Everything Else

Alright, I have had enough. I've had my MacBook for 7 years and it has served me well, but it's getting on my nerves. I use it to record myself when I practice and play along with tracks, but now every couple minutes the fan comes on so loud you'd think a plane was taking off, so my recordings sound terrible...if my computer can make it through a whole recording without failing. Argh!

And by out there I mean on here, VW.

I've lived here for over a year and have yet to see another person playing jazz vibes. That being said, I know they are out there, somewhere. And there's a killer dude two hours from here at Sherbrooke university.

But there certainly aren't too many well known Canadian vibraphonists, that's for sure.

Anyway, holler if you're around.

Mackenzie

Hi Everyone,
Does anyone know anything about the vibes player AJ Mantas who played with percussionist Norman Hedman, and the Joe Cuba Sextet for more than 30 years? He was killed near his home (I think NYC) by a hit-and-run driver in, I believe, 2012. He also played with Joe Bataan, Jose Mangual Jr.'s Son Boricua. If anyone can tell me the year of his birth I'll announce you on Good Vibes as a specialist in vibraphone history.
Anybody?
gloria

Hi fellow mallet enthusiasts---I'm brand-new to the site and checking things out for the first time, but I hope to be a semi-regular. I host a specialty radio show called "Johnny D’s Jazz Journal" every Sunday afternoon on KSDS-FM / "Jazz88.3" in San Diego, California. The station was named “Best Large Market Jazz Station in America” by JazzWeek magazine in 2011, and continues to be "the" source of jazz for this region.

A beginning student came to me yesterday ready to start lessons with a set of 4 Mike Balter 122R mallets. I've always used Burton or Friedman mallets - mallets designed by 4-mallet players - which don't have as much weight at the top. But I've often wondered how heavy a mallet can be before it gets too top heavy to play 4 mallets with.