"Big Drum Sound"

alan halvorson · 09-22-2003, 09:14 AM

I am always looking for percussion music. Solo percussion, that is - I'm always disappointed when I buy something by a well known drummer only to find that he's only a part of the whole. I want the percussionist and only the percussionist.

Anyone attend the Minnesota Renaissance Festival this year? I did a couple weeks ago - a great place to spend nearly a whole day. Near the end of the day (6:30 on Saturday, not certain if this event is held on Sunday), they have something called "The Drum Battle" (I think that's what it's called) at varying places around the site. This is where they gather a lot of drums - tympani, bass, snare, varieties of African and other sorts, sometimes a cymbal, sometimes a gong - it varies - and bash the dickens out them for about a half hour. Well, I shouldn't say bash - there is a rhythm to it all. I don't know exactly what style to call it, but I've always thought it was African. All the drummers play very well and seem to know their stuff. (They also encourage everyone to dance and a great many do. This is just about as much fun to watch as is listening to the drumming, especially the younger, uninhibited females). I stand as close to the drums as I can (I don't dance). I don't even like one person to be between me and the drums - I want full impact. It's loud! Really loud. It just makes the whole day for me.

Anyway, to the point. At the end of the drumming, the main guy on the tympani started selling a cd called Big Drum Sound, one of those self-produced things you often see musicians try to unload at their performances. I bought one ($15) hoping it was more of the same. It was. Very well-recorded and played. I had a good time last Friday afternoon entertaining all my neighbors when I put this on and let loose my system nearly as loud as it will go (which is damned loud - 115 dbs. +) for 65 minutes. No one complained, but I know you could have heard this a block away.

If this kind of stuff interests you, I'm certain someone will be happy to sell you a copy. It's not available in stores or online (I'm pretty certain). The only contact information I have is a listed e-mail address isfahanists@yahoo.com. Ask about this cd, Big Drum Sound No. 1. If you like percussion, you will not regret it.

For those intending to attend the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, be aware that this coming weekend is the last.

P.S. The leader of this drum ensemble is the spitting image of Jonathan Frakes - Commander Riker on Star Trek: TNG. If I didn't know he wasn't Jonathan Frakes, I would swear that he was. A lot more animated than the real Frakes though.

StephenSpaise · 09-23-2003, 03:56 PM

Hey, I am glad you enjoyed everything, I thought I would post this and respond to a few of your comments...
but first, thanks for posting the link to my email,
it has already attracted 1 customer, on the same day you posted! OK! Firstly, there is no one in charge of the drum jam specifically, rather it is a collaborative effort of 3 of us,+10 to 50 other handdrummers,and the dancers. JAC holds the main grooves down, I'm in the middle playing accents and counterpoint, and Carr (Mr Riker???)is more like a cheerleader and directional adviser. THE RHYTHMS we use are derived from mostly Arabic and African cycles, with a good crossection/mutation thereof.(People tend to forget that Egypt,Algeria,Tunisia,Morocco are in Africa, up north, and there is a strong Islamic influence there...)Sometimes I slip into something that you would recognise as 'funk' if you would have heard it on a drumkit,or perhaps something derived from Northern Indian rhythmic cycles...And for everybody's information, WE DO THIS EVERY NIGHT OF THE FESTVAL AT 6:30! And there has been some trouble with having a Drumjam at all the past couple of years,so if you and other people like it,please call the MN Renaissance Festival office and tell them so!Anyways, thanks for the writeup, I wish I would have been there for your entertainment of the neighborhood,it's not too often that we can actually reproduce the volume of our drumjam outside of RenFest.We at BigDrumSound are very proud of the 1st of we hope many BDS cds, would you believe that this was recorded on an Analog 8track reel-to-reel??? feel free to email me at isfahanists@yahoo.com with questions, concerns or whatever!
Thanks again,
SS

alan halvorson · 09-25-2003, 03:11 PM

Gee - small world, isn't it? I was probably standing just a few feet from you Stephen, and probably will again this coming weekend. Hope it doesn't rain.

I encourage everyone in Minnesota and western Wisconsin to attend the Festival this weekend. It's quite a show, one of the largest in the US. All entertainment is free, it's all excellent (my favorites are Puke 'n Snot, Villivication Tennis, the Dew-Drop Jugglers and, of course, the Drum Jam. And a ton of others. Add in all the very superior crafts, the best deep-fried battered cheese curds anywhere, and it's quite a day.

StephenSpaise · 09-25-2003, 04:31 PM

Howdy noodle, please do come say Hi at the end of the day, AND, FYI: We also do an opening gate show 9:00 am right inside the front door...also DANCE JAM, which is the middle of the day less frenzied version,at THE BEAR 1:30 pm
See you there! And again, I stongly urge you and yours to CALL THE FESTVAL OFFICE and tell them how much you like it!

ElevSkyMovie · 09-25-2003, 04:42 PM

Quote:

my favorites are Puke 'n Snot...

**HTF Ads**

StephenSpaise · 09-25-2003, 05:02 PM

Speaking for a lot of the Rennies out there, they should have retired a long time ago...

alan halvorson · 09-29-2003, 10:05 AM

Well - I was at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival on Sunday, the last day. If you weren't there and could of been you missed a pretty good time. A little cool, but not bad. Vilification Tennis was particularly nasty! Even I was embarassed.

Apparently they're making a dvd of the Festival that is supposed to be available sometime in the coming winter. There's a small possibility I could be on it, but it all depends on the edit, of course.

I was going to attempt to talk to you Stephen, but when the drums were moved outside at the end, it loused me all up. I have never attended the final day and I didn't know they had a closing ceremony. So I guess I will see you next year, hopefully (I haven't yet but I will contact the Festival office). Just to help me identify you, are you one of the three pictured on the cd insert (I think you're the one in the middle)?

StephenSpaise · 09-29-2003, 04:46 PM

Thnks for coming out, as you may well expect, I am all tapped out after playing all day in 45-50* degree weather...
I actually stayed out there on Sat nite, and BOY was it fun waking up to 39 degrees on Sun morning. My feeling is that while I was able to do this 10 years ago and not blink, I don't think I'll be doing the sleepovers in the future...
Aside from that... I'm sorry we didn't get to chat, the Last Day run out the gate is ALWAYS chaos, even tho we plan for it the best we can. My next biggest big concern for next year out of the gate is HAVING SECURITY behing us as we are playing, I was having some problems with this older fella who was not nice,he kept on yelling in Jac and my ears a top volume at very inapropriate times and I asked him nicely to stop he seemed inclined to want to start something...And I pointed out that with 300+ of my closest friends in attendance that wouldn't work too well he kind of ... disappeared. A$$^!#. Anyways, That's me in the middle of the picture... If you ever want to check out some different music
in MPLS let me know, I am in 5 bands that range from Middle eastern music, Algerian pop (RAI) music, flamenco, etc...
The next one coming up is SAHARAN NIGHTS at THE BLUE NILE
over by the U of M campus, in Mpls. SATURDAY NITE.
(1st SAT of every month.)
Email me for futher info or guest list...
WAAAHHHHHHH!

John Beavers · 09-29-2003, 10:44 PM

Quote:

I am always looking for percussion music. Solo percussion, that is

alan halvorson · 09-30-2003, 03:08 AM

Thanks for the link, John, but I can't get there because the owners bandwidth has been exceeded. Maybe next month.</