#266 Rob Humphreys- Drummer for Kacey Musgraves, Scary Pockets and More!
Today’s guest is Rob Humphreys. You can check out some of his credits HERE.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Jamie Eckert. Jamie attended Eastern New Mexico University, where he studied with Robert James, Alison Shaw and Robert Ledbetter. He pursued further studies at the University of New Mexico, studying with Christopher Shultis and Mexican marimbist Steven Chavez. Mr. Eckert pursued master’s studies at West Virginia University, studying with Phil Faini, I Wayan Rai, Ki Mantle Hood, Paschal Younge, Ellie Mannette, Al Wrublesky, and Timothy Peterman. He also studied composition with John Beal and electronic music and composition with Gilbert Trythall. While at West Virginia University, he helped to establish the school’s first steel drum band.
Mr. Eckert has traveled as an educator and performer throughout Asia, Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean. He has taught percussion at Dartmouth High School (MA), where the percussion ensembles have won numerous World Championships. Mr. Eckert was also a member of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps drum staff for 15 years and was recently inducted into their Hall of Fame.
Mr. Eckert currently teaches percussion, world music, and African American music history at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. While at UMass Dartmouth, he founded the first and only steel drum program in the UMass system. He continues to study African music with royal hartigan and Kwabena Boeteng, and Javanese music with I.M. Harjito. He also enjoys busy summers with his own steel band, “El Caribe”.
Happy Birthday to Martin Cohen. Call it love at first sound. In 1956, when Latin Percussion founder Martin Cohen was 17, he wandered into the legendary New York nightclub Birdland, where vibraphonist Cal Tjader was leading a Latin-jazz band. “The music was so infectious that I have never lost my love for it,” Cohen says.
He subsequently started attending the Monday-night jam sessions at Birdland, headed up by Herbie Mann and featuring such Latin percussionists as Candido, Jose Mangual, and Chano Pozo. Although Cohen was an engineer, not a musician, he got the urge to participate.
“I wanted to get a pair of bongos,” he recalls, “because Jose Mangual had made the biggest impression on me. But I couldn’t find a pair of bongos because the U.S. had initiated an embargo of Cuba, and that’s where the good bongos, congas, and cowbells had always come from. So I decided to make my own.”
Cohen wanted to make his drums the traditional way, from a single block of wood. So he bought some blocks of mahogany from a sculpture supply store. Working from photographs he had taken of Johnny Pacheco’s bongos, Cohen took his blocks to a wood turner who machined them for him.
“That was the beginning of my learning process,” Cohen says. “He machined them on Friday, and by Monday they were a quarter of an inch smaller. I didn’t realize that you had to dry the wood first. So he had to insert a piece of wood to accommodate that quarter-inch change.”
Cohen ended up selling that pair of bongos, but he continued making bongos and putting them in stores on consignment. He maintained a day job as an engineer with a company that made medical equipment, but spent his nights and weekends making instruments and going to nightclubs to hear Latin music.
Happy Birthday to Mike Dawson. Mike is the manager for Drum Factory Direct. Before that he was the managing editor for Modern Drummer, the world’s most widely read magazine for drummers, and he served as book editor for Modern Drummer Publications, with most recent releases including FUNdamentals of Drumming for Kids by modern country great Rich Redmond and co-author Michael Aubrecht, Stick Technique by rudimental drumming specialist Bill Bachman, and Exercises in African-American Funk by University of Miami professor Steve Rucker and top touring drummer Jonathan Joseph (Jeff Beck, Joss Stone, Richard Bona). In the pages of MD, Dawson has authored dozens of artist features, educational columns, event reports, and product reviews. He also hosts the Drum Candy Podcast (Damon was featured in Episode #29) An active performer, teacher, and session drummer in the New York City area, Dawson has a bachelor’s degree in music education from West Virginia University and a master’s degree in music from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He’s Senior Lecturer in music journalism at the University of the Arts. Mike also produces drum tracks for artists all around the world out of his home studio in New Jersey.
Happy Birthday to Joel Tetzlaff. Joel has twenty-one years of marketing experience with Yamaha, the largest instrument manufacturer in the world. Providing depth of knowledge with a wide diversity of people, situations and business factors with an extensive background in creative development, customer engagement, promotion process, sales and dealer support.
Gig Alerts
Some of the many tour announcements for this Spring…….
The Governor’s Ball announced their dates and lineup. You can CLICK HERE to get more details and tickets.
If you’re looking for other festivals to enjoy throughout the year, CLICK HERE to search for more.
The Britt Festival Orchestra 2022 season will feature a full orchestra performing six classical concerts and one family concert in a three-week festival, performed in the beautiful outdoor pavilion of the Britt Hill. The festival dates are June 16 - July 3, 2022.
Section base compensation for the 2022, 3-week season: $1,838.40 (Rate of pay listed is based on the current Master Agreement. Housing with host family and travel allowance up to $750 is also available based on terms in the current Master Agreement.)
Marimba Productions Inc is looking for its next Assistant Manager of Publications. We are the largest music publisher specializing strictly on percussion music. We publish the works of many of the greatest percussion composers including, Burritt, Stout, Musser, Smadbeck, Sammut, Abe, Becker, Ewazen, Helble and Maslanka. On the beautiful Jersey Shore. Full time, with benefits. CLICK HERE for more info.
Educational Spotlight
Dan Charnas, author of The Big Payback, has a new book called Dilla Time about the impack J Dilla had on the music industry and genres.
The educational lesson series with CongaChops and Latin Percussion is continued this week with the Barril de Bomba.
Iconic Recording
This week’s iconic recording was selected by last week’s guest Attis Clopton. It is a John Lennon song called “Jealous Guy” performed by Donny Hathaway. You can read more information on the recording as well as the personnel on it by CLICKING HERE.
Music News
Spotify is the top music streaming service, but many people are unhappy with the service. Here’s how to delete your Spotify account, Plus 5 Alternative Music Streaming Services - Article.
Rihanna has donated $15 million to organizations leading the fight against climate change. Rihanna founded a non-profit called the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012, named for her grandparents. The organization funds “groundbreaking education and emergency preparedness and response programs around the world.” -Article.
The band for the Super Bowl has been announced. It includes friend of the show, Devin Webster.
Rob Humphreys Interview
The song leading into the interview is “Slow Dance” by Pomplamoose from their ‘Invisible People’ album.
Damon starts the interview with how he and Rob met at the Big Apple BBQ in NYC when Rob was performing with David Ryan Harris and Sean Hurley.
Friend of the show, Jon Epcar was also in the park playing with Josiah Leming.
Shout-out to Rob Keedy who went to Umass with Damon, marched with the Santa Clara Vanguard and taught Rob Humphreys at New Mexico State University.
Rob is from Roswell, NM. There was a TV series that Rob watched with the same namesake.
Damon talks about playing with Charlie Hunter at the Taos (NM) Brewing Company and witnessing the Earthships.
Rob is on tour with Kacey Muscgraves. He took over for friend of the show Scott Quintana.
You can catch Rob on tour with Kacey by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear other things Rob has recorded on THIS SPOTIFY PLAYLIST HERE.
Rob explains the trumpet emoji in his picture.
If you are tempted to run Ableton for your live performances, THIS ARTICLE WITH VIDEOS will help you sort out how to do that.
Rob also performs with the group Scary Pockets. He mentions THIS SHIRT.
Shout-out to Ryan Lerman and Jack Conte.
Pro-Tip that Rob brings up. Record a bunch of stuff on a day or two of the month, resist the urge to post it immediately and release it over a period of time so you always have things you can post if necessary.
Damon mentions Gary Novak and his ability to play quiet, but also intense.
Damon tries to instigate other Scary Pockets incarnations in the vein of Scary Goldings. The two he throws out are Louis Pockets (Or Scary Cole) and Scary Puppy.
Rob played in the snare line at New Mexico State University drumline as well as playing drumset in the big band and symphonic percussion in the orchestral ensembles.
Rob and Damon recorded with Ari Herstand for a funk project.
Damon and Rob talk about decision fatigue.
If you are interested in getting gear insurance, check out Music Pro Insurance or Clarion Musical Instrument Insurance.
Rob makes dollar bill bowties.
Rob picked the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young ‘Deja Vu’ album, which will be featured in a future episode. Either “Carry On” or “Almost Cut My Hair”.
Rob uses Istanbul Agop Cymbals. Shout-out to Joe Fink and Buck Bell.
You can follow Rob on his Website, Facebook or Instagram.
The song leading out of the interview is “Leaving the Table” by Leonard Cohen from his album ‘You Want it Darker’.
