Espresso Jazz Brooms - Review

While ordering a pair of Dem Sticks SpectrumsTM I had mentioned to Dave Demming that I was a jazz drummer looking for something that could replace the now discontinued RegalTip Blasticks I’ve been using for decades. After playing with my first pair of spectrums for a few gigs, I sent some feedback about my experiences with these bamboo multi-rods to Dave and…

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Cymbal Resonance System 〈CRS〉 Review

The Cymbal Resonance System is by far one of the best investments I’ve made for improving the overall sound of my Whitney Drum Kits.

Whitney drums allow you to clamp both your tom mounts and your cymbal booms to the same aluminum posts supported by the “quick stand”. While this is a brilliant solution in many ways, you run the risk that some tom…

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A Tale of Two Cymbals

I’ve had a long love affair with sound, and objects that vibrate our human experience in beautiful ways.

Right around the turn of this century, I spent an afternoon talking about the business of music with a local jazz music producer, promoter, and philanthropist JoAnne Hasbrouck. At the end of the conversation, she asked me to wait for a moment while she went…

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A Smarter Drum Set

There’s also a whole section of this website dedicated to my Whitney Drums

Schlepping gear from place to place can begin to take its toll on your body over time. I’ve had three hernia surgeries, the third a repair of the second, and three surgeries on my left wrist. The wrist surgeries are more likely related to pulling heavy drum cases up and…

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Playing Allegra Drums

Ghost of Allegra - New Year’s Eve - December 2004 photo by Kurt Deutscher

A few years ago I had the good fortune to discover Allegra Drums.

I’m a wood guy; my ears like to hear wood, not the ringing overtones of all the cast-metal parts of the kit. So one day a friend of mine, Mel Brown, has me sit in with his band…

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