by
Rhythm Scene Staff
| Jun 15, 2022
DRUM WORKSHOP & LATIN PERCUSSION
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Official Drums
Drum Workshop Inc. (DW) in conjunction with Latin Percussion (LP) are delighted to be gear support sponsors for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest) 2022.
Jazz Fest takes place over two weekends, April 29 to May 1, and May 5–8, 2022, at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. The inaugural event had a modest audience of hundreds. Today, the event is one of the nation’s largest spectaculars with an annual attendance of over half a million.
Over the half century, many globally renowned artists have played DW and LP instruments at the festival, with this year being no exception. Announced acts include The Who (Zak Starkey), Stevie Nicks (Drew Hester), Death Cab for Cutie (Jason McGerr), Jimmy Buffett (Roger Guth), Elvis Costello (Peter Thomas), Trombone Shorty (Joey Peebles/Weedie Braimah), Galactic (Stanton Moore/Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph), The Avett Brothers (Mike Marsh), Chris Isaak (Raphael Padilla), Antonio Sánchez, Boz Scaggs (Branlie Mejias), Erykah Badu (Frank Moka), and many others.
“The rich heritages of DW, LP, and the Jazz Fest fit together perfectly,” said Juels Thomas (Education & Events Manager for DW Brands). “We’re proud to help support both the wealth of musical talent that the Fest showcases and the amazing krewe behind the scenes."
To find out more about Jazz Fest, visit nojazzfest.com. To find out more about DW and its products, visit dwdrums.com. To find out more about LP, visit lpmusic.com.
PEARL/ADAMS
Boston Crusaders Partners with Pearl/Adams
Pearl Corporation and Adams Musical Instruments are proud to welcome the Boston Crusaders to its roster of World Class Drum Corps beginning in the 2022 tour season.
“The Crusaders have a long tradition of design and performance excellence that continually pushes the boundary of musical and artistic achievement,” says Shawn Lafrenz, Senior Marketing Manager for Pearl Corporation. “The legendary performance, tonal projection, and durability of Pearl and Adams instruments are a perfect match for the high demands of excellence that BAC arrangers, designers, and performers expect on and off the field.”
“Having just celebrated its 75th Anniversary, the Pearl Corporation is a perfect match for the Boston Crusaders,” said Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director Chris Holland. “The legendary quality of Pearl/Adams instruments and their commitment to innovation will help us bring fresh, new musical sounds and ideas to life. Thanks to this partnership, our students will have access to high-quality instruments, allowing Inspire Arts & Music to expand our local programming to more students than ever before.”
The 2022 Boston Crusaders instrumentation will feature Pearl Championship Maple Series battery, Adams Endurance Series keyboards, and Adams Percussion. Learn more at pearldrum.com/en/artist/boston-crusaders.
PORTER & DAVIES
Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo, and Wolf Alice Tours Use Porter & Davies
Porter & Davies are delighted to welcome new additions to their family: Joel Amey of Wolf Alice, Jack Lawrence-Brown with White Lies, Ashton Irwin of 5 Seconds of Summer, and many more.
Joel Amey, of multi-award-winning band Wolf Alice, has recently purchased three BC2s. This light, portable, and tough tactile monitor allows him to feel and experience what he plays with unparalleled response and sensitivity.
Jack Lawrence-Brown, drummer with arena band White Lies and Ashton Irwin drummer with 5 Seconds of Summer also now use BC2s. Others include, Ben Barter (Lorde), Mikey Randon (Bruce Foxton), Drew McKeon (Michael Bolton), Børge Fjordheim (session drummer), Jeremy Hoenig (Melvin Seals), Bruce Briggz (Cirque Du Soleil), Dave Anderson (The South) and Ben Anderson (North to Nashville), who also purchased a Porter & Davies Gigster.
Mark Pusey, long-term session drummer for Ed Sheeran, will be joining him on his world tour. The production team purchased the BC2rm for Pusey to use on the tour. It has the same features as the BC2 but has been designed in a 2U 19-inch rack-mount layout.
Purchasers of TT6 Equipped Thrones, both round and saddle formats, include Chris Reeve, drummer for Avril Lavigne. He recently recorded her new album Love Sux and will be accompanying her on her world tour using his saddle throne.
Sean Moore of festival headliners Manic Street Preachers, Jim Macaulay (The Stranglers), Steve Rodford (The Zombies), and Gunner Olsen will also be using their TT6 Equipped Thrones for a busy summer of festivals and tours.
To find out more about Porter & Davies and to purchase their hand-assembled products, visit porteranddavies.co.uk.
ROLAND
“Inspire the Music: 50 Years of Roland History” Book Released
Roland is continuing to celebrate its 50th anniversary with the unveiling of the Inspire the Music: 50 Years of Roland History anniversary book. In collaboration with renowned publisher Bjooks, the 400-page, beautifully photographed hardcover book celebrates the culture, people, and technology that has shaped the brand over the past 50 years.
Inspire the Music is a fun, engaging, and informative tour through evolution and revolution in beat making, keyboards, pianos, synthesizers, guitar and bass products, drums and percussion, music production, and more. Readers will enjoy more than 70 colorful interviews with world-renowned artists and Roland designers, discussing their relationships with the instruments and making music. The book offers deep insights into the worldwide Roland culture, and a timeline traces Roland’s history from its humble beginnings under founder Ikutaro Kakehashi to its current place as a worldwide leader in music technology.
In addition to the people, Inspire the Music showcases the gear that inspired them. Gear fanatics and curious newcomers alike will enjoy illustrated stories about product lines, popular machines, quirky products, and more. Not only does this book open up the world of Roland to every music enthusiast, but it also explores the history of music technology and how it inspired the music itself over the past 50 years. Going beyond just products alone, this book is a visual story of the Roland brand and the world it created, with exciting new insights on every page, including a rare glimpse into the world of the innovators who helped design the gear that made Roland what it is today.
Multiple chapters examine the evolving world in which Roland products came to be, and how their inventive and innovative approach to the art and craft of music led to machines that the world often didn’t know they needed until they had them. Inspire the Music tells the story of how Roland gear helped inspire entire musical genres, from 1980s New Wave to today’s EDM and hip-hop scenes.
For more information about the products and people that have shaped music, visit Roland’s 50th-anniversary page at roland.com/global/roland-50th-anniversary.