It was a busy weekend in STL. First I sell the drummies, and then there was the SLSO Explosions Percussion festival. Actually, it was just one concert and there was very little exploding. It was fairly gentle, actually, but that’s not to say it wasn’t really good.

The first half was a smoking performance of the Bartok Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion with Will James on percussion, Rick Holmes on timpani and Orli Shaham and Peter Henderson on the pianos. The second half featured North African drums and oud, a lute-like stringed instrument.

I have been a closet frame drummer for quite a while, sitting in the basement with my bodrahn and making up beats while I watch the tube. My inspiration has been guys on YouTube like Glen Velez, David Kuckhermann and N. Scott Robinson. The latter two were here in our fair city yesterday as the second half of the aforementioned program. They were joined by oud virtuoso Haig Manoukian. Man, it was sweet. They played traditional North African music and added some frame drum solos on riq, tar and bodrahn as well. Afterword I was lucky enough to get a pic with them.

David, me and Scott.

Is that a gang sign Scott is flashing or is it the universal frame drummers sign that a split finger roll is up ahead?

Posted on: November 24, 2008, by : Ted