Gregg Bissonette

I wanted to let you guys know that Gregg's brother Matt is a buddy of mine. Last week I played on a session with Matt on bass. I have met Gregg and his father and mother also. The entire family are down to earth amazingly nice people. I am planning on taking a few lessons with Gregg soon. His playing is clean. Very controlled and in the pocket with unlimted versatility. As far as his brother Matt, working with him as a bass player reenergised my desire to work at my chops. The father is a gifted musician and is directly responsible for lighting the ignition under his son's formitable talent. Both Matt and Gregg are to be admired for their ability to create such sustained careers in music. Gregg has said that his brother is his best friend and when they play together as members of Ringo Starr's band it is the fulfillments of many of his childhood dreams. A great family! An underrated drummer for certain.
 
casey, you're very lucky man! I've been into Gregg's stuff so much lately, that's all im listening to now. i like the video for submarine on this site on his page. hell everything there is awesome.
 
rendezvous_drummer said:
casey, you're very lucky man! I've been into Gregg's stuff so much lately, that's all im listening to now. i like the video for submarine on this site on his page. hell everything there is awesome.

Hey RD,

I have been blessed to work with great players like the Bissonettes. I completely agree! Matt is just as gifted as his brother Gregg. If you get a chance go to Matt's website and listen to his band "The Squirts". Matt and Gregg both are good singers as well. The Squirts are also the players in Rick Springfield's live band which is Matt's current road gig.

http://www.mattbissonette.com/buycds.htm

jc
 
da cheese walks said:
yeah man ive heard it....i like it...!haha!but im not so into whitesnake!!(in my opinion theyre a bit...eh i dunno...corny?!!!)but i do love Vai....my guitarist introduced me to Vai about 7 months ago....ive watched "live at the astoria" over 20 times now thorugh and through!!absolutley brilliant!!!

especially Virgil Donatis solo....awww lovely!!!Vai is an incredible guitar player, and hes worked with so many incredible musicians.....!I love pretty much everything hes on!!i mean his stuff with Zappa....!amazing!(Zappa is the greatest!!!!!!)

Sex & Religions a great album....i especially like "Pig" and "Survive"!brilliance!!

Another realy good guitar player Gregg has done alot with is Steve Lukather.
You and your guitar player might check it out.
 
man ill check him out....Im pretty sure my guitarists checked him out already tho!!hte guy has an extreme obsession and when were not over here practicing for our next gig, or in teh pub hes on teh internet learning more!!!haha!

you seem to have a pretty good taste in stuff!!haha!who else you into?
 
da cheese walks said:
man ill check him out....Im pretty sure my guitarists checked him out already tho!!hte guy has an extreme obsession and when were not over here practicing for our next gig, or in teh pub hes on teh internet learning more!!!haha!

you seem to have a pretty good taste in stuff!!haha!who else you into?

Another guitarist is Marc Bonilla. Troy Luketta (Tesla late 80's) plays drums on all but one song. They play a really cool song in 9/8, and some different time changes in the other songs. The cd is called E Ticket. I really like his style of playing. And sound.
W/Gregg on drums there is always Satriani and Gary Hoey.
I also like the style and sound of Zack Wilde. From the 80's band White Lion ( maybe cheesy) I realy like the guitar player Vito Bratta. Another 80's guy is Reb Beach (Winger). I saw him do a guitar clinic w/a buddy and I thought he was great.
 
Hey Guys, I'm new to the forum. But all this talk about gregg made me want to post these pics up. I myself am a big fan of gregg. And about 3 years ago I got a chance to buy a one of a kind kit that gregg used. These are 2 pics of a four pcs of the kit.The kit is a 13 pcs, But I only set these up. They sound massive!! Some of you may have seen it before. He used it on the eat'em and smile tour with david lee roth!!!
Enjoy!! If any of you have myspace please feel free to add me! www.myspace.com/nixlordofillusions


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Thank You
DrumDemon
 
Nice kit. Im a big fan of the kit. You should set the whole thing up and take pictures. My guess is the kit is; 2 bass, 2 suspended gong toms, 1 snare, 6 rack toms and 2 floors. If I remember correctly that was the set up. I have never seen a more original kit than that. You lucky bastard.
 
Hey Mikey,


Yes you are correct!! It is a very big kit. One day soon I will set it up it would have to be out side there's no way it would fit on my room.


Nix
 
da cheese walks said:
yeah man ive heard it....i like it...!haha!but im not so into whitesnake!!(in my opinion theyre a bit...eh i dunno...corny?!!!)but i do love Vai....my guitarist introduced me to Vai about 7 months ago....ive watched "live at the astoria" over 20 times now thorugh and through!!absolutley brilliant!!!

especially Virgil Donatis solo....awww lovely!!!Vai is an incredible guitar player, and hes worked with so many incredible musicians.....!I love pretty much everything hes on!!i mean his stuff with Zappa....!amazing!(Zappa is the greatest!!!!!!)

Sex & Religions a great album....i especially like "Pig" and "Survive"!brilliance!!

I just got Vai's "Live in Astoria" dvd. Great playing all around. Steve and Billy go together like peanut butter and jelly. There amazing together.
They played Shyboy and Virgil left out the intro that Gregg did. Dont know why but it was a loose intro anyway, being the first song. But then I dont know if Gregg played it like the original either.
 
ahhhh the astoria DVD is wonderous....!!!!!


i love it!!


i especaially like incantation...not for teh solo...just for teh song!!!its incredible!!

shyboy is unreal!!
 
da cheese walks said:
ahhhh the astoria DVD is wonderous....!!!!!


i love it!!


i especaially like incantation...not for teh solo...just for teh song!!!its incredible!!

shyboy is unreal!!

I thought it was great. I had only seen Virgil on this site. He was very good. Not over the top like I expected him to be.

I just picked up a Van Halen/DLR tribute cd. All 80's musicians. Gregg played drums on Hot for teacher, Panama and Dance the night away. The band Enuff znuff played Yankee Rose. Frankie Banali, Eric Singer and Vinnie Coliuta played drums also.
Every body put their own stuff into the songs. It was good though.
 
I first got into gregg watching 'Bass Extremes Live' video he did with Victor Wooten and Steve Bailey. Go check this video out! IT's awesome!

And I have to say, gregg is becoming one of my fav drummers out there. I'd love to study under him. He knows his stuff and styles. And I have to learn his facial expressions.

BTW, anyone have any specs on greggs kit? I've been looking around to no avail. I love his tom sounds.
 
k3ng said:
I first got into gregg watching 'Bass Extremes Live' video he did with Victor Wooten and Steve Bailey. Go check this video out! IT's awesome!

And I have to say, gregg is becoming one of my fav drummers out there. I'd love to study under him. He knows his stuff and styles. And I have to learn his facial expressions.

BTW, anyone have any specs on greggs kit? I've been looking around to no avail. I love his tom sounds.

Gregg is my favorite drummer and I was fortunate enough to do drum cartage for him and take lessons in the early 90's.
He uses a 22" kick, (used to be 24" w/his Pearls)10, 12, 14 toms and a 16" floor. He uses coated ambasadors on the toms (clears on bottoms) and a powerstroke3 on the bass. He is now using a coated w/white dot on top head for his snare. Back in the Pearl days he used a coated emperor on the snare. He has always used coated ambasadors on the toms though. Of course they are all Remo.
Keep in mind he plays a top of the line Mapex drum set.
Hope the info helps.
By the way, if you punch his name in Youtube there are a few things that I had never seen before. Either Gregg Bissonette or Bissonette.
 
DrumDemon25 said:
Hey Guys, I'm new to the forum. But all this talk about gregg made me want to post these pics up. I myself am a big fan of gregg. And about 3 years ago I got a chance to buy a one of a kind kit that gregg used. These are 2 pics of a four pcs of the kit.The kit is a 13 pcs, But I only set these up. They sound massive!! Some of you may have seen it before. He used it on the eat'em and smile tour with david lee roth!!!
Enjoy!! If any of you have myspace please feel free to add me! www.myspace.com/nixlordofillusions


687765648l8st.jpg


687754362l1yh.jpg




Thank You
DrumDemon
That is so cool that you bought this kit!! I remember reading about this kit back in the DLR days. It was designed to look like it survived a nuclear war. I remember wanting that kit so bad, it was a monster. Anyway....good for you for owning that kit.
Greggs DVD is amazing. I was watching it this morning before I had to go to work. It is a must own for any serious player.
 
Yamahas? When I saw DLR in concert Bissonette was using Pearls. I could have sworn it was the tour to support "Eat em and Smile". Perhaps it was Skyscraper. Now I'm going to have to search.
 
mlehnertz said:
Yamahas? When I saw DLR in concert Bissonette was using Pearls. I could have sworn it was the tour to support "Eat em and Smile". Perhaps it was Skyscraper. Now I'm going to have to search.

W/DLR "Eat em and Smile" was Yamahas then "Skyscraper" and "A little aint Enough" was Pearl. Then he had a short stint w/Slingerland and now he has been w/Mapex for almost 10 years.
 
Those interested in hearing some of Gregg's work other then David Lee Roth or Joe Satriani should check out Guitar 9 Records. He has 4 clips to listen to w/Richie Kotzen from the album "Inter Galactic Fusion Experience". The first clip I can not find where 1 is for the life of me. Very cool stuff. Also w/Mark Motnik's "Bass Invaders". It has a cover of "YYZ". Or Deep Forrest (cd of the same name) is a Yngwesqe guitar duet. And Steve Fister "Shadow king". Instrumental rock.

He has also Jazz orienated work as well. Most can be heard at Amazon.com. Maynard Fergusons "Live from San Fransisco", Brandon Fields "The other side of the Story", Dan Ramsey "Gentle Giants", And David Benoit "Great composers of Jazz". Gregg was the only drummer on each project listed. Also on Bass Extremes (Steve Bailey/Victor Wooten) "Cookbook". There is other projects out there that Gregg has supplied the drums to as well as other drummers on the same project.
Being that Gregg has been my favorite drummer/influence for 20 years, I have always liked turning drummers on to Greggs other, less known work. Also another favorite, Rod Morgenstein, has work available from Guitar 9 Records.
 
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