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Joe's video from his Birthday get together with Dana.

Oh no! Not more Giant Steps! Thought I would test drive the new video system with this link from You Tube. Peace, Steve

I may not be the greatest expert on the biography of Claire Musser, founder of the company that bears his name and that dominates in the mallet instrument field. However, I have played Musser instruments since I was six years old (this is my 60th year playing Musser!), and I did have a few encounters with this colorful character, an individual who was largely responsible for increasing mallet instrument visibility in the early years.

Here's on of the latest clips from Tyrone's trio on Bob Miles' show, "Miles on Music". It features Craig McIver playing his tune "The McCoy" on vibes. There is some idiot playing drums on this take... no idea who that is. :)

Peace
randy

I've posted Diane playing this same tune on the site. However I'm getting some promo vids for us together and I thought I'd post this. More coming.

Anyone hanging around the site has seen all the changes and the growth of the site! It's really incredible what's happening. Probably the most exciting thing for us is Gary Burton joining the site and sharing with us thoughts on playing, his career and life. I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that that would happen. This is a wonderful gift.

Things like this start taking the site into new directions. In a way he's started an archive of the history of the instrument. He's played such an important part as we all know.

Steve Giordano was and I think is my mentor. I've mentioned this before and probably many times. I learned more about the vibes from him than any teacher I studied with.

Whether I'm successful at it or not, this is how I hear the vibes as a solo instrument.

I learned a ton from Steve and was at his house every week from the 80's to the mid 90's. There was a few of us and we would just play and play.

He's a real passionate player and I love that in him.

I don't know if this is such a big topic, but it's one I always find interesting when the situation occurs. I think no matter how long you have been performing, there are still moments when you can get psyched out by seeing someone you know sitting in the front row. Tonight Jonathan and I are going to Miami to see Chick and John McLaughlin and their current touring group. It promises to be a great night of music and we have tickets right up front. This is one of the few times I will be in the audience to hear Chick play.

Tifoo posted a YouTube of pianist Makoto Ozone playing Rhapsody In Blue, and I was delighted to see it. Makoto has bcome quite active as a classical pianist in the past decade, and I have never seen him playing with an orchestra till now. Coming from a jazz background, it's natural that two of his primary performance works are Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue, and Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F major. Both feature piano cadenzas written out by Gershwin, and of course played by thousands of pianists through the years.

Performances of Gary Playing over the years.