#229 Eric Kalb- Drummer for Deep Banana Blackout, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings & More!
This episode is sponsored by Dream Cymbals.
This week’s guest is Eric Kalb. Southpaw drummer Eric Kalb is a versatile musician who enjoys playing groove based music. A devotee of R&B and Soul drumming, his improvisational aesthetic is colored by sudden bursts of rock aggression. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Eric is a multi-faceted studio and touring drummer whose “energetic and exhilarating style” (Jazz Times) keeps him in constant demand.
Over the course of his twenty-year career Kalb has taken to both studio and stage with a dazzling cavalcade of influential and innovative artists. He’s laid it down hard for the supernatural force of Miss Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, the seven-string guitar wizardry of Charlie Hunter, jazz guitarist John Scofield and living organ Legend Dr. Lonnie Smith; to name but a few. Hunter calls Kalb’s drumming “A funky Clyde Stubblefield/ Jabo Starks kinda way of relating (to Jazz) …really cool and refreshing“. Recent recording sessions include soundtracks for the major motion pictures “American Gangster” and “Walk Hard:The Dewey Cox Story“.
Kalb’s obsession with hitting things began in his tenth year growing up with his family on Long Island, when he picked up some drum sticks and discovered what those around him had long suspected – that God made him funky. Fueled by his love for Led Zeppelin, The Stones and The Beatles, Eric focused his energies into qualifying for a coveted position at The Cultural Arts Center in Syosset, NY. It was here, under the tutelage of the late David Burns Sr. that he was introduced to Jazz and it’s history as told through Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Taylor. These lessons formed the very bedrock of his style and informed the trajectory of his passion.
After high school Eric took a whirlwind trip through Berklee College of Music, here he immersed himself in Latin music with the late Ed Uribe, learned through the soaring jazz drumming of John Ramsey and played with musicians from all over the world. Soon Eric was ready to leave the constraints of formal education and forge his own way ahead. Kalb formed Funk/Rock sensation Deep Banana Blackout shortly thereafter. The band scorched its way through the east Coast Jam band scene, toured with the Allman Brothers and co-billed with Maceo Parker. They still reform yearly to the enraptured chants of a dedicated crowd of followers in the North East.
In May of 2012 Kalb was the drummer for a massive recreation of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On concert at Kennedy Center in Washington DC. This concert featured John Legend, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings and The National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Steven Reineke.
Happy Birthday!
Bill Kreutzmann was born on May 7th, in 1946. He is famous for being an American drummer. For a period lasting 30 years, he played for the Grateful Dead rock band.
Bill was born William Kreutzmann Jr. on May 7th, in 1946. His birthplace was in Palo Alto in California. He is the son of William Kreutzmann Sr. and Janice Beryl. At the tender age of 13, Kreutzmann had begun playing drums. Despite being discouraged while he was in his sixth grade by his music teacher that he could not keep a beat, he never lost hope.
In late 1964, Bill Kreutzmann alongside Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia and Ron McKernan founded a band called Warlocks. The band landed on its first gig in May the following year. Later, in November 1965, the band changed its name to the Grateful Dead.
In 1967, Kreutzmann crossed paths with Mickey Hart. It did not take time before he also joined the band. Interestingly, Hart was also a drummer. This made the band earn recognition for it was among the few band groups that had two drummers. The duo combined their talents and played together rhythmically. After that, they were dubbed as “the Rhythm Devils.”
Bill Kreutzmann continued playing with the band until it was dissolved. This occurred as a result of Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. In 1994, however, Kreutzmann alongside other band members were admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Years later, the band members also bagged home a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
After Grateful Dead, Kreutzmann went ahead and partnered with Edd Cook, a bassist, and Rick Barnett, a guitarist. Together, the trio released an album titled Backbone in 1998. Shortly after this, Kreutzmann was again invited to join his former band members in another band called the Other Ones. He joined the group in 2000. In 2003, they opted to change the name of their band group to The Dead.
Bill Kreutzmann is a proud father of two children namely Justin and Stacy.
Dennis Chambers (born May 9, 1959) is an American drummer who has recorded and performed with John Scofield, George Duke,Brecker Brothers, Santana, Parliament/Funkadelic, John McLaughlin, Niacin, Mike Stern, CAB, Greg Howe, and many others. Despite a lack of formal training, Chambers has become well known among drummers for his technique and speed.[citation needed]Chambers is particularly regarded for his ability to play "in the pocket" but can also stretch very far out of the pocket which is also a hallmark of his technique.[citation needed] Chambers exhibits a powerful style that is technically proficient, yet highly musical and groove-oriented.[citation needed] He can play in a wide variety of musical genres, but is perhaps most notable for his jazz-fusion, funk, and Latin music playing. He is mostly known for his fast hands and triplets on the bass drum. He has helped many young drummers, the most prominent being Tony Royster, Jr.
In 2007, just before Led Zeppelin were scheduled to play at the O2 Arena in London, John Bonham's son Jason was asked in an interview that if he himself were to pass up the opportunity, which drummer would he recommend to fill the coveted drum throne. His reply was 'If I were to choose, I would probably want a jazz drummer with a strong swing feel. You know what - Dennis Chambers. I think he would "get it", whereas other rock drummers wouldn't.'
In an interview by Bonedo in 2011 Dennis Chambers was asked who some of his influences and favorite drummers were and he mentioned Clyde Stubblefield, Al Jackson Jr.,Steve Gadd, Vinnie Colaiuta, Gary Husband, Jack Dejohnette, Billy Cobham, Buddy Rich, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, and Tony Williams.
He performed on the critically acclaimed Maceo Parker live album "Roots and Grooves" album with long time friend Rodney "Skeet" Curtis (bass) and the WDR Big Band. He has toured extensively with Carlos Santana and makes appearances with his band Niacin.
He plays and endorses Pearl drums, pedals, hardware & racks, Zildjian cymbals, Zildjian drumsticks & general accessories and Evans drumheads.
Chambers began drumming at the age of four years, and was gigging in Baltimore-area nightclubs by the age of six. He was recruited in 1981 by the Sugar Hill Label to be their "house drummer." Dennis plays on many Sugar Hill releases . In 1978 (at 18 years old) he joined Parliament/Funkadelic, and stayed with them until 1985. In 1986 he joined the John Scofield band. Since then he has played with most of the major figures in jazz fusion music.
On August 26, 2011 Chambers appeared as a featured drummer on the Late Show with David Letterman's Drum Solo Week II, alongside other such notable players as Tony Royster, Jr., Gavin Harrison, Neil Peart and Stewart Copeland.
Gig Alerts
Dead and Company released their summer tour schedule for 2021. You can GET TICKETS HERE.
Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin are kicking off a post-COVID tour of North America later this year.
The duo was supposed to go on tour together last year, but the tour was postponed. Now, the 26-date arena tour has been rescheduled, and original tickets will still be honored. There are also a slew of new dates for the tour.
The tour will kick off on September 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It will wrap up on November 20 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Colombian singer Sebastián Yatra will be joining the tour for select dates. You can GET TICKETS HERE.
Shout-out to friends of the show Paulo Stagnaro and Tony Escapa who are members of Ricky’s band.
Educational Spotlight
Join the Percussive Arts Society from November 10 – 13, 2021 for one of the largest drum and percussion events in the world – the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC)! Featuring concerts, clinics, panels and presentations given by the finest artists from all over the world, PASIC 2021 will showcase all areas of percussion — drum set, marching, keyboard, symphonic, world, recreational, education, music technology, new music, and health & wellness.
For 2021 ONLY, PAS Members pay special PAS 60th anniversary pricing for a 4-Day Badge starting May 17 through July 16! You’ll get full access to all PASIC events for 4 days (Wednesday, November 10 – Saturday, November 13). You can REGISTER HERE. If you are looking to reserve a hotel room, you can get a discounted rate by RESERVING HERE.
* There are NO refunds on badges that are purchased with 60th Anniversary pricing.
Benny Greb has a new book in his online store for Effective Practicing for Musicians.
He’s got lots of other items available for you to peruse as well. CLICK HERE for more options.
Iconic Recording
This week’s iconic recording is “Mojo Cubano” by Ralph Irizarry and Timbalaye from the ‘Best Kept Secret’ album. You can read the credits for who played on that album HERE.
The playlist Damon mentions that Marcos Lopez created can be found HERE.
Music News
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame reveals its 2021 Inductees, celebrating the most diverse list of Inductees in the history of the organization. Find out more about them HERE. The 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 30, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio with a radio simulcast on SiriusXM’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Radio channel 310. The Induction Ceremony will air at a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max. Tickets go on sale to the public and members in July. Select Rock Hall donors and members get exclusive Induction ticket opportunities. Donate or join by June 30, 2021 to be eligible. Visit rockhall.com/join to learn more.
Live Nation is phasing out plastic water bottles at its live events. That’s because the event promoter became an equity investor in the canned water company Liquid Death. Liquid Death just closed a $15 million Series C funding round, with Live Nation as an equity investor. It will only sell Liquid Death at its venues and festivals across the United States – for a limited period of time. It has more than 120 venues and festivals in the US, and plastic pollution is a very real public health concern. -Article
The Hollywood Bowl is ready to re-open to live performances, with some special safety precautions. The 2021 season will start in July, with special safety precautions in place. Total capacity is limited to 67%, and there will be vaccinated and un-vaccinated seating sections.
“There will be two seating sections for patrons who are not fully vaccinated. These seas will be socially distanced and separated from vaccination-required sections. Guests will be required to show a negative COVID-19 test result and a photo ID upon entry,” the official website states. -Article
PBS is to air documentary Sergio Mendes & Friends: A Celebration, about the acclaimed Brazilian musician.
The film will premiere as part of special programming on PBS stations in June 2021 and is derived from the feature documentary Sergio Mendes: In The Key Of Joy by filmmaker John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs John Lennon). You can watch the trailer below.
Eric Kalb Interview
The song leading into the interview is “Drop and Roll” by John Scofield from the album ‘Bump’ featuring Eric and members of the band Deep Banana Blackout.
Damon asks if Eric was inspired by other southpaw drummers like Charles Connor, Ralph Johnson, Phil Collins or Ian Paice.
Eric tells a story about “sitting in” with Russell Batiste.
Eric’s first goal was to be a studio/session musician.
To the right is a photo of Damon playing with the original members of Parliament Funkadelic.
Damon and Eric talk about soul/jazz, boogaloo and B3 based music.
Eric talks about the E3 Organ Trio with Eric Krasno, Eric Finland and Eric Kalb.
Eric studied with Phil Cimino. Through that connection, he played with the Hip Pickles, started by Chet Doboe. The book Eric is still working through is called “Building Chops”.
If you are interested in the Summer 2021 Drum Corps season, you can CLICK HERE and get more details on what is happening near you.
Eric contemplated architecture before drums. Eric also attended the Cultural Arts Center, which Is now known as the Long Island High School for the Arts.
Eric attended Berklee College of Music.
Shout-out to Justin DiCioccio, who Eric auditioned for at his second choice university, The Manhattan School of Music.
Eric’s college classmate, Dave Livolsi was an impetus to him moving to Connecticut and playing with the band Tongue and Groove.
Benj Lefevre joined Tongue and Groove after Dave left, and then the horns from Deep Banana Blackout joined. Shout-out to Rob Somerville (sax) and the late Bryan Smith. Eric talks about his L.I. friend James "Fuzz" Sangiovanni who later became instrumental in some of the original songwriting in the band Deep Banana Blackout.
Damon and Eric talk about soloing.
Damon and Eric talk about subbing.
Eric talks about getting the gig with and then touring with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.
Sharon was a corrections officer at Rikers Island.
Eric talks about playing on film scores.
You can follow Eric on his Website, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Eric uses Telefunken Microphones, Vic Firth Drumsticks and Mallets, Evans Drumheads, Istanbul Mehmet Cymbals, and DW Drums.
Shout-out to Pork Pie Thrones.
The song leading out of the interview is “The Slitter” by the Scone Cash Players from the ‘The Slitter / Necking’ album.
