Frank Briggs - Drumming and Music Podcast

St Clair - Not For Me To Say - MTM Records Germany - 1997

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 09:30:53 -0800

Review; St Clair is guitarist Scott Sheets of Pat Benatar fame, and Ron Corbett on guitar and vocals. This album is definately going to strike a chord with many AOR fans out there.
It is acoustic driven classic style AOR, in a very similar vein to The Rembrants and Glen Butnik's more recent work, with a little Van Stephenson thrown in for good measure.
The album features a few guests, with the likes of Tim Pierce, (Crowded House, Bruce Springsteen) Donnie Nossof (John Waite) and Rudy Sarzo.(Ozzie Osbourne, White Snake), Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Herbie Hancock), Frank Briggs (Atlantic Starr, Mike Keneally), Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra) Jimmy Crespo (Aerosmith) to name a few.

For the most part, the album is laid back acoustic AOR, a good example would be to compare the feel to that of King Of Hearts. But there are a few moments where they hit out and come up with a couple of great AOR anthems. After The Fire, 3 Words and Something For Somebody are the best examples. This album may be a little too laid back for some, but if you are already a fan of the bands mentioned above, then you will be playing this for a while. Otherwise there are a few classic tunes, on this great release.

The lineup for this track is:
Scott Sheets - guitar
Ron Corbett - guitar, vocals
Bill Newkirk - bass
Frank Briggs - drums

Rcorded at Master Control studio - Burbank CA
Dan Nebenzal - engineer

I was doing a fair amount of recording with Scott Sheets and John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) during the 90’s, some of the tracks that ended up on this album were originally demos for another project with John & Scott. Nice people and really good song writers... plus I got to work with Rudy Sarzo and Tim Pierce and the like in the process. .. great musicians.

As with everything in my podcasts .. this is for personal use only. Please do not repost.

805 - “Escape from your Dream” from the RCA album "Stand in Line" 1982

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 13:18:26 -0800

Here is another 805 freebie as promised. I was in this band from 1978 - 1986. We were signed to RCA records in 1981 and released our first album in 1982. 805 was a popular bar band in New York State during this time. The album did chart on Billboard along with Men at Work, Missing Persons, Eddie Money etc. We peaked at #33 I think and then tanked:).. oh well.

This track was recorded for Stand in Line but was cut from the final release. I forgot why. It is the only song that our bass player Greg Liss sang, he also composed the lyrics. The music track was composed by Ed Vivenzio’. If you think this sounds a little dated, well you’re correct. It was fine by 1981 standards. This for the die hards still out there.

Side note for drummers.. I was using a roto tom / acoustic drumset at the time. Roto Toms don’t go BOOM... I was a big Bruford/Bozzio fan and it seemed like a good idea at the time. The band was Edward Vivenzio (keys), Greg Liss (bass) Dave Porter (guitar & vocals) and myself. on the weirdness you see above.. this is for the 805 fans.. enjoy

Western Vacation - Avalanche

Sat, 9 Jan 2010 08:57:19 -0800

I believe this was recorded in 1995. This band was originally called “Surface of the Sun” and was inspired by bands like Soundgarden and the Grunge rock Seattle thing. Very short lived. We recorded this tune and another track at Steve Vai’s studio in Hollywood CA. . I played Dean Castronova’s enormous Sonor kit that was still set up from a Vai session. This is the only photo of us to my knowledge. This track was composed by Marty Schwartz and Jerome Jones (Storyteller)
This track ended up on an album, although it’s hard to find. entitled “Vibraudioblast” - Western Vacation - (Muffin Records). This album includes Steve Vai, Chris Frazier, Stu Hamm, Scott Thunes and many other Vai and Zappa alumni.

The musicians on this track are
Marty Schwartz - guitar
Tony Pimental - bass
Jerome Jones - vocals
Frank Briggs - drums

As with everything in my webcast this for personal use, please do not re-distribute.

Lunesta Soundtrack pt 5 - Saints Over NYC

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 10:16:30 -0800

My band performed at the launch of this anti-insomnia drug in december of 2004 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I produced a CD for the 2,000 people in attendance. This tune was composed by me and one of my first attempts at writing in this way. I also mixed and mastered this track. I will totally spare you all my excuses and regrets regarding this recording. There are some nice moments. I hope you like it.

The musicians are
Robert Kyle - soprano sax
Brian Price - guitar
Larry Antonino - acoustic bass
Marc Ritter - keys
Frank Briggs - drums

As with everything in my webcast this for personal use, please do not re-distribute.

Lunesta Soundtrack pt 4 - One of These Days - by Brian Price

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:57:45 -0800

My band performed at the launch of this anti-insomnia drug in december of 2004 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I produced a CD for the 2,000 people in attendance. This tune was composed by guitarist extraordinaire Brian Price (Jazz Crusaders, The Winans) Brian mixed this tune at his studio in Los Angeles. One of my favorites on this disc for sure. BTW. Brian is heavily featured on my CD China Ranch and is one of my favorite musicians and people.

The musicians are
Brian Price - guitar
Lynn Woolever - bass
Marc Hugenberger - keys
Frank Briggs - drums

As with everything in my webcast this for personal use, please do not re-distribute.

Lunesta Soundtrack pt 3 - Wooly’s Groove

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:45:44 -0800

My band performed at the launch of this anti-insomnia drug in december of 2004 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I produced a CD for the 2,000 people in attendance. This tune was composed by bassist extraordinaire Lynn Woolever (Tori Amos, Clarence Clemens) This track didn’t make the CD because the producers thought it was too “dark”. I like it. ..especially Marc Hugenberger’s use of the breath controller.. very Miles-esque. This track was un-named and i came up with the title. The downbeat is not where you expect it to be and it is basically in 6. This was mixed by me at 712 Media (my studio).

The musicians are
Brian Price - guitar
Lynn Woolever - bass
Marc Hugenberger - keys
Frank Briggs - drums

As with everything in my webcast this for personal use, please do not re-distribute.

Highway One - (rough mix)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:01:54 -0700

I recorded this tune with the idea that I would put it on China Ranch. I decided to try to compose all the songs and this was left unfinished. This song is composed by the great Bobby Hutcherson. The arrangement came from playing this tune on various gigs. It straddles 6/8, 4/4 and 12/8 throughout... some interesting moments and pretty raw. I may clean this up and mix it properly at some point. as with all the podcasts .. please don’t repost. This is for personal use only. You are welcomed to share this link and download the file. I hope you like it. Consider purchasing Bobby Hutcherson’s version of this great song on iTunes.

The musicians are
Mitchel Forman - rhodes
Brian Price - guitar
Chris Golden - bass
Frank Briggs - drums
Hans Zermuehlen - synths

Lunesta Soundtrack pt 2 - Itaparica

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:21:01 -0700

This tune was composed by the late Michael Hakes. Mike died in 2003 from acute Leukemia, He had no health insurance and had not had a physical in 3 years. This is one of the reasons I campaign for Health Care Reform. I mixed this at 712 Media (my studio). I hope you like it. Mike gave me this tune for the album I was wanting to make.. which ended up being “China Ranch” He died before we were able to record this track and Mike’s friend Brian Price stepped in and did a great job. If you dig this, consider making a donation to a worthy cause in Mike’s name.

The musicians are
Brian Price - guitar
Lynn Woolever - bass
Marc Hugenberger - keys
Frank Briggs - drums
This podcast includes a drumless version for play-along...scroll down.

MICHAEL HAKES BIO
In 1988 Michael Hakes met one of his idols, Buzzy Feiten. He began studying with Buzzy in the spring of '88. After two lessons with him, Michael got a call from Brenda Russell's management. They said that Buzzy had decided not to do her tour and had recommended him. He spent his first summer tour playing with Brenda warming up for Billy Ocean coast to coast. While with Brenda, he was featured in her video "Get Here". He continued to work with Brenda until the end of '88. Having been recommended by Buzzy the first time around, Michael was keen to prove that he could earn his next position. In March of 1989 he got his chance. He auditioned for Natalie Cole and was hired. He went into rehearsal that same night. He remained a member of her pop band until the spring 1991 when her big band album "Unforgettable" was released and the 'pop band' was disbanded As a guitarist, sideman, band leader, and composer, Michael Hakes has worked with some of the most talented and successful musicians and artists in the music industry. His touring and recording work with artists like Natalie Cole, Brenda Russell, Cher, Nancy Sinatra, Keiko Matsui, Carl Anderson, The Pointer Sisters, Joshua Kadison, Nia Peeples and Dan Siegel has made him well known among his peers and as a versatile and talented musician. Michael decided early on that music was to be his path. Michael is proficient in many different styles of music and is a sought after studio musician.
Michael Hakes is the latest addition to the Edgar Winter Band. Joining on with the group for the 2002 Tour...Michael has a list of impressive credits as long as your arm! Edgar was looking for someone that would add a funky, jazz sound to his band in support of his upcoming CD, Jazzin' The Blues, expected to be released in spring/summer of 2002. When he learned of Michael and gave him a try at the end of the 2001 New Millenium Tour, that was all it took! Edgar speaks highly of Michael's skills, and of his versatility in musical stylings. Michael will also be a featured musician on the Jazzin' The Blues project, on which Edgar felt he did an outstanding job! Michael's ability to play with an emotional connection in all styles of music is what he prides himself in most. Michael has also lent his talents as a guitarist to many television shows such as 'Melrose Place', 'Roger Ebert at the Movies', 'Ellen', 'The George Carlin Show', 'Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman', 'Battledome' and the cartoons 'Cow and Chicken' and 'Johnny Bravo' ...to name a few. As a composer Michael has written music for television and film. These include 'Mystic Pizza' , 'Police Academy 5' , and 'Josie And The Pussycats (The Movie)'. Michael has also produced music for 'Lizzie Maguire' on the Disney Channel. He's also released a solo project CD, El Nino, which features EW Band road manager Paul Slagle on bass. Being a huge fan of Nat King Cole himself, Edgar was particularly thrilled with Michael's past works with Natalie Cole. He felt it gave him a sort of connection with his late great mentor.

Re Person I Knew - Live @ Lavelee 2004

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:08:25 -0700

I recorded my band at Lavelee (now defunct) in Los Angeles a few years ago. It was pouring cats and dogs the day of the gig and the club’s roof was leaking horribly. It was too late to cancel the recording and the gig so I went forward with it. There may have been 20 hardcore fans or less in the audience,. The great Bob Bradshaw engineered the recording. This was the only acceptable performance of the night, in my opinion. Marc and Brian take really nice solos on this one. If you listen carefully, during the last time through the head, one of my crash cymbals falls off the stand... it was one of those nights.

“Re Person I Knew “ is one of my favorite Bill Evans tunes. I hope you like this version.

The musicians are
Brian Price - guitar
Lynn Woolever - bass
Marc Hugenberger - keys
Frank Briggs - drums

Lunesta Soundtrack pt 1 - Fanfare for the Found

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:22:45 -0700

My band performed at the launch of this anti-insomnia drug in december of 2004 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I produced a CD for the 2,000 people in attendance. This tune was mostly composed by Marc Ritter (Pointer Sisters, Patti Austin) my contribution besides the drums and production was the intro/drum solo section groove and changes. This was mixed by me at 712 Media (my studio). This was a rush job..I hope you like it.
The musicians are
Brian Price - guitar
Lynn Woolever - bass
Marc Hugenberger - keys
Robert Kyle - sax
Frank Briggs - drums

The live band also included Marc Ritter - keys and Larry Williams - trumpet
As with everything in my webcast this for personal use, please do not re-distribute.

Frank Briggs is guest DJ @ Pulsar Sound

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:07:49 -0700

This is a 1 hour show featuring some of my favorite music. and 3 tracks from China Ranch, I couldn’t play everything I wanted but this makes a nice hour of listening I think. Thanks to Stefanee Freedman (Pulsar’s producer) for having me.

The Playlist
Birds of Fire - Mahavishnu Orchestra
Furnace Creek - Frank Briggs
Beyond The 7th Galaxy - Return To Forever
Tone Poem #9 - Steve Weingart
Dreams - Frank Briggs
Pinocchio - Weather Report
Tone Poem #1 - Steve Weingart
Journey East from West - Terri Lynne Carrington
Second World - Adam Holzman
Love - Steve Tavaglione
Spirit Rider - Frank Briggs

Mike Keneally & Beer for Dolphins - “Potato” - playalong with drum transcription and more..

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 10:35:43 -0700

I have had a few people ask about the opening drum fill.. here is the code.
R=right hand L=left hand F=foot

the fill starts on beat 3.
1,2, RlrlffRlRlffrlrl The capitol letters are accents...pretty easy.

I was never an official drummer for this band. I did a 5 week tour subbing for Toss Panos. I never really got the music under my belt either (a ton of hard sh*t) so I was reading from charts Toss had made for himself. We played an outdoor college gig in Farmingham? Maine arranged by Mike Gaito who I believe was a student at the time.

Anyway the tune "Day of the Cow 2" (yep that is the title) was a one page chart with unison figures and the time signatures changing almost every measure (true).

Just as Mike counted DOC2 off this big wind blew in and took my book right off my music stand. there was no way to fake this tune so I sat it out in embarrassment.

Mike wrote "Potato" that night in his hotel (actually I think it was a "motel")
and Keneally history was made.
The lyrics in the bridge are..
"We went to Maine cause we're friends with Mike Gaito and Briggs' charts blew away in a tornado"

QuantumHum Live @ The Baked Potato - Video Clips

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 19:50:33 -0700

Melonie recorded this with our still camera. It is distorted, but serves as a snapshot of the evening.. it was a lot of fun.

Kit Walker ‘s QuantumHum brings together a dynamic new trio, where world jazz keyboardist Kit Walker brings guitarist Matthew Heulitt and drummer Frank Briggs into his world of sonic exploration and cyclic expansion. World rhythm combines with electronic texture to provide the context for Kit's fiery Hammond B3, Frank's virtuosic multi-layered groove, and Matthew's inventive tonal excursions, envisioned to bring listeners and dancers to a new territory,.

Ohm - Point Omega from Circus of Sound

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 14:57:24 -0700

I recorded this tune in 2008 with a local LA band called OHM. Ohm features Chris Poland (Megadeth, Damn the Machine) on guitar and Robertino Pagliarri on bass. I am on 4 tracks on this album and did a few live dates with these guys. This is a good album. Check Amazon or iTunes if you would like to hear more or purchase. The album was released by Mike Varney’s Tone Center label, a great jazz/fusion label.

The tune is mostly in 5, the A section is in 6. The drum solo is over a 5/8 vamp. I play some over the bar phrases by playing 5/4 (and sometimes 4/4) over the 5/8. This drum track was done in a couple takes for me. I believe this is my second take. I used my Noble $ Cooley Cd maple kit for this session, as my other DW kit was across town at another studio.
I hope you like it.

QuantumHum - Mercy - Live @ The Baked Potato - 2 track

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 17:53:47 -0700

We recorded the Spud gig and didn’t have the Zoom recorder set properly.. so all the audio is distorted. This is the least distorted track. There is some really nice guitar work here from Matthew.

Kit Walker ‘s QuantumHum brings together a dynamic new trio, where world jazz keyboardist Kit Walker brings guitarist Matthew Heulitt and drummer Frank Briggs into his world of sonic exploration and cyclic expansion. World rhythm combines with electronic texture to provide the context for Kit's fiery Hammond B3, Frank's virtuosic multi-layered groove, and Matthew's inventive tonal excursions, envisioned to bring listeners and dancers to a new territory,.

QuantumHum Rehearsal 9.25.09

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:43:51 -0700

Here is a rehearsal recording for you all. The song we are jamming on is called “Odd Boy Dances”. It’s rough and from the end of the day, but I think the energy is pretty cool..

Kit Walker ‘s QuantumHum brings together a dynamic new trio, where world jazz keyboardist Kit Walker brings guitarist Matthew Heulitt and drummer Frank Briggs into his world of sonic exploration and cyclic expansion. World rhythm combines with electronic texture to provide the context for Kit's fiery Hammond B3, Frank's virtuosic multi-layered groove, and Matthew's inventive tonal excursions, envisioned to bring listeners and dancers to a new territory,.

Sudafed Commercial 1989

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:16:06 -0700

This was one of my first gigs after arriving in Los Angeles. A sideline on a national Sudafed commercial. Don’t blink you might miss me:)

I learned a little about the AFM. (American Federation of Musicians) doing this. Sideline rate was a flat $100. The shoot took almost an entire day. The girl speaking and pretending to play sax received about $25,000 after residuals etc. ..granted she is the star of this spot. but that isn’t why she received that amount.. the big difference is, how well SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artis)ts negotiate pay scale and residuals for their members.

Anyway.. this is just for fun. My mom liked it, because it ran during her soap operas for 3 months:)

805 - “Out in the Light” from the RCA album "Stand in Line" 1982

Tue, 1 Sep 2009 16:16:33 -0700

Here is another 805 freebie as promised. I was in this band from 1978 - 1986. We were signed to RCA records in 1981 and released our first album in 1982. 805 was a popular bar band in New York State during this time. The album did chart on Billboard along with Men at Work, Missing Persons, Eddie Money etc. We peaked at #33 I think and then tanked:).. oh well.

I composed the music for this track and the singer wrote the lyrics. This song was also revisited on China Ranch. The song “Dreams” was originally written for Lunesta (yes the sleeping pill) . I had a tight deadline and used the chord progression from the A&B section of “Out in the Light” for the A&B section of “Dreams”.. then came up with a new bridge and changed the groove. When we were in the writing process for Stand in Line The Police (and Stewart Copeland) were very popular.. thus the pseudo reggae vibe.
This was a mix by Tim Rinkerman our live sound man. Tim did a rough mix in the studio to cassette.. which I carried around for 20 years until transferring it to digital. The guitar sound is especially horrendous imo. a Gretsch guitar and a solid state Roland amp?? YUCK!

Side note for drummers.. I was using a roto tom / acoustic drumset at the time. Roto Toms don’t go BOOM... I was a big Bruford/Bozzio fan and it seemed like a good idea at the time. The band was Edward Vivenzio (keys), Greg Liss (bass) Dave Porter (guitar & vocals) and myself. on the weirdness you see above.. this is for the 805 fans.. enjoy

QuantumHum at Angelica’s Bistro - sampler

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:37:56 -0700

A sampler from our first ever gig. Recorded on a Zoom recorder that was sitting on Kit’s B3.,, not far from my crash cymbal:)

Kit Walker ‘s QunatumHum brings together a dynamic new trio, where world jazz keyboardist Kit Walker brings guitarist Matthew Heulitt and drummer Frank Briggs into his world of sonic exploration and cyclic expansion. World rhythm combines with electronic texture to provide the context for Kit's fiery Hammond B3, Frank's virtuosic multi-layered groove, and Matthew's inventive tonal excursions, envisioned to bring listeners and dancers to a new territory,.

The Good Foot - Intro Solo

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:34:42 -0700

The Good Foot
Frank Briggs
Mel Bay Publications

If you saw this book in the store, you might be tempted to assume it is just another patterns book for drumset and pass it by. While the exercises do follow a fairly predictable pattern, there are many possibilities for the creative teacher and student to make use of this material. The purpose of the book is to develop the bass drum--particularly to develop the heel-up technique, which enables the drummer to perform double strokes with ease. The exercises are very well sequenced, gradually developing bass drum flexibility and integrating it with the hands moving around the drumset. These simple but well thoughtout exercises are performed by the author on an accompanying CD, which will be helpful and inspiring to the student. The student is encouraged to practice the exercises in many different ways, and to creatively apply them. In this book, Briggs has demystified the bass drum double-stroke technique and created an excellent approach to teaching the concept. This book will be a popular and useful resource for drumset players and teachers.

- Dr. Tom Morgan - Percussive Arts Society

Available at Amazon.com

805 - Live 1984 - Genesis Medley

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:45:50 -0700

I was in this band from 1978 - 1986. We were signed to RCA records in 1981 and released our first album in 1982. 805 was a popular bar band in New York State during this time. A big favorite with local fans was an entire set of Genesis music we perfromed (before and after we attempted to go global:). This is a board tape (cassette) transfered to mp3 and might be close to 30 minutes long... a blast from the past.
Side note for drummers.. I was using a hybrid electronic / acoustic drumset at the time. The band was Edward Vivenzio (keys), Greg Liss (bass) Dave Porter (guitar & vocals) and myself. on the monstrosity you see above.. this is for the 805 fans.. enjoy

Complete Modern Drumset - 1995 - Sketch/Electric

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:32:17 -0700

This video was recorded in 1995 with the help of Dan Dauz at The Dauz Designs Warehouse in Los Angeles. All the sound was mixed live with shure microphones, a Mackie mixer and a Yamaha SPX90 reverb. The backdrop was a paint splattered drop cloth. The drums are Noble & Cooley Horizon series. This is an ok take but not one of the best. I composed the music and sequecnced it with an Ensonique SQ80. All the keyboards are played by me but not in real time. I slowed the sequence down to play the parts and then brought it back up to the proper speed. That is a little of the back story. This ended up being a very popular video none the less and is still available for purchase on Amazon.. see my web store for a link.. thanks for watching.

Private Lessons @ Pulse Drumming, Ventura, CA

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 11:27:05 -0700

I will be giving private lessons at Pulse Drumming in Ventura starting July 11 2009. The time slots are limited. I have gigs of information to share with you. If you are interested please call Pulse to schedule. Subjects will include; building a vocabulary on the drum set, technique, time, soloing and creativity.
Regular Business Hours:
Mon - Thurs: 11-7pm
Friday: 11-5pm
Saturday: 10-3pm
Sunday: Closed
Location:
2434 E. Main Street
Ventura,CA 93003
805-648-DRUM(3786)

Pulsar Sound Radio Interview - Part 4

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:12:16 -0700

Here is entry 4 and the final part of my interview with Tony Palcovic on Pulsar Sound Radio. We talk about some of my early experiences and what inspires me. This cast includes “Saints” from China Ranch.

Pulsar Sound Radio Interview - Part 3

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:09:50 -0700

Here is part 3 of my interview with Tony Palcovic on Pulsar Sound Radio. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet and other new technologies. This cast features a track from the Ohm album “Circus of Sound”.