New RELEASE 2011
THE LIVE SECTION
The DVD is aprox 60min long and contains both Live and Studio Footage, recorded in Athens Greece,featuring top session musicians. On the 22nd of May 2011 in Athens, Greece, a drumming Festival was organised by The Modern Music School (MMS) ,featuring some of the best talent in drumming. Benny Grebb ,George Kollias , Alex Ktistakis and Panos Vassilopoulos shared the stage in a drumming extravaganza.This DVD contains Panos Vassilopoulos’ full performance during the festival PLUS footage from a studio session he recorded in Athens performing over selected electric Jazz fusion compositions.Recorded with 4 cameras and crystal clear audio.The Live section of the DVD begins with a 8 min drum solo which showcases Panos’ blazing technique on the drumkit which involves multi-pedal ostinatos using 3 remote hihats and a foot bell performing over a world composition featuring a polyrhythmic interplay with Indian tablas and soundscapes from the US.The following pieces composed by the innovative fusion keyboardist Matt Rohde (Virgil Donati ,Christina Aguilera, Alanis Morissette} feature composition with very strong grooves and syncopated rhythms with a climax of an extensive drum solo on each track. The track “You asked for it” with its driving downbeats and intricate syncopation, showcases Panos’ musical approach on the drumkit, while the track “Sidestepper” written in the unusual time signature of 15/8, allows Panos to impress with polymetric tempo changes and metric modulations. The final composition “Sanctified” written in a 6/8 Gospel style, features a blazing drum solo over the band’s vamp.
THE STUDIO SECTION
features the tracks Mambo Gringo, Protocosmos, Tippatina’s and Actual Proof, all with extensive drum solos. The track “ Mambo Gringo” is an original composition by Matt Rohde, featuring an uptempo Latin feel with a drum solo over the pianos montuno vamp. Tippatinas by Mike Stern, features a collaboration with Yiorgos Fakanas (Grammy nomitated bassist).The track Actual Proof by Herbie Hancock features a drum solo with many metric modulations over the famous band kicks. “Protocosmos” by Alan Holdsworth features Panos and his quartet performing extensive solos over the 3/4 barline, of the track. The recording was videotaped at Odeon Studios in Athens, Greece, in a single day.
“Play alongs “ : The DVD contains a DVDROM section with “play along“ versions of the studio tracks, so that drummers can practice their own performances over the top.
This DVD is available as a DIGITAL DOWNLOAD or/and as a physical product. The play along tracks are only available on the physical DVD