#380 Obed Calvaire- Bandleader, Drummer for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Dave Holland & More!
Obed Calvaire, a native of Miami and of Haitian descent is a graduate with both a master and bachelor degree of music from one of America’s premiere private music conservatories in the nation, Manhattan School of Music. He received his bachelor’s degree in 2003, completing the undergraduate degree requirements in three years and receiving his master’s in 2005.
Mr. Calvaire has performed and recorded with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Seal, Eddie Palmeri, Vanessa Williams, Dave Holland, David Foster, Mary J. Blige, Stefon Harris, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Peter Cincotti, Music Soulchild, Nellie McKay, Yellow Jackets, Joshua Redman, Steve Turre, and Lizz Wright to name a few. He has also performed with large ensembles such as the Village Vanguard Orchestra, Metropole Orchestra, The Clayton Brothers, The Mingus Big Band, RoyHargrove big band, and the Bob Mintzer Big Band.
Currently, Obed Calvaire can be found playing with the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Dave Holland, Monty Alexander, Sean Jones, Yosvany Terry, Mike Stern among others.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to (Scott) Garrison!
Happy Birthday to Eric Renick! He is the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s Principal Percussionist since 2010, Eric Renick began his musical studies at the age of 12. A native of Indianapolis, he received his Bachelor’s degree from Butler University, where he studied with Jon Crabiel. While at Butler, Mr Renick also won first place in the University’s Concerto Competition. He gained a Master’s degree and artist certificate from Chicago’s Roosevelt and DePaul universities under the guidance of Ted Atktatz, Eric Milstein and Ed Harrison. While in Chicago he performed with the Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony’s MusicNow Series, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, as well as co-founding the Chicago Arts Orchestra.
In 2007 Eric Renick was awarded a Fellowship with the New World Symphony (NWS), where he performed under the batons of Michael Tilson Thomas, Osmo Vänskä, Marin Alsop, Robert Spano, John Adams and Vladimir Ashkenazy, among others; performed as part of NWS’s Percussion Consort and participated in digital media collaborations. Mr Renick has also performed with the St. Louis, Kansas City, and New Mexico symphonies, Grant Park, Breckenridge and Spoleto (USA) festival orchestras, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic and Malaysia Philharmonic orchestras.
Eric Renick is a regular collaborator with cross-genre musicians as well as film scoring. He also performs in the Antipodes Percussion Project, an ensemble focused on using percussion chamber music to educate young musicians. Mr Renick is an Artist Teacher at the University of Auckland.
Happy Birthday to Drew McKeon! Drew McKeon is an NYC-based session drummer/multi-instrumentalist who has toured and performed with Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, Hall & Oates and Daryl Hall (solo), Grammy Award winner, Michael Bolton, Oscar winning duo, Pasek&Paul, Jimmy Buffett, Seal, Peter Cetera, Richard Marx, Julian Lennon, Todd Rundgren, Living Colour, Ben E. King, Dave Mason, Ron Pope, Bill Champlin, Shelea Frazier, Sam Moore, Antonique Smith, Hundred Hounds, The Broadway Boys, Darian Cunning, Harbor Party, Natalie Weiss, Carrie Manolakos, Chad Hollister Band, Jeff Tuohy and many others.
He currently serves as musical director for The Voice Season 10 winner, Alisan Porter, as well as Amanda Brown (Alicia Keys, Adele) and tours the world playing drums while conducting the orchestra for Michael Bolton in support of his latest release- A Symphony of Hits
Happy Birthday to Jake Chapman! Jake is a multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. His specialties include vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, and keyboards. He is a session musician, performer, and songwriter with a lot of experience in a wide variety of musical styles, including jazz, hip hop, R&B, funk, pop, rock, video game music, and classical. He studied at Juilliard, and until COVID was a gigging musician in the NYC and LA music scenes. He has toured in the US, Singapore, and China. Jake enjoys utilizing his craft to help musicians, songwriters, and producers achieve great tracks and live performances.
Happy Birthday to Master Sergeant Robert Marino! Robert was named Principal Timpanist of the United States Army Field Band, Washington, D.C., in 2006. He has been a featured soloist with the band at The American Bandmasters Association Convention and The Pennsylvania Music Educators Conference. In 2010 Robert was a guest soloist at the Interlochen Summer Music Festival.
He is a 2005 graduate of the Eastman School of Music with a double major in percussion performance and music education. While at Eastman, Robert earned the coveted Performer's Certificate, was named principal percussionist for the Eastman Wind Ensemble's highly acclaimed 2004 Asian tour, and was the timpanist for the Wind Ensemble's celebrated appearance at Carnegie Hall in 2005. Marino began his graduate studies at Boston University where he was the timpanist for the Boston University Symphony Orchestra's Carnegie Hall appearance. After leaving Boston University to join the Army Field Band, Robert completed his Master's Degree in Percussion Performance at the University of Maryland in 2010.
Robert Marino has also been active in the marching arts activities as a performer, instructor, arranger, and adjudicator. Since 2007 he has been an instructor for the nine-time DCI world champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. He has also taught the Madison Scouts and Capital Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. Robert has been the caption head and arranger for the Boston University Marching Band and its award-winning winter percussion ensemble, as well as for many award-winning high school marching bands. As a marching member of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from 2000-2003, he won a DCI World Championship in 2000 and the three-peat high percussion trophies from 2001-2003.
Robert Marino is a Vic Firth Educator and Endorser and can be heard on Summit Records 2006 recording of Danzante where he was the principal percussionist, as well as on the Footprints album by Michael Udow. His instructors include John Beck, Tim Genis, Joe Periera, John Tafoya, Tony Ames, Gordon Stout, Ben Ramirez, Tom Aungst, Steve Kieffer, and John Wagner. Robert currently resides in Baltimore, MD, with his wife Elizabeth.
Happy Birthday to Mark Powers! Mark is a drummer, educator, author, speaker, actor and more, Mark Powers has studied, performed, and taught throughout North America, as well as in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the South Pacific. As a teaching artist, he facilitates a variety of percussion programs—educating students of all ages in schools, presenting at youth/adult correctional facilities and leading businesses and organizations in rhythm-based leadership and team building workshops. Mark is a two-time TEDx speaker, co-author of Alfred's Drumset Method: Book 2 and The 2-in-1 Drummer, and author of Solo in Style (all three published by Alfred Music), as well as author of two children's board books, I Want To Be A Drummer and I Want To Be A Reader (both published by Blue Manatee Press). He has written for Modern Drummer Magazine, Percussive Notes, and other percussion publications, and releases 60-second video drum lessons on DrumItInAMinute.com. Mark plays and endorses Tycoon Percussion instruments, REMO drumheads, SABIAN cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, ProLogix practice pads, Humes & Berg cases, and Cajon Brush. Find out more at PowersPercussion.com
Gig Alerts
The Newport Jazz Festival is happening in Newport, RI from August 2-4.
The Fool in Love Festival is happening August 31st in Los Angleles, CA.
The Bryant Park Picnic Series is happening in NYC from May through September.
May
31: New York City Opera – Puccini Celebration
June
1: New York City Opera – Puccini Celebration
6: Contemporary Dance – Sidra Bell and Ballet Tech
7: Contemporary Dance – David Dorfman Dance, Soles of Duende, Joffrey Concert Group and National Dance Institute
14: Contemporary Dance – Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, Robin Dunn, Kevin Wynn Tribute, Brooklyn Arts
21: Jazzmobile – Sarah Vaughan Centennial Featuring Charenée Wade
28: Emerging Music Festival Day 1 – Up-and-coming bands curated by AdHoc
29: Emerging Music Festival Day 2 – Up-and-coming bands curated by AdHoc
July
5: Carnegie Hall Citywide – The Harlem Chamber Players with Tania León
12: Carnegie Hall Citywide – Thandiswa Mazwai
19: Carnegie Hall Citywide – Louis Cato
26: Carnegie Hall Citywide – Michael Olatuja and Lagos Pepper Soup
August
2: Carnegie Hall Citywide – La Excelencia
9: Joe’s Pub – Broadway en Spanglish: Florencia Cuenca and Jaime Lozano
10: New Victory Dance – Ephrat Asherie Dance + Barkin/Selissen Project
16: World Music Institute – Gyedu-Blay Ambolley
17: Jalopy Theatre – Artists TBA
23: New York City Opera – Tosca
24: New York City Opera – Tosca
30: Asian American Arts Alliance – Vijay Iyer Trio
31: Mark Morris Dance Group, Blacks in Ballet, Reed Luplau
September
5: Accordions Around the World – Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, Afro Dominicano
6: American Symphony Orchestra – Beyond the Hall
12: Harlem Stage – Artists TBA
13: The Town Hall – Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra play the Music of James Bond: The Man with The Golden Horn with special guests Steven Bernstein and more
All shows begin at 7pm except on June 29 and August 10, which begin at 5pm
Educational Spotlight
The first thing for the educational spotlight is information on international currency.
The second thing is helpful websites you can use!
The last thing is Google Maps tips and hacks.
Iconic Recording
The iconic recording is “Why Does It Hurt When I P” by Frank Zappa from the Joe’s Garage (act I) album. Vinnie Colaiuta is on drums and Ed Mann is on percussion for this album. You can read the rest of the personnel here.
Music News
The Justice Department Is Officially Suing Live Nation, Ticketmaster For Running An Illegal Monopoly. -Article
Here is the full senate hearing on Ticketmaster/Live Nation (below).
Here is a snippet from Clyde Lawrence (below).
These are the latest findings on Ticketmaster/Live Nation.
Obed Calvaire Interview
The song leading into the interview is “Just Friends” from Obed’s newest album, ‘150 Million Gold Francs’
Obed was playing with the Rodriguez Brothers, who he has known from Miami.
Obed is now playing with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
The Brooks Brothers used to sponsor the JLCO, but Obed prefers Ermenegildo Zegna. JLCO is now sponsored by Joseph Abboud.
Obed talks about the JLCO traveling as a unit as well as clinics and masterclasses with the group.
Obed just did a clinic at PASIC.
Obed mentions some folkloric Hatian rhythms like Yanvalou, Gagá or Gaggá, Kompa, Tuvalu.
Here’s a bit of history on Haiti.
Petwo was a creole rhythm that was born in Haiti. It was used by revolutionaries to draw strength to defeat Napoleon’s Army.
Obed makes a clarification on the term Voudou and Vodoun.
Damon brings up the French based community in Cuba called Tumba Francesa.
Obed went to the New World School for the Arts.
Obed talks about some of the preparation and details of his album.
Obed recommended Markus Schwartz to the podcast.
Damon mentions the books that Markus recommended for drummers to check out when he was on the podcast. Vodou Drumset: Drumset Applications of Traditional Afro-Haitian Rhythms by James Armstrong and Travis Knepper. He also mentions The Drums of Vodou by Frisner Augustin and Lois Wilcken.
Damon and Obed talk about the importance of the dance and vocals in addition to the drums being played.
Obed talks about where he got some influences from and the other musicians on the album:
Godwin Louis : Alto Sax
Harold St. Louis: Keyboards
Dener Ceide: Guitar
Sullivan Fortner:Piano and Organ
Addi Lafosse: Electric Bass
Jonathan Michel: Track 1 & 4
Damon brings up this Denzel Washington interview.
Obed talks about recording the record in between being a side-person and also the differences in being a bandleader.
Shout-out to Robert Mailer Anderson.
Damon mentions streaming farms.
Damon asks Obed about possible sync licensing.
Obed talks about social media and his relationship with it.
Damon talks about marketing and promotion.
Shout-out to friend of the show Warren Wolf. Obed brings up The Social Network.
Obed picks out the iconic recording for the week.
Obed uses Zildjian Cymbals, Yamaha Drums, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Aquarian Drum Heads, Meinl Percussion, Prologix Pads, and Zoom Audio Recorders.
Shout-out to Bobby Sanabria, Justin DiCioccio, John Riley, Markus Schwartz, and several more!
You can get Obed’s new album from Bandcamp.
The song leading out of the interview is, “Haiti’s Journey” from Obed’s album.
