Welcome to the
October '03 Monthly Email Newsletter

Negro's Musings ....

I'm used to making my newsletter from behind my drums, but now I'm in front of a mixing board. And from the mixing board today, I am mourning the passing of Ron Spagnardi... who I feel made a huge contribution to the drumming community. His support and love will be deeply missed. From the deepest of my heart, I send all the condolences to Isabel & Lori Spagnardi and the staff of Modern Drummer.

August - I flew to Japan on the 2nd to play with Kip Hanrahan's Conjure, which is a band that, besides having 4 percussion players (Richie Flores, Pedrito Martinez, Robby Ameen, and myself) also includes David Murray on tenor saxophone, Fernando Saunders along with Anthony Cox on bass, Billy Bang on violin, and also including poetry with West Coast Ishmael Reed.

So, just for the blackout, I came back home (thank God that drums don't need batteries!) and I saw myself on the 10th back on the plane returning to Japan for a few recordings. First with Chie Ayado and then with Japanese piano players Hiroshi Minami & Masahiko Sato. Coming back from Japan, I went straight from the airport to Tanglewood with Michel Camilo, which ended up being the best sounding room I have ever played! By the way... it's the home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

And then... right into the studio to start mixing a Negro & Robby live record that we recorded in Italy last summer. I interrupted my studio work on the 12th to drive up to Boston to pay tribute to my biggest idol Mr. Steve Gadd, and also to the late, great Armand Zildjian, which ended up being an amazing feast of drummers and music. It was particularly moving to see Steve being honored not only by every drummer in this world, but by other great musicians, producers and songwriters.

Then I went to Monterey, CA to play at the Jazz Festival with Michel Camilo... before playing for our own hometown. It was a beautiful night at BB King's, right on Times Square in the heart of the city. And now I'm just getting ready to fly to Alaska! (And I'm looking forward...)

I'll tell you next time,

Love,
Negro

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The DrumsOnTheWeb site...

More contests! Your chance to win the new Drummer's Collective 25th Anniversary dvd w/ Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl, el Negro Hernandez & Kenwood Dennard from Hudson Music!

or the new Marco Minneman Extreme Drumming dvd from Warner Bros and Marco Minnemann signature sticks from ProMark!

Go to the contest page to enter these great contests.

and thanks to Hudson Music & Warner Bros & ProMarkfor making these contests possible!

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Music, Videos, Music!!! Great music from your favorite drummers and percussionists...

There's LOTS of fun stuff going on!

Upcoming Shows, Festivals & Clinics with Frank Bellucci, Bill Bruford, Tommy Campbell, Mick Fleetwood, Chico Hamilton, Leon Mobley, Walfredo Reyes Jr, Joel Rosenblatt, Adonis Rose, Danny Sadownick, Steve Smith, Mark Walker ...

West Drum, Dance and Culture Tour w/ M. Lamine Dibo Camara, Aboubacar Camara, Ryan Camara, Drum Circle Facilitator workshop w/ Arthur Hull, Dance & Percussion workshops w/ Hossam Ramzy, Northern Jazz Society's 11th Annual Whangarei Jazz & Blues Festival, Drum Circle Workshop w/ Christine Stevens, Rhythm Rave - Women's Drumming Festival, Royal Ashanti Court Drumming From Ghana, Magbana Drum and Dance, International Marimba Competition, Paris Percussion Festival  Journees de la Percussion, WOMEX 2003, Rhythm Journey Drum & Dance Weekend w/ Paulo Mattioli & Yamousa Camara, Talking-Drums Jubilaums-Tour 03, Montreal Drum Fest 2003 w/ Mike Portnoy & Hammer Of The Gods, Paul De Long & The Code, Sergio Bellotti, Vera Figueiredo, Billy Ward, Paoli Mejias, Javier Oquendo, Marcos Lopez Ayala, Tommy Aldridge, Antonio Sanchez, Randy Cooke, Jojo Mayer, Mike Mangini, Gary Novak & Band, 20th Cape May Jazz Festival ...

Artist News & Updates - Denis Courchesne , Steve Smith , Mike Botts ...

NEW photos in the photo gallery!

Note... DrumsOnTheWeb.com is Artist-Friendly!!! All music on this site is here with complete knowledge and input from the artist.

Surf around... listen to a few great tunes... and have fun!

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Be sure to check out the DrumsOnTheWeb.com VIP websites...

www.WalfredoReyesJr.com Wally's Learning Center, new photos, updated itinerary and more!

www.GreggGerson.com updated itinerary, photo gallery, and more!

www.ElNegro.com all the info on my new book "Conversations In Clave", my video "Live At The Modern Drummer Festival 2000", and the my cds - with Giovanni Hidalgo "Traveling Through Time " & with Robby Ameen "El Negro and Robby at the Third World War"

www.TomTeasley.com updated itinerary, current news, and more! New cd coming very soon!

www.FunkyDrummer.com Jim Payne's site... NYC teaching studio open! music downloads, interviews, books for sale and more! (new Tito Puente book!) New cd coming very soon!

www.LeonMobley.com Photo gallery, itinerary, and more!

www.FreeAssociationRecords.com Dave Abbruzzese's site!

www.JohnJRRobinson.com John JR Robinson's site with photos, sound clips and more! Be sure to sign his guest book!

www.Beats4You.com NEW! site with JFly!

www.MarkEpstein.com ok, he's a bass player... but it's a great site!

www.DianeLotny.com soulful... an amazing singer... ya gotta check her out!

Volume 7 Issue 10 October 2003
©All Rights Reserved

Welcome to the
June '03 Monthly Email Newsletter

Negro's Musings ....

So after this wonderful dvd with my brother Giovanni Hidalgo, I took a day off in LA to buy my computer! I bought a laptop and I'm getting into all the music programs with it.

So from LA, I came back home to rehearse at the Avery Fisher Hall Flamenco Center for a show called The Cuban Jam which featured Paquito D'Rivera, Juan Pablo Torres and Cuban All-Star Orchestra. It was sort of a review about the Cuban culture and about Cuban rhythms and stuff.

From there I went to Utah for a drum clinic. And from Utah, I came back to New York to celebrate my birthday! A big big party at the Bowery Ballroom... then the day after I went to Boston to play with Michel Camilo at The Regatta Bar for the weekend (and to continue celebrating my 40th birthday with all my friends from Zildjian that came out.)

Then one day home and then off to Europe with Michel Camilo where we did a European TV show in Madrid, Spain. Then to Switzerland for a Jazz Festival... then back to Spain to play another two concerts... and then to Torino Italy to make my second solo record with my band Italuba - which came out fantastic (and I still can't wait til the first comes out!). But soon the second will be out... and in the meantime I will keep doing them just to fulfill my musical desires.

After Italuba I came home for a few days and just missed the Modern Drummer Festival 'cause I was doing Skip's Drum Expo in Sacramento but I had the chance to come back Sunday night and have a drink with Ron & Isabelle Spagnardi, and bring a few friends to the house to show them my lovely studio.

So I am preparing now to start a record tomorrow with Katsumi Watanabe, the fantastic guitar legend. So now that it is summer and is beautiful weather I will be buried inside a studio! So you guys enjoy for me...

From there, just to continue on my file of great guitarists, I'm going to Germany with Bill Frisell & Marc Ribots for a whole week. Then I'm going to finally have 4 days off! The Jazz Festival in Santo Domingo got totally canceled because the bank that was going to sponsor it went in bankruptcy.

So trying to continue the Caribbean trip I'm going to my home, Cuba in Cayo Coco, to be a part of the KOSA Festival and to enjoy this beautiful paradise where it is going to be held, so if any of you guys have a need for the sun and for some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and, of course alotta lotta drumming... join us for the KOSA trip to Cayo Coco!

I hope to see you there. Otherwise you will hear from me on the next letter...

so make sure to keep practicing,

Negro

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The DrumsOnTheWeb site...

Steve Smith Trivia Contest -- Your chance to win the new Steve Smith 2-disc dvd set Drumset Technique / History of the US Beat... signed by Steve!

Go to the contest page to enter this great contest!

and thanks to Hudson Music for making this contest possible!

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Music, Videos, Music!!! Great music from your favorite drummers and percussionists... Dave Abbruzzese, Tim Alexander, Carmine Appice, Kim Atkinson, Alessandra Belloni, Frank Bellucci, John Bergamo & Hands On'Semble, Tal Bergman, Ignacio Berroa, Mike Botts, Tony Braunagel, Bill Bruford, Matt Chamberlain, Jim Chapin, Furio Chirico, Billy Cobham, Zack Danzinger, Jimmy DeGrasso, Brad Dutz Peter Erskine, Richie Gajate-Garcia, Gregg Gerson, Danny Gottlieb, Rayford Griffin, Chico Hamilton, Graham Hawthorne, Joey Heredia, Giovanni Hidalgo, Robby Ameen, El Negro Hernandez, Arthur Hull, Akira Jimbo, Hilary Jones, Tommy Igoe, Kalani, Thomas Lang, Steve Luongo, Mike Mangini, Rick Marotta, Pat Mastelotto, Herman Matthews, Paolo Mattioli, Marco Minneman, Leon Mobley, Jonathan Mover, Sean O'Rourke, Ian Paice, Jim Payne, Simon Phillips, Bernard Purdie, Marc Quinones, Layne Redmond, John Reily, Danny Reyes, Walfredo Reyes Jr, Walfredo Reyes Sr, Kevin Ricard, Bobby Rock. Ricky Sebastian, Ed Shaughnessy, Terry Silverlight, Chuck Silverman, Steve Smith, Jerry Steinholtz, Christine Stevens, Tom Teasley, Eddie Tuduri, Vinnie Colaiuta, Debra Dobkin, Mike Shapiro, Billy Ward, Dave Weckl

DrumsOnTheWeb.com & Tower Records bring you even even more great music! Louie Bellson, Art Blakey, Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Peter Erskine, Steve Gadd, Lionel Hampton, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Gene Krupa, Babatunde Olatunji, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Dave Weckl, Tony Williams and more!

There's LOTS of fun stuff going on!

Upcoming Shows, Festivals & Clinics with el Negro, Billy Cobham, Joel Rosenblatt, Mick Fleetwood, Leon Mobley, Ray Barreto and New World Spirit, Richie Gajate Garcia, Armando Peraza, Raul Rekow, Karl Perazzo, Paul Wertico, John Riley, Ernie Adams, Gumbi Ortiz, BB Borden, Wally Gator Watson, Erik Hargrove, Cyro Baptista & Beat The Donkey, Alessandra Belloni, Jim Santi Owen, Tom Teasley, Walfredo Reyes Jr, Frank Bellucci, Billy Drummond, ...

Afro-Pfingsten Festival, Puerto Rico Heineken Jazzfest 2003, Rhythmical Alchemy Playshop, Famoudou Konate drum workshops, KoSA CUBA 2003 Workshop and Festival, East Coast Level 1 Intensive Community Drum Facilitation Training, Weekend Community Facilitators' Playshop, KOTR Drumming Gathering, Drum Dance Balafon Weekend Retreat w/ Michael Markus & Ryan Edwards, 14th Bomba & Plena Children’s Annual Concert, Zig's Musical Journey, Earth Drum Council Weekend, SpiritFire Festival, Berklee World Percussion Festival, Summer Rock Camp, 4th Annual The Rhythmic Arts Project TRAP Benefit, Rhythm Journey Village Retreat Summer Drum Camp w/ Paulo Mattioli & Avi Sills, Rhythms & Songs From Around the World w/ Judy Piazza, Discover Drumming w/ Robin Armstrong, Healing Power of the Drum Workshop w/ Robert Friedman ...

Artist News & Updates - Gali Ricardo Sanchez, John JR Robinson, Roger Squitero ...

Lots of photos in the photo gallery!

Updated On-going Drum Circles...

Your Drum Music

NEW photos in Your Drums Photo Gallery

Manufacturer's & Industry News Area updates...

Updated Links!

The On-line Drum Shop has been moved to http://www.AtlantaProPercussion.com... "the bricks behind the clicks!"

Note... DrumsOnTheWeb.com is Artist-Friendly!!! All music on this site is here with complete knowledge and input from the artist.

Surf around... listen to a few great tunes... and have fun!

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Be sure to check out the DrumsOnTheWeb.com VIP websites...

www.WalfredoReyesJr.com Wally's Learning Center, new photos, updated itinerary and more!

www.GreggGerson.com updated itinerary, photo gallery, and more!

www.ElNegro.com all the info on my new book "Conversations In Clave", my video "Live At The Modern Drummer Festival 2000", and the my cds - with Giovanni Hidalgo "Traveling Through Time " & with Robby Ameen "El Negro and Robby at the Third World War"

www.TomTeasley.com updated itinerary, current news, and more! New cd coming very soon!

www.FunkyDrummer.com Jim Payne's site... NYC teaching studio open! music downloads, interviews, books for sale and more! (new Tito Puente book!) New cd coming very soon!

www.LeonMobley.com Photo gallery, itinerary, and more!

www.FreeAssociationRecords.com Dave Abbruzzese's site!

www.JohnJRRobinson.com John JR Robinson's site with photos, sound clips and more! Be sure to sign his guest book!

www.Beats4You.com NEW! site with JFly!

www.MarkEpstein.com ok, he's a bass player... but it's a great site!

www.DianeLotny.com soulful... an amazing singer... ya gotta check her out!

Volume 7 Issue 6 June 2003
©All Rights Reserved

Negro's Musings....

Negro's Musings - Diving into 2003! ....

November was definitely a busy month. From the first day, I did 3 clinics in the Northwest (Washington, Idaho, and Oregon). I returned home on the 5th... and on the 6th departed to Europe with Michel Camillo for the 2nd leg of the European tour, which involved Spain and Germany. On the 22nd, I returned home and had a day to practice for the big day - the 25th Anniversary of the Drummer's Collective... which, for me, was like playing at the Oscars of drumming! It was a big honor to share the stage with many of my biggest idols... Steve Gadd, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl and others. It was very moving also to be a part of the tribute to the drummers of the Firefighters of New York (maybe we never thought about there were drummers amongst them!)

Then my supposed-to-be video with Giovanni Hidalgo got canceled... so I hope it will happen soon!Next I went into the studio to record flute player Colette Michaas' debut record. Musicians included Richard Bona, bass, Oriente Lopez, piano (who also played with me & John Pattitucci on the Drummer's Collective Anniversary).

And then, one more time, I became a house drummer... but this time it was really at home! Seven different artists came to the Havana Jazz Festival without a drummer. I couldn't let my Cuba fellas go without rhythm! It was very busy, sometimes playing in 3 different theaters on the same night! The bands were: Roy Hargrove, David Sanchez, James Bunnett, Steve Turre, Arturo O'Farrill, piano player Ronnie Matthews and singer Roberta Gamberini.

So from my homey rice and beans, I went into a sushi frenzy with El Negro and Robby for 2 big concerts at the Tokyo Forum, accompanying Chie Ayado, and one band performance at Club Cay of Tokyo. So after spending Christmas in Japan, we returned on the 28th, just in time for partying into the New Year, and start on the 2nd the second album of El Negro & Robby. We already have 11 new great songs and will probably go back into the studio the end of January... so hopefully the record will be out in June.

New El Negro and Robby at the Third World War cd is now on the www.elnegro.com site! Sound Clips and more... I hope everyone who has ordered a copy is enjoying it!

To all my drummer friends around the world... Healthy, Happy, & Prosperous New Year.

Keep practicing... and keep having fun with your drums!

Negro

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The DrumsOnTheWeb site...

We are updating the look and feel of the site... and it's not quite ready! There are LOTS of new music, photos, news, and itinerary updates coming very soon... thanks to all for your patience and keep those updates coming!

In the meantime, surf around the current 1000's of pages on the site... I'm sure there's something you haven't yet checked out!

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New! Contests from Hudson Music & Warner Bros!

Karl Perazzo & Raul Rekow Trivia Contest... your chance to win the Supernatural Rhythm & Grooves dvd from Warner Bros!

Hudson Music dvd Sampler Trivia Contest...

Well... it's not the complete collection, but here's your chance to win the new Hudson Music dvd Sampler!

Almost An Hour Long and has segments from their dvd's... including the new Steve Smith dvd and the unreleased / upcoming John Blackwell dvd!

Go to the contest page to enter these great contests!

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Music, Videos, Music!!! Great music from your favorite drummers and percussionists... Akira Jimbo, Alessandra Belloni, Arthur Hull, Bernard Purdie, Bill Bruford, Billy Cobham, Billy Ward, Bobby Rock, Brad Dutz, Carmine Appice, Christine Stevens, Chuck Silverman, Danny Gottlieb, Danny Reyes, Dave Abbruzzese, Dave Weckl, Don Brewer, Ed Shaughnessy, El Negro Hernandez, Furio Chirico, Giovanni Hidalgo, Graham Hawthorne, Gregg Gerson, Herman Matthews, Hilary Jones, Ian Paice, Ignacio Berroa, Jerry Steinholtz, Jim Chapin, Jim Payne, Jimmy DeGrasso, Joey Heredia, John Bergamo & Hands On'semble, John Reily, Jonathan Mover, Kalani, Kevin Ricard, Kim Atkinson, Layne Redmond, Leon Mobley, Marco Minneman, Matt Chamberlain, Mike Botts, Mike Mangini, Paolo Mattioli, Peter Erskine, Rayford Griffin, Richie Garcia, Rick Marotta, Ricky Sebastian, Steve Luongo, Steve Smith, Tal Bergman, Terry Silverlight, Thomas Lang, Tom Teasley, Tommy Igoe, Tony Braungel, Walfredo Reyes Sr, Walfreo Reyes Jr, Zack Danzinger...

DrumsOnTheWeb.com & Tower Records bring you even more great music! Don Alias, Ray Armando, John Arnold, Louis Bellson, Ed Blackwell, Art Blakey, Cecil Brooks III, Kenny Clarke, Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Drums Of Bora Bora Of Tahiti, Peter Erskine, Gene Estes, Snooks Friedman, Steve Gadd, Jeff Hamilton, Lionel Hampton, Louis Hayes, Roy Haynes, Billy Higgins, Elvin Jones, Gene Krupa, Shelly Manne, Babtunde Olatunji, Buddy Rich, Emil Richards, Max Roach, Scottish Pipes & Drums, Brian Slawson, Warren Smith, The Bagpipes & Drums Of Scotland, Dave Weckl, Tony Williams, Sam Woodyard...

There's LOTS of fun stuff going on!

Upcoming Shows, Festivals & Clinics

Artist News & Updates

Lots of photos in the photo gallery...

On-going Drum Circles have been updated.

Your Drum Music

Your Drums Photo Gallery

Manufacturer's & Industry News Area

Updated Links!

The On-line Drum Shop has been moved to http://www.AtlantaProPercussion.com... "the bricks behind the clicks!"

Note... DrumsOnTheWeb.com is Artist-Friendly!!! All music on this site is here with complete knowledge and input from the artist.

Surf around... listen to a few great tunes... and have fun!

---

Be sure to check out the DrumsOnTheWeb.com VIP websites...

www.WalfredoReyesJr.com new Wally's Learning Center, new photos, updated itinerary and more!

www.GreggGerson.com updated itinerary, photo gallery, and more!

www.ElNegro.com all the info on my new book "Conversations In Clave", my video "Live At The Modern Drummer Festival 2000", and the my cds - with Giovanni Hidalgo "Traveling Through Time " & with Robby Ameen "El Negro and Robby at the Third World War"

www.TomTeasley.com updated itinerary, current news, and more!

www.FunkyDrummer.com Jim Payne's site... new NYC teaching studio open! music downloads, interviews, books for sale and more! (new Tito Puente book!)

www.LeonMobley.com Photo gallery, itinerary, and more!

www.MarkEpstein.com ok, he's a bass player (with Johnny Winter)... but it's a great site!

www.FreeAssociationRecords.com Dave Abbruzzese's new site!

www.DianeLotny.com amazing funk & blues singer... ya gotta check her out!

Volume 7 Issue 1 January 2003
©All Rights Reserved

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