Dialog from Indonesia.

Tohpati participated in Simak Dialog in 1993. And, the activity of Solo has been started since 1998.

This band reflects the music character followed from Simak Dialog in own band and is developing it. The music character that adds the tradition musical instruments of Indonesia to the music character that makes Jazz Rock a base is a music character that should be called gamelan Fusion and ethno Jazz.

- Members -

Tohpati - electric guitar midi synth guitar
Indro Hradjodikoro - bass guitar
Diki Suwajiki - suling
Endang Ramdan - kendang,gong,kenong
Demas Narawangsa - rebana,kempluk, trap set


Check out this website: http://www.reverbnation.com/tohpatiethnomission

Monday, August 2, 2010

2003 Staley Lecture: Rhythmic and Irenic Pedagogy or Teaching Peace with a Funky Beat

In 2003 I was surprised to be invited to do the Staley Lecture at Bethel College Newton, Kansas on Drumming for Peace! I had only started the program a year earlier near the same time I received my doctorate, which was in Anabaptist preaching. Who was I to be giving the Staley Lecture. But, I affirmed the invitation. My lecture covered biblical and cultural background on drumming and transforming the drum, often used in war, to become an instrument of peace. At the end of my lecture I performed several teaching exercises with plastic buckets and sticks using students attending the lecture, an unusual lecture indeed! The lecture is listed at: http://www.bethelks.edu/academics/lectures/staley.php I just found a CD of the lecture and translated into a form I could download. So, here it is. Click title, even though it says it is not available. It is.


01 Staley Lecture 2003 Rhythmic and Irenic Pedagogy or Teaching Peace with a Funky Beat by Leo Hartshorn

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Deaf Priscilla: Beauregard Ajax (1968)


My 60s rock group Beauregard Ajax. Music recorded at Del-Fi Records, Hollywood, CA, 1968. Fore more info on the group and album go to: http://drummingforpeace.blogspot.com/2009/02/beauregard-ajax-deaf-priscilla.html


Deaf Priscilla, Beauregard Ajax by Leo Hartshorn