Terry Bozzio

[hookedup]

I just picked up the Bozzio/Wackerman "Solos & Duets" DVD and I gotta ask...

How does Bozzio mount his ride? It's just floating somewhere over on his right slightly behind him. Is it just connected to bungee cords or something?

Terry Bozzio is a master!!The great thing about teh man is hes a real,godhonest percussionist....yknow i used to think the term "percussionist" was nothing more than a drummer with a large ego...but i now realise that term is used for guys like Bozzio!!I mean its amazing the stuff he comes up with!

Every last thing he has done is totally awe inspiring!I absolutley love Zappa and all his work with Bozzio was beautiful!sheer bliss!

His drumkit is rockin too!!!

[Bonhamfan]

http://members.home.nl/wipr/bozzio03.JPG

Bozzio's kit, of course. But look at that thing, it would take me a year to play every last possible drum, cymbal, and sound. Insane to say the least. Wonder how much it costs? haha.

[Class A Drummer]

It is truly insane. he has like 40 drums. He has such a different style because of its intense size. I love all the toms on the left. Piccolo toms?

ok my point was already made!!haha...read southpaws comment above!

[mikei]

I really do not get this guy and his style. I feel the same way about Virgil Denati. I do not get the drum to music connection.

I saw Terry in the reunion with missing persons about 6 years ago. He was impressive then. His solo stuff is pretty boring to me. But one man's garbage is another man's treasure. He is definitely super talented.

Tommy Lee, although not nearly as talented, has much more groove.

It is like comparing Eric Clapton to Yngwie Malmsteen. Many more people would rather listen to Eric Clapton jam than Yngwie. However, Yngwie has more talent technically in just his pinky than Eric has in his whole body.

its alll opinion obviously...

but i find that Terry Bozzio has some of the best grooves around...i mean hes so groovy!youve probably bin lookin at all his solos and his crazy fill things which are class...??but i mean listen to any Zappa record he played on and youll hear so much groove its unreal!

Bozzio is nothing short of a master...he,like the odd rare drummer,takes the instrument that is a drumkit and makes it a MUSICAL instrument....his kit sings when he plays....i mean the diatonics?the piccolos?it takes skill,and groove to play them without sounding tacky...which he does magnificintly!

[Class A Drummer]

Originally Posted by Bonhamfan

http://members.home.nl/wipr/bozzio03.JPG

Bozzio's kit, of course. But look at that thing, it would take me a year to play every last possible drum, cymbal, and sound. Insane to say the least. Wonder how much it costs? haha.

Actually its not. I think Portnoy's is the biggest (takes up the most space). Compare ur pic to this video. http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/mikeportnoymd.html

*edit- i may be wrong though.

[Ulrich87]

Dudes and dudettes! Take a look at Bozzios amazing drumkit in action!

BTW: Has anyone ever seen Bozzio smile, after his Frank Zappa days?

[neilpscuz]

I was fortunate enough to see Mr. Bozzio on the Gtr Shop tour, (probably the greatest double bill ever,Jeff Beck,Stevie Ray Vaughan). Incredible !!! About 5 yrs ago lucked out and saw him at PASIC in Nashville, w/Zappa alumni Chad Wackerman. They played the Black page as a duet !! Frank was smiling down on them,fer sure fer sure. Check out Bozzio and Sheehan, for some great TB grooves ! Also check Missing Persons - U.S. Drag for a crazy groove. Oh yeah, got TB to autograph Becks Gtr Shop when i was in Nashville, a prized possesion now !:o)

[shuffle]

He folks

That song just popped in Itune while I'm at work, and I thought I'd post a small sample.

What an incredibly exciting drum track. Recorded when he was ... 23 years old.

[Ufipman!]

Originally Posted by shuffle

He folks

That song just popped in Itune while I'm at work, and I thought I'd post a small sample.

What an incredibly exciting drum track. Recorded when he was ... 23 years old.

That's not Terry... I believe it's Ralph Humphrey or possibly Chester Thompson on drums... right? That album was before Terry's time with Frank.

[jazzgregg]

What is Wackerman doing on those clips? His drumistic drumming is getting in the way of Terry's Terryness all over the place. What a shame, good thing it looks like Terry is trying to ignore him.

On the other hand, for a guy with that many drums, Terry certainly isn't exploring all the tonal possibilities he has in front of him, but maybe that's because Chad is just wailing fusion licks all over it and it would be lost. Sometimes Terry is just too esoteric for his own good, I think.

Lastly, why do Terry's bass drums sound so unmusical and thumpy? I would've thought they would be nice, clean notes, no?

G

[shuffle]

Ooooh you're right, it is not Bozzio...I've owned this record for what ... 25 years, and I don't know, why, but I allways tought it was him on that record... Sorry about that.

I've just looked up the credits here http://www.amarokprog.net/albums_5691.html (hope they are reliable...) and the drummers on apostrophe are jim gordon, john guerin, aynsley dunbar and ralph humphrey...

[palmeris]

Has anyone caught the Zappa does Zappa tour? If so hows was TB? Did he have the monster kit? I bet he and SV stole the show

[KalashnikoV]

I'd really like to play some of my mallet exercises on his kit. ;)


I think the concept of playing melodic pieces on a drumset (no matter what the size) is a pretty cool concept, and I really like what I've seen of him, it's good stuff(I wish I could play it). But then again, the guy could just use some tympani. :|

[druid]

I will be seeing TB in abou ta week with Zappa plays Zappa...lookin gforward to it I have not seen him in awhile. So far I've seen him in the following situations

1984 Missing Persons R&R tour
1986 Clinic at PASIC
1989 Jeff Beck
1994 Jeff Beck

This should be great. I've met him a couple times and he was always a nice person to talk with. And believe me that is impressive when you are a younger apsiring player....rather than dealing with someone who thinks they are a big shot.

[Ian Ballard]

Originally Posted by jazzgregg

What is Wackerman doing on those clips? His drumistic drumming is getting in the way of Terry's Terryness all over the place. What a shame, good thing it looks like Terry is trying to ignore him.

On the other hand, for a guy with that many drums, Terry certainly isn't exploring all the tonal possibilities he has in front of him, but maybe that's because Chad is just wailing fusion licks all over it and it would be lost. Sometimes Terry is just too esoteric for his own good, I think.

Lastly, why do Terry's bass drums sound so unmusical and thumpy? I would've thought they would be nice, clean notes, no?

G

I don't know what you're talking about. If you can't hear the interplay and call and response going on there, I don't know what to tell you.

I thought that was stellar stuff and my opinion has triple-plated titanium armor, anti-anything missiles and a large loudspeaker that wails Mariah Carey high-notes at volume-level 11!
;)

[Stitch Kaboodle]

Originally Posted by lapa

http://www.home.no/t0k/bozzioshitkit.mp3

How did that get by the censors?

[jazzgregg]

Originally Posted by Ian Ballard

I don't know what you're talking about. If you can't hear the interplay and call and response going on there, I don't know what to tell you.

I thought that was stellar stuff and my opinion has triple-plated titanium armor, anti-anything missiles and a large loudspeaker that wails Mariah Carey high-notes at volume-level 11!
;)

It appears all that armour is covering your ears, Ian.=)

Interplay is what Mastelotto and Bruford did, Fredy Studer and Pierre Favre, Muir and Bruford, Keltner and Ringo, Ibarra and Charles, Stubblefield and Starks, not this. I'm suprised that it isn't more obvious, don't let your admiration for these people colour your perception....

G

[Ian Ballard]

Originally Posted by jazzgregg

It appears all that armour is covering your ears, Ian.=)

Interplay is what Mastelotto and Bruford did, Fredy Studer and Pierre Favre, Muir and Bruford, Keltner and Ringo, Ibarra and Charles, Stubblefield and Starks, not this. I'm suprised that it isn't more obvious, don't let your admiration for these people colour your perception....

G

Ahhhh, ok. I concede. Your opinion is pure concrete and you are so much more knowledgable about well... everything... than little 'ol me.

[jazzgregg]

Originally Posted by Ian Ballard

Ahhhh, ok. I concede. Your opinion is pure concrete and you are so much more knowledgable about well... everything... than little 'ol me.

Have you been talking to Dr. Powerstroke? Don't start that man, it's just a difference of opinion! No conceding, just that you don't need to tell me anything because I can't hear it, I hear it just fine, know what I'm saying?=)

G

[Ian Ballard]

Originally Posted by jazzgregg

Have you been talking to Dr. Powerstroke? Don't start that man, it's just a difference of opinion! No conceding, just that you don't need to tell me anything because I can't hear it, I hear it just fine, know what I'm saying?=)

G

Darrrrrn, I forgot to put the little smiley guy after my post.

[dawg]

funny thing about bozzio...for me, i had his video mostly double bass drums, he's a great player,but i didn't care for the video that much. but the videos of him playing live "u.s. drag" w/ missing persons and with jeff beck,the records with zappa, i really dig. he comes across as a real down to earth guy...killer drummer.

[tonedef]

Originally Posted by Sticksman

Chances are that you've heard of Terry Bozzio, and if you haven't, then all you should really know is that he thinks and plays his drums like their his own orchestra ~ melodically.

At first, I was thrown off, because, as we all know, it's all about the groove, but as I listened to more of his work and saw his video here, I became more and more impressed. So now, melodic drumming takes up some of my time as an interesting approach to the drums. He drummed for Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, among other bands, and is now a solo artist.

http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Terry_Bozzio.html

Bozzio is for sure one of the best , not many drummers can sell out a whole staduim for a single drum show.

[NUTHA JASON]

here's a great little time lapse of him and his army of techs setting up the kit with voice over. really enjoyable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwR3Y...related&search=
j

[palmeris]

Anyone get to see the Zappa does Zappa tour yet? If so, feed back, set list etc.

[druid]

I saw Terry Bozzio with ZpZ in Canton Ohio...I wrote a breif review on the ZPZ site....TB's playing was great the entire band was really amazing. Joe Travers also played very well. I had a pass to try to meet TB afterward but was not able to spreak with him which was a bummer ....but the show was very good...and he used his larger kit on this leg of the tour.

http://www.zappa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44

[druid]

I have included some pics from the Canton show....enjoy!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40949587@N00/?saved=1

[palmeris]

Thanks so much for sharing!!!!!!

[palmeris]

Well Finally got to see the Zappa plays Zappa show on Sunday in Boca Raton. Great 31/2 hour show, hearing some great music that is being kept alive and well by the family trust.

Terry seemed to be having a bad night. His monster kit was set up to the side corner of the satge. He had some type of pedal problem and was crawling around on the floor trying to fix it for sevreal minutes, before the drum tech came out and tried to help. The set was not mic very well, the sound was very weak compared to the bands mix. Many of his isntruments could'nt be heard while he was striking them. It got a little better wehn he did his drum solo and wasnt being overpowered by the rest of the bands mix, but even that the bottom ened was very weak.

Would have liked to hear more of him and Steve Vie, but in all was please with the concert.

[druid]

I think it would be great if they made this leg of the tour into a DVD show to purchase. I am curious to see if they do anything with that.

Also I was happy to see this show since I worked on the Black Page for my own Senior recital in College years ago. I even sent a tape of my version for review to the now defenct Rhythm magazine.

[drumroll888]

Originally Posted by finnhiggins

If you want to go one better, there's always "Punky's Whips" which is a much more involved song about Terry's obsession with a glam rock guitarist. Contains the cracker of a line "His hair is so pretty / I want to bite his neck / I've heard a rumour / He's more fluid than Jeff Beck".

The arrangement is better too, T&B is more of a comedy sketch.

That song is HILARIOUS. Great musical theater, and not only does Bozzio play some complex parts in the song, he also sings while he plays, and gets into his character also. Good stuff.

Someone compared Tommy Lee to Bozzio here. I understand the reasoning behind it (I think Lee is a great rock drummer, despite his loathsome personality), but Bozzio can lay it down (no pun intended) with any rock drummer out there. Not all of his Zappa stuff was complex, and the Beck stuff was pure throb. I don't think Lee has the intellect to handle Zappa type stuff.

I saw Bozzio on the first Jeff Beck tour, and he moved like a boxer behind his kit, and was solid.

[druid]

yeah I think you could only compare Terry Bozzio with Tommy Lee on a very surface level....maybe the visual aspect of their playing.....but Bozzio is far and away a bette rmusicain than Tommy Lee and has the intellect and musical back round to run cirlces around Lee...not knocking Lee but we are really talking two different players here....I think people have gotten the wrong idea about Bozzio since he used to be so showy with his playing but there is alot going on there musically as well.

[vadrum]

Originally Posted by druid

yeah I think you could only compare Terry Bozzio with Tommy Lee on a very surface level....maybe the visual aspect of their playing.....but Bozzio is far and away a bette rmusicain than Tommy Lee and has the intellect and musical back round to run cirlces around Lee...not knocking Lee but we are really talking two different players here....I think people have gotten the wrong idea about Bozzio since he used to be so showy with his playing but there is alot going on there musically as well.

much respect to tommy lee, but mr bozzio is really on a different level. ive got a lot of respect for terry, hes a fantastic musician and the work that hes done, from missing persons to zappa to the brecker brothers, is always top notch.

[DWfan20005]

Terry Bozzio and Neil Peart are probably the best drummers walking on this earth (imo).
You know you're good when your drumming is just as powerful as a Symphony Orchestra.
His drum kit is just as big as a Symphony Orchestra also.

[dawg]

yeah,i think bozzio is on a totally different level than lee. chops and creativity.

[dwlover]

both over rated imo, just the easy choice (as best drummer)

[DWfan20005]

Originally Posted by dwlover

both over rated imo, just the easy choice (as best drummer)

Lee's overated but Bozzio, I don't many drummers in the media that can conjur up a storm Peart or Bozzio can while playing drums. Anyways I hope this video of Bozzio will change ur mind.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xir6EVkzDws

[Green and Mean]

Lee and Bozzio? Bozzio is musician, Lee is show and attitude man. And Bozzio also- POWER BABY! Awesome drummer !