#352 Trey Macias- Percussionist, Content Creator and More!Trey
This week’s guest is Trey Macias! Trey is a professional percussionist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA where he earned a BA in Hand Percussion Performance with a focus in Latin American music. Having moved to Los Angeles in 2013, Trey has quickly found work in many aspects of the city’s industry including performing, teaching, recording, and also work in radio. Over the years he has shared the stage with Michael McDonald, Willie Nelson, Annie Lennox, and many more.
R.I.P.
Rest in peace to Dom Famularo. With true sadness we join the percussion community in celebrating a man gone too soon, Dom Famularo. Drummer, educator, author, and motivational speaker Dom, known as “Drumming’s Global Ambassador. died on Sept. 27, 2023.
Born August 26, 1953, Dom studied from such legendary drummers as Joe Morello, Jim Chapin, Al Miller, Charlie Perry, Colin Bailey, Shelly Manne, Papa Jo Jones, and Ronnie Benedict. He was known for blending the techniques of the past with modern concepts, developing a creative and personal style of drumming that combined elements of jazz, funk, fusion, and Latin rhythms. He posted on his website that, “I have studied with the Masters, and what they passed on to me was an enthusiasm for self-expression. The fun in my life has been in challenging myself to be the best I can be. But rather than limit myself to just playing in a band, I want to share my talent to pass on the musical and philosophical values I’ve developed, so others can find and enjoy themselves the way I have.”
Rest in peace to Russell Batiste. Legendary drummer and New Orleans musical prodigy Russell Batiste Jr., known for providing the backbeat in such groups as The Funky Meters, Papa Grows Funk, Vida Blue and other well-known Crescent City bands, passed away on Sunday, October 1. According to the artist’s family, the cause of death was a heart attack. Batiste was 57.
Batiste was raised in a musical household and started behind the drum kit at the tender age of 4. He also learned to play the keyboards, saxophone, guitar, and bass, officially taking a slot in the family band when he was only 7. The artist eventually embarked down the higher education route, ultimately dropping out after two years and joining Charmaine Neville’s band.
The artist debuted at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1978 alongside the Young Gifted & Black group, launching a saged career that eventually unfolded into a spot with the Funky Meters, the reincarnation of the original New Orleans funk band, The Meters, featuring George Porter Jr., Brian Stolz and Art Neville. -Article
Rest in peace to Jon Fausty. Jon Fausty was an American multiple Grammy Award-winning sound and recording engineer best known for his work on some of the most successful Latin albums ever recorded. Fausty's career spanned over six decades.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Nate Wood! Grammy nominated Nate Wood is a drummer/multi-instrumentalist and mastering engineer based in New York City. Nate is a founding member of the Grammy nominated quintet Kneebody. Kneebody released their self titled debut album in 2005 on trumpeter Dave Douglas’s label Greenleaf Music. In 2007, Kneebody released “Low Electrical Worker” on Colortone Media. They completed an album of arrangements of Charles Ives compositions with singer Theo Bleckmann and released the recording “12 Songs of Charles Ives” which was nominated “Best Classical Crossover Album” Grammy Award (2009, Winter and Winter). Kneebody’s latest record “The Line” was released on Concord Records in 2013.
Nate has also performed or recorded with many notable artists including Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, Dave Grohl, Brian May and Roger Taylor (Queen), Chris Squire (Yes), Elliot Easton (The Cars), Chaka Khan, Wayne Krantz, Billy Childs, Tigran Hamasyan, Donny McCaslin, Sting and many others.
Nate was featured in Modern Drummer in March of 2014, and placed in the 2015 Modern Drummer reader’s poll among the top 5 drummers in his category.
Along with his work as a sideman, Nate has released 3 albums of his own material, where he performed, recorded and mixed everything himself. His newest album “Another Time” was released in July 2014.
Happy Birthday to Andy Sanesi! Andy is a Los Angeles based drummer, He is currently the drummer for living legend Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and also plays with Missing Persons whom he has played with for the last 5 years. His own band Blanco Diablo has a residency at The Mint in LA and plays regularly at other venues. Additionally Andy has played with and continues to play with a seemingly endless array of artists from virtually every genre of music. Some other artists Andy has worked with are Sebastian Bach, Johnny Rivers, LP, Elle King, Post Modern Jukebox, Dave Binney, Oz Noy, Eminem, Rihanna, Arturo Sandoval, Aloe Blacc, John Zorn, Nir Felder, Brian Charette, The Nick Hexum (of 311) Quintet, Nomad Trio with Scott Henderson and Rufus Philpot, The Julian Coryell Trio with Joe Bagg, John Beasley, Tim LeFebvre Doug Webb, Mitch Forman, Bob Shephard, Ben Shepard, Jerry Vivino, Hadrian Ferraud, Steve Weisberg, Hal Wilner, Carl Verheyen, Gryphon Labs, Sonny Liston (featuring members of Suicidal Tendencies) and Brian Baker’s various projects.
Happy Birthday to Danny Cummings! The first Latin percussion instrument that Danny Cummings ever acquired was a second-hand conga he persuaded his parents to buy him for his 21st birthday. "I remember thinking that black fiberglass drum marked the beginning of a new era for me," says Cummings. And perhaps it did: In the 20 years since, the London-based percussionist has recorded with such rock notables as the late John Martyn, Dire Straits, Tina Turner, George Michael, Les McKeown, Penguin Café Orchestra, Elton John, The Pet Shop Boys, Simply Red, Daniel Beddingfield, Talk Talk, David Sylvian, Mark Knopfler and Bryan Adams. His playing is particularly well showcased on "Ocean Drive" by The Lighthouse Family, and on the cabaret-tinged "Shag Tobacco" by vocalist Gavin Friday (on which Cummings recorded more than 60 overdubs). He also appears on Knopfler's CD Kill To Get Crimson and on Bryan Adams' most recent album, On a Day Like Today.
At age 12, Cummings began playing snare drum in his school band, then got hooked on percussion with a pair of bongos that his grandparents brought him from Trinidad. His early musical influences included Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, and Bill Withers, and "as any percussionist who plays congas in contemporary music will tell you, Santana (Carlos) was a most powerful influence."
Today, in addition to congas, shakers, and tambourines, Cummings plays a collection of original African instruments and experiments with electronic sounds: "I like the idea of blending very traditional instruments with futuristic, cosmic things."
Danny has embarked on several projects with Knopfler, both as part of Dire Straits and Knopfler's solo band. The last Dire Straits album, On Every Street, featured Cummings as a percussionist and he also contributed to Knopfler's solo album releases All the Roadrunning, Kill to Get Crimson and Get Lucky. He toured with Knopfler on the tours for each of these albums, and featured on the live CDs and DVDs On The Night and Real Live Roadrunning (featuring Emmylou Harris).
Happy Birthday to Arthur Lipner! Arthur Lipner is one of the top keyboard percussionists of his generation. He specializes in vibraphone, marimba and steel drums. Arthur’s career has spanned three decades since he began performing professionally at age 14. Arthur’s live performances and recordings convey an exuberant drive of creativity and depth. jazzenews.com (London) said, “Arthur Lipner occupies a prominent role in the foregrounding of vibraphone and marimba in jazz and popular music.” All Music Guide called him “an extremely melodic and creative jazz/worldbeat-conscious vibes artist.”
In 2019, Arthur was invited to perform/adjudicate at percussion festivals in China and Russia. In 2018, he performed/adjudicated at the first-ever Australian International Vibraphone Competition. As a bandleader, guest soloist and educator, Arthur has been to over 30 countries including Ghana, Iceland, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Costa Rica, England, Scotland, Iceland, Morocco, Malaysia, the Caribbean and many more.
As a recording artist and NYC session player, Arthur has appeared on over 50 albums. “Two Hands, One Heart” (2015) is a “best of” double-cd collection documenting his first 25 years as a freelance recording artist. His album “Brasilian Vibes” (2010) was nominated for “Album Of The Year” by the Brasilian Press Awards. Recording session appearances have included Bluegrass, Traditional Jazz, Brasilian, Funk, Caribbean and other eclectic styles. From 2016-2018 he recorded nine solo albums on vibes, marimba and steel drums for the NYC-based label Solo Sounds. These included solo versions of West Side Story, Paul Simon’s “Graceland”, Bob Marley’s “Legend”, and a collection of Drake songs on steel drums.
Venues at which Arthur has appeared is a one-of-a-kind mix illustrating his strong desire to share and interact with different cultures. In addition to concert halls, jazz clubs and recording studios around the world, Arthur has performed with Tuvan Throat Singers from Russia, The National Dance Company of Ghana in a small rural village, in the streets of Rio de Janeiro for Carnival, in Chiapas Mexico’s “Marimba Park”, at the Royal Palace in Marrakesh, in the mountains of Norway on an ice xylophone he constructed with award-winning ice sculptor Bill Covitz, and more. He premiered his concerto MALLET FANTASIA with the Nat’l Symphony of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. He has toured in Europe/Latin America over 70 times. He has performed at five PASIC’s.
As an educator, Arthur has been a guest artist and clinician at many percussion festivals around the world. He has presented over 300 workshops on six continents. These include the prestigious Juilliard School, Yale University, Royal College of Music (London), Swedish Academy of Music (Stockholm), Gnesin Academy of Music (Moscow), Sweelink Conservatory (Amsterdam), Conservatoire Superieur (Paris) and Sydney Conservatorium (Australia). He has been a faculty member of The Brabants Conservatory (Holland), Univ. of Bridgeport (CT), Drummers Collective (NYC) and SUNY Purchase. From 2000-2008 Lipner served on the Board of Directors of The Percussive Arts Society.
Almost 100 of Arthur’s compositions have been released on recordings. His music has been used on radio, film and tv soundtracks in such places as Finland, Japan, Belgium, The Netherlands, and England. Arthur has written two widely-adopted method books, THE VIBES REAL BOOK (1996) and “Jazz Mallets: IN SESSION” (2000), the first-ever play-along book for vibes and marimba. He was commissioned to write music for the UK’s 2020 ABRSM Tuned Percussion series. The story of Lipner’s inner and outer journeys are featured in the documentary TALKING STICKS.
Happy Birthday to Bob Weiner! Bob Weiner’s interest in depth psychology and contemplative practices leads him to consider how these practices apply to the arts and to improvisation. As a drummer and percussionist he has toured and performed with a host of “giants” including Harry Belafonte, Itzhak Perlman, Betty Buckley, Jon Lucien, Dianne Reeves, Andy Statman, Rebecca Paris, Kenny Werner, Bob Moses and many others. He has also taught at the Drummers Collective in New York City, as well as the New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music in Boston. He holds a Masters’ degree at Lesley University in Inter-Disciplinary Studies.
Gig Alerts
Foo Fighters announce a US stadium tour for the summer of 2024, Everything Or Nothing At All, kicking off in New York’s Citi Field on July 17 and 19.
Following the success of their eleventh album, But Here We Are, featuring the singles “Rescued” and “Under You,” alternative rock darlings Foo Fighters announce a run of summer 2024 US stadium dates. The Everything Or Nothing At All Tour kicks off at Citi Field in New York on July 17 and 19, heading across 10 stadiums for 12 performances, including a pair of shows at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium on August 9 and 11. -Article
iHeartMedia has announced the lineup for its iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour, with an exclusive broadcast of the concert moving to ABC. Take a peek at what to expect.
Olivia Rodrigo, Usher, Nicki Minaj, SZA, Niall Horan, OneRepublic, AJR, Sabrina Carpenter, Miguel, Jelly Roll, Big Time Rush, NCT DREAM, Flo Rida, and more top the lineup of this tour heading to major cities across the United States. ABC is the exclusive broadcast partner for the event, airing a special on December 21. Stops this year include Tampa, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Boston, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Miami. -Article
Stephen Tyler and Bruce Springsteen are postponing their respective tours until 2024 for health reasons.
Educational Spotlight
The app/software Scan Score was featured this week for taking charts and scanning them to be able to do a whole host of adjustments to them.
Damon and Marcos made a playlist that is referred to in the episode regarding Pop Percussion Iconic Tracks.
Iconic Recording
The iconic recording was chosen by Trey. It is “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” performed by Whitney Houston. You can check out more of the personnel by CLICKING HERE.
Music News
The U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere event showcases a reinvented live music experience in a brand-new, cutting edge venue. U2 provided fans with a fully immersive experience, utilizing every part of the Sphere’s LED screen to showcase bespoke art from renowned artists including Es Devlin, John Gerrard, Marco Brambilla, and Industrial Light & Magic—all while performing on a Brian Eno-inspired turntable stage. -Article
Las Vegas police have arrested a suspect in connection with the 1996 murder of Tupac Shakur. The man was taken into custody early Friday morning in a case that has long been considered cold.
Earlier, Digital Music News pointed to an unexpected search warrant and raid tied to a longtime suspect in Tupac’s 1996 murder. Now, police have arrested Duane “Keffe D” Davis, and indicted him on murder charges with the use of a deadly weapon per details emerging from the Los Angeles Times. -Article
About nine months after the namesake Peace Through Music Diplomacy Act became law, the Recording Academy and the State Department have launched a program called the “Global Music Diplomacy Initiative” and presented Quincy Jones with the first-ever “Peace Through Music Award.”
The Recording Academy reached out to Digital Music News with word of the new music-diplomacy program and award, both of which were unveiled during a State Department event yesterday evening. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., YouTube global head of music Lyor Cohen, and JFK Center for the Performing Arts chairman David Rubenstein were on hand for the event, as were, of course, a number of government officials and musicians. -Article
Trey Macias Article
The song leading into the interview is, “Tingle” by Samantha Schultz.
Trey talks about the Tambo Tuesday series he started on Instagram and what happened to it.
You can see an example of one of the Tambo Tuesday selections.
Shout-out to friend of the show, Marcus Santos.
Trey attended Berklee College of Music.
Damon mentions friend of the show, Glen Velez, and some of the tambourine/frame drum history.
Trey attended a Kosa camp in Vermont.
Shout-out to friend of the show, Jamey Haddad.
Damon brings up Sir Ray Cooper and his tambourine playing.
Damon mentions some R&B percussionists in "Master” Henry Gibson, Eddie “Bongo” Brown, Bobbye Hall, Johnny Griggs and Jack Ashford.
Trey mentions the Tambourine Ministry on Instagram.
Trey and Damon talk about choosing which parts to play/deemed of most importance.
They also talk about Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do”
Damon’s version of the same song can be found HERE.
Shout-out to friend of the show, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Richie “Gajate” Garcia, and Walfredo De Los Reyes Sr.
Trey edits the video in Final Cut Pro. Damon mentions bringing the audio down to hear the percussion parts.
Damon mentions Pomplamoose and their video songs.
Damon and Trey talk about the issues with posting a cover of “Groove is in the Heart”
Trey mentions the fair use stipulations on YouTube.
Trey grew up in San Antonio, TX. He talks about his upbringing and family. Shout-out to the Beatles.
Trey currently lives in Los Angeles.
Shout-out to friend of the show, Kevin Riccard who inspired Trey.
Damon and Trey talk about the Pop Percussion Playlist. One of the songs Trey recommends is “Don’t Start Now”. Trey uses the LP Blast Block (low pitch) to replicate that sound. Damon uses the ES-2 Cha Cha Bell.
Trey mentions THIS DOCUMENTARY. He also talks about recording “Senorita”
Trey and Damon dive into some parts for pop songs.
Shout-out to Terry Santiel.
Damon brings up Lenny Castro on John Mayer’s latest single.
Damon mentions “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”
Trey talks about his Air Raid siren story.
Trey and Damon talk studio vs. live versions as a percussionist.
Shout-out to Aaron Draper. Damon mentions combining two parts together.
Trey gives a rig rundown.
Trey and Damon talk communication.
Trey studied with Eguie Castrillo, Mikael Ringquist, and Ernesto Diaz. Shout-out to Rob Harris.
You can follow Trey on his Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
The song leading out of the interview is “Out of My Head” by Samantha Schultz.
