Frank Briggs - Drumming and Music Podcast

Pulsar Sound Radio Interview - Part 2 (Repost)

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:48:23 -0700

Here is part two of an radio interview I did with Tony Palcovic for Pulsar Sound Radio.
We discuss the composing process involved in the making of China Ranch. This was a fun experience.. enjoy.

“China Ranch” was nominated for multiple Grammys in 2008 (first round)

Ohm - Point Omega from Circus of Sound - (Repost)

Fri, 6 May 2011 09:21:53 -0700

I recorded this tune in 2008 with a local LA band called OHM. Ohm features Chris Poland (Megadeth, Damn the Machine) on guitar and Robertino Pagliarri on bass. I am on 4 tracks on this album and did a few live dates with them. This is a pretty good album. Check Amazon or iTunes if you would like to hear more or purchase. The album was released by Mike Varney’s Tone Center label, a great jazz/fusion label.

The tune is mostly in 5, the A section is in 6. The drum solo is over a 5/8 vamp. I play some over the bar phrases by playing 5/4 (and sometimes 4/4) over the 5/8. This drum track was done in 2 takes for me. I believe this is my second take. I used my Noble & Cooley CD maple kit for this session. I hope you like it.

Pulsar Sound Radio Interview - Part 1 - Repost

Thu, 5 May 2011 14:53:39 -0700

Here is part one of an radio interview I did with Tony Palcovic in 2008 for Pulsar Sound Radio. My album had been out for a few months at the time. This was a fun experience.. enjoy. Thanks to the show’s producer Stefanee Friedman

Mark Boccaccio - Spies On Vacation - 1979

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:40:55 -0700

Another song i recorded that was only recently brought to my attention. I really don’t remember much of the session, so I will let Mark discuss how the track went down. i do like it very much. Since the master was erased I never heard this until recently. This was my rototom kit and my awesome gong.

Mark is a film composer/engineer/editor, you can see some of his work here

From Mark...

Spies on Vacation

Dana Klipp : Guitar
Greg Liss : Bass
Frank Briggs : Drums
Mark Boccaccio : piano and synths.

- First song I ever wrote.

- Recorded August of 1979 at Newhouse Studio B, Syracuse University, in two 6-hour sessions.

- Recorded ass-backwards: piano first (with no click track), then guitar and most synths, then drums and bass last (except for the guitar solo and synth chordal build up near the end were added after the rhythm section left on a 2nd session). I am still amazed that it sounds like it does (thanks to your true grokking abilities as well as your and Greg's brilliant "glue")

- No real mix. S.U. student Engineer bulk erased Master 16 track 2" tape by mistake.
- This was a "faders up" unattended rough mix as we hurried to clean up studio before next student engineer came for their own 6 hour session.

- "Spies" got me into Miami University School of Music, even though i couldn't read music. They had no idea what to do with me once I got there.

Hotz Converse - High Roller - 1985

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:19:05 -0700

This is another session I forgot about until recently when I saw it posted on facebook:).
Hotz (Joel) Converse is a tremendous guitar player from Auburn, NY.
I love this track, it’s funk, blues, blue grass, fusion... it’s just cool.
If you dig this tune please go to Hotz’ YouTube Channel and let him know.
The drums i used that day were provided by my friend Pete Mendillo (Survivor, Starship, Tommy Tutone, Savoy Brown)

“I wrote and recorded this back in 1985. First song I ever wrote that I almost couldn't play! Played the bass and guitar tracks, the great Frank Briggs played the drum track in one take! And the talented Ann Adessa with her powerful voice did the vocal track, exactly like I wanted it, too” - Joel “Hotz” Converse

805 - MTV Video

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:12:45 -0700

Here is another 805 freebie as promised. I was in this band from 1978 - 1986. We were signed to RCA records in 1981 and released our first album in 1982. 805 was a popular bar band in New York State during this time. The album did chart on Billboard along with Men at Work, Missing Persons, Eddie Money etc. We peaked at #33 I think and then tanked:).. oh well.

This video was recorded for MTV in it’s early days of all Music TV. This video is funny on many levels,. I composed most of the music track and never cared for the lyrics, It was however one of the tracks that got a few major labels interested... go figure:)

Side note for drummers.. I was using a roto tom / acoustic drumset at the time. Roto Toms don’t go BOOM... I was a big Bruford/Bozzio fan and it seemed like a good idea at the time. The band was Edward Vivenzio (keys), Greg Liss (bass) Dave Porter (guitar & vocals) and myself. on the weirdness you see above.. This for the die hards still out there.. enjoy

PS I am now encoding Webcast videos in .m4v format which will play on your ipod, iphone, ipad etc. nicely. If you have trouble and/or would like to view them elsewhere change the extension to .mp4 and it should work fine.

Red Moon from Complete Modern Drum Set DVD

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:00:09 -0700

here is a full performance clip from my book/DVD package Complete Modern Drum Set (Mel Bay). This was recorded at Dauz Designs studio in Los Angeles in 1995 with Hi8 cameras and transfered to DVD in 2001. There is a complete chart to this tune in the book. This title is available at Amazon.com.

Mike Keneally & Beer for Dolphins: Live at the Bottom Line, NYC 1996

Fri, 14 May 2010 11:36:57 -0700

I did a brief tour with Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai) in 1996. I was subbing for Toss Panos, I had a couple weeks to get the music together. The northeast part included a night at the Bottom Line in NYC. Someone had a tape recorder (remember tape?)... and this is some of what they caught that night. I believe this was the second set, I was happier with the first as I remember. We were doing a double bill with the Ed Palermo Big Band, who played an entire repertoire of Frank Zappa tunes arranged for big band.

Aja by Steely Dan - performed by 805 (New Years Eve 1979)

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:59:12 -0700

Thanks to Steve Signor for sending me this. This is a board tape of a band I was in many moons ago. Live at Allen’s Steak & Ale in Scotia NY, New Years Eve 1979. We played a lot of cover tunes and had a set of original tunes as well ... got signed to .... blah, blah, blah... check some of the other posts:) I love this song and since I couldn’t come up with a drum solo even close to Steve Gadd’s on this track, I tried to come as close as I could to learning his solo. This was before all the licks were readily available on YouTube and transcribed in books etc. I learned it by dropping a stylus on a vinyl album.. repeatedly. I thought this was good enough to share.. hope you enjoy it.
The picture above was taken the same year.

The Lineup was
Edward Vivenzio - keys
Ron Cunningham - guitar/vocals
Greg Liss - bass/vocals
Dave Porter - guitar/vocals
and me on the contraption you see on the right.

Live Sound mixer - Tim Rinkerman
Lights - Todd Reusch
Drum Tech - Tom “Smitty” Smith

Studio Jams Part 1 - MLB Trio - Nardis (in 5)

Sat, 3 Apr 2010 13:43:33 -0700

Every week or so I have a jam session at my studio. Sometimes I record it. This particular week it was a trio with Tommy Lockett (bass), Jeff Miley (guitar) and myself on drums and engineering, which I do with a wireless keyboard. This was fun. Here is a little taste. This is a standard called “Nardis” made famous by Bill Evans and composed by Miles Davis. Jeff created an arrangement in 5/4 subdivided 3/2 except for the B section which is subdivided 2/3. The form is AABA. Here is a copy of the chart.

All podcasts are for personal use and may not be reposted. You are welcomed to share the link.
See you next time.. - fb

Drum Set Clinic - excerpt one

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:49:49 -0700

Drum Set clinic at Guitar Center, Fountain Valley, California.
Performing "Everything!" from the album "China Ranch".
Frank plays Yamaha Oak Custom Drums, Attack Heads, Istanbul Agop Cymbals, Regal Tip Sticks. "China Ranch" features Chris Golden (bass), Steve Weingart (keys), Brian Price (guitar) and Frank Briggs (drums, composer)

More clips here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cuKP2buDVg

St Clair - Not For Me To Say - MTM Records Germany - 1997

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 09:30:53 -0800

Review; St Clair is guitarist Scott Sheets of Pat Benatar fame, and Ron Corbett on guitar and vocals. This album is definately going to strike a chord with many AOR fans out there.
It is acoustic driven classic style AOR, in a very similar vein to The Rembrants and Glen Butnik's more recent work, with a little Van Stephenson thrown in for good measure.
The album features a few guests, with the likes of Tim Pierce, (Crowded House, Bruce Springsteen) Donnie Nossof (John Waite) and Rudy Sarzo.(Ozzie Osbourne, White Snake), Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Herbie Hancock), Frank Briggs (Atlantic Starr, Mike Keneally), Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra) Jimmy Crespo (Aerosmith) to name a few.

For the most part, the album is laid back acoustic AOR, a good example would be to compare the feel to that of King Of Hearts. But there are a few moments where they hit out and come up with a couple of great AOR anthems. After The Fire, 3 Words and Something For Somebody are the best examples. This album may be a little too laid back for some, but if you are already a fan of the bands mentioned above, then you will be playing this for a while. Otherwise there are a few classic tunes, on this great release.

The lineup for this track is:
Scott Sheets - guitar
Ron Corbett - guitar, vocals
Bill Newkirk - bass
Frank Briggs - drums

Rcorded at Master Control studio - Burbank CA
Dan Nebenzal - engineer

I was doing a fair amount of recording with Scott Sheets and John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) during the 90’s, some of the tracks that ended up on this album were originally demos for another project with John & Scott. Nice people and really good song writers... plus I got to work with Rudy Sarzo and Tim Pierce and the like in the process. .. great musicians.

As with everything in my podcasts .. this is for personal use only. Please do not repost.

805 - “Escape from your Dream” from the RCA album "Stand in Line" 1982

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 13:18:26 -0800

Here is another 805 freebie as promised. I was in this band from 1978 - 1986. We were signed to RCA records in 1981 and released our first album in 1982. 805 was a popular bar band in New York State during this time. The album did chart on Billboard along with Men at Work, Missing Persons, Eddie Money etc. We peaked at #33 I think and then tanked:).. oh well.

This track was recorded for Stand in Line but was cut from the final release. I forgot why. It is the only song that our bass player Greg Liss sang, he also composed the lyrics. The music track was composed by Ed Vivenzio’. If you think this sounds a little dated, well you’re correct. It was fine by 1981 standards. This for the die hards still out there.

Side note for drummers.. I was using a roto tom / acoustic drumset at the time. Roto Toms don’t go BOOM... I was a big Bruford/Bozzio fan and it seemed like a good idea at the time. The band was Edward Vivenzio (keys), Greg Liss (bass) Dave Porter (guitar & vocals) and myself. on the weirdness you see above.. this is for the 805 fans.. enjoy

Western Vacation - Avalanche

Sat, 9 Jan 2010 08:57:19 -0800

I believe this was recorded in 1995. This band was originally called “Surface of the Sun” and was inspired by bands like Soundgarden and the Grunge rock Seattle thing. Very short lived. We recorded this tune and another track at Steve Vai’s studio in Hollywood CA. . I played Dean Castronova’s enormous Sonor kit that was still set up from a Vai session. This is the only photo of us to my knowledge. This track was composed by Marty Schwartz and Jerome Jones (Storyteller)
This track ended up on an album, although it’s hard to find. entitled “Vibraudioblast” - Western Vacation - (Muffin Records). This album includes Steve Vai, Chris Frazier, Stu Hamm, Scott Thunes and many other Vai and Zappa alumni.

The musicians on this track are
Marty Schwartz - guitar
Tony Pimental - bass
Jerome Jones - vocals
Frank Briggs - drums

As with everything in my webcast this for personal use, please do not re-distribute.

Lunesta Soundtrack pt 5 - Saints Over NYC

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 10:16:30 -0800

My band performed at the launch of this anti-insomnia drug in december of 2004 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I produced a CD for the 2,000 people in attendance. This tune was composed by me and one of my first attempts at writing in this way. I also mixed and mastered this track. I will totally spare you all my excuses and regrets regarding this recording. There are some nice moments. I hope you like it.

The musicians are
Robert Kyle - soprano sax
Brian Price - guitar
Larry Antonino - acoustic bass
Marc Ritter - keys
Frank Briggs - drums

As with everything in my webcast this for personal use, please do not re-distribute.

Lunesta Soundtrack pt 4 - One of These Days - by Brian Price

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:57:45 -0800

My band performed at the launch of this anti-insomnia drug in december of 2004 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I produced a CD for the 2,000 people in attendance. This tune was composed by guitarist extraordinaire Brian Price (Jazz Crusaders, The Winans) Brian mixed this tune at his studio in Los Angeles. One of my favorites on this disc for sure. BTW. Brian is heavily featured on my CD China Ranch and is one of my favorite musicians and people.

The musicians are
Brian Price - guitar
Lynn Woolever - bass
Marc Hugenberger - keys
Frank Briggs - drums

As with everything in my webcast this for personal use, please do not re-distribute.

Lunesta Soundtrack pt 3 - Wooly’s Groove

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:45:44 -0800

My band performed at the launch of this anti-insomnia drug in december of 2004 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I produced a CD for the 2,000 people in attendance. This tune was composed by bassist extraordinaire Lynn Woolever (Tori Amos, Clarence Clemens) This track didn’t make the CD because the producers thought it was too “dark”.

I like it. ..especially Marc Hugenberger’s use of the breath controller.. very Miles-esque. This track was un-named so I came up with this title. The downbeat is not where you expect it to be on this. I recorded, mixed and mastered Wooly’s Groove at 712 Media.

The musicians are
Brian Price - guitar
Lynn Woolever - bass
Marc Hugenberger - keys
Frank Briggs - drums

As with everything in my webcast this for personal use, please do not re-distribute.

Highway One - (rough mix)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:01:54 -0700

I recorded this tune with the idea that I would put it on China Ranch. I decided to try to compose all the songs on that album and this was left unfinished. This song is composed by the great Bobby Hutcherson. The arrangement came about from playing this tune on various gigs. It straddles 6/8, 4/4 and 12/8 throughout... some interesting moments and pretty raw. I may clean this up and mix it properly at some point. as with all the podcasts .. please don’t repost. This is for personal use only. You are welcomed to share this link and download the file. I hope you like it. Consider purchasing Bobby Hutcherson’s version of this great song on iTunes.

The musicians are
Mitchel Forman - rhodes
Brian Price - guitar
Chris Golden - bass
Frank Briggs - drums
Hans Zermuehlen - synth pads

Lunesta Soundtrack pt 2 - Itaparica

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:21:01 -0700

This tune was composed by the late Michael Hakes. Mike died in 2003 from acute Leukemia, He had no health insurance and had not had a physical in 3 years. This is one of the reasons I campaign for Health Care Reform. I mixed this at 712 Media (my studio). I hope you like it. Mike gave me this tune for the album I was wanting to make.. which ended up being “China Ranch” He died before we were able to record this track and Mike’s friend Brian Price stepped in and did a great job. If you dig this, consider making a donation to a worthy cause in Mike’s name.

The musicians are
Brian Price - guitar
Lynn Woolever - bass
Marc Hugenberger - keys
Frank Briggs - drums
This podcast includes a drumless version for play-along...scroll down.

MICHAEL HAKES BIO
In 1988 Michael Hakes met one of his idols, Buzzy Feiten. He began studying with Buzzy in the spring of '88. After two lessons with him, Michael got a call from Brenda Russell's management. They said that Buzzy had decided not to do her tour and had recommended him. He spent his first summer tour playing with Brenda warming up for Billy Ocean coast to coast. While with Brenda, he was featured in her video "Get Here". He continued to work with Brenda until the end of '88. Having been recommended by Buzzy the first time around, Michael was keen to prove that he could earn his next position. In March of 1989 he got his chance. He auditioned for Natalie Cole and was hired. He went into rehearsal that same night. He remained a member of her pop band until the spring 1991 when her big band album "Unforgettable" was released and the 'pop band' was disbanded As a guitarist, sideman, band leader, and composer, Michael Hakes has worked with some of the most talented and successful musicians and artists in the music industry. His touring and recording work with artists like Natalie Cole, Brenda Russell, Cher, Nancy Sinatra, Keiko Matsui, Carl Anderson, The Pointer Sisters, Joshua Kadison, Nia Peeples and Dan Siegel has made him well known among his peers and as a versatile and talented musician. Michael decided early on that music was to be his path. Michael is proficient in many different styles of music and is a sought after studio musician.
Michael Hakes is the latest addition to the Edgar Winter Band. Joining on with the group for the 2002 Tour...Michael has a list of impressive credits as long as your arm! Edgar was looking for someone that would add a funky, jazz sound to his band in support of his upcoming CD, Jazzin' The Blues, expected to be released in spring/summer of 2002. When he learned of Michael and gave him a try at the end of the 2001 New Millenium Tour, that was all it took! Edgar speaks highly of Michael's skills, and of his versatility in musical stylings. Michael will also be a featured musician on the Jazzin' The Blues project, on which Edgar felt he did an outstanding job! Michael's ability to play with an emotional connection in all styles of music is what he prides himself in most. Michael has also lent his talents as a guitarist to many television shows such as 'Melrose Place', 'Roger Ebert at the Movies', 'Ellen', 'The George Carlin Show', 'Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman', 'Battledome' and the cartoons 'Cow and Chicken' and 'Johnny Bravo' ...to name a few. As a composer Michael has written music for television and film. These include 'Mystic Pizza' , 'Police Academy 5' , and 'Josie And The Pussycats (The Movie)'. Michael has also produced music for 'Lizzie Maguire' on the Disney Channel. He's also released a solo project CD, El Nino, which features EW Band road manager Paul Slagle on bass. Being a huge fan of Nat King Cole himself, Edgar was particularly thrilled with Michael's past works with Natalie Cole. He felt it gave him a sort of connection with his late great mentor.

Re Person I Knew - Live @ Lavelee 2004

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:08:25 -0700

I recorded my band at Lavelee (now defunct) in Los Angeles a few years ago. It was pouring cats and dogs the day of the gig and the club’s roof was leaking horribly. It was too late to cancel the recording and the gig so I went forward with it. There may have been 20 hardcore fans or less in the audience,. The great Bob Bradshaw engineered the recording. This was the only acceptable performance of the night, in my opinion. Marc and Brian take really nice solos on this one. If you listen carefully, during the last time through the head, one of my crash cymbals falls off the stand... it was one of those nights.

“Re Person I Knew “ is one of my favorite Bill Evans tunes. I hope you like this version.

The musicians are
Brian Price - guitar
Lynn Woolever - bass
Marc Hugenberger - keys
Frank Briggs - drums

Frank Briggs is guest DJ @ Pulsar Sound

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:07:49 -0700

This is a 1 hour show featuring some of my favorite music. and 3 tracks from China Ranch, I couldn’t play everything I wanted but this makes a nice hour of listening I think. Thanks to Stefanee Freedman (Pulsar’s producer) for having me.

The Playlist
Birds of Fire - Mahavishnu Orchestra
Furnace Creek - Frank Briggs
Beyond The 7th Galaxy - Return To Forever
Tone Poem #9 - Steve Weingart
Dreams - Frank Briggs
Pinocchio - Weather Report
Tone Poem #1 - Steve Weingart
Journey East from West - Terri Lynne Carrington
Second World - Adam Holzman
Love - Steve Tavaglione
Spirit Rider - Frank Briggs

Mike Keneally & Beer for Dolphins - “Potato” - playalong with drum transcription

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 10:35:43 -0700

I have had a few people ask about the opening drum fill.. here is the code.
R=right hand L=left hand F=foot

the fill starts on beat 3.
1,2, RlrlffRlRlffrlrl The capitol letters are accents...pretty easy.

I was never an official drummer for this band. I did a 5 week tour subbing for Toss Panos. I never really got the music under my belt either (a ton of hard sh*t) so I was reading from charts Toss had made for himself. We played an outdoor college gig in Farmingham? Maine arranged by Mike Gaito who I believe was a student at the time.

Anyway the tune "Day of the Cow 2" (yep that is the title) was a one page chart with unison figures and the time signatures changing almost every measure (true).

Just as Mike counted DOC2 off this big wind blew in and took my book right off my music stand. there was no way to fake this tune so I sat it out in embarrassment.

Mike wrote "Potato" that night in his hotel (actually I think it was a "motel")
and Keneally history was made.
The lyrics in the bridge are..
"We went to Maine cause we're friends with Mike Gaito and Briggs' charts blew away in a tornado"

QuantumHum Live @ The Baked Potato - Video Clips

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 19:50:33 -0700

Melonie recorded this with our still camera. It is distorted, but serves as a snapshot of the evening.. it was a lot of fun.

Kit Walker ‘s QuantumHum brings together a dynamic new trio, where world jazz keyboardist Kit Walker brings guitarist Matthew Heulitt and drummer Frank Briggs into his world of sonic exploration and cyclic expansion. World rhythm combines with electronic texture to provide the context for Kit's fiery Hammond B3, Frank's virtuosic multi-layered groove, and Matthew's inventive tonal excursions, envisioned to bring listeners and dancers to a new territory,.

Ohm - Point Omega from Circus of Sound

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 14:57:24 -0700

I recorded this tune in 2008 with a local LA band called OHM. Ohm features Chris Poland (Megadeth, Damn the Machine) on guitar and Robertino Pagliarri on bass. I am on 4 tracks on this album and did a few live dates with these guys. This is a good album. Check Amazon or iTunes if you would like to hear more or purchase. The album was released by Mike Varney’s Tone Center label, a great jazz/fusion label.

The tune is mostly in 5, the A section is in 6. The drum solo is over a 5/8 vamp. I play some over the bar phrases by playing 5/4 (and sometimes 4/4) over the 5/8. This drum track was done in a couple takes for me. I believe this is my second take. I used my Noble $ Cooley Cd maple kit for this session, as my other DW kit was across town at another studio.
I hope you like it.

Sudafed Commercial 1989

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:16:06 -0700

This was one of my first gigs after arriving in Los Angeles. A sideline on a national Sudafed commercial. Don’t blink you might miss me:)

I learned a little about the AFM. (American Federation of Musicians) doing this. Sideline rate was a flat $100. The shoot took almost an entire day. The girl speaking and pretending to play sax received about $25,000 after residuals etc. ..granted she is the star of this spot. but that isn’t why she received that amount.. the big difference is, how well SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artis)ts negotiate pay scale and residuals for their members.

Anyway.. this is just for fun. My mom liked it, because it ran during her soap operas for 3 months:)