Gibson has been raided by Federal authorities once again. Previous raids were centered on Madagascar wood that was possibly illegal. No one has been charged, so evidence must not have been sufficient.
These raids are centered around trade laws and ridiculous regulations that are presented as being environmental in nature but in fact do nothing to protect the environment. Part of the problem here is that India’s laws have retroactively changed to make any non-indigenous working of the wood to be illegal. Due to trade agreements we have signed on to, we are subject to India’s retroactive law changes.
Not that the laws are clear in any way. Gibson’s chairman and CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz, said on The Alex Jones Show yesterday that he is not fully clear on what charges he faces. He is actually suing just to be told what exactly he is under investigation for.
Piano manufacturers have also been targeted, drum manufacturers are probably next. Barricade your doors, DW!
Here is one article on the Gibson matter.
Folks I suggest you take notice of the tyranny that is occurring everywhere around us. This is just one example. Go to infowars.com
Here is part of a 2008 article on Alex Van Halen. I am posting this because of the author’s acknowledgement of John Bonham’s tremendous infuence on Van Halen.
Van Halen is, in my opinion, one of the great rock drummers. One of the reasons for this is a swagger, a swing, a thing in Van Halen’s drumming that is not present in most of today’s rock drummers. I think it is partially the Bohham influence responsible for this positive aspect to Alex’s playing.
Strangely the Bonham influence on Alex Van Halen is rarely discussed. Perhaps it is too obvious to mention? Enjoy.
http://www.moderndrummer.com/updatefull/200001641/Alex%20Van%20Halen
“Alex Van Halen never cited John Bonham as a pure influence, but the sound was always there. Perhaps more so than any drummer from the early 1980s to the present, Alex Van Halen inherited the Bonham mantle.
Van Halen’s drum work was, like Bonham, built from the ground up, with the deeply entrenched ability (his dad was a big band musician) to swing a rock groove like a tornado tearing down a city street.”
This interview is with Vinnie is golden! From 1987, most of his wise words and assessments in this interview apply today. Those that don't are prophetic.
Particularly interesting is his discussion of electronic music, then still relatively new. He talks about the musical possibilities versus the potential for musical harm. Vinnie says, "Sound-wise, electronics opened a whole new area… But, what does it have to do with music and pure notes
? It's at a turning point and I am real interested to see which way it is going to go. If acoustic and electronic will be a successful marriage, or if one is going to tug too much away from the other side." Brilliant.
Often the "sonic coolness" side of things has won over actual good songwriting. In other words, for too many folks these days music is exciting only if it slaps them upside the head with electronic might. Contrast the integrity of songwriting between R&B hits of yesteryear and the hits of today…you get the point.
Click for source
This is tragic–not news, but tragic. It involves one of the sons of the late great drummer Rufus "Speedy" Jones, who played with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Lionel Hampton amongst others. Rufus Jones' son Lebrew has been in jail for years. He was wrongfully convicted of a murder that took place on a construction site he worked on.
Lebrew Jones had no blood anywhere on any clothing he possessed (which makes no sense at all given the mess of a crime scene), the timeline presented by the prosecution doesn't add up, and the mentally disabled Mr. Jones was easily led into making false statements by lazy, corrupt detectives.
I was sad to accidentally learn of this while researching Lebrew's father, and to see this happen to the son of such a great
and influential musician.
Click for source
Here is an interesting article about so-called "jam bands". The author cites major players in the movement such as The Grateful Dead and Phish, as well as Aquarium Rescue Unit and others.
Most interestingly the correlation between jam band music and other forms of improvisation are briefly mentioned, as well as the fact that the term "jam band" can be credited to Coleman Hawkins.
Click for source
|
|
eDrumSessions Podcast: