Bosphorus Cymbals

Bosphorus Now Distributed in Canada and Mexico

2008-06-25T14:57:00.010-04:00

We're very excited to be partnering with Direct Music Supply (DMS) to serve the Canadian market and Mike's Percussion to distribute in Mexico. Sourcing Bosphorus Cymbals in Canada and Mexico will give dealers easy access to our complete array of sounds and accessories without the inconvenience of international deliveries. For dealer information in Canada contact Direct Music Supply by phone at 1 800 828 1601, email them at sales@directmusicsupply.com, or click their logo above to visit their website. For Mexico, contact Mike's Percussion by phone at +52 (81) 83453872 or by email at miketorello@hotmail.com .

Ty Dennis with The Doors' Krieger and Manzarek

2008-06-16T11:34:00.004-04:00

Bos artist Ty Dennis reports from the road on tour with former Doors musicians Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek in this Modern Drummer blog post.

Hello, fellow drummers! I've been a loyal MD reader since the seventh grade, and I'm happy to contribute here.This past April I wrapped up another tour, this time through South America with Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and keyboard player Ray Manzarek. (Due to the ongoing lawsuit regarding the use of the name The Doors, the band has been calling itself Riders On The Storm for the last few years. Prior to that we were known as The Doors Of The 21st Century.) We played shows in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and Columbia. The fans in South America are some of the greatest in the world, and they're always so enthusiastic and just so "into it.".....Click here for the rest of Ty's MD post

Mathias Meets Moby

2008-06-13T11:22:00.005-04:00

Bos artist Mathias Kunzli describes auditioning for Moby and the gigs that followed....

"I got a call from Moby's management in London and got invited to audition for a tour in Mexico. I went and ended up getting the gig. It was a blast and a really interesting experience for me.
The "band" was very small: It was Moby playing keys, guitar, tom toms, percussion, drums, and singing, Dave Sharma on mostly percussion and some drums, and myself playing mostly drums and a bit of percussion. There was our fourth member: the track.

The whole show was set to a track which was sort of hard to hear at certain times(especially when Moby's voice was blasting through the side fills and the beat could get covered).
Unfortunately there was no click under the track which could've saved us in a few spots when I sort of had to guess where the new downbeat is after a long breakdown section without much to hold onto (I'm only human).

Another challenge for me was to play super hard and more or less the same 4 on the floor disco beat for ninety minutes straight. I have to admit that blisters popped up in spots where I never had one and certain body parts were aching after the first show. The large audience and their warm and enthusiastic response definitely helped to push through and provide the energy and the drive that was needed.

Unfortunately there were only three shows. But even so, it was great to see the whole thing tighten up and get more and more solid. The body adjusted and I figured out how to do it with much more ease. I was never too much involved in the electronic music scene. The fact that I ended up doing this particular gig first seemed quite random to me. There are many drummers that would be more carved out for a gig like Moby's than I am. But once you sign up for it you have to lay into it with as much heart and soul as you can. I had a great time and learned a bunch from it.

Moby is such a pro at what he does. Trying to live up to his and the whole crew's level was a great challenge and lots of fun. I hope to do it again! It's amazing how you never know where you'll end up. I try to embrace that fact and hope to be surprised many more times."

Eye on Isler

2008-06-12T15:28:00.004-04:00

Bosphorus artist Todd Isler has joined Mike Gordon (of Phish fame). Todd reports, "We'll be doing some nice festivals this summer around the country and kicking off a five week tour in support of Mike's latest CD, The Green Sparrow." (August 5th release). See http://www.mike-gordon.com/ for details. Todd also gigs with his own group in the NYC area known as Todd Squad, playing tunes from their latest release Soul Drums. Check http://www.toddisler.com/ for more info.

Buck's Vibe

2008-06-12T13:29:00.005-04:00

There was standing room only at Steamer's Jazz Club in Fullerton, CA for Peter Bucks' CD release party. His new disk, Buck's Vibe is now available online at http://cdbaby.com/cd/peterbuck , and is downloadable at http://www.digstation.com/PeterBuck ,
iTunes, and many other mp3 sites.

Scott Seiver Update

2008-06-12T11:24:00.004-04:00

Scott Seiver has been busy producing albums for several artists. Most recently, he produced Bird's Eye View, Amy Kuney's first full length album. Her amazing lyricism, voice and songwriting coupled with Scott's drumming and production promise to make this one worthy of several listens. http://www.amykuney.com/ Also look for Scott playing drums on Nikka Costa's summer tour. Check for tour dates here: http://www.nikkacosta.com/

Other recent work includes productions for Nettwerk recording artist Sara Melson, Gingger Shankar, and Jackie Tohn. Keep up to date with the very busy Scott Seiver at:
http://www.myspace.com/lomalada
http://www.scottseiver.com/

James Brown Tribute Tour

2008-06-12T11:10:00.003-04:00

Bosphorus artist Erik Hargrove has teamed with legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins for a Tribute to James Brown Tour. Erik played with Brown for 7 years (1998-2005). All members of the band are Brown alumni. Erik will also be playing with Brian Hardgroove's (Band Leader and Bassist for Public Enemy) group Escapism on the same tour.

Mon Jun-30 Milwaukee,WI Summerfest
Tue Jul-1 Minneapolis,Mn Zoo
Fri July- 4 Ireland Tripod
Sat Jul-5 London,UK 02 Wireless Festival
Fri Jul-11 Netherlands North Sea Jazz Festival
Sun Jul-13 Bruges,BE Cactus Festival
Wed July-16 Paris Batacian
Fri Jul-25 Japan - Fuji Rocks - White Stage

Matt North Plays on/Produces Brooklyn Artist Rob Kendt

2008-06-11T13:06:00.025-04:00

Modern Drummer (April 08 issue) writes: Matt North plays on and produces Rob Kendt's I'm Not Sentimental, and you can tell from his drumming that he sees the big picture. This is an example of smart rock and studio playing. North's swinging tom shuffle on I'm Not Sentimental is propulsive and safely tucked out of the vocalist's way. His four bar switch to barking hats provides musical counterpoint and a bit of comic relief. Kendt's sound is something like Ben Folds corrupted by Steely Dan, with a Nashville twist and his medley of Britney Spears and Beatles classics, Oops, I Did Bungalow Bill gets major props from this reviewer. North recently completed recording drums for the documentary film Humpty Dumpty by director Tony Kaye (American History X) and has been producing Rob Kendt's follow-up album featuring bass virtuoso Viktor Krauss (Bill Frisell, Lyle Lovett) and vocal duets with former Lone Justice lead singer Maria McKee (www.mariamckee.com). Look for Matt's upcoming feature in the August '08 issue of Modern Drummer on legendary engineer Niko Bolas. More info on Matt North @ http://www.gooddrummer.com/ Click below to listen...

I'm Not Sentimental

Oops I Did Bungalow Bill

Rikki Rockett Exonerated

2008-05-22T23:25:00.030-04:00

News Flash.....

Bosphorus signature artist Rikki Rockett affirms that he has been exonerated of a felony rape charge filed in Mississippi and widely reported by the media. A grand jury refused to indict Rockett when it became apparent that Rikki was not in the state at the time of the incident. In a bizarre turn of events, Rockett seems to have been the victim of a career criminal with a history of impersonating rock stars to sexually pursue women, and an over-aggressive media that failed to search for the truth beyond the headlines. Look for Rikki to seek legal recourse.

On a personal note, when I first read the arrest story I thought, "That's not Rikki." He and I have spent a good deal of time together either on his tour bus, backstge on the gigs, or at trade shows. We worked closely to develop his signature Rockett Ride. I know him to be a great guy, an animal rights activist, a good businessman, and a personal friend. We spoke soon after the arrest and he assured me the charges were not truthful. I decided to continue with the advertising for his new cymbals, in spite of the snickers over our headline "The Ride of Your Life."

I can only imagine what life has been like for Rikki these last few months. His character and reputation have been unfairly tarnished. On the business side of things, his band Poison, his company Rockett Drum Works, and his signature products with Bosphorus and others have all taken a hit. I sincerely hope that the media reports his exoneration with the same zeal as the initial rape charge and I stand by my friend as he attempts to reclaim his good name.

Read Complete Press Release

Stanton Moore Wins Again

2008-04-07T14:08:00.016-04:00

Stanton Moore contimues to dazzle, this time winning the viewers poll on the Mike Dolbear website for best funk drummer in 2008. If you're not hip to it, this mega-popular UK based drum site is read by drummers worldwide. Check it out her e.

To celebrate the release of Stanton's new release Emphasis (on parenthesis) Telarc International along with Bosphorus Cymbals, Gretsch Drums, Pure Sound and Vic Firth are offering an incredible drum give-away. Click here for more info.

Bosphorus NAMM Booth Interviews

2008-03-16T20:26:00.006-04:00

In January every year the NAMM trade show draws manufacturers, artists and dealers to Anahein, CA for a four day hang. In this hectic and noisy environment I managed to speak with most of the Bosphorus artists who came by our booth. Click the name of each artist for a brief audio interview...

Rikki Rockett
Jeff Hamilton
Ramon Banda
Neal Smith
Paul Samuels
Daniel Glass
Matt North
Sean Dobbins
Anthony Logerfo
Peter Buck
Paul Johnson
Charles McPherson
Go Go Ray
Danny Elliott
Joe Cassata
Brian Delaney
Aldo Bentivegna
Jack Cook

Johnny Vidacovich Tribute

2008-02-26T22:33:00.011-05:00

Stanton Moore is organizing a drum summit in tribute to Johnny Vidacovich in New Orleans at the Howlin' Wolf on March 28. So far the line up includes Bosphorus artists Russell Batiste (the Funky Meters), Shannon Powell (Prerservation Hall) and Kevin O'Day (Anders Osborne), as well as drummers Willie Green (Neville Brothers) Terrence Higgins (Dirty Dozen) and George Porter Jr. on bass, David Torkanowski on keys, and Shane Therriot (Neville Brothers) on guitar. Proceeds will go towards helping Johnny rebuild his home, damaged by hurricane Katrina. Click here to learn more.

Kudos to Philip Marshall for organizing an event in Austin, Texas to benefit Johnny, and thanks to everyone who supported it.

(photo by Rochelle Blanchard)

A Message From Jamey Haddad

2008-02-26T19:58:00.003-05:00

Thanks to a life of sharing music in an international environment I have recently agreed to be part of a team that will be on a world wide search and acquisition of musical instruments for the MIM (Musical Instrument Museum).The MIM broke ground this week in Phoenix and when it is completed in 2 years it will be the largest Musical Instrument Museum in the world.

The job of filling this MIM with great instruments will be a work in progress for years to come, but come opening day we will need to have a real collection that visitors will take delight in. To this end I will ask you to please send anyone my way who has an interest in being part of this acquisition process. Please keep in mind we are talking about museum quality instruments. You might contribute by: Selling or donating your personal instrument or collection. Passing on contacts of collectors or musicians who might want to sell or donate a special instrument. Contributing instruments that have a special significance because of who played them.

For more information click here.

NBA All Star Game

2008-02-15T16:34:00.014-05:00

Watch for Bosphorus artist Arthur Latin appearing with Harry Connick, Jr on the NBA Allstar Game halftime show Sunday, February 17th at 8pm on TNT. They'll be appearing with numerous other New Orleans musicians. Harry and the NBA have been very involved in trying to help my home town of New Orleans. Click here to read more.

Grammy Nominations

2007-12-15T15:35:00.003-05:00

Congrats to the Bosphorus artists providing the fire on these

Grammy nominated releases...

Jeff Hamilton: Queen Latifah (grammy winner) and Michael Buble'

Arthur Latin: Harry Connick, Jr.

Kevin Kanner: Bill Holman

Scott Seiver: Flight of the Conchords (grammy winner)

Todd Strait: Eldar

The Unstoppable Stanton Moore

2007-12-07T14:39:00.000-05:00

Pick up a copy of the January 08 issue of DRUM! Magazine for an in depth cover story on Bosphorus signature artist Stanton Moore.

Described as "a rare combination of drum scholar and funk monster" Stanton always manages to "keep the groove happening and relevent to the song" while still giving the "funk-drunk" audience an inspired and energy filled performance every night.

Check out his signature Bos plates at a dealer near you or click here for more info.

New Bos Webstore Now Open

2007-12-03T17:46:00.001-05:00

Just in time for the holidays, official Bos gear including T-shirts, Hats, Polo shirts, Cymbal Bags, Stick Bags, and more now available direct to you from our website. Just click here.

Viva Bos Vegas

2007-11-30T11:55:00.000-05:00

I was recently on hand for the grand opening of the new Las Vegas Guitar Center. Pictured with me are (L to R) GC drum buyer Glenn Noyes, Vegas based Bosphorus artists Patrick Bowen and Bob Bonora. Click the link below for an interview with these very busy percussionists to get an inside look at the Vegas music scene, and don't forget to check out our plates at GC/Vegas.

Vegas Drummers Interview

Bosphorus now at select Guitar Center locations

2007-11-26T23:13:00.000-05:00

You asked for them, now here they are...check us out at these GC locations. Click the logo for store info.

West LA
Boston
Central Chicago
Mannhattan
Alanta
Hollywood
Las V egas
Houston
San Francisco
Central Dallas
Salt Lake City

NEIDX

2007-10-10T09:23:00.001-04:00

Many thanks to Cherie Willoughby for putting together this well attended show. Bosphorus jazz artist Neal Smith and his band were on hand for one of the evening concerts, sharing the bill with an eclectic mix of interresting drummers. Everyone is hoping she does it again next year.

New Products from Bosphorus

2007-10-05T00:32:00.001-04:00

Bosphorus Cymbals USA will soon be offering these new products direct to drummers from our website. Stay tuned for our new Bosphorus web store, your source for official Bosphorus clothing, gig bags, posters, and other related accessories. Click the pics to learn more...

Now Available

Stanton Moore UK Clinic Tour

2007-09-25T01:09:00.000-04:00

Rockett Ride Preview

2007-09-19T15:50:00.000-04:00

With the new Rockett Ride, Bosphorus adds a true heavy duty rock cymbal to our palette of sounds. Designed with Poison drummer Rikki Rockett, these rides are optimized to accommodate the kind of high volume, large venue settings Rikki has been been rocking for more than twenty years. An oversized unlathed bell opens to a traditionally lathed main ride surface with another unlathed area near the edge. The bottom is completely unlathed except for a narrow strip near its edge. Weighing in at more than 3000 grams, the result is a clear ping ride with an extreme bell sound. When sheer power is needed, these rides can penetrate the most aggressive mix while retaining the musicality our hand made cymbals are known for. Available in 20 and 22 inch models. Scheduled for a January NAMM release, you can preview these cymbals now in stock at the following select Five Star Drum shops:

Atlanta Pro Percussion, Fork's Drum Closet, Memphis Drum Shop, Tommy's Drum Shop, Columbus Pro Percussion, Donn Bennett Drum Studio and BackBeats Drum Shop.

State of Man in Rolling Stone, Spin, Vibe and Complex

2007-08-23T19:23:00.000-04:00

State of Man recently teamed up with GBX to promote the shoe company's new fall styles. The guys embarked on a road trip to New York City with their GBX shoes for a photo shoot for this season's ad campaign. The GBX camera crew went along for the ride and got the whole thing on video.

So look for State of Man in Rolling Stone, Spin, Vibe and Complex Magazines, as well as on line, featured in GBX's ads. And don't miss John, Thomas, James and Bosphorus artist Chris Love (left) on the road, on video on GBX's site, gbxshoe.com, and on their band site at myspacece.com/stateofman.

Roger Humphries Joins Bosphorus Family

2007-08-01T16:10:00.000-04:00

Jazz Great Roger Humphries has played and recorded with an amazing list of jazz luminaries. He's on the original recording of Horace Silver's Song For My Father. He's also worked with Ray Charles, Lee Morgan, Grant Green, Billy Taylor, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Clark Terry, J.J. Johnson, Billy Preston, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Jack McDuff, Gene Harris, George Benson, Slide Hampton, Johnny Griffin, Herbie Mann, Randy Brecker, Joe Williams, Milt Jackson and Jimmy Witherspoon. Today he remains an active player and teacher in the Pittsburgh jazz scene.