#186 Pete Korpela- Percussionist for Josh Groban, Various Film Scores, The Oscars & More!
Pete Korpela is a Los Angeles based studio and touring percussionist, recognized internationally for his versatility in orchestral, latin, jazz, world, rock, and pop music. He has collaborated with such renowned talent as, among others: Danny Elfman; Hans Zimmer; Alan Silvestri; Michael Giacchino: John Powell; Harry Gregson-Williams; Josh Groban; Robbie Williams; Jeff Russo; Henry Jackman; Marco Beltrami; Michael McDonald; Carter Burwell; Disturbed; Alan Parsons; Calle 13; Rickie Lee Jones; Al DiMeola; Kelly Clarkson; Madeleine Peyroux; Lizz Wright; Ed Shearmur; Kandace Springs; Ana Moura; Joe Trapanese; Rob Simonsen; Melody Gardot; Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra; Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; Seth MacFarlane; and the 91 st Academy Awards Orchestra.
Some of the movie and TV soundtracks Pete has performed on: The Lion King (2019); Spider-Man Far From Home; Mulan (2020); Jumanji 3; Spies In Disguise; The Addams Family (2019); It 2; Doctor Sleep; Ready Player One; Men In Black International; Christopher Robin; The Predator; Ferdinand; LEGO Movie 2; Onward (2020); Call of the Wild (2020); Mandalorian; Star Trek Discovery; Lady and the Tramp; ToGo and Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Pete has appeared at Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, Hollywood Bowl, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Sydney Opera House and O2 Arena (London), and has toured across US, Canada, Japan, China, Europe, Scandinavia, South Africa and the Philippines. In 2011, he joined Josh Groban’s “Straight to You” world tour and is currently Mr. Groban’s percussionist. In 2012, he toured extensively, with jazz vocalist Melody Gardot, and with tenor Nathan Pacheco. Between 2003 and 2007, he toured throughout the United States with the first National Tour of Tony-Award-winning Walt Disney’s The Lion King, as a marimbist and featured on-stage percussionist. He has also performed with major Broadway shows Hamilton, Motown and Beautiful.
An active Los Angeles-based studio musician, Pete has been working with composer Jeff Russo on the new Star Trek: Discovery series, which features a wide array of exotic percussion instruments from Pete's ever-growing collection. His work can also be heard on the award-winning Assassin’s Creed 2, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed: Revelations soundtracks—with over 10 million copies worldwide—and in movies Straight Outta Compton (composer Joe Trapanese) and Going in Style (composer Rob Simonsen). He has featured in popular TV shows, including: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; Conan O’Brien; Jimmy Kimmel; Ellen, Good Morning America; Live with Kelly; Later… with Jools Holland; Dancing with the Stars; America’s Got Talent; and PBS Presents: Jackie Evancho. And in 2010, Pete performed with Cirque du Soleil as musical director and lead drummer in a nationally televised project.
R.I.P.
Jamie Oldaker, a “Tulsa Sound” music figure whose drumming skills were coveted by some of the biggest names in the music industry, died Thursday. He was 68.
Oldaker was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2010. In addition to touring or recording with Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Bob Seger, Ace Frehley, Leon Russell and Stephen Stills, Oldaker was a founding member of the Tractors and he played an instrumental role at the dawn of Ronnie Dunn’s career.
Oldaker, who had battled cancer in recent years, was surrounded by family members when he passed away at his Tulsa home. Colleagues in the music industry phoned Oldaker in recent days to pay their respects.
Raffle For Justice
FULL KIT GIVEAWAY-Win the kit (below)/Fund racial justice/Maybe both.
We are raising money for The NAACP, The ALCU, The Equal Justice Initiative and Color of Change.
Painted Poplar 20x13, 16x13, 13x9, 14x5. One tree, one kit, one color.
To participate:
$20 per entry.
Donate any amount in increments of 20. $20=1 entry, $40=2 and so on.
Send via PayPal (friends) to js@sugarpercussion.com with your name and IG or FB handle.
Winner will be drawn randomly when he runs out of photos and videos.
Please help spread this around so we can do as much good as we can.
Educational Spotlight
How to submit for the Grammy Awards. Go to this LINK HERE.
Sept. 1, 2019—Aug. 31, 2020 Product Eligibility Period
June 22—July 6, 2020 First-Round Online Entry Process Access Period
July 15—Aug. 3, 2020 Final-Round Online Entry Process Access Period
Sept. 30—Oct. 12, 2020 First-Round Voting
TBD Nominations Announcement
Dec. 7, 2020—Jan. 4, 2021 Final-Round Voting
Jan. 31, 2021 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards Telecast
Product Review
A public inquiry on Twitter led, composer Dan Tepfer, to jazz trombonist Michael Dessen, also a researcher at the University of California Irvine, who has centered his work around networked performances for over a decade. The solution: an open-source software called JackTrip, developed by Stanford University researchers Chris Chafe and Juan-Pablo Cáceres over a decade ago, that can transfer high quality audio data across the Internet at low enough latencies, within a geographic radius, to mimic someone playing music roughly 30 feet away; that's the threshold at which most musicians can still play together in sync. It takes a bit of hardware and a strong Internet connection, but the setup has enabled near instantaneous latencies for musicians who want to improvise together online.
Iconic Recording
The album is called “The Exciting New La Playa Sound” by the La Playa Sextet and Orchestra.
The album features Rene Hernandez on piano, Victor Paz on trumpet, Frankie Malabe on conga, (friend of the show Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez on bongos, Barry Rogers on trombone, Chocolate on trumpet and several others.
The track listing is…..
01) Mambo Inn. (Comp: G. Sampson / B. Woodlen / M. Bauzá)
02) Buena Suerte. (Comp: Justi Barreto)
03) Medley Bolero's: A) Primero Yo. (Comp: J. Barreto). B) Mira Corazón. (Comp: J. Barreto).
04) Medley Son Montuno's: A) El Guayo De Catalina. (Comp: A. Rodríguez) B) Quimbombo. (Comp: L. G. Camacho) C) Rabo Y Oreja. (Comp: J. Barreto)
05) Medley Mambo's: A) Coco Seco. (Comp: L. Reyes) B) Anabacoa. (Comp: J. Ramírez)
06) Medley Cha Cha Cha's: A) El Jamaiquino. (Comp: Echeverria / Rivera) B) Doin' The Cha Cha (Comp: R. Hernández / R. Azpiazu)
07) Medley Bolero's: A) Dueña De Mi Corazón. (Comp: Pepe Delgado) B) Uno. (Comp: E. S. Discepolo / M. Mores)
08) Medley Merengues: A) Merengue De Frac. (Comp: Chapuseaux /Damiron). B) La Empalizá. (Comp: Luís Kalaf). C) La Maricutana. (Comp: R. R. Alfau) D) Compadre Pedro Juan. (Comp: Luís Alberti)
09) Medley Rumba's: A) Pare Cochero. (Comp: Banguela / Guerra) B) Oye El Carbonero. (Comp: J. Fernández) C) Tumbando Caña. (Comp: Blanco / Castro / Ramírez) D) Los Cañaverales De Oriente. (Comp: R. Cueto)
10) Mondongo. (Comp: M. Valdés / R. Hernández)
You can purchase the album HERE.
Music News
Music companies, including Spotify and the three major record companies, urge legislators to support struggling independent concert venues - Article
With the Senate back in Washington following a weeks-long Independence Day recess, negotiations for a possible second stimulus package have commenced in earnest. And while the legislation’s details are hardly finalized, those with knowledge of the discussions are indicating that the federal “unemployment bonus” may continue, albeit in a lesser amount. - Article
The song leading into the interview is called “Preacherman” by Melody Gardot from the album ‘Currency of a Man’.
Pete Korpela Interview
Pete grew up in Lappeenranta, Finland and started playing hand percussion under the tutelage of Tapio “Mongo” Aaltonen.
Pete talks about the legendary Pori Jazz Festival.
Pete talks about the Concert in the Park by Paul Simon (in 1991). The whole VHS video is divided up in a playlist on YouTube. Besides Steve Gadd on drums, the percussionists in the band were: Mingo Araujo, Dom Chacal, Cyro Baptista, & Sidinho Moreira. You can see the full credits for the band HERE.
Pete talks about being influenced by other players, but making sure you still have your own voice with regard to how you play. One of the percussionists that influenced Pete was Armando Marçal, who was touring with Pat Metheny during the letter from home album.
Damon asks Pete about some folkloric Finnish music and he mentions the kantele. The kantele is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument (chordophone) belonging to the south east Baltic box zither family known as the Baltic psaltery along with Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuanian kanklės and Russian gusli.
Pete went to the Sibelius Academy while still in Finland.
In addition to being a proficient sideman, Pete has been on several scores and soundtracks for movies. The two clips Damon refers to with regard to Temp Track movie music can be seen HERE and HERE. Pete talks about the score for American Beauty that was used as an inspiration for so many other scores.
When Pete came to L.A. he studied at the LA Music Academy which is now the Los Angeles College of Music.
Emil Richards was the first person to show Pete what working on a film was about by bringing him with him as a student to watch a session. Some of the percussionists Pete mentions that play on film scores are: Bob Zametti, Dan Greco, Alan Estes, Joe Porcaro, Emil Richards, Greg Goodall, Brian Kilgore, Wade Culbreath & Don Williams.
Another avenue of percussion playing that Pete participates in would be the pit orchestra for the award shows. He talks about what you should know to be able to play these type of shows and the problem solving involved. Some of the secrets revealed by the musical director Rickey Minor.
Pete talks about the mental toughness and perseverance he has had to have for various gigs and situations in his career.
Pete mentions how percussion is different from other instruments because you have so many options from around the globe. When you get these instruments, you also have to learn how to play them in the traditional manner and then you can be creative with other ways to play and ultimately, figure out what suits the music you’re playing best.
Pete will be doing some composing for a performance piece over the next year with the B Dunn Movement Dance Company.
Pete has recently worked on Da 5 Bloods, the live action Mulan, & the new Ghostbusters.
Pete uses Paiste Cymbals, Remo Drumheads, Latin Percussion, Majestic Percussion, Roland Electronics, Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets, Gibraltar Hardware, Humes & Berg Cases, Pearl Malletstation, Amplified Timber, Drum Dots and Audix Microphones.
You can follow Pete on his Website, Facebook and Instagram.
The song leading out of the interview is “the Circle of Life” from the 2019 Live Action version of the Lion King.
