This Friday, March 20th, The Will Bernard Band kicks off the Blue Plate Special Tour!
I'm extremely proud to have played on this record and to be supporting it out on the road. The lineup features Will Bernard, John Medeski, Andy Hess and myself. Please see below for a list of tour dates. Don't miss it! - Stanton
Friday 3/20 - The Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
Saturday 3/21 - The Roxy - Los Angeles, CA
Sunday 3/22 - The Oriental Theatre - Denver, CO
Monday 3/23 - Fox Theater - Boulder, CO
Tuesday 3/24 - Hodi's Half Note - Ft.Collins, CO
Wednesday 3/25 - Highline Ballroom - New York City
www. stantonmoore. com
www. willbernard. com
www. myspace. com/willbernard
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras this year was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Let me start by saying that my wife and I found her biological father about a month ago. He is a retired Turkish naval officer. While we were at the NAMM show in January, two of the cymbal masters from my cymbal company, Bosphorus Cymbals of Istanbul, told us they could find him when they returned to Turkey. Two weeks later he called my cell phone. My wife has connected with her dad in a very profound way. He too is a musician, a piano player. He decided to come to New Orleans and stay with us for Mardi Gras. He arrived in NOLA just three days before I finished the Galactic winter tour.
I rolled into NOLA on Saturday morning and went home to meet my new father-in-law, Erkan Gursal. His entering our life and getting to know him and my wife's roots has been incredible. Galactic played Tipitina's that night and Erkan sat in. On Sunday night I played Snug Harbor with my trio, then Blue Nile with the Midnite Disturbers Brass Band. Monday night Galactic played from 1am to 6:45amMardi Gras (Tuesday) morning. We made it out at 1pm Mardi Gras day to parade with the Midnite Disturbers and our Krewe of Julu. Erkan hung tough throughout it all, and we all had a blast. On Ash Wednesday (recovery day) we had a family crawfish boil at the house. Thursday morning I left my house at 4:30am to catch a 6:30am flight to SF to play in Santa Cruz that night at Moe's Alley with Dragon Smoke... I must be crazy. :) But I love it. :)
I rolled into NOLA on Saturday morning and went home to meet my new father-in-law, Erkan Gursal. His entering our life and getting to know him and my wife's roots has been incredible. Galactic played Tipitina's that night and Erkan sat in. On Sunday night I played Snug Harbor with my trio, then Blue Nile with the Midnite Disturbers Brass Band. Monday night Galactic played from 1am to 6:45amMardi Gras (Tuesday) morning. We made it out at 1pm Mardi Gras day to parade with the Midnite Disturbers and our Krewe of Julu. Erkan hung tough throughout it all, and we all had a blast. On Ash Wednesday (recovery day) we had a family crawfish boil at the house. Thursday morning I left my house at 4:30am to catch a 6:30am flight to SF to play in Santa Cruz that night at Moe's Alley with Dragon Smoke... I must be crazy. :) But I love it. :)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Will Bernard’s Blue Plate Special
Will’s new record is out. I’m digging it very much.
Any time I get to play with Medeski, Will Bernard and Andy Hess is a good time. Will wrote some great tunes. We went out to the Palmetto studio in the countryside of PA. I had a very good time making music and hanging with those guys. We’re doing a short tour in March and I’m looking very forward to that. We’ve been playing some of the new tunes with my trio so I’m looking forward to playing more of the Blue Plate Special tunes with those guys in March. That’s it for now.
Talk soon, Stanton
Southwest Tour Wrap Up
I just completed a 4 day run of Lafayette, Houston, Dallas, and Little Rock .Overall it was a great run. I had June Yamagishi on guitar along with Robert Walter. June was great, did his home work and played his ass off.
After a rocky start in Lafayette (There was a dead cat on the loading ramp into Grant St. and the gig was under-promoted) we had a great run. We had a very fun outdoor gig at the Last Concert Café in Houston…great crowd, great vibe, fun place to play.
The Granada Theatre in Dallas was great as well. In all my years of touring I’m surprised I’ve never played there. Great room, great peeps. The Revolution Music Room in Little Rock was a great room as well. The Grenada and Revolution would both be good places for Galactic to play. I can’t wait to those rooms as well as the Last Concert Cafe with my trio as well. Maybe in March.
Well I’m back home in NOLA now, trying to get some practice time in around sessions and time with the fam. Working hard on my next book “Groove Alchemy” as well.
More soon, Stanton
After a rocky start in Lafayette (There was a dead cat on the loading ramp into Grant St. and the gig was under-promoted) we had a great run. We had a very fun outdoor gig at the Last Concert Café in Houston…great crowd, great vibe, fun place to play.
The Granada Theatre in Dallas was great as well. In all my years of touring I’m surprised I’ve never played there. Great room, great peeps. The Revolution Music Room in Little Rock was a great room as well. The Grenada and Revolution would both be good places for Galactic to play. I can’t wait to those rooms as well as the Last Concert Cafe with my trio as well. Maybe in March.
Well I’m back home in NOLA now, trying to get some practice time in around sessions and time with the fam. Working hard on my next book “Groove Alchemy” as well.
More soon, Stanton
Friday, November 21, 2008
My brand new signature snare drum!!!
I’d like to announce to everyone the release of my Titanium snare drum for the upcoming January 09 NAMM show. I’d like to explain some of my ideas and intentions and hopefully answer some questions some of you may have.
The whole idea started about 6 or 7 seven years ago when I met Ronn Dunnett for the first time and started to become familiar with his incredible drums. I saw some of his titanium drums and I was intrigued. He explained the sound characteristics of titanium and I became very interested in the sonic possibilities. I asked Ronn if he could make one as a 4x14. His reply was something along the lines of “I’ll give it a shot.” A few months later Ronn brought a drum to me at a clinic I was doing at the Seattle Drum School. I immediately fell in love with the drum – its sound, its tone and its feel.
As most of you know I am a Gretsch endorser and a BIG Gretsch nut. I love playing their kits and snares both vintage and modern. I still love to play wood snares and am currently discussing future wood snare projects with Gretsch now. I’m releasing this drum with Gretsch’s blessing, as Gretsch does not offer a Titanium option at this time. My intentions are to maintain my great working relationship with Gretsch while making this particular snare drum available to the public so other drummers can enjoy this drum as much as I have.
As I started to play larger rooms with my band Galactic, I started searching for a drum that would be sensitive and buttery enough for the intricate buzz roll work that I do with some of the New Orleans second line grooves, but would also cut through a loud funk band when I smacked a back beat. This drum had what I was looking for in a “large room” snare drum. Over the years Ronn and I have experimented with different depths, thickness of the shell, depth of the snare bed, lugs, strainers, snare wires, rims, claws and other details.
We labored over the badge the most. Finally over lunch one day I showed him the New Orleans water meter cover (not sewer or man-hole, but water meter…and some of you know how much I love the Meters). The image of the New Orleans water meter cover is one of the most beloved and iconic images in New Orleans culture. Ronn was very excited with the idea of modifying the meter cover into the badge for my snare. I feel like the badge pays homage to the city that my fellow citizens and I are fighting to protect and rebuild. Also we both though that “Stanton Moore Drum Company” sounded better than “Stanton Moore Signature Snare Drum,” so we decided to go with that on the badge.
As for the design, a long time ago I was given a 20’s era snare drum by my friend and mentor Johnny Vidacovich. Unfortunately that drum got stolen. It was 4x14 with tube lugs and, single flange hoops and claws. I always dug the look and feel of that drum. When I started deciding on the look of my drum I kept recalling the drum that Johnny had given me. I thought it would be cool to incorporate the metal hoop and claw look of an older drum with the modern titanium shell. I’m always trying to blend the old with the new…to modernize tradition.
Everywhere I play this drum, drummers, engineers, producers and fans of music alike approach me and ask me “what is that drum?” I feel Ronn and I have created a drum that is special and deserves to be out in the market. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.
The whole idea started about 6 or 7 seven years ago when I met Ronn Dunnett for the first time and started to become familiar with his incredible drums. I saw some of his titanium drums and I was intrigued. He explained the sound characteristics of titanium and I became very interested in the sonic possibilities. I asked Ronn if he could make one as a 4x14. His reply was something along the lines of “I’ll give it a shot.” A few months later Ronn brought a drum to me at a clinic I was doing at the Seattle Drum School. I immediately fell in love with the drum – its sound, its tone and its feel.
As most of you know I am a Gretsch endorser and a BIG Gretsch nut. I love playing their kits and snares both vintage and modern. I still love to play wood snares and am currently discussing future wood snare projects with Gretsch now. I’m releasing this drum with Gretsch’s blessing, as Gretsch does not offer a Titanium option at this time. My intentions are to maintain my great working relationship with Gretsch while making this particular snare drum available to the public so other drummers can enjoy this drum as much as I have.
As I started to play larger rooms with my band Galactic, I started searching for a drum that would be sensitive and buttery enough for the intricate buzz roll work that I do with some of the New Orleans second line grooves, but would also cut through a loud funk band when I smacked a back beat. This drum had what I was looking for in a “large room” snare drum. Over the years Ronn and I have experimented with different depths, thickness of the shell, depth of the snare bed, lugs, strainers, snare wires, rims, claws and other details.
We labored over the badge the most. Finally over lunch one day I showed him the New Orleans water meter cover (not sewer or man-hole, but water meter…and some of you know how much I love the Meters). The image of the New Orleans water meter cover is one of the most beloved and iconic images in New Orleans culture. Ronn was very excited with the idea of modifying the meter cover into the badge for my snare. I feel like the badge pays homage to the city that my fellow citizens and I are fighting to protect and rebuild. Also we both though that “Stanton Moore Drum Company” sounded better than “Stanton Moore Signature Snare Drum,” so we decided to go with that on the badge.
As for the design, a long time ago I was given a 20’s era snare drum by my friend and mentor Johnny Vidacovich. Unfortunately that drum got stolen. It was 4x14 with tube lugs and, single flange hoops and claws. I always dug the look and feel of that drum. When I started deciding on the look of my drum I kept recalling the drum that Johnny had given me. I thought it would be cool to incorporate the metal hoop and claw look of an older drum with the modern titanium shell. I’m always trying to blend the old with the new…to modernize tradition.
Everywhere I play this drum, drummers, engineers, producers and fans of music alike approach me and ask me “what is that drum?” I feel Ronn and I have created a drum that is special and deserves to be out in the market. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.
Galactic Brass Tacks Tour has come to an end...
Hello all,
I’m finally relaxing at home with a glass of wine and reflecting on the Galactic Brass Tacks tour that just wound down after 6 weeks. We had Shamarr Allen on trumpet and Corey Henry on trombone as our guests and I must say the tour was an absolute blast. Musically those guys added a lot and really helped put things over the top. By the end of the tour the band was very tight and we were all having so much fun playing with each other we didn’t want the tour to end.
Both Shamarr and Corey MC as well so we were doing the title track off of our current record “From the Corner to the Block”. By the end of the tour the tune was 10-20 minutes long, Corey would crowd surf the entire crowd (at least once) people were dancing on stage, Shamarr was playing in the balconies, Rashad from Crown City Rockers was sitting in as well. It was beautiful mayhem.
Through out the night it felt like I was playing with a brass band, a punk band, a metal band, a hip hop band and any combination of other genres…definitely a fun tour to be remembered.
The whole tour culminated with two nights at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Both nights Robert Mercurio and I went across the street to the Boom Boom Room to play with the Greyhounds (whose first record we produced) I even fit in a clinic Saturday day at Drum World in San Mateo. Quite a busy way to end a very fun 6 week tour.
Well, back to relaxing for now. Be back in touch soon.
-Stanton
I’m finally relaxing at home with a glass of wine and reflecting on the Galactic Brass Tacks tour that just wound down after 6 weeks. We had Shamarr Allen on trumpet and Corey Henry on trombone as our guests and I must say the tour was an absolute blast. Musically those guys added a lot and really helped put things over the top. By the end of the tour the band was very tight and we were all having so much fun playing with each other we didn’t want the tour to end.
Both Shamarr and Corey MC as well so we were doing the title track off of our current record “From the Corner to the Block”. By the end of the tour the tune was 10-20 minutes long, Corey would crowd surf the entire crowd (at least once) people were dancing on stage, Shamarr was playing in the balconies, Rashad from Crown City Rockers was sitting in as well. It was beautiful mayhem.
Through out the night it felt like I was playing with a brass band, a punk band, a metal band, a hip hop band and any combination of other genres…definitely a fun tour to be remembered.
The whole tour culminated with two nights at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Both nights Robert Mercurio and I went across the street to the Boom Boom Room to play with the Greyhounds (whose first record we produced) I even fit in a clinic Saturday day at Drum World in San Mateo. Quite a busy way to end a very fun 6 week tour.
Well, back to relaxing for now. Be back in touch soon.
-Stanton
Friday, November 14, 2008
My First Blog
This is my first time blogging so bear with me. I hope to keep this blog updated with my experiences on tour, day to day insights, and other random thoughts. As I write this, I'm out on tour with Galactic. We've been on the road for about 6 weeks now. We're finishing up with two killer shows at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, CA. It's been a great tour but I can't wait to get back to my beautiful wife.
Look out for Moore blog posts soon!
-SM
Look out for Moore blog posts soon!
-SM
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