Last week, we introduced you to “This Week in Drums,” the first installment of a bi-monthly series detailing the latest gear to land at DCP. This week introduces “This Week in Cymbals,” the companion series dealing with fresh pie of the bronze variety. As with last week’s post, today’s post includes cymbals that have arrived at DCP within the last few weeks. Again, we’ll be listing cymbals by manufacturer in alphabetical order AND by size and weight, within each manufacturer (where applicable). We also provide video demos of each cymbal listed below. This week’s installment sees about 40 new cymbals from Bosphorus, Istanbul Agop, Meinl, Sabian, and Paiste added to the rotation.

The Seven Days of Stanton

As you may know, Stanton Moore was in Portsmouth last night offering a clinic that was hosted by DCP at the Frank Jones Center. Those of you who were able to attend the clinic last night had access to great deals on Stanton’s signature products and gear from those manufacturers he supports, such as Gretsch, LP, and Bosphorus. That said, we know there are thousands of you out there who were not able to attend because you don’t live near Portsmouth. That is why we wanted to give you an opportunity to enjoy the same discounts as our local customers, but for a very limited time. So here’s how the Seven Days of Stanton is going to work:

Every day for the next seven days (11/17 through 11/23), we will highlight one piece of Stanton’s gear on the DCP Facebook fan page. Each post on our Facebook page will provide a link to our website where the particular product will be available at a discount for only 24 hours. These one-day only special offers will include gear from Gretsch, Bosphorus, and LP.

In addition to these daily offers, the following promotions will be valid for the entire week from 11/17 through 11/23. Please note these offers are only good for orders placed via phone or in the store.

• Vic Firth Stanton Moore Signature Drum Sticks (VF-SSM) will be available for $7 a pair, regardless of quantity while supplies last
• All orders for Gretsch drums, including New Classic and USA Custom drum sets as well as USA-made snare drums are eligible for a 7% discount
• Buy an LP Stanton Moore Pandeiro at the regular price of $95.99 and receive a 10% discount on any Audix microphones purchased at the same time

Join us on Facebook to get access to the full Seven Days of Stanton offerings as well as up to date information on the latest happenings at the shop!

New Bosphorus Cymbals

These are the latest cymbals from Bosphorus to land on our door step. They’re all great sounding, but the 20″ Antique Thin just seems to have something special going for it. We’ve also got a pile of Stanton Moore’s other Signature models. If they don’t go home with some lucky drummers and/or raffle ticket winners after the drawing today, you just might seem them pop up in the next edition.

• Bosphrous Jeff Hamilton Hammer Series Ride Cymbal – 20″ – 1520 grams – Video Demo
• Bosphorus Antique Thin Ride Cymbal – 20″ – 1900 grams – Video Demo
• Bosphorus Master Vintage Ride Cymbal – 22″ – 2000 grams – Video Demo
• Bosphorus Master Vintage Ride Cymbal – 22″ – 2150 grams – Video Demo
• Bosphorus Stanton Moore Wide Ride Cymbal – 22″ – 2300 grams – Video Demo
• Bosphorus Antique Thin Ride Cymbal – 22″ – 2626 grams – Video Demo
• Bosphorus Master Series Ride Cymbal – 24″ – 2510 grams – Video Demo
• Bosphorus Master Series Ride Cymbal – 24″ – 2540 grams – Video Demo

New Istanbul Agop Cymbals

The latest Agop pies to land include a couple pairs of tasty hi hits and a couple of 30th Anniversary models. These are very popular, so be sure to check out the video demos to see if anything strikes your fancy.

• Istanbul Agop Mel Lewis Signature Hi Hat Cymbals – 14″ – Top: 870 grams / Bottom: 954 grams – Video Demo
• Istanbul Agop OM Series Hi Hat Cymbals – 15″ – Top: 982 grams / Bottom: 1168 grams – Video Demo
• Istanbul Agop Traditional Light Hi Hat Cymbals – 16″ – Top: 1162 grams / Bottom: 1304 grams – Video Demo
• Istanbul Agop 30th Anniversary Crash Cymbal – 18″ – 1203 grams – Video Demo
• Istanbul Agop 30th Anniversary Ride Cymbal – 20″ – 2002 grams – Video Demo
• Istanbul Agop 30th Anniversary Ride Cymbal – 20″ – 2061 grams – Video Demo
• Istanbul Agop OM Series Ride Cymbal – 24″ – 2828 grams – Video Demo

New Meinl Cymbals

The list of Meinl cymbals below is a bit deceiving. In addition to the four new arrivals below, we have over 50 “B-stock” cymbals that have recently arrived. Meinl “B-stock” cymbals have been previously displayed at trade shows, demo’d by artists and so forth. As a result they show some signs of wear but are generally in excellent condition. More importantly, they come with Meinl’s full warranty, so you can save some $$$ and still have security if anything goes awry.

• Meinl B-stock Cymbals List COMING SOON!
• Meinl Byzance Extra Dry Thin Crash Cymbal – 18″ – 1217 grams – Video Demo
• Meinl Byzance Extra Dry Thin Crash Cymbal – 18″ – 1225 grams – Video Demo
• Meinl Byzance Extra Dry Thin Crash Cymbal – 20″ – 1463 grams – Video Demo
• Meinl Byzance Benny Greb Sand Ride Cymbal – 20″ – 2375 grams – Video Demo

New Paiste Cymbals

Since Paiste introduced the Twenty Masters Collection earlier this year, these exceptional ride cymbals have been very hard to come by. We just got a new shipment in and once existing orders were filled, the following five remain. You need to hear these… definitely some of the nicest sounding rides Paiste has ever offered. In addition we have listed a 24″ 2002 China. This fine cymbal is one example of the custom Paiste cymbals we regularly stock. If there is a special Paiste cymbal you’ve been wanting to order, but didn’t know who or how to ask to get it built, please let us know, we are happy to help!

• Paiste Twenty Masters Collection Dark Dry Ride Cymbal – 20″ – 2890 grams – Video Demo
• Paiste Twenty Masters Collection Medium Ride Cymbal – 21″ – 2654 grams – Video Demo
• Paiste Twenty Masters Collection Medium Ride Cymbal – 21″ – 2662 grams – Video Demo
• Paiste Twenty Masters Collection Dark Crisp Ride Cymbal – 22″ – 3171 grams – Video Demo
• Paiste Twenty Masters Collection Dark Crisp Ride Cymbal – 22″ – 3191 grams – Video Demo
• Paiste 2002 China Cymbal – 24″ – Custom Order Item – Video Demo

New Sabian Cymbals

Sabian’s Vault Artisan cymbals are really some of their finest offerings in a long time. They have proven to be very popular for us here at DCP. In fact four different cymbals sold in the time it took to draft this post!

• Sabian Vault Artisan Hi Hat Cymbals – 13″ – Top: 767 grams, Bottom: 1181 grams – Video Demo
• Sabian Vault Artisan Hi Hat Cymbals – 14″ – Top: 959 grams, Bottom: 1411 grams – Video Demo
• Sabian Vault Artisan Brilliant Crash Cymbal – 16″ – 942 grams – Video Demo
• Sabian Vault Artisan Brilliant Crash Cymbal – 18″ – 1370 grams – Video Demo
• Sabian Vault Artisan Crash Cymbal – 19″ – 1662 grams – Video Demo
• Sabian Vault Artisan Brilliant Crash Cymbal – 20″ – 1801 grams – Video Demo
• Sabian Vault Artisan Medium Ride Cymbal – 20″ – 2385 grams – Video Demo
• Sabian Vault Artisan Light Ride Cymbal – 22″ – 2451 grams – Video Demo
• Sabian Vault Artisan Medium Ride Cymbal – 22″ – 3151 grams – Video Demo

Photo: Gene Okamoto, Pearl USA

We have been stocking up for the holiday season and have a wide variety of kits, snares, cymbals, and accessories to choose from. If you’re interested in a lower-intermediate level kit, be sure to check out our selection of Mapex Meridian’s, PDP M5s and X7s, Ludwig Element and Epic kits, and more! If you want something a bit more high end, we’ve got the new Ludwig Keystone’s in stock, several Mapex Saturn kits, the extremely limited Gretsch Renown Beech Purewoods, Ludwig Classic Maple and Legacy kits and more!

Need a new snare drum? We’ve got you covered too. Just a few examples are the full range of Ludwig metal snares, from Acrolites and the red-hot Black Magic line to sought after drums including Black Beauties and Bronze models. Want something extra special for your military drummer for Christmas? We’ve got a wide variety of Canopus, Brady and Craviotto snares to choose from!

If you’re in the mood for pie, be sure to check out New England’s best selection of Istanbul Agop, Bosphorus, and Paiste cymbals!

Billy Martin Clinic Info

Date: Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
Time: 630pm
Place: Drum Center of Portsmouth – 800 Islington St. #4, Portsmouth NH
Cost: $5 – Available in advance or at the door
More Info: Give Shane a call at 603-319-8109 or drop him an email at info@drumcenternh.com

Ask Billy Martin Anything!

Yep, you heard correctly, you have the opportunity to ask Billy anything! Over the next few weeks, we will be collecting questions via the website, our email newsletter and various drum forums throughout the internets. We will compile these questions and conduct a video interview. We will then post the video with answers to your questions on YouTube for public consumption (and publish on the DCP website as well!). If you have ever wanted to ask Billy a question but haven’t been able to meet him in person, now is your chance.

If you would like to submit questions for Billy, please click here.

Life on Drums DVD

“Life on Drums” is NOT just for drummers. Any musician, artist or creative person will find inspiration in this film. You can read the official press release below or head over to Vongole Films for more information.

An evocative, educational exploration of the creative inspiration at work behind the trap set, directed by and featuring Billy Martin (Medeski Martin and Wood)

(New York, NY) — Life on Drums, to be released on DVD via Vongole Films on October 8, is a refreshing reinvention of the instructional video, blending a cinematic visual sense with an approach to instruction that prizes the intuitive and the creative over the merely technical. Conceived by, directed by, and featuring the endlessly musical drummer, percussionist and teacher Billy Martin (Medeski Martin and Wood), Life on Drums is a riveting extension of his open-ended approach to percussion, improvisation, and music.

Martin explains: “Life on Drums is about the art of drumming and percussion, and my concepts, methods, and philosophy of what is important. I discuss the steps that I generally go through in a lesson, but rather than speaking at a camera into nothing, I’m speaking with my first drum teacher Allen Herman.” The presence in the film of Herman, who first mentored Martin in the mid-1970s, makes a valuable and intriguing statement about the circular nature of the teacher’s art. “Allen was my teacher in 1974 and 1975, then I saw him five years later and he gave me the opportunity to be his substitute on a Broadway show, Bob Fosse’s “Dancin.” From then on, he’d disappear and reappear – I wouldn’t always know where he was. He would be on the road, or driving a cab, or living in Alaska. He didn’t play for 15 years, while he took a corporate job.

“We’ve reconnected over the past four or five years, and when I told him that I wanted to do this film, he asked how he could help – even offering to help finance it – and we became partners in this project. Now, he’s turned it around: saying that I am the one who is nurturing, teaching, and inspiring him…he’s playing again, and is ecstatic to be back in the drumming world.”

In addition to both musical and verbal conversations with Herman, Life on Drums includes solo performances by Martin, a group of Martin’s students performing some of his composed percussion pieces, and a piece featuring Martin alongside three horns (Marcus Rojas, Steven Bernstein, and Curtis Fowlkes). All the dialogue and performances were shot over three days, in high-definition widescreen, at a disused radio station in Trenton, New Jersey. Using a rich variety of camera angles, lenses, and tracking shots, Martin has created a film as compelling visually as it is musically stimulating. “When not playing music,” he explains, “I’ve been getting into filmmaking, watching movies, reading books, meeting people who are filmmakers…I’ve done a couple of music videos. I felt ready for this project.”

While encompassing an array of perspectives and concepts, the core theme of Life on Drums is artistic integrity and ingenuity. “I’m trying to be as honest and sincere as I am about who I am, what I’m trying to say,” Martin concludes, “and then demonstrate how these philosophies and concepts can be used. I want people to see this film and realize that they can be an artist, and it doesn’t have to be about technique and flashy stuff. Most creative things do not come from technique. You don’t need this full spectrum of technique before you start thinking creatively…”

UPDATE: Visit our Facebook page to see a photo album of Benny’s Clinic

Good news Benny Greb fans! Benny will be doing a short run of clinics in North America at the end of September and the Drum Center of Portsmouth is just one of eight scheduled dates on the run. More importantly, Greb’s stop at DCP is the ONLY visit to New England. If you miss him here, you’ll have to trek all the way to Toronto or Long Island for the next nearest visit.

KEY INFORMATION
Date: Thursday, September 23, 2010
Time: 630pm
Place: Drum Center of Portsmouth – 800 Islington St #4, Portsmouth, NH, USA
Tickets: $5 in advance or at the door
More info: Please call 603-319-8109

GIVEAWAYS

We will be offering a number of giveaways following the clinic. More info on the exact items being given away will be provided soon!

SPECIAL PROMOTIONS

We will be offering a week-long sale on all Sonor, Meinl, Remo, and Pro Mark products, including all of Benny Greb’s signature model items.

BENNY GREB – OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY

Benny Greb was born in 1980 in Germany and began playing drums at the age of six years old. Initially self taught, he began his full time studies in 1997 and attended music schools in Dinkelsbühl and then in Hamburg.

Benny’s drumming is slick, full of musicality and finesse. It has style and defines today’s modern drumming. Over the last few years Benny has rightly achieved world class status and recognition in the drum community by touring globally, entertaining drummers worldwide with his clinics. He has performed at high profile events such as the Montreal Drum Festival Canada, Ultimate Drummers Weekend Australia, the World Drum Festival, the Meinl Drumfestival in Germany, Drummer Live at Wembley Arena London, and was already invited twice to perform at the Percussive Arts Society Convention in the USA.

Along with his popularity in the worldwide drum community, Benny can be found playing with a broad assortment of musicians, all demanding his tasteful and immaculate playing style. You can find him in rock settings with German singer Stoppok and The Ron Spielman Trio, in jazz with his own Benny Greb Brass Band and Turkey’s Sabri Tulug Tirpan. He has also played classical music, working with the NDR Orchestra on their Zappa / Pops project and for film composer and ex-police drummer Steward Copeland. Benny’s ability to mix jazz and rock finds him also working with the fusion band 3ergezimmer. Allowing his sense of humour to come to the fore, Benny records with acoustic punk/cabaret act Strom & Wasser, clearly showing that no style is beyond his tasteful, yet fun loving approach. And of course, Benny is also a highly in-demand session player in his native Germany, where his studio duties also include the roles of composer and producer.

Benny writes, records, and releases his own solo records with Grebfruit being one such release. The award winning The Language of Drumming – A System For Musical Expression DVD was released in 2009 on the Hudson Music label, showing his unique approach to drumming. It is one of the best selling educational DVD’s worldwide. His new critically acclaimed solo album called Benny Greb – Brassband showcases a great mixture of New Orleans Jazz and Funk.

Shane had this to say about the visit, “I have to say, this will be one of my most favorite memories ever. So cool! Vinnie is easily one of the nicest, coolest guys I have ever encountered. He called the day before and wound up walking 2 miles just to come find the shop. He had told me he had been watching our videos on YouTube. If anything makes me self conscious about my playing, it’s that!! He came in, and we pulled down a bunch of snares and starting playing. Halfway through the shootout I realized who I was tuning these drums for. It was pretty crazy. He is out with Herbie Hancock and I wound up going to the show, and he texted me within 5 minutes after so we could hang. I was really blown away at what a super guy he is. Being in the industry for 11 years I have met most all of my heroes but I had never met Vinnie. And I have a memory I will NEVER forget.”

Shane with Vinnie Colaiuta

A Year in the Life

What a difference a year can make!

Join us on Saturday, June 12 as we celebrate DCP’s first full year in business. You could even call it our first anniversary! RSVP HERE

Thanks to you, our most excellent customers, it has truly been an amazing year. When we opened DCP in 2009, we did so doing our best to acknowledge that we are just one small part of a big family. We pledged to provide the best service possible and to treat you, our customers, as we would expect to be treated ourselves. In a sense, you might say we intend DCP to be a shop for the people, by the people.

The next step in our commitment to building a strong community is to invite you to help make DCP a shop that is truly “by the people.” We want you to tell us how we can improve your DCP experience. We want to know what brilliant ideas you’ve got cooking, what areas you think DCP needs to focus on improving, and where you would like to see us go in the near future.

To stimulate your brain, we will be serving FREE BBQ from Mojo’s BBQ right here in Portsmouth. For those of you not familiar with Mojo’s, it is easily one of, if not the best BBQ joint on the seacoast. We will also provide non-alcoholic beverages to quench your thirst.

Of course, what would an anniversary sale be without some sort of crazy sale and product specials? Rest assured, we will have many items priced much lower than we are allowed to advertise.

If FREE BBQ and a HUGE SALE are not enough to get you out of the house, we will also be holding a raffle for all that attend, giving away drums, cymbals, hardware, and more! The current list of prizes includes a Gretsch Catalina drum kit, Craviotto snare drum, and Paiste Giant Beat cymbals with more to be added soon.

Come in, have some food, give us a piece of your mind and check out all the gear we have on offer. It’s going to be a special day and all are welcome!

RSVP HERE

What: DCP 1st Anniversary Celebration
Where: The DCP Mothership – 800 Islington St #4, Portsmouth, NH
When: Saturday, June 12, 10am-5pm

Shane has graciously detailed some of the most recent happenings and product arrivals below. Give him a call at 603-319-8109 to learn more!

… So, we picked up some new lines this year at the NAMM show; most notably Gretsch. Gretsch is one of the oldest drum companies in the world, and they have been on countless recordings and are played by some of the greatest drummers in the world. For the opening order, we received a USA CUSTOM Champagne Sparkle kit, a Steve Ferrone snare, a Cast Aluminum snare, a Stanton Moore snare, the monolithic 8×14 Rosewood monster, and some Catalina Jazz kits. That’s right, if you want the bang for your buck Catalina kits, you no longer have to go to the big box store or online outlets. We have them here and back it with a lifetime labor warranty at no extra charge to you.

CANOPUS. Canopus is one of the premier drum manufacturers in the world, handcrafted in Japan. They also offer the LIGHTEST WEIGHT HARDWARE on the market. The CHS hi hat stand feels oh so slick and its far lighter than anything else of it’s quality. We are stocking the hardware, the snare wires, the BOLT TIGHT washers, and ZELKOVA snare drums!

NOBLE AND COOLEY: I have long admired Noble and Cooley and they make some of the finest drums on the planet. There are several innovations copied from them and I felt it was time to support one of the USA’s oldest and most regarded manufacturers. I am stocking solid ply snares, CD Maples and HORIZON drum sets.

LONGO: Longo Custom Drums has been on my radar for a few years and when I played them at NAMM this year, I decided to snag a walnut drum and a cherry drum. These are lovingly handcrafted SOLID PLY steam bent shells with unbridled, pure tone. Come play them, or visit our YouTube channel for an in depth demo.

KORG: The Legend Returns. We’ve started carrying reinvented Korg Wave Drum reissue. Such a cool percussion piece. Tons of sounds and patterns-I can’t get enough of it! Perfect way for Danny Carey fans to use their tax refunds wisely!

BRADY: We have the only Anniversary (2 of 30, year 1982) snare drum in the world right now-it’s super special, plus a couple of Sheoaks and Wandoos. Killer.

TEMPUS: A new snare made of HEMP!

MAPEX: DCP was the FIRST dealer in the USA to have ALL of the new Black Panther models in stock. We are making an effort to have each and every model in stock every day of the week. Check out our in depth reviews on YouTube.

What else to mention? Istanbul Agop Anniversary cymbals, Bosphorus Oracles, Sabian Artisans, Paiste Alex Van Halen ride, Yamaha DTX kits with Silicon pads, Zildjian K Constantinoples, Ludwig Keystones, and oh so much more…

Local and Global Community Outreach with a master class by Jerome Deupree!

The goal here at DCP is to grow our local community base into a strong network of drummers that can congregate on a semi frequent basis and talk drums and gear in a comfortable environment. In an effort to bridge the gap between local and global community, our vision is to stream these events online so you can feel at home, from your home. This event is FAMILY FRIENDLY, so people of all ages are welcome to attend. It informally starts at 6, with Jerome performing promptly at 7 pm. A reminder email will be sent the day of, and full instructions to watch the stream will be at our website at www.dumcenternh.com. We will be supplying some fun food, for locals only.

About Jerome:

In the last 25 years he’s worked with a wide range of artists, including The Either/Orchestra, Morphine, Sex Execs, Patty Griffin, James McMurtry, Martin Sexton, Jen Trynin, Joe Morris, Merrie Amsterburg, Dennis Brennan, Jim Kweskin,The Coots, Joe Harvard, The Chenille Sisters, Catie Curtis, Bourbon Princess and Beat Circus among others.

He is currently playing with Jeremy Lyons and Hokum’s Heroes and can be found every Sunday at the Lizard :Lounge in Cambridge with the Jeff Robinson Trio.

Here is Jerome jamming on his Craviotto kit!

You can also visit Jerome on the interwebz here

More details will be posted as they are available!

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