Cliff Almond here

Hello Cliff............................
 
If anyone is unfamiliar with Caribe (Michel Camilo),you owe it to yourself to hear the contribution Cliff. That one will raise the dead,and I should know- I am 55. I have two questions...
1.Do the Oak Customs work out in low volume situations with a deft touch and coated heads?
2.Any Camilo DVD's with you on them?
Glad you will be more visible here.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LcxZXxlOFx8
 
Hey Tracer-
Thanks for the questions...(and compliment). In my opinion, the Oak Customs are great for everything. I was amazed when I first played them. I just used them in LA about 2 weeks ago on a streight ahead-ish type session with an 18" kick playing light and they worked great. With coated ambassadors they really read great dynamically live as well as recording. I use them on everything now.
As far as the dvd's Im not sure if im on any specific dvds with michel. I never know whats out there these days. But there are a bunch of videos on my site with Michel and other artists that i've played with if you want to check them out. Also on myspace.

http://www.cliffalmondmusic.com/links.html

http://www.myspace.com/cliffalmondmusic

Thanks-
CA
 
Cliff

Great to see you are visiting (finally!) You're a great drummer, (plus an excellent human being, more importantly) and many people here will benefit from you contributions

Hit me up, when you are home, and let's hang at The Collective (Call me!)

Pat
 
Hi Cliff,

Great to see you here.

I wanted to tell you that you are a huge influence on me. I remember checking your stuff out during a particularly important time in my musical development. I first heard of you in 1989 or so. My first teacher hipped me to you. Since then I have been listening to a lot of your recordings.

Ir is amazing to me how different you sound on Wayne Krantz' gigs as opposed to Michel Camilo's. As a matter of fact, every gig seems to bring something different out of your style. Very cool.

Also, nice job on your online lessons. I checked out Lesson 5 with the play along track. It's nice to hear some real world advice from an active pro, Look gorward to hearing some more.

Could you talk about what it's like playing with the great Anthony Jackson? He's got to be my favorite bass player of all time. You two sound great together in all of the different projects I've heard you in. It must be so fun working with him. (I think I would be intimidated but excited!)

Thanks for all of the inspiration!!


Terry
 
Heeeyyy ya old dawg! Finally you posted! Man if Bernhard is seeing this bro...we need a Cliff Almond page on Drummerworld. I just noticed there is no page for him??

I dont say this stuff very often so when i do, it really means allot to me. Cliff...You are one of the baddest mo fo's on the planet right now. If you guys havent seen Cliff...PLEASE check it out. I am blown away evertime i hear you with Krantz or whoever!! No joke! A wonderful person and musician.

Big hugs
PM
 
hey cliff i got the lessons! Thanks, very nice very nice
Big hugs
PM

ps: What do you think about making clips to go along with these? I think it would be great to see you playing the stuff.

El Guapo
pm
 
Man, I pride myself for knowing all the drummers out there that fall into my musical bag, guys I like to listen to.. and I totally blew it with Cliff..

what a monster! Our band does the Jaco's tune the chicken, which I was checking out on the youtube and..... Cliff Almond shows up instead( with Rob Whitlock, and the great Anthony Jackson )..smokin!

Cliff & Anthony go through this tune on like a freight train with booster rockets.. all I can say is WOW!!!

Cliff , If your'e listening, where else can I check you out?
 
Here is a nice story guys.

When i was a kid my dream was to go to PIT hahaha, Well after 4 years of procrastination ( I was 19 when i finally signed up)...i got there and one of the first things I saw, was the big band ensemble.( At the time they had a big band yes! It was sooooo cool to be able to learn and play that) As i walked the hallway towards the room where the band was, i heard this incredible drumming, burning up an uptempo chart with precision and power! Whhaaa , i thought to myself i gotta meet the guy who is playing that! So as I entered the room...i saw lots of other students peering towards the band. We all stood there kind of in disbeleif. That big ol band that sounded like a powerhouse (all top LA cats back in those days) was being pumped by this "kid" who was burning up that chart!! He looked even younger then he was back then hahaha! I asked another guy standing there "who the hell is that" and he said "oh thats cliff"

Son of a gun i never forget that day! The next day I saw him practing in his little room at the school and i right away started banging on the door! hahah! I asked him if he could help me with big band since my hands were shaking at the thought of having to play in front of Houghton and the freaking cats back then haha! To my surprise he said "oh sure man" and then proceeded to show me all the things he knew, reading interpretation of charts etc etc. Damn...I can still picture that day over 20 years ago. I learned so much in those first weeks alone and watching that "kid" reading his buttoks off, burning through chart after chart, was an inspiration that stays with you forever.

That my friends here at drummer world, is Cliff Almond. Super generous cat whom i hope you guys will draw from and pick his brain. A great addition to the forum.
Peace.
PM
 
Last edited:
Wow, great story, Phil,

Thanks for sharing.

These are the kinds of things that make forums so great!



Terry

HI Terry, yeah bro. You can learn so much on these forums. Its really great.

By the way! Loved the Hass transcriptions. Thanks for that!
PM
 
Thanks for looking at my transcription Phil,


It is a huge honor to have a player like you checking out my work!

Man, I just watched some trading stuff you did with a conga player.....whoa. You are really killing man. I really would love to hook up for a lesson next time I'm in New York.


Oh, and I look forward to digging into Cliff's lesson on the Wayne Krantz concepts. Great idea!

Terry
 
Mr. Almond.

I saw you playing with Michel Camilo (my countrymate!) in Altos de Chavon at the Heineken Jazz Festival YEARS AGO... (early 90's).

Since I(I feel I can say it now), got a CREW pass by bribing a guy with a bottle of scotch, I actually was there as you rehearsed and after you played you were cortious enough to hang with a couple of star struck aspiring drummers, who were asking who this blond kid was... ha, ha, ha.

A couple of years later, ironically, I found myself part of the organizing structure of that festival... and sadly, when Michel came, you were not playing with him at that gig... I had gotten an authentic TAMBORA to give you as a token of appretiation for the huge influence seeing you so early in my drumming life did.

It's still around here somewhere waiting for it's proper owner to come back.

Thank you.
 
Hey Guillermo-
Of course I remember hanging with you guys..... But I can't remember exactly which concert that was. I played there a couple of times with him in trio or septet, and with a big band. I do remember talking to you at one of those shows. At any rate, Im sorry I wasn't able to see you the next time after that w/Michel. Thanks for the nice note though. Those are very kind words and I certainly appreciate the compliment...when I make it down there again we will definitely hang. If you happen to see the great percussionist Guarionex Aquino in Santo Domingo please give him my best!
 
I know him and will deliver the message... he is an awesome guy (as you know!).

Hope to see you here again soon... performing or otherwise. Best wishes. Thanks!
 
Back
Top