Vinnie to back all artists @ Ken Cen-Monk Drum Competition

[Paul Marangoni]

He never claimed he had a hard upbringing. He may have, or he may not have. Someone else who grew up near him suggested that he came from a rough neighborhood. I'm sure we'll read about it in some magazine some day.

I'm curious enough that I'd like to hear him play. Isn't that young drummer in Branford Marsalis' band also named Justin?

[Ghostnoter]

...and to think I was asked by a drummer friend to attend the Guitar Center Drum offs!?? (I refused. I had my share of that event while in Charloette! Seeing young guys wanking the latest gospel like/style chops gets real tiring real quick) I had been anticipating going to this event, since hearing about it late last year or early this yr. (Jean, I'm back in DC for a very extended stay. We'll touch base at some point soon) This event is really worth going to. But, I will be in close by Crownsville, Md for those dates. It would be nice if organization would provide a means to see the competition, for those who would be interested in going, but couldn't attend. A good time to have the old "stealth video pen" in tow! For purely personal research and developement of the participants...for the copping of licks and concepts in the jazz drumming idiom.

It is so good to be back in the DC area on many levels!

G

[timmy]

josiah , so you mean dennis chambers and all the other guys got him in the class JUST for the money ? not fan of his playing by the way, but tony is there because he can ,like the others .i mean , those kind of techears don't take any student like that , cash=yeaaah , i mean, dennis have santana for this .

[circh bustom]

Royster might not have been the BEST example because he is a monster player now. But, if his parents hadn't had the money and been able to make the necessary contacts, he would not have been on the path that allowed him to develop the skills he has today. He might still have been good if not great, but he wouldn't be the player he is now in my opinion.

[timmy]

well , i could concord with you , but in just don't know him ,so i won't permit myself to comment his way to do what he did .

[bclarkio]

He never claimed he had a hard upbringing. He may have, or he may not have. Someone else who grew up near him suggested that he came from a rough neighborhood. I'm sure we'll read about it in some magazine some day.

I'm curious enough that I'd like to hear him play. Isn't that young drummer in Branford Marsalis' band also named Justin?

Justin Faulkner.

http://www.houseofdrumming.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1491

...I think I may have been slightly misinformed: I got my brief tidbit of a bio from the Cravioto site, and there is conflicting information in different areas of the site:

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Justin Brown started playing drums in church when he was a meager 2 years old. At the age of 10, he went on to study at UC Berkeley’s Young Musicians Summer Program and continued his studies there for 7 more years. All the while, Brown continued to play in various groups and settings, including the prestigious Grammy High School All-Star Band. In 2002, Brown was one in five applicants selected, amongst hundreds, to attend The Dave Brubeck Institute on a full scholarship. In 2004, Brown graduated, then received a full scholarship to Juilliard and made the bold move to New York City. Since then this skilled young drummer has performed, toured and recorded with the likes of Kenny Garrett, Christian McBride, Gerald Clayton, Stefon Harris, Esperanza Spaulding, Terence Blanchard, Josh Roseman, Gretchen Parlato, Eldar, Yosvany Terry, Gonazalo Rubalcaba, Bilal, Ledisi, Ambrose Akinmusire , and Vijay Iyer.

Justin Brown, 28, was born in Richmond, California and began playing drums at age 3. He participated in the Young Musicians Program at the University of California Berkeley and later attended Berkeley High School. After graduation, he was accepted into the Dave Brubeck Institute, where he performed with Brubeck’s trio and studied with Christian McBride. He went on to attend the Manhattan School of Music. Since moving to New York, Brown has performed with Kenny Garrett, Terence Blanchard, Gretchen Parlato and Esperanza Spalding, and is a member of the Gerald Clayton Trio.

I live near Richmond, Oakland is a few miles down the road. His family may have moved from Richmond when he was very young. I didn't mean to imply that his family was poor, only that it might be, and it would be a good town to get out of. I can't think of any 'good' neighborhoods in Richmond. The type of peer pressure that exists there is not often a positive one.

You know, he's about the same age, and grew up in roughly the same area as Thomas Pridgen; I wonder if they knew each other?

[Rod]

I met Justin Brown (and his mother, who is also a musician) at NAMM a couple of years ago. If anything, just from speaking to them I got the idea that his mother is very supportive of his development and career.

I did get the chance to see Justin play with Kenny Garrett in LA a few years back and with Stefon Harris at PASIC last year. He really is a phenomenal young player.

He did do a spot on those gospel chops DVDs but, to me, his vocabulary stylistically goes way beyond that also.

[Josiah]

Tony Royster? You mean the guy who fell off the radar as soon as his age caught up with him? Ya real "monster" of a player, funny he was on the cover of so many magazines before became a real "monster". Odd how that is....


Why don't they have the contestant drummers back the artists?

See who does the best job, that is after all, the true mark of a great drummer right?


The solo stuff is arbitrary at best, and really does nothing to showcase a drummers real job, which is supporting the music.

[Julián Fernández]

Why don't they have the contestant drummers back the artists?

See who does the best job, that is after all, the true mark of a great drummer right?

Agreed. That should be the point on most Drum Contests.

Btw, Tony is doing OK. Here he´s backing the album he recorder with JS. Not so much under the radar to me. (but I do get your point)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9jYjHrpW2U

[circh bustom]

He has been touring with Jay Z, that is sort of on the radar in my opinion. Although, untill that gig came up, to be fair, I didnt hear much about him for a few years. So you are partly correct. The stuff he did on the Shed sessions video and the warm up video is astounding at times though. I wouldve liked to have seen the clinic with him and Dave Elitch.