Appreciating the Visionaries...

[beat Hit]

We often think of specific drummers as Visionaries. Like Kupra, Buddy, Tony Williams, Steve Gadd, Vinnie, etc... [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] These guys are indeed!

But this time I wanna mention the ones without whom the drumming community wouldn't be what it is today. The first name that comes to mind is the late Modern Drummer Founder Ron Spagnardi. Man just stop and think about what this guy's done to the drumming community ---> PRICELESS!!! Then take all the Drum Fests organizers around the globe. Man we need those guys to keep focused on the vision, no matter how blurry it can become at time.

A labor of love... A passion for the craft, that's what those guys have. And I wonder if they really are appreciated they way they should... [img]graemlins/wonder.gif[/img]

I don't care what anyone says about Famularo, but he's a Visionary... Buddy Rich Memorial Concerts were his vision. Steve Holmes is a visionary in his own way, look at what HOD has become...

In Canada we have Ralph Angelillo, a true gentleman... Man... Look at the size of the Montreal Drum Fest, since 1993 it's become international. He's also responsible for bringing the first (to my knowledge) Canadian Drum Magazine Drums Etc.

Any other names you guys can mention??

[peter c]

I think there are a number of
visionaries in drums.

The ones you mentioned are def-
initely on my list but I see a num-
ber of others like Billy Cobham,
Virgil Donati, Gary Chaffee,
Tito Puente and more.

[img]cool.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 25, 2004 07:02 PM: Message edited by: peter c ]</font>

[beat Hit]

Agree Peter...

But what I want to emphasize on in this thread is the appreciation of the ones that aren't necessarily the drumming heroes, but the behind the scene heroes. I know that Spagnardi was a drummer (I've never heard him though), I am pretty convinced he was not a Master of the craft. That was not his role, what he did was holding the Drumming Community together, bringing it alive with Modern Drummer Mag.

Spagnardi had a vision and he went with it and look at the results today. These folks are filling a role that's literally PRICELESS. Organizing a Fest (a clinic on a smaller scale) where lots of drummers (like me) love to go for inspiration takes hard work and I am not sure if they're shown as much appreciation as they should... Hope this clarifies...

[peter c]

I see what you mean. Well,
Gary fits the bill, there.

He's molded many drummers
for the linear revolution,
which we're enjoying.

[img]cool.gif[/img]