On Thursday, January 25th at 9:00PM EST drumming legend Peter Erskine will be sitting at his computer for an intimate Q&A session with the DrumTalk faithful.

2007 marks the 35th year since Peter first laid down a groove on Evans heads!  He has been such a great friend and supporter of Evans over the years, and we're so happy that he agreed to take time out of his busy schedule to "chat" online with our members.

I'm somehow unfamiliar with Peter's legendary career, he has recorded/toured with some of the all-time great artists and bands.  Jaco Pastorius, Weather Report, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Mike Stern, and the Yellow Jackets to name a handful.  Besides the nearly 450 albums recorded with these greats and others, he's recorded 12 solo albums as well!

Whether you're a beginner, a seasoned pro, a real banger playing metal, or a cool jazz cat, don't miss this opportunity to "rub keyboards" with one of the drumming legends of our time!  Get your questions ready, and fire away!

Besides being a great player, Peter is a wonderful teacher offering unique insight on drums, and has produced a series of instructional DVDs and books.  Definitely check them out! 

Visit Peter's website for more information and background on this soon-to-be Drum Talk member: http://www.petererskine.com/

Stay tuned for more details, and be sure to be online the night of the 25th!!

but...

How will we know it's really him? Oh, wait...I know a question that only he will know the answer to....heh heh heh




hi.

Funk - 9PM EST is 2:00 in the morning your time.  You may need to take a little catnap that evening and wake up...

I'm really excited for this, and think it's a great start to getting other interesting folks on here to talk shop.

Mad,

1983, Oklahoma City...a place called "Bianca's Jazz Club...located in a MALL! LOL! He was playing in Steps Ahead with the (then) very young Eliane Elias, Mike Maineiri, Brecker, Eddie Gomez on bass. He was playing Yamaha drums in a very nice, unusual green finish (I forget the name of that color green...but it had a name...damn).

Peter Erskine and Brecker came in and were playing the PacMan game (lol!) and hanging out waiting for the sound check to start. They sounded GREAT! I was in awe. Yeah, Erskine has the touch.

His drum tech was a black guy with blonde hair and after he had set up the kit, Erskine came in and sat down and said something like, "Wow, the hi-hat clutch is really choked!" I was listening and watching everything...trying to take it all in and hopefully remember something. Oh, btw, I still have the ticket from that concert...#001!! I guess you could say that I have been a fan for quite awhile! heh heh




hi.

Hi Administrator,

This is in regards to O’s query of conducting a little mini interview.

I realize that this is  a promotion to get this forum a.k.a. the lone iceberg going again, which is deeply appreciated and kudos to Mr Erskine too for being game.

Since his arrival, O’ has been responsible for close to half the contribution here.

It is just my opinion, that he should be given a little elbowroom

That is aside of the fact that most likely he would ask the type of questions that might even engage Mr Erskine and would be informative to all of us….definitely entertaining.

It would be nice if this where to generate new blood and everybody should get their turn.

But how about a little break for the people has been holding the fort?

Lunar Percussion   www.koasnare.com

Mad, I want to say it's "British Racing Green" or "Kelly Green" or...damn...something else, maybe...sheesh! But, yes, although I can't see a pic of the kit from that link you posted, the kit was more than likely the same one.

I mean, I was sitting, WIDE-eyed from about 12 feet away from them. there was Eliane playing the resident Steinway (nice piano), Maineiri was playing his "synthi-vibe"...

Here's the real kicker to the story...I was at this concert with my older brother, Mike and an office-mate of his, Amy. Somehow, Eddie Gomez knew Amy from some mutual relation or something...and so, on the break between their two sets that night, Eddie Gomez came to our table, sat down and bought us all a glass of red wine! I mostly sat there and didn't say anything...too much in awe.

I remember Eliane Elias walking past me through the crowd and I actually made eye contact with her! She actually smiled at me! Oh, my she was gorgeous...and bare-footed, too! I had a lot of thoughts about her...nevermind.

1983 was about the heart of my love of "jazz fusion". There were lots of "fusion" bands around. Spyro Gyra, Yellowjackets, Weather Report, RTF, Jeff Lorber, Ronny Laws, Stuff, Lee Ritenour, Pat Metheny Group...all that stuff was what I was listening to. When Steps Ahead showed up, they were like the ultimate "dream band" of the century. So many different facets and ways to go within that band -that particular formation.

Then the term "fusion" began to change for me...into listening to bands like Jack Dejohnette's Special Edition or Old and New Dreams...Ornette Coleman...stuff that was more "out". Bands like Steps Ahead and that concept, in general, began to fade...bands got more acoustic again...horn players started coming out front again...guitars and synths stepped backwards. The VSOP quintet was the remnant of the oldf Miles Davis Quintet...which led me back, back, back into the older bands...got aquainted with the West coast sound -Charles Lloyd...which led me forward, again....led me into the realm of the Scandinavian/European sounds of the ECM record label...which led me to the Peter Erskine Trio with John Taylor (piano) and Palle Danielsson (bass)...which led me to Bobo Stenson's trio with Anders Jormin (bass) and Jon Christensen (drums)...which is where my musical tastes have ultimately been wading for the last few years...intermixed with the many new flavors that the internet and Amazon.com have exposed.

I will try to come up with a few good questions to ask Peter Erskine. Damn, I wish I could be here "live" for this. I'm going crazy about this.




hi.