Steve Gadd Master Series DVD (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)I attended the 2005 leg of this clinic in Phoenix. Before the clinic began, Steve took the time to meet every person waiting in a long, long line to see him. When it was my turn to meet him, he looked me in the eye, asked me questions, and listened to me intently. He also signed the bottom of my K Custom Session ride cymbal (from the line that he helped design with Zildjian). Then as I started to walk away with my wife, Steve motioned for her to come back so he could meet and speak with her as well. He expressed this genuine interest in everyone he met at the event. He is truly a wonderful person. Steve employed a warm, conversational tone throughout the clinic that followed. He communicated his ideas and techniques in understandable ways, and he demonstrated them on the drumset. While watching him break down some of his grooves, a sense of awe engulfed me; yet at the same time I felt inspired and empowered to become an innovative drummer in my own right. GET THIS DVD!

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In 2006, the Zildjian company launched its third Missionfrom Gadd North American clinic tour giving drummersacross the country an opportunity to experienceSteve Gadd s humility, generosity, and creative geniusfirsthand. On this DVD, Steve is featured in an intimatemaster class setting at the Manhattan School of Music inNew York City, May 2006.Longtime fans of Steve as well as younger drummersjust discovering him will treasure Steve s wisdomand insights on a wide variety of topics: funk patterns,rudiments applied to the kit, playing with a click, tips forthe studio, brush patterns, odd phrases, Mozambique/Latin ideas: it s all here. The extensive question-andanswersegments allow Steve to discuss several of hislegendary performances, including Aja, Nite Sprite,Late in the Evening and 50 Ways to Your Lover. Stevealso performs solo pieces that contain the essential toolsand techniques that comprise his incredibly influentialstyle and approach.BONUs FeatURes; Tour Bus Interview with Steve Steve Gadd Career Documentary (from the AmericanDrummers Achievement Awards DVD) Steve Gadd/Giovanni Hidalgo Rehearsal andPerformance (from Modern Drummer Festival 1997 DVD)

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Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was happy to see Simon and Garfunkel in concert on their recent "Old Friends" tour, and was more than pleased by the performance of two men who, by all rights, should've been retired and not in the best of vocal form. The afterglow of the Philadelphia show led me to acquire this DVD from the 1981 Central Park reunion show. Since most of the songs from the current tour are reflected by the Central Park set list, it was worth it for me.
This DVD is actually better than I originally remember from watching it on TV. Maybe I was just too wrapped up in my new wave years (I was a junior in college at the time the album was released), but both men were in strong form vocally. It also meant that, as a greatest hits sort of show, all the bases are essentially covered. Even the Paul Simon solo material comes across as well matched (in particular, "American Tune" which rings truer in the post 9/11 world as it did back then). The instrumentation is a bit dated, Richard Tee's keyboards especially, but that's more the fault of the times than of performance.
And the performances here are superb. Oddly, the one major musical flub from the disc is "The Late Great Johnny Ace." It was Simon's tribute to John Lennon and is when a fan charges the stage, distracting Simon from the microphone. Art Garfunkel is relegated to only one solo hit here, and naturally it's "A Heart In New York." Just as "counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike" gets a huge outburst of applause (it did here in Philly, too), "Heart" brings the crowd to express itself with exuberence.
On the other hand, when Art begins to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water," it's hard not to notice that he can still sound like the folk singing choirboy of the sixties, and even more so for "The Sound of Silence." Despite all the infighting, back biting and legendary arguments that Simon and Garfunkel have shared over their career, there is no denying that - as a duo - they created magic. After 20 years, I'm glad "The Concert In Central Park" is in my DVD library.
There are a few minuses: A serious lack of extra features. Jamming two songs into one chapter, and not just once but six times. Crappy liner notes/graphics. The fact that you can still sense the personal tension between Art and Paul. (They were supposed to produce an album entitled "Think Too Much" together after the tour, the resulting album was Paul's "Hearts and Bones.")
PS: I eagerly await the inevitable "Old Friends" concert CD and DVD, and would also recommend Paul Simon's "Concert In The Park" from 1991.

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SIMON & GARFUNKEL:CONCERT IN CENTRAL - DVD Movie

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