11/00

This marks the second issue of NEWS FROM THE FRONT, a chronicle of J. D'Addario & Company's artists and products. We set the world standard for fretted and bowed instrument strings, drumheads, musical instrument cables, guitar accessories, reeds, and mouthpieces. We make innovative, creative, cutting edge musical accessories for many musical styles and performance applications.

Catch up on what other artists are doing and, by all means, let us know what YOU are up to!

---

Table Of Contents

News Bullets

In the Studio

On Stage

On the Field

In the Shop

Keeping in Touch

---

* D'Addario Studio West Appointment

Let's give a warm welcome to John Ferrante. He's our new Artist Relations Manager working out of D'Addario Studio West, our new facility which allows professional musicians to provide us with feedback. John brings a wealth of experience in the fields of guitars, audio equipment, and the recording industry. During his tenure with SWR Sound Corporation, John worked with popular acts including the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, and Wilco. Previously, John performed media and administrative functions for both Warner and Meltdown Records in Los Angeles.

John will assist D'Addario, Planet Waves, Evans, Bowed, and Vandoren artists in a variety of activities both from the D'Addario Studio West in North Hollywood CA and on location at performances, studio dates and clinics. Aside from running the DSW, John's duties include inventory management, furnishing product, developing marketing plans, product training, conducting liaison with media, event coordination, and providing valuable feedback on our products.

*The Year of Creed

What a year it's been! Seems every time you turn on the radio, it's the killer ballad "Eyes Wide Open" or some other song from the multi-platinum Human Clay. At latest tally, Creed was selling 125,000 albums a week!

The band did a special Fan Appreciation Show in Cleveland in September, making good on a promise to better a performance flawed by vocal problems earlier this year. That's devotion! D'Addario strings are a key component in Creed's thick guitar-based sound.

Incidentally, touring with Creed was 3 Doors Down. The D'Addario endorsers hit platinum with The Better Life.

*The Decade of the Chili Peppers

Seems that every time you turn on the television it's that kinky, multi-media Chili Peppers video - cartoon characters zooming all over a major urban area. With the album Californication, the Chili Peppers have stayed on Billboard's Top Twenty for 63 weeks! John Frusciante uses EXL110 Electric Guitar strings and Planet Waves Straps and cables.

*The Gift of a Lifetime

At Summer NAMM, D'Addario offered the gift of a Carlos Santana custom Paul Reed Smith electric guitar, signed by Santana himself. The winner was Steve Dollinger, owner of the store Music Solutions. "I have been a huge fan for years," Steve exclaimed. "Thank you D'Addario and Santana!" Peter D'Addario recalls, "We displayed the guitar on site at the show and it attracted a lot of people - beautiful inlay birds on the fret board. Retail it was $3950.00 . . . but with the Santana autograph, who knows what it's worth!"

Speaking of Santana, as expected the group cleaned up in the Latin Grammy Awards. One song singled out was a Santana/Mana duet, "Eorezon Espinado," nominated for Best Rock Performance.

---

Buckcherry drummer Devon Glenn came on board with Evans after using the heads when recording his group's new CD, a follow up to the multi-platinum 1999 release Buckcherry.

Jimmy Haslip has just released an album he somehow couldn't get around to with the Yellowjackets. Look for his solo album dedicated to Puerto Rican music and culture.

Evans artist Eric Adams has collaborated on a Bob Marley Duets album, Chant Down Babylon, a project that includes Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Lauren Hill, Busta Rymes and others. Eric also worked on the television pilot, The Café Wha Project, documenting the legendary Greenwich Village haunt.

Vavoom! That's the name of swingster Brian Setzer's new album. We wouldn't expect anything less from the ex-Stray Cat. Brian uses D'Addario EXL110 electric nickel wound strings.

Everclear has released Songs From an American Movie Volume One: Learning How to Smile. The band uses D'Addario Strings and Planet Waves cables and straps.

Blues Traveler is finishing a new CD and is using D'Addario Strings and Planet Waves Cables for the recording.

Lock your doors. Megadeth's new CD is imminent. Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, new guitarist Al Pitrelli, and drummer Jimmy Degrasso all use D'Addario/Evans products.

"I love Evans Tri-Center Conga Heads", reports Joe Garcia, who just recorded a third CD with Afro/Celtic artists Meadowlark. Watch for Joe's all percussion album, Tambores, Rhythms for the Soul.

Mary Chapin Carpenter's drummer, Evans artist Dave Mattacks, sent us a new Steeleye Span album he did in England entitled Bedlam Born. It's the birth of a new genre, Led Zeppelin Celtic!

---

Evans and D'Addario were the Official Drumheads and Guitar Strings at the 2000 Riverhead Blues Festival held recently on Long Island in New York.

Evans was also the head of choice at Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival.

Speaking of Montreux, Michael White headlined in the famed Stravinsky Hall with George Benson. It was amazing: even before miking into the elaborate Meyer Sound system, Michael's drums filled the hall at sound check! No wonder Steely Dan enlisted him on the new album: it's plain no nonsense finesse drumming, with Evans heads all-round.

Hot new hard rock artists Kittie have signed with D'Addario/Evans. The only female band on the Ozzfest tour, Kittie has stayed in the Billboard Top 200 for over 80 weeks. Morgan Lander, Fallon Bowman, and Talena Atfield use D'Addario EXL guitar strings and Slowound bass strings. Mercedes Lander uses Evans G2 tom heads and the EQ3 bass drum system.

Congrats to D'Addario artist Victor Wooten and Vandoren artist Jeff Coffin of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. The band was termed "the class of the summer" by the Newark Star Ledger.

Renowned bassist/composer Rob Wasserman has joined the D'Addario artist roster. A recipient of such prestigious honors as Downbeat Magazine's Composer and Bassist of the Year and a NEA Fellowship, Rob uses Helicore Hybrid upright bass strings.

Ask him about his unique hi-hat fanning technique! Evans artist, Gerry Brown, has finished work on several television projects with fellow Chick Corea alumnus Stanley Clarke. Gerry's steady gig is none other than Stevie Wonder, with whom he performs through the end of 2000.

The Dave Matthews Band has been selling out stadiums again! Matthews uses D'Addario Phosphor Bronze EJ17 strings, and Planet Waves Cables and Straps. Carter Beauford plays Evans G2 clear heads, a Power Center Reverse Dot Snare head, and the EQ3 bass drum system. Le Roi Moore plays Vandoren Java reeds and Boyd Tinsley plays Helicore Violin Strings.

That was D'Addario artist Shannon Curfman at Farm Aid 2000. Shannon also had the distinction of being the best selling artist on Amazon.com for two days. Shannon Curfman plays EXL110+ Electric strings and Planet Waves Cables.

And that was D'Addario/Evans/Vandoren performing artists, Liquid Soul, live from Central Park, opening for Sting, captured on pay-for-view.

Evans artists Will Kennedy, Zoro, and Alex Acuna will headline the Montreal Drum Fest early in November. Alex will perform on drum kit while Will is going to conduct a master class/clinic in addition to his performance spot. Zoro will do what Zoro does best: groove!

---

The news travels fast, especially on the field, and it couldn't be better. Evans Product Manager Mike Robinson was stoked at the success of Evans MX Marching Heads at DCI. Says Mike, "For us to walk away and have two of our first three endorsing corps, The Phantom Regiment and The Bluecoats, make the Top 12 is very prestigious. Spirit of Atlanta also made a great showing. We received glowing phrase from the DCI judges: 'the best bass drum sound we've ever heard.' It was really gratifying to see products that we worked so hard on come to fruition."

---

Planet Waves Product Manager Pat Zerbo is pumped about the new PW Cables. Says Pat, "We've received a tremendous amount of great feedback and praise on the new cables from our customers and endorsees. Many of our current D'Addario endorsees are already using our cables, and the list keeps growing every day. Players are excited about the cables for many reasons. We have a superior product with attributes that no other cable has and offer detailed information on all packaging so it's easier to see how the cables are different." The Planet Waves cables are specifically designed to ensure that the exact signal from your instrument gets to your amplifier without loss or alteration. The dual conductors are double-insulated and double-shielded to offer the cleanest signal available while eliminating hum & triboelectric noise. Plus, the molded plugs with patent-pending compression springs allow the plug to positively lock into the jack, eliminating any annoying static.

Evans Timp heads are creating a stir in the symphonic realm and, believe it, it's no small feat to steer timpanists away from calf! Product Manager Mike Robinson says it's all about pitch, tone, pre-tensioning, and consistency. To that we add an old Buddy Rich line: "Drumheads you tension. Timpani heads you TUNE."

---

We want to know how you feel, good or bad. Your input helps us tweak our lines, generates R & D, and fine tunes our customer service!

Here's a brief sampling from our mailbag.

Ramiro Souto writes, "I've been playing congas for the last 20 years with animal skin heads. Two months ago, I tried your new Evans plastic head (Tri-Center Conga Head). I've been using it ever since because: the clarity is forty per cent higher than my old head, I don't have to hit as hard to get the sound I want, and it does not feel as hard to my hands".

Richard Rambler from Atlanta, Georgia is pleased the local music storeowner steered him to "the Evans side of the floor". Richard reports the Evans G2s "blew me away. They made a profound difference in my drum sound and stayed in tune longer".

CONTACT US!
Visit: www.daddario.com