12/01

Hello and happy holidays from your friends at J. D'Addario & Company. Inside this month's newsletter read about the latest from our endorsees including Horacio Hernadez, Jean-Luc Ponty, Buddy Merrium, Dan Higgins, Tim Adams, Marc Ford and many more. Please read on!

To submit artist news, please e-mail John Ferrante at
john.ferrante@daddario.com

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Artist Quote of the Month:

"... the rich, clear tone and killer durability of Evans drumheads blows away the competition!" - Jay Deachman

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D'Addario News:

Guitarist Marc Ford, formerly of the Black Crowes, is currently on the road with a band called Blue Floyd. The band includes Berry Oakley Jr. (Robby Krieger Band), Johnny Neal (Allman Bros.) and Matt Abts (Gov't Mule). Marc has also just finished his first solo record, entitled, "It's About Time." The album has several guests on it, including Ben Harper, Craig Ross, Gary Louris, Gov't Mule, Chris Stills, Berry Oakley, and Jimmy Ashurst. For more info, please visit: www.marcford.com

Guitarist Buddy Miller recently performed on the Country Music Awards with Lee Ann Womack.

Guitarist Adam Zimmon is currently performing with Shakira.

Erika Luckett recently performed at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards ceremony. Her album "Tinted Glass" won for Best Album in the Cabaret/Jazz Torch category.

Elisabeth Cutler has recently finished her 4th CD, 'Hurricane of Change'. It will be released by Dutch record company Inbetweens Records in early 2002. Elisabeth will be on tour in Holland during the month of December. Please stay tuned to Elisabeth's website for further info: www.elisabethcutler.com

Bassist Sheldon Gomberg just completed a tour of the US and Canada with Eleni Mandell. Sheldon can also be heard on The Hank Williams tribute record playing bass with Ryan Adams. The Five For Fighting record Sheldon recorded recently has just shipped Gold.

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Classical Guitar News:

Guitarist David Leisner recently performed recitals at the West End Theater in NY. The program featured the NY premiere of Leisner's first guitar Sonata, "Nel Mezzo", a 20-minute work in three bold and dramatic movements that was enthusiastically received in its first performances. Also on the program are the Bach "Chaconne," "Ponce Sonata III," two short dances by Dowland, an arrangement of Schubert's "Ständchen" by his guitar contemporary Mertz, and Etudes 10, 11 and 12 by Villa-Lobos.

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Bluegrass News:

Eddie & Martha Adcock host a benefit concert for the homeless of Nashville this month. For more info, visit <http://www.eddieandmarthaadcock.com/>

Buddy Merrium's tune "SHAKE & HOWDY" has been included on Flatpicking Magazine's "Flatpicking 2000" compilation disc. Buddy's acoustic swing/jazz/originals band Blue Midnight Quartet is currently preparing material for a new CD. Also look for another book of mandolin tunes from Buddy on Mel Bay soon.

Banjo Player Ned Luberecki and his band, the Rarely Herd are in the studio working on a new Gospel recording for Pinecastle Records. This will be the Rarely Herd's 7th release for Pinecastle.

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Bowed News:

Electric violin pioneer Jean Luc Ponty has just completed a 16-city North American Tour in promotion of his latest album, "Life Enigma." Just prior to the tour, Jean Luc conducted his first ever three-day masterclass at Berklee College of Music in Boston. "This was the first time I've done such a focused event," commented Ponty, "I'm hopeful we can do more of these types of sessions." Jean Luc will return to the U.S. for another tour in the spring of 2002.

Violinist Ludvig Girdland has been in the studio recording for several TV shows including Roswell, Felicity, and Once & Again.

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Check Out What's New in EXP for 2002!

Our EXP line has taken string performance to new heights by offering longer life, increased durability, and consistently better tone. As a follow-up to EXP's debut in 2001, we're pleased to announce new advancements in both acoustic and electric strings with the release of 3 NEW classes of EXP Coated strings - available January 2002:

* EXP Coated Pro*Arté Classical

* EXP Coated Electric Bass

* EXP Coated 80/20 Bronze

Plus, new EXP Coated Phosphor Bronze sets:

* EXP42 - Coated Resophonic Guitar

* EXP75 - Coated Mandolin/Heavy Gauge

* EXPPBB170 - Coated Acoustic Bass

Stay tuned for more information in upcoming newsletters!

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Evans News:

Chad Wackerman performed recently at the DW Drum Day in Sydney Australia.

Horacio Hernadez and Richie Flores are on the road with bassist Jack Bruce.

Scott Phillips of Creed recently performed on Saturday Night Live, and during halftime with the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. Scott and the band perform on the VH1 My Music Awards on Dec 2, and on The Tonight Show Dec 3. The band is currently on the road in support of their new CD, "Weathered."

Erik Smith recently hosted a clinic with Akira Jimbo in Oslo, Norway. Erik also spent some time recording a TV show as part of the Jens Wendelboe Orchestra. This show features top Scandinavian artists and will be the prime time Saturday entertainment on Norway's biggest commercial channel in January.

Jay Deachman is performing with the Canadian group Copyright, touring behind their new BMG release, "The Hidden World."

Adolfo"Fofi"Lancha is playing on a new show that Univision is launching called "Don Francisco Presents." It's a show a la David Letterman.

PASIC 2001 was an extremely successful show for Evans. Daily booth performances in the Evans Sound Room/Demonstration Center were given by Johnny Rabb, Chad Wackerman, and Billy Ashbaugh. Other Evans clinicians in attendance at PASIC were Liberty Devito, Kalani, Peter Erskine, John Blackwell, Tim Adams, Thom Hannum, Richie Flores, Rolando Morales-Matos, and Tony Verderosa. See Evans' Marching section (below) for more details on marching and orchestral endorsee performances & clinics at PASIC 2001.

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Marching News:

Tournament of Roses Honor Band. Don't forget to tune into the Rose Parade on January 1st! Evans marching artist Tad Carpenter, percussion caption head for the Tournament of Roses Honor Band drum line will put the Evans marching drumheads through their paces during the seven-mile long parade!

Evans is proud to welcome the following Marching artists to our family:

Chris Lee

Chris is currently lecturer in Percussion at the University of South Carolina. He is principal percussionist with the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra and founder of the USC West African Drumming and Dance Ensemble. Chris' extensive marching background includes instruction with Carolina Crown, Star of Indiana and Cadets of Bergen County Drum & Bugle Corps, and the University of South Carolina Marching Band Corps.

Erik Forrester

Erik Forrester is Associate Professor of Percussion and director of Thornton Percussion Ensemble at the University of Southern California. Erik plays in the chamber ensemble XTET, as principal percussionist with the Opera Pacific Orchestra, and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Lemar Burkhalter

Mr. Burkhalter is one of the industry's busiest educator/clinicians, with over two decades of experience in both marching and concert percussion. Mr. Burkhalter is also the founder and director of Percussion One, Inc., a Texas non-profit corporation. Percussion One serves as both an educational consulting organization and as a performance group with two distinct performance ensembles.

Brian Jones

Brian is the principal timpanist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra since 1998. In 2001 Brian made his solo debut with the orchestra, performing Russell Peck's "Harmonic Rhythm." Mr. Jones is currently teaching at the University of Michigan.

Artists who performed at PASIC 2001:

* Tim Adams, timpanist for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, presented an orchestral lab focusing on rhythm and articulation. Eight students signed up for a personal critique in front of the attending audience. Each student played with Tim, who made corrections and suggestions. The lab was a standing-room-only hit. Each student left with noticeable improvement.

* David Herbert, San Francisco SO Timpanist, performed a number of excerpts to pre-recordings of the SFSO. From Mozart to Mahler, the excerpt was immaculately performed. A bound booklet was passed out to each person in attendance. The booklet contained each excerpt as well as timpani specifications, acoustical training, basic technique, head maintenance, information on pre-owned instrument shops, and parchment works. David is highly detail oriented and it reflected in his performance.

* Thom Hannum, Marching DCI Hall of Fame inductee for 2001, gave a clinic in conjunction with Remo Artist Bret Kuhn focusing on "Arranging Philosophies and Techniques" for indoor vs. outdoor drumline. The clinic was very well attended; standing room only. Neither artist mentioned products specific to indoor or outdoor drumming but focused on the concepts behind tuning and arranging and articulation for each.

* University of Kentucky Percussion Ensemble under the direction of Jim Campbell were chosen as the "PASIC Showcase Concert" artist for 2001. Four premier works were featured as part of the program. The concert toms used in the performance featured Evans new etched drumheads. The sound was pleasing; both warm and articulate.

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Planet Waves News:

Look/listen for PW cables on tour with Mick Jagger, The Calling, Shelby Lynn, Pete Yorn, and many more.

Planet Waves Product Preview!

In the 1st quarter of 2002, Planet Waves cables are expanding to include a new high-quality coaxial cable, speaker cables, RCA cables, dual instrument and dual MIDI cables, and a full line of cable adapters and cable management systems. Many of the cables will employ the same features that have led to wide acceptance of Planet Waves connectors: gold-plated compression spring plugs that deliver secure contact, molded connectors that provide extra protection with unmatched strain relief, color-coded o-rings for easy identification, and other new patent-pending designs.

Planet Waves cables have circumvented the usual problems associated with cables that work in the shadows, such as poor fidelity, hum, triboelectric/microphonic noise, audio dropouts, and digital misfeeds. Couple that with incredibly long life - in fact, connectors are warranted for life - and they hold a winning formula.

Planet Waves coaxial cables consist of nickel-plated plugs with Planet Waves' patented compression springs, which ensure positive contact into " (6.35mm) jacks. The special coaxial cable design allows an extra-clean signal and low capacitance, and the molded connectors offer more protection than ordinary plugs. Color-coded O-rings allow for easy identification.

Speaker cables use 12-gauge, oxygen-free cable and are available with three connector types: patented " gold-plated plugs, a new patent-pending banana plug with a removable coupler, and Neutrik SpeakOn® plugs.

Planet Waves will also be introducing a full line of cable adapters, each with gold-plated plugs and including 100% shielding coverage. The molded adapter body is virtually indestructible and comes with a lifetime warranty.

"We've been inundated with requests for our instrument cables since they were introduced," says Planet Waves Brand Manager Pat Zerbo. "It was natural for us to begin to apply this successful design technology to solve problems in other trouble areas. These cables will really make life easier!"

Another blessing for the working musician is the new Planet Waves cable management system. Patent-pending elastic cable ties are available in packets of four and address the problem of the snake's nest of cables on stage, in the studio - or in the band van! The elastic cable tie wrap easily attaches to your cables and allows you to keep them organized, and can be used repeatedly without replacement. The patent-pending system is smart and fool-proof. Use it for all your cables, including power cords, computer networks, home theatre systems, & more!

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Vandoren News:

Saxophonist Baron Raymonde performed with the GE Smith Band on the PBS special "Mark Twain Prize" honoring Whoopi Goldberg on Nov. 21st.

Saxophonist and clarinetist Mel Martin recently hosted a clinic at the College of San Mateo Jazz Festival.

Multi-talented saxophonist Dan Higgins played a concert with the Quincy Jones Orchestra in Omaha, Nebraska in November. He is also featured with the George Duke band on the "Soul Train Christmas Special," and recently finished a CD with arranger Sammy Nestico and his big band. His other recent CD appearances include: Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Larry Carlton and George Duke. He can also be heard on several recent motion pictures including: "Monsters Inc.," "Legally Blonde" and "Black Knight."

Alto saxophonist Hayes Greenfield will conduct a condensed version of his award-winning Jazzamatazz at this year's IAJE convention in Long Beach, CA. Jazzamatazz is a creative and engaging method of teaching young and old how to scat sing and become involved with improvisation.

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Get the latest D'Addario, Evans, Planet Waves, and Vandoren news at http://www.daddario.com