Gary Husband here!

[Gary Husband]

Hi friends / drummers,

I had a fair amount of questions and enquiries about why I deleted my original "here" thread on the forum, and decided to set another one up.

It would be nice to once again stay in touch with friends and drummers alike on Bernhard's excellent website here.

Been up to recently? I had a wonderfully enjoyable month long tour reuniting with my brothers and partners Allan Holdsworth and the great Jimmy Johnson earlier this year. Here are some clips I found around the Youtube realm...

Gas Lamp Blues - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ept9rEVjwE
Letters Of Marque - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLPsSo8G8P8&feature=related
Drums solo - Letters Of Marque - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-pnvbaowI4
Fred - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcExX9l-Bi4
Another drums solo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eRqzh7eT9w&feature=related

My jazz quartet project, Gary Husband's Drive released it's debut CD "Hotwired", available at Amazon and most online retailers (also for download at iTunes). The album project and it's live dates, that we have all been excited about, generated great feedback. Review clips, many and various pics and new live show audio clips can all be found at the band's website - www.myspace.com/garyhusband39sdrive
A Youtube clip of the band's debut gig back in 2007 is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Usoy7JgLrWo

As ever though, and as a creature of regular change, I'm plotting my new projects. I'm going electric again, with two new projects. The first will be a fusion / rock CD featuring many friends, musical associates such as John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Jimmy Johnson, Mark King, Jack Bruce, Ray Russell and many others. The second will be an electric trio named Gary Husband Electric Trio featuring great Turkish keyboardist and programmer Aydin Esen. We also will record an album.

My DVD project of a few years ago (Gary Husband's Force Majeure - featuring Randy Brecker, Jim Beard, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Matt Garrison, Jerry Goodman and Elliot Mason) has been long since deleted unfortunately. Some film clips live on thanks to Youtube though, and some of those links are..
Drum Solo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWBk50vykUA
11/8 established - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwUMcuzCI4U&feature=related
Randy Brecker solo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxhPncfxiow&feature=related

The project with Jack Bruce and Robin Trower tours again soon, performing again music from our album "Seven Moons". A live DVD looks likely to transpire from our last tour at some point. (www.jackbruce.com)
There's a Youtube clip of us here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdYyrEmTUV4

One of my other ongoing duties as a sessioner (Level 42) released a new live CD from a recent date (shortly to also become a DVD) - Live In Holland '09 - (http://www.level42.com/shop/)

I'll be back on the road with John McLaughlin next year, but for now there's a new DVD of the band - John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension Live in Belgrade that came out recently. (www.johnmclaughlin.com)
Here are some Youtube clips (playing in the band alongside Mark Mondesir in the principal drum seat)..
Sulley - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEBYYdPN2YE
Playing the jungle kit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esJiZlk0bNk
Nostalgia and synth solo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEdqJE1Xuco

My own website (www.garyhusband.com) is currently being rebuilt and will appear in the near future, very differently.

Until then I'm also at www.myspace.com/garyhusband (where all my dates and activity is listed and updated regularly).

Looking forward to sharing correspondence with you soon.

Yours in rhythm, harmony and inspiration.

Gary H

[Clint Hopkins]

Great to see you here Gary! Long time fan from the 'House of Drumming' here. I have been listening to your playing almost exclusively for the past couple of weeks (AH 'Then!' and of course one of my desert island discs I.O.U. Masterpiece! I just got 'The Complete Diary of a Plastic Box' and I'm blown away. You're a monster! I can't get enough!! Looking forward to hearing more!

Clint

[Gary Husband]

Great to see you here Gary! Long time fan from the 'House of Drumming' here. I have been listening to your playing almost exclusively for the past couple of weeks (AH 'Then!' and of course one of my desert island discs I.O.U. Masterpiece! I just got 'The Complete Diary of a Plastic Box' and I'm blown away. You're a monster! I can't get enough!! Looking forward to hearing more!

Clint


Wow, thank you Clint sir,

Thanks for listening to all that stuff and I'm delighted you like it!

Best wishes,

Gary

[aydee]

Hey Gary, Abe here! We met at QBA when Hellborg was sulking because of gear malfunction but you went ahead & blew the house down.

I saw your Force Majure DVD recently, and the compositions and your playing ( piano & drums ) is always so ahead of the curve , musically speaking. Bravo.

Thank you for all your music, always.

[Gary Husband]

Hey Gary, Abe here! We met at QBA when Hellborg was sulking because of gear malfunction but you went ahead & blew the house down.

I saw your Force Majure DVD recently, and the compositions and your playing ( piano & drums ) is always so ahead of the curve , musically speaking. Bravo.

Thank you for all your music, always.


Dear Abe, thanks so much,

It's a shame I didn't manage to make the planned album recording for that project - I was very much hoping to. Couldn't really get it financed. To be fair to the musicians, we only had two sort afternoons to rehearse before those initial concerts, and everyone was jetlagged to the hilt. Nevertheless the DVD had plenty of inspired moments, and I was proud of everyone involved. Then the DVD itself disappeared due to fights with the company over agreements. Oh well!! It was a very nice project for me, and some nice clips of the film appear on Youtube now so at least there's this.

It's really nice that some people saw it and always great to hear it's still being enjoyed now.

Thanks again.

GH

[*JOHN FAVICCHIA *]

Hey Gary-

Great to see you here !!! Hope all is well with you. It has been a while since we spoke . I guess it was the last time Janek and I hung with you in NYC..

All my Best!!

John

[Gary Husband]

Hey John!
Thanks for writin' in!
Hope to see you soon again.
G

[wy yung]

Hi Gary.
Thanks for sharing. I had the pleasure of seeing you perform with Allan many years ago at the Corner Hotel, Richmond, Melbourne Australia. I am still reeling from it! It was like being hit repeatedly in the head by Ponting Ashes losses!

Great show. Thanks for all the inspiration.

[Gary Husband]

Hi Gary.
Thanks for sharing. I had the pleasure of seeing you perform with Allan many years ago at the Corner Hotel, Richmond, Melbourne Australia. I am still reeling from it! It was like being hit repeatedly in the head by Ponting Ashes losses!

Great show. Thanks for all the inspiration.


Wow! Great analogy!!!

I remember those shows on that trip. Enjoyed being there too.

Thanks for the very nice words, and taking the trouble to post.

Sincerely,

G

[slingerlandfreak]

Hi Gary, nice to have you here, amazing drumming by Level 42, great band in these times, wish you the best

[Gary Husband]

Hi Gary, nice to have you here, amazing drumming by Level 42, great band in these times, wish you the best

Pleasure to be here and thanks very much!
Level 42's not my strongest, most natural or most significant effort personally speaking, but I always have done my best with them. And it's nice to hear when people have enjoyed that particular avenue of my musical life.

Wishing you the best too.

GH

[aydee]

Level 42's not my strongest, most natural or most significant effort personally speaking, but I always have done my best with them. And it's nice to hear when people have enjoyed that particular avenue of my musical life.

...

Gary, hi again. I've heard you say this before over the years, and always wondered what your issues were with Level 42?

Knowing you now to be a rather serious minded musician, with a wide palette of sophisticated musical tastes, was it the very notion of playing pop music or intra-personal/business issues with the people involved, or just plain not connecting with the music?

You know, I listened to a lot of L42 ( cassettes!!! ) on an African safari many many years ago. It was the only music I carried on that trip, and listening to Staring at the Sun while actually staring at the African sun setting over the Serengetti was quite a heady experience, I can assure you), and even back then I always used to wonder...- as a drummer, mind you-... that playing with a bass player who does this constant 16th note thing all the time can be awfully restrictive & boring for a creative drummer.

Back then, I imagined you to be musically 'starving' in that situation playing all those 4s on the floors. Then, predictably, I started to hear the buzz about you being dissatisfied.

Do tell what it was really like for you?

...

[slingerland755]

I've been a fan for years. It's great to have you on DW. I'm looking forward to your response from Aydee.

Michael

[Gary Husband]

...

Gary, hi again. I've heard you say this before over the years, and always wondered what your issues were with Level 42?

Knowing you now to be a rather serious minded musician, with a wide palette of sophisticated musical tastes, was it the very notion of playing pop music or intra-personal/business issues with the people involved, or just plain not connecting with the music?

You know, I listened to a lot of L42 ( cassettes!!! ) on an African safari many many years ago. It was the only music I carried on that trip, and listening to Staring at the Sun while actually staring at the African sun setting over the Serengetti was quite a heady experience, I can assure you), and even back then I always used to wonder...- as a drummer, mind you-... that playing with a bass player who does this constant 16th note thing all the time can be awfully restrictive & boring for a creative drummer.

Back then, I imagined you to be musically 'starving' in that situation playing all those 4s on the floors. Then, predictably, I started to hear the buzz about you being dissatisfied.

Do tell what it was really like for you?

...


I have absolutely no issues playing pop music - I've played and still do play lots of different pop and rock music, together with lots of other different kinds of music. With pop and rock, the recent album with Jack Bruce and Robin Trower ("Seven Moons") is one good example.

The thing with L42 - and I'm always very flattered to be asked to play with them - is that it has a fair amount of jazz/funk elements to it, predominantly, and I never particularly really felt at ease or naturally drawn to that style too much, so that would always mean a lot of work for me, just to adapt, but in particular to sound good at it. I enjoy, and always enjoyed a lot of the old L42 songs though.

The basic thing is that Phil Gould (to me always the REAL Level 42 drummer) played and developed all of that stuff to such a great level, and evolved as a player with Mark to such a point they played so well together, that anything I've done since - playing a lot of all those early songs which Phil was a part of - just sounds kinda like weak tea to me.
I mean I do my absolute best - I do my absolute best in all music I get to play and every time I play - but since the show is pretty static and pretty true really to the arrangements the original band used to do I regard my participation in the thing more of a "session" type thing, and in that, I would, as with any session, just try to be as strong, funky and reliable and consistant a drummer for the unit in terms of making the songs and the whole band show good and strong. Beyond that, it doesn't end up being too much in the way of anything special in regards to what my own particular input has entailed.

Since I'm involved in many other situations as a musician, and ones where I'm infinitely more creative and get to be more original I pretty obviously, and most naturally I guess, prefer my participation and acheivements in those areas.

That's pretty much my standing on it all. Phil was the originator of L42, but I (for instance) was the originator of a lot of Allan Holdsworth's music.. so, we've all got our own thing, in spite of the fact others have come along since and played drums in both bands. And that's another interesting subject. I'm still pondering on which Mars Volta drummer I prefer... but I'm pretty much on the original guy at this moment

L42's a thing I've been doing over the years. It's a well-known act, and Mark's given me a lot of work playing for the band, but I don't feel it's really too representative of what Gary Husband does really well, or happens to be work I excell in particularly.

Thanks for the question and I hope all this clarifies my standpoint on it all.

Best,

GH

[aydee]

Gary, thanks for the clarification and for your personal perspective.

Sorry to come across as a pesky Mr. 20 questions, but when you feel up to it, you could tell us something about your experiences with John McLaughlin. I have heard from people who've played with him that his understanding of rhythm is something to behold, besides his obvious greatness as a musician. I was listening to the dvd with you on keys with Mark Mondesir and him..
...was that something more representative of the 'inner musician'?
To me, as a fan, your Force Majure gig, man!!! undescrible, and nothing quite tops that.

Your thoughts? I'll take a rain check if you've had enough of me today ; )

[Gary Husband]

Gary, thanks for the clarification and for your personal perspective.

Sorry to come across as a pesky Mr. 20 questions, but when you feel up to it, you could tell us something about your experiences with John McLaughlin. I have heard from people who've played with him that his understanding of rhythm is something to behold, besides his obvious greatness as a musician. I was listening to the dvd with you on keys with Mark Mondesir and him..
...was that something more representative of the 'inner musician'?
To me, as a fan, your Force Majure gig, man!!! undescrible, and nothing quite tops that.

Your thoughts? I'll take a rain check if you've had enough of me today ; )


Yeah, it's great with John! Very demanding and creative.
He does indeed have a very evolved conception and understanding of rhythm most certainly too - knows the konacol system entirely as well.
Thanks for the very kind words on Force Majeure too. I still dream of trying to record some of that music.
Cheers,
GH

[yesdog]

Hi Gary, I just wanted to say I love your playing. infact one of my all time favorite songs is panic station from Allen Holdsworth.

[Gary Husband]

Thanks dude, much appreciated.

You are aware though I don't actually play on Panic Station (!!??).. although I am on the long track on the same album called The Unmerry Go Round.

Best wishes and thanks again.

Gary

[yesdog]

Sorry for that regardless I think you are a killer drummer. what are you up to any good recordings you have done that you like. By the way the other song you mentioned is exelent as well. How was it playing with allen his music seems very challenging to play.

[paranoidbelly]

Hey Gary!
Just wanted to say hi and thanks for many years of inspiration. I met you at a gig in Adelaide (Australia) way back in '94. You stood side of stage and watched me play with my band and I tried to get you up to have a hit, but you said you'd had a few beers and didn't want to!! The next night we supported you at an Alan Holdsworth gig and it was absolutely fantastic. I think you broke nearly every stick you had.
At the end of the night you gave me your address and phone number on a little piece of paper and told me to look you up if I ever came to London... and I still have that piece of paper in the CD jacket for Alan's 'Hard Hat Area!'... sure hope you haven't moved!!!!
Hope all is well and great to see you doing so much interesting stuff.
Cheers,
Brad Polain.

[Gary Husband]

Hey Gary!
Just wanted to say hi and thanks for many years of inspiration. I met you at a gig in Adelaide (Australia) way back in '94. You stood side of stage and watched me play with my band and I tried to get you up to have a hit, but you said you'd had a few beers and didn't want to!! The next night we supported you at an Alan Holdsworth gig and it was absolutely fantastic. I think you broke nearly every stick you had.
At the end of the night you gave me your address and phone number on a little piece of paper and told me to look you up if I ever came to London... and I still have that piece of paper in the CD jacket for Alan's 'Hard Hat Area!'... sure hope you haven't moved!!!!
Hope all is well and great to see you doing so much interesting stuff.
Cheers,
Brad Polain.


I really appreciate it Brad, and thanks very much for writing. I think I even remember our trip to Adelaide back then - during a dust storm if I remember correctly!!??? Venue I remember had a big window looking out to the outside street.

Fun memories!

Best from me to you.

Gary

[Gary Husband]

Sorry for that regardless I think you are a killer drummer. what are you up to any good recordings you have done that you like. By the way the other song you mentioned is exelent as well. How was it playing with allen his music seems very challenging to play.

Very kind, thanks so much,

Yes I'm up to a good many different and very varied things - among them is a bunch of stuff I run down (with links to Youtube things) on the first post of my whole thread here... including some recent Allan performance.

Re Allan, well we have been playing since 1979.. so a good bit of history there, and a great, great deal of development we have done through together. It's doesn't feel complicated to me, it feels quite natural and always did - his music. I guess sometimes that happens between people. I was very lucky it happened for me.

We'll be in Canada in a few weeks (Allan, Jimmy Johnson and myself), so it's still very much an active relationship.

Best wishes to you, thanks for listening and thanks again to you.

GH

[Gary Husband]

Anybody in the area of Canada/US west side... please come!!!!



ALLAN HOLDSWORTH BAND - CANADA/USA TOUR
Allan Holdsworth guitar
Jimmy Johnson bass guitar
Gary Husband drums

September 24, 2009- Joliette, QC (Canada)
Venue: Salle Roland-Brunelle
www.ccultjoliette.qc.ca

September 25, 2009 - Rimouski, QC (Canada)
Venue: Theatre Desjardins-Telus
www.spectart.com

September 26, 2009 - Quebec City, QC (Canada)
Venue: Salle Raoul-Jobin du Palais Montcalm
www.palaismontcalm.ca

September 27, 2009 - St. Georges de Beauce, QC (Canada)
Venue: L’Auditorium du CEGEP Beauce-Appalache
www.lesamantsdelascene.com

September 28, 2009 - Gatineau, QC (Canada)
Venue: Salle Odyssée
www.maisondelaculture.ca

September 29, 2009 - Sherbrooke, QC (Canada)
Venue: Vieux Clocher
www.vieuxclocher.com

September 30, 2009 - Montreal, QC (Canada)
Venue: Salle l’Astral
www.montrealjazzfest.com

October 1, 2009 - Montreal, QC (Canada)
Venue: Salle l’Astral
www.montrealjazzfest.com

October 3, 2009 - Toronto, ON (Canada)
Venue: Phoenix Theater
www.libertygroup.com/phoenix/phoenix.html

October 4. 2009 - Toronto, ONT (Canada) -
Hughes & Kettner guitar clinic
venue: Long & McQuade
www.long-mcquade.com


October 9. 2009 - San Pedro, CA (USA)
venue: Alva's Showroom
www.alvasshowroom.com

October 10. 2009 - Studio City, Los Angeles, CA (USA)
venue: Baked Potato
www.thebakedpotato.com

October 11. 2009 - Studio City, Los Angeles, CA (USA)
venue: Baked Potato
www.thebakedpotato.com

[Gary Husband]

Always thought his name was kinda appropriate Strydom... kinda like the stryations all over his physique.
Would be cool to see a matured Gary up on stage again.


Interesting comment.

May I ask what it means?

[Ami]

Gary, nice to see you here.

Folks, I was lucky to meet Gary in an airport. He was down to earth, nice and humble. It was inspiring to meet someone whom I hold in very high esteem as a drummer and find out that he is such an approachable nice guy! Thanks for your great musicianship and great vibe Gary!
:-)

[Gary Husband]

Gary, nice to see you here.

Folks, I was lucky to meet Gary in an airport. He was down to earth, nice and humble. It was inspiring to meet someone whom I hold in very high esteem as a drummer and find out that he is such an approachable nice guy! Thanks for your great musicianship and great vibe Gary!
:-)

Thank you Ami!! I appreciate the compliments very much.

GH

[Anduin]

Here's a few minutes of (mostly) Gary at the Holdsworth gig in Toronto. I shot it on my little still camera, so quality is a bit lacking, but it gives a sense of the show (which was great):

http://www.youtube.com/user/AnduinMusic#p/a/u/1/Nm9xNwyApNA

Gary: I know there's copyright issues here. Let me know if you want me to take down this illegal evil bootleg footage.

[aydee]

Here's a few minutes of (mostly) Gary at the Holdsworth gig in Toronto. I shot it on my little still camera, so quality is a bit lacking, but it gives a sense of the show (which was great):

http://www.youtube.com/user/AnduinMusic#p/a/u/1/Nm9xNwyApNA

Gary: I know there's copyright issues here. Let me know if you want me to take down this illegal evil bootleg footage.

Great, thanks for sharing, Anduin!


...........

[Gary Husband]

Here's a few minutes of (mostly) Gary at the Holdsworth gig in Toronto. I shot it on my little still camera, so quality is a bit lacking, but it gives a sense of the show (which was great):

http://www.youtube.com/user/AnduinMusic#p/a/u/1/Nm9xNwyApNA

Gary: I know there's copyright issues here. Let me know if you want me to take down this illegal evil bootleg footage.


No! I'm okay with it Anduin! Please leave it on YouTube. Nice memories. You caught some crazy moments there!! Thanks for posting the footage. It's a particular love of mine to play with Allan - always has been. I guess it shows in what happens when we play that we're pretty tight with each other.

Thanks again.

GH

[Anduin]

...with Allan...when we play that we're pretty tight with each other.

Understatement of the week! You guys are amazingly cohesive amidst your torrent of notes.

I also bootlegged, er, I mean, immortalized on film, your entire long solo, but at something like 12 minutes(!!) it's too long for Youtube.

[Gary Husband]

Understatement of the week! You guys are amazingly cohesive amidst your torrent of notes.

I also bootlegged, er, I mean, immortalized on film, your entire long solo, but at something like 12 minutes(!!) it's too long for Youtube.


Ah too bad, just (I think two minutes?) too long for YouTube. Well, choose the best of it if you're so inclined sometime! Be nice to see it!!

Thanks a lot for the nice words.. and as I say, please feel free to put what you've got up from the gig.

Cheers,

GH

[jordanz]

Gary, there's a long sequence of you and Allan where the bass drops out. Are you still keeping the form of the tune? Everyone comes back in at the same spot and I didn't hear any kind of queue. If you are keeping the form, can you give any tips on how to do it? You and Allan really stretch there and can't imagine taking it that far outside and still singing the form in my head.

[Gary Husband]

Gary, there's a long sequence of you and Allan where the bass drops out. Are you still keeping the form of the tune? Everyone comes back in at the same spot and I didn't hear any kind of queue. If you are keeping the form, can you give any tips on how to do it? You and Allan really stretch there and can't imagine taking it that far outside and still singing the form in my head.

Hi jordanz, and thanks,

There's actually no form in the solo section of that tune - it's just an open section over a bass riff - at least until two cues that brings us eventually out of it. There's usually been a kind of "breakdown" where myself and Allan kind of take off together, and then I bring in the bass (although the cue is not easy to identify here!) It's just go! Like riding waves - waves of inspiration. I don't really know how to really explain it or define exactly what the process is. It's more just intense interplay together, building and building upon what happens immediately before.

In a form sense it's open - free, but in pulse, and I'm actually feeling 4/4 - maybe difficult to tell, but true.

Cheers,

GH

[jordanz]

Hi jordanz, and thanks,

There's actually no form in the solo section of that tune - it's just an open section over a bass riff - at least until two cues that brings us eventually out of it

Thanks Gary. That's actually a relief ;) I'm going to back and look for that queue.