Spring 2008
On the 15th of March I had the great honour and privilege of performing in the house band for a surprise 60th birthday party thrown for Dave Mattacks by his lovely wife Caron. I was flattered and totally bowled over when Caron asked if I would be interested in doing it. Naturally I responded without hesitation - an ecstatic YES! (For those not familiar with the great, legendary drummer Dave Mattacks, please visit here: http://www.dmattacks.co.uk/)
The core 'house' band for the evening consisted of Dan King, bandleader, guitar & vocals; Marty Rowen, keyboards; Wolf Ginandes, bass; Duke Levine, guitar; Tony Goddess, guitar, vocals, & sound; and myself on drums.
The house band was augmented/substituted at different points in the night with Paul Ahlstrand, Saxophone; Marty Ballou, double-bass; Kevin Barry, guitar; Amy Fairchild, vocals & acoustic guitar; Adam Steinberg, guitar & vocals; Jeff StPierre, bass; Richard Gates, bass; Dennis Brennan, vocals & acoustic guitar; Joyce Anderson, violin; and Brad Hatfield, keyboards. I hope I'm not forgetting anybody� there was lots of shuffling going on throughout the night, with so many of Boston's finest in attendance. And of course we got DM up there to drum on a few numbers throughout the night, who was as always tremendous! I truly felt how much greatness was around, and felt blessed to be a part of it.
Marty Rowen, Paul Ahlstrand, Marty Ballou and I opened up the night with some jazz. Paul has a superb jazz CD of his own out there called The Sunday Hang, which features DM. I've subbed for DM in Paul's quartet, and both Paul and Marty B. have subbed in The Soul Band, and Marty Rowen and I have played together a ton over the years in various ensembles. So it all felt like home to me. We played as the guests were filing in. When the guest of honour arrived, Marty Rowen and I launched into the theme from Family Guy - a show that DM loves. Needless to say, the birthday boy was perfectly surprised!
After DM's entrance, the party music began. Dan King took the reigns and led the house band through a string of classics. He also put together a fantastic skit, which was read aloud (and comically amended!) by DM's longtime chum from the UK - Dave Payne. The skit also acted as a walk down memory lane, with some prime recorded examples of DM's contributions over the years.
As the evening progressed, a couple of first-rate singer/songwriters [that DM has worked with closely over the years] took centre stage. It was a thrill for me to back up Amy Fairchild. Do check her out - she writes & sings magnificently! I joined her for two of her original songs, and then DM came up and played one with her - and spanked the heck out of it! The man can groove like no other.
Before long Dennis Brennan was up playing a set with DM at the drums, and I was out in the audience totally digging it and bouncing along like a kid. Caron was standing with my wife Maegan, and when I looked over I caught Caron chuckling at how thrilled I was to witness her husband lay into my drums and play Dennis' brilliant music so impeccably!
One of the many highlights of the evening was the presentation of a plaque to DM by the Zildjian Cymbal Company's John King & Paul Francis, in gratitude and appreciation for the longstanding relationship DM and Zildjian have shared.
Towards the tail end of the evening, I was able to take Caron aside and thank her once again for having me in the drum chair that night. I also told her my story of 'how I met Dave Mattacks,' and how much her husband has meant to me over the years. It goes something like this: About eight years ago, most unbelievably and fortunately for me (and countless others 'round these parts), DM & Caron permanently relocated from Great Britain to the north shore of Massachusetts. Not long after they'd set up shop, my old friend and great singer/songwriter John Haydon called for me to do a gig with him @ The Kendall Caf� (r.i.p.) in Cambridge. I couldn't as I was already booked elsewhere with the Ken Clark Organ Trio. So I had Mike Piehl booked to sub for me with John. About two weeks or so before the gig, I received an email from Mike stating that he'd erroneously double-booked the Haydon gig with another - but not to worry - he would get it covered. A few days later, Mike emailed again and wrote, �Dave Mattacks is going to cover it - you're all set.� Knowing that Mike was clearly joking, I replied with something like �RIGHT! Ok, so you couldn't get it covered�� It was through the exchange that followed that I learned that not only was DM living here now; he was looking forward to playing the gig! An hour later my phone rings, and it's DM on the line, introducing himself, thanking me for the gig, and saying he's looking forward to meeting me. SAY WHAT?!?!?! This is a drummer that I'd been listening to, learning from, and admiring for YEARS! XTC's album 'Nonsuch' had been my favourite from that band (still is) largely due to the fact that DM is all over it and playing those incredible songs with the most tasteful and vital drumming. This is the same drummer who is on the legendary Joan Armatrading's self-titled LP (featuring 'Love & Affection'). The same man who is on Nick Drake's 'Bryter Later.' The same man who is on a bunch of Paul McCartney records, two George Harrison albums, and Cat Steven's last album (just before Cat became Yusuf Islam.) Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny, and all those Fairport LPs. Sept Piece. Gary Brooker. The list goes on & on! This man is going to SUB for ME at a local watering hole. Universe, THANK YOU!
So that's where it began for me. Following our initial meeting at the pre-gig rehearsal with John Haydon, I started studying with DM, taking two-hour lessons on the odd Saturday morning, a few times a year. I'm still not done practicing stuff from the first lesson, eight years ago! A strong friendship evolved, and I'm forever grateful to DM for all he has given me as a musician and person.
Here's a photo Jim McGathey took of DM and I at the end of the party
Winter 2008
Despite the arctic freeze, I had a very satisfying recording session @ Zippah studio in December with the 'Tough Love Trio' - Mike Mele, guitar; Blake Newman, double-bass, and myself. Studio owner Brian Charles engineered the session, with Matt Jugenheimer assisting. I'd wanted to do a fun, live-in-the-studio jazz recording for a while. I finally got our collective schedules sorted, and booked us a day. The three of us set up in Zippah's main room. Brian used great microphones and chose judicious locations for them. We played live in the room with no headphones, doing a few takes of each tune. After the tunes were recorded, Brian, Matt and I mixed the best takes. All in one day. What a concept! Musicians playing music together, live, no headphones and no overdubs. Sort of an old Blue Note 'blowing session'! We had a blast, and we are going to do another session at Zippah this spring. I hope to put out CD of this group - we'll see how it all goes. While we've got a basic myspace page happening, a proper website is forthcoming, with mp3 samples, photos, etc. We've done a few gigs at The Beehive in Boston, and I look forward to more work with these masterful musicians (and great friends.) Not too tough to love!
Also this winter, I did some recording for singer/songwriter John Haydon. John is another old friend of mine who has really come into his own as a songwriter in the past few years. I was honoured that he invited me to play some drums for him on his forthcoming CD. It was a treat to play on such well-written material, and also great to play in the new location of Dave Minehan's Woolly Mammoth recording studio, now in Waltham, MA. I'll be playing John's CD release party booked @ the Lizard Lounge on April 26.
~ New in the drum den ~
I was able to rescue another tatty old (1971) Ludwig 400 shell and bring it back to life (see earlier blog about powder coating one of these, below.) Thankfully I had just enough Ludwig parts in my workshop to complete one last drum; all I needed was a shell for them to reside on. So I poked around on ebay, found an old shell that needed TLC, bought it for a song, and sent it up to Larry Dubin @ Vermont Ware for sandblasting and powder coating. My friend Dino (birth name is Sheila, though we must respect the nickname lineage� but I digress) is a gifted designer/artist, and she graciously helped me with one of her 'pantone' colour sample books. I selected a couple of samples and sent them to Larry. The last shell Larry powder coated for me was done in gloss black. For this shell, I was thinking about either Great Grandmother Smith's mid-60s turquoise Chevrolet Impala, or some sort of 70s sea green bathroom wallpaper. Ultimately Gram's Impala won, and Larry did an amazing job, once again. Check it out below� he totally nailed it.
Autumn 2007
Consecutive days of post 80� (f) weather in early October were a bit alarming to this Bostonian. Nonetheless, it made for a great weekend in Manchester NH for the New England International Drum Expo. I was able to attend Sunday clinics given by Jerome Duepree, Dave DiCenso, and Dave Mattacks. All three clinics were radically different yet equally rewarding. Great job gents!
The Soul Band returns to Johnny D's (10/19) for our bi-monthly assault to the senses of Davis Square, Somerville! Special guest is the wonderful vocalist (and Los Angeles ex-pat) Dana Shellmier. Dana will come up and sing a few numbahs with us.
Also this month (10/21), I'm looking forward to performing a concert @ Longy School of Music in Cambridge, lead by faculty member Ben Schwendener, as part of Longy's Faculty Artist Recital series. Bridget Kearney is playing acoustic bass; she is a prodigiously talented young lion of that instrument. The drummer is always happy when there is a good bassist on the gig, and with Bridget its distinctly rewarding. This concert is called THEMATIK. We had a rehearsal the other day�get ready for a blend of 70s sonic textures with all the neurosis (and self-help) of modern times. This stuff is FUN to play! Ok, so it's difficult to get Grape Nuts cereal out of shag carpeting. Luckily there is no shag on stage @ Longy. (why the hell not? - transatlantic webmaster tittering at your inadvertent innuendo)
This installment of the G.A.S. series (see previous issue for an explanation of that) deals with my #1 snare drum - the Eames Master Model Monster, handcrafted by master drum maker Joe MacSweeney.
(Health advisory: non-musicians may wish to stop here, unless you enjoy nightmares about altered states with electrodes in all the wrong places.)
The Monster is comprised of 24 plies of hand-selected birch, measuring 1� thick. A 1� thick shell wall on a 14� snare drum means the inner air column is reduced to 12� (1� thick on each side of the cylinder = 12� available air space). 14� heads working with a thick shell and a 12� inner column increases the intensity of the air 'compression' when the drum is struck. Thus, snare response is dramatically enhanced (over your typical thin-shelled wooden snare drum.) This, in conjunction with Joe's unmatched craftsmanship - especially his hand-sanded bearing/beveled edges & snare bed - makes for an amazingly sensitive & responsive musical instrument.
My Monster snare drum is a 7� x 14�. I decided to go with a deeper shell rather than the more traditional 5� depth. In my view, the thick shell wall makes it possible to use a 7� deep drum with absolutely no loss in snare wire sensitivity. (The theory being, the farther away the snare wires are from the striking surface, the less they respond, which is true for many mass produced thinner shelled wooden snare drums.) With the Eames Monster, I get the best of both worlds: unparalleled snare sensitivity & response, AND the fat tone of a deep, thick-shelled wooden snare drum. It's an extremely versatile drum and spectacularly satisfying to play! While there are some rooms that sound awful no matter what instrument you try, I've yet to find a style of music where this drum doesn't cut the mustard. Its versatility shines with careful tuning in any direction, for any genre. Bravo, Joe!
Summah 2007
Greetings Earthlings,
Well, first off, apologies to any/all who attempted to reach me via steve@stevechaggaris.com for a few peculiar days in mid-July. In short, Comcast (our broadband provider) unexpectedly and quite arbitrarily decided to loathe that e-mail address. Leaving mechanics by the wayside, it thrills me to declare that the situation has been repaired (thanks to the fervent efforts from my jovial and patient web-seamstress) and should stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Musically, it's been a particularly busy summer, thank goodness. Things are still chugging along with my tried & true cohorts the Ken Clark Organ Trio (dig the new 'myspace' page) and also The Soul Band (Johnny D's 8/25!) But I've also been blessed with lots of freelance work this season - - always a great opportunity to expand musical circles and make new friendships. Ellen O'Brien, Mark Mahar, Greg Lutrell, Mark Rasmussen, Justin Piper, & Johnny Trama - - to name a few of the exceptionally talented musicians I've had the pleasure of meeting & working with this summer. (All great people too, which helps!)
I've also been working some with one of my favourite local singers - Vykki Vox -in As You Like It. Again, great musicians, wonderful people.
Honourable mention must go to an extremely gifted musician out of Columbus Ohio, with whom Mike Mele and I joined for a gig @ the celebrated Acton Jazz Caf� on 7/21. Tony Monaco, ladies and germs, is one of the great Hammond organists working today (and I hope I'm qualified to make that assessment, having worked with another one of the greats - Ken Clark - for many years!) Tony brought his exciting brand of organ jazz/blues to that legendary venue, and we all had a blast. The show was a success in every respect - apparently a �record breaker� for the AJC - and it was an absolute pleasure to play with both Tony & Mike. Special thanks to B3 enthusiasts Dale Parker & Cliff Spencer (and their awesome crew - Wayne, Terry, et al) for producing that show, and of course, to the most gracious host in Mass., - AJC proprietor Gwenn Vivian. Look for more Parker/Spencer productions in the future, as part of the Acton Jazz Caf�'s International Concert Series. (Gents, call me anytime!)
The last time I wrote, I finished with a lil 'blog' (an outlandish rant about my new Hi-hat cymbals) mostly for other drummers out there who are afflicted with abhorrent G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome.) As I stated before: non-musicians may wish to stop now, unless you are looking for a cure for insomnia.
I won't launch into my archetypical, maniacal hysteria like I did the last time. I'll just plainly state that my 13� K. Zildjian 'Light' Hi-hat cymbals have officially moved into the top slot as my all-around go-to hi-hat cymbals. Zildjian really nailed it with these. They are everything that I'm after in hi-hat cymbals!
Any drummer who has owned the classic Ludwig Supraphonic model 400 snare drum over the years knows that the original chrome-plating does not stick very well to the Ludalloy shell (read aluminum). Some of these drums seem to fare better over time than others. My mid-60s keystone badge 400 is in surprisingly good shape (thanks to Dave Mattacks for that acquisition) and I intend keep looking after it and preserve its all-original form. However, my early 70s blue/olive badge 400 was in tough shape. The chrome was flaking off like Goldmember's skin in the last Austin Powers flick. It was so ugly that I had relegated this poor drum to the lowly back-up snare position. Poor lad. That is, until Snow Dog (his 'handle' on the Drum Forum) suggested powder-coating.
Snow Dog recommended a shop in Vermont called Vermont Ware, as they had successfully powder-coated one of his drums. Larry Dubin, Pres. Of Vermont Ware contacted me personally, and after deciding on gloss black, I merrily stripped the drum of all of it's hardware and sent the tatty old shell on its way to VT.
Inside of a week I had the shell back, and man they did a great job! Larry and his crew were able to sandblast the rest of the chrome off, and powder-coat the entire shell black. Though the coating was not able to hide all of the shell's imperfections (heck it's at least 30 years old), it does look much better. I'll post some photos soon.
As to whether the black coating has affected the overall sound of the drum, I think perhaps only slightly. I think it 'dried out' the sound just a wee bit, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing on that type of snare drum. I used it for the first time on the Tony Monaco organ trio gig and really dug it. All of the classic 400 attributes were present�.the snap/crackle/pop thing that the drum is known for.
OK that's enough. That's about enough out of me. I just unleashed all that about a snare drum that's not even my #1? What the heck is wrong with me?
Stay tuned for the next installment on my #1, the Eames �Master Model� Snare Drum. Now that is a drum!
Certified!
Here's a glowing review of The Soul Band from Worcester Magazine.
Spring 2007
News, noise, noodles and nonsense�
I love performing in Newburyport. Folks there really appreciate live music. Coming up on the 15th of May, I'll be accompanying Meg Rayne in concert at the Firehouse Theatre. My friend and musical cohort Curtis Jerome Haynes has done a brilliant job producing Meg's latest release, �Let's Put The Moon To Bed.�
The Soul Band will continue to make Johnny D's it's soul Boston-area protectorate! We are back there on June 1st. I strongly advise that you procure tickets in advance if interested. The last show sold out a week in advance. Johnny D's is a great live music room (and has a wonderful menu!) and I'm so grateful that it still exists. It has survived longer than most in the Boston area.
More performances to be found on the gigs page.
And now, those of you non-drummers out there who wish to continue with a peaceful existence, exit this page now! Warning, the following story might bore you to tears. But I'm so excited about my new HiHat cymbals that I MUST BLOG about them! Interested drummers, read below. Other inquisitive folks�� proceed at your own risk.
-------------------------------------------
Before I share my story about my new 13� K. Zildjian Light
Hi-hats, I should preface by advising that I had the great fortune
of picking out a set of regular 13� K Hats @ the Zildjian
headquarters a couple of years ago, and those have been my
favourite Hats of any I've ever played. They've been my #1 'go to'
hats since the day I picked them out. They do everything well -
which is rare. I ask a lot of a pair of 13s - and in most
circumstances my needs are unrealistic. To explain: I need the
quickness 'under foot' of a 13, but I also need them to be lighter
and buttery�lower pitched...closer to a 14 in pitch. On top of
that, I need an assured crispness to the 'chic' (notwithstanding
their lightweight.) To my ear there is nothing more annoying than a
clunky, high-pitched pair of 13s. To summarize - my 13� 'regular' K
hats have it all.
So why pick up a set of new K Light Hi-hats?
Well, I had the pleasure of catching the Steve Gadd clinic a couple
of weeks ago @ Quincy High School. My friends at Dicenso's Drum
Shop (host of the clinic) told me to arrive early @ Quincy High, as
Zildjian would be there to set up a bunch of prototypes to try - as
well as some of their 'latest releases.' I played a whole bunch of
cool and different prototypes, but the cymbals that kept calling me
back over were these new 13� K Light HiHats. I was completely rapt
with them! I kept playing them and having internal arguments��damn
these are fine, just DO IT�but wait, you already have a fantastic
set� but wait, how rare is it to find AMAZING hats right there on
the stand�don't worry, charge now pay later! �wait a second, you
idiot, this is exactly what I was talking to you about before�
SAVING money, not spending it�.. oh c'mon, this could be a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity�blah blah blah��
Well, before 'The Annoying Angel' OR 'The Phat Devil' could finish
their skirmish, my friend Jim came over and said something like
�Aren't those gorgeous? I just bought them.� Of course, Zildjian
showed up with only ONE pair of 13s. Jim was over at the
table having his card swiped while I was drooling over the very
hats that he was buying!!! The chap from Z eventually pulled them
off the stand, bagged them, handed them to Jim, and then put up a
pair of 14� K Light HiHats.
Somewhat deflated yet somewhat relieved that the schizoid inside
was now forced into respite thanks to my quick-thinking buddy, I
began to tinker with the 14s. Damn, those were gorgeous too! I
looked to Jim and said �Don't tell me you already bought these too,
eh??!� He replied �No, but they are sweet! Steve, YOU should buy
THOSE!! You can borrow my 13s sometime.�
The schizoid inside was resurrected, and The Phat Devil won. I
bought the 14s. And damn it all, I should know better. I got them
home and I gave them a workout in my studio. I really liked them,
but I didn't LOVE them. They had everything I like except the feel
under foot I need. So I called Dicenso's and they agreed to
exchange them for a pair of 13s -though they had to order up a pair
from Zildjian. (They are great people @ Dicenso's, by the way!) So
this was a bit risky for me, as I'd essentially have to take what
came in. Well, all of those fears are now buried! I picked up the
13s this weekend, and as luck would have it, they are even BETTER
than the 13s I tried @ the Gadd clinic! I've played them out on a
couple of gigs, and they are absolutely fantastic! They are light
and buttery, but with a confident, musical 'chic'.
How do they compare to my #1s - my regular K hats? They are very,
very close in awesomeness. As it's true there can be vast weight
differences within a model, my regular Ks are on the lighter side
anyhow. And to tell you the truth, these new Light Ks are not
really much lighter than my regular Ks. The B3 organist I worked
with last night (Ken Clark) noticed immediately during pre-show
soundcheck. He said something like �Wow, those are crispy!� Indeed.
They have the crisp 'chic' I need - crisp enough to cut through a
(sometimes) roaring Hammond B3 organ - - yet they are light and
musical, pitched more like their 14" brothers. The best of all
worlds!
I will need to give these light Ks more gig time to really
determine if they will move into the #1 slot over my regular Ks.
But as of this moment, I'm going to be bold and say that they might
be even more musical.
Click here for press and reviews
March 2007
Friday 30-March-07, 8:00pm
@
The Nave Gallery
(in the Clarendon Presbyterian Church)
155 Powderhouse Blvd., West Somerville, MA.
Ben Schwendener - piano;
Blake Newman - double bass;
Steve Chaggaris - drums.
performing:
"Ben Schwendener's Children's Music, Volume II"
The unfailingly prolific Ben Schwendener has recently assembled
& organized into volumes all of the compositions he created
specifically for his piano students. These volumes were adapted for
acoustic jazz trios, and recorded in Ben's home studio. I had the
pleasure & honour of being invited (along with bassist Blake
Newman) to record all of the music that comprises Volume II. A
labour of love, the work is now complete, and we are eager to
perform it live, in entirety!
A book/CD combo will be available at the gig. Hope to see you
there!
on the web:
www.artsomerville.org:80/nave/nave_info.html
www.gravityarts.org
www.benschwendener.com
www.stevechaggaris.com
Wintah 2006
PHOTO BY MARY MELILLI
Summer 2006
News, news, news.... long overdue.
1.) The Soul Band's debut CD "Certified" is out & about! Get it here on CD Baby. And here is a cool interview/article in the Boston Phoenix.
2.) Check out www.thesoulband.net for live dates. There are a few outdoor festivals happening this summer. One that I'm most looking forward to is on July 4, outdoors in Crocker Park, Marblehead Massachusetts; we are headlining the Marblehead Arts Festival!! More info available here.
3.) Ken Clark Organ Trio makes it's annual trip to Northern Vermont to play the Snow Farm Vineyard Festival. This year it takes place on July 6.
4.) I've gone and joined the weirds. http://www.myspace.com/stevechaggaris Why do this when I have a website of my own? Because people won't stop asking me if I'm on "myspace." OK, OK, I hear you, allegedly its a decent networking tool. The jury's still out! Whatever. It's free and it's out there.
Best,
SC
Jeremy Lyons, SC, Blake Newman in concert March '06
Some of the songs we recorded for this CD are songs that
we've been playing for the better part of the past year. Some were
tracks that were selected over the last few months. And two of the
songs that will undoubtedly make it to the final CD are songs that
we had never played prior to recording them. One of those two
songs we actually rehearsed in pieces on a couple of occasions, but
the only time we ever played it entirely was at the recording
session. The other was a song we had never rehearsed at all;
we only talked about it after listening to Mike Welch's home demo
of this tune. The tune is Mike's arrangement of a modern pop
ballad. Essentially it has now been transformed into a soul tune,
and though I was completely insecure about it while we were hashing
it out and recording it, I'm pleased to report that we successfully
made it our own and it's probably going to be one of the high
points on the record. I'm being purposefully cryptic here, as I
don't want to let the cat out of the bag about the material too
much, as it's still so early in the process of putting this whole
thing together. Anyhoo, the CD should be available late
winter, as they are pursuing a fairly aggressive schedule with
this. I'll try to keep myself posted as well as any of you
who are interested!
Happy Holly Daze!
Steve
September 2005
NEW CD NOW OUT!
Ken Clark Organ Trio
Ken Clark - Hammond B3 Organ
Mike Mele - Guitar
Steve Chaggaris - Drums