company name	Avedis Zildjian Company
company logo
company type	Private
foundation	1623
location city	Norwell, Massachusetts
location country	United States
key people	Avedis Zildjian, FounderArmand Zildjian Craigie Zildjian, Current CEO Debbie Zildjian
industry	Cymbal manufacturer
homepage	Official website }}

The Avedis Zildjian Company () is a cymbal manufacturer founded in Istanbul by Armenian Avedis Zildjian in the 17th century during the Ottoman Empire. At nearly 400 years old, Zildjian is one of the oldest companies in the world. It also sells drum-related accessories, such as drum sticks and cymbal bags.

On December 20, 2010, it was announced that Avedis Zildjian Company had merged with Vic Firth, Inc. According to the announcement, both companies will continue to run autonomously.

History[link]

Beginnings[link]

The first Zildjian cymbals were created in 1623 by Avedis Zildjian, an alchemist who was looking for a way to turn base metal into gold; he created an alloy combining tin, copper, and silver into a sheet of metal that could make musical sounds without shattering. Avedis was given the name of Zildjian (Zilciyân) by the Sultan Osman II (from the Turkish word ''zil'' – cymbal, ''dji'' – maker-seller, ''ian'' – a common suffix used in Armenian last names which means 'son of') and began an industry in 1623, the details of whose main product remained secret for generations. It became family tradition that only the company's heirs would know the manufacturing process.

The Zildjian Company moved from manufacturing noisemakers to frighten the enemies of the Ottoman Empire to manufacturing its cymbals as musical instruments in the 19th century.

1900s[link]

Around 1928, Avedis III, his brother Puzant, and Aram Zildjian began manufacturing cymbals in Quincy, Massachusetts, and the Avedis Zildjian Co. was formed in 1929, the year the Great Depression began, in competition with the K. Zildjian company in Turkey. Avedis made many innovations in cymbals that are still around today; he was the first to develop drum-set cymbals and gave cymbals names such as ride, crash, splash, and hi-hat. Jazz drummers such as Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, Shelly Manne, Cozy Cole, and Papa Jo Jones all used Avedis Zildjian cymbals.

Avedis III's son Armand Zildjian, also known as the "Father of Artist Relations," also began hand-selecting cymbals for all the top drummers. It was his close personal relationships with the top drummers and percussionists of the day on which Zildjian still bases its Artist Relations Department. In 1968, the K. Zildjian Co. and all European trademarks were bought back on behalf of the Avedis Zildjian Co. Also in 1968, Avedis split production into two separate operations, opening the Azco factory in Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada.

From 1968 to 1970, the Azco factory produced Zilco cymbals. There were two types of Zilco: one was a thin rolling produced without any hammering, which cut costs. At about this time in the Azco factory, the modern process for pressing cymbals into shape came about. Before this it was done by bumping with the Quincy drop hammer.

In 1970, Zildjian needed all their production capabilities at Azco for their regular Zildjian line, so the factory in Quincy (the then location of Zildjian) would send up castings to be finished into cymbals at Azco.

In 1975, Zildjian began making K. Zildjian cymbals at the Azco plant. This was an interesting time for the Zildjian clan because it was the first time that K. Zildjian Istanbul and the Avedis Zildjian Company had worked together to make the same Zildjian cymbals after years of competing with each other. These were made until 1979.

In early 1977, Armand Zildjian was appointed President of the Avedis Zildjian Company by his father. Soon after, Robert Zildjian split from the company amidst conflict with his brother, Armand. Shortly thereafter, in 1981, Robert started making Sabian cymbals in the Meductic Azco factory.

After taking over in 1981, Armand was awarded a number of honors from his 65-year career.

In 1988, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music.

In 1994, he was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.

He was one of the few manufacturers to be honored at the "Rock Walk" on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

In 2002, he was presented with the ''Modern Drummer'' Editor's Achievement Award.

Recent history[link]

In keeping with tradition, Armand passed the Zildjian Secret Alloy to his daughters, Craigie and Debbie (14th generation), both of whom continue to run the family business from the current factory in Norwell, Massachusetts.

Other than cymbals, the Avedis Zildjian Company produces products such as drum sticks and other drum accessories. The Artist Series drum sticks allow these endorsers to personalize their drum sticks, and these sticks are sold to the public.

Current cymbal products[link]

Sheet bronze cymbal lines[link]

Zildjian's sheet bronze cymbals are made out of identical bronze discs, which are shaped, hammered, and lathed to their direct specifications. These cymbals have a higher pitch than their cast bronze counterparts and produce a more consistent sound.

Planet Z – The least expensive line of cymbals made by Zildjian made for beginners and practicing. These cymbals are made of copper and zinc and only comes in a brilliant finish.

ZBT ("Crisp, Clean, and Defined") – Zildjian's low-end line of sheet bronze cymbals. The ZBT alloy contains 92% Copper and 8% Tin and comes in a brilliant finish.

ZXT ("Clear, Musical, and Powerful") – Zildjian's mid-level line sheet bronze cymbals. Like the ZBT alloy, the ZXT alloy contains 92% Copper and 8% Tin and comes in a brilliant finish.

ZHT ("Bold, Bright, and Melodic") – Zildjian's high-end line of sheet bronze cymbals. The ZHT alloy contains 88% Copper and 12% Tin and comes in a traditional finish.

Cast bronze cymbal lines[link]

All of Zildjian's cast bronze cymbals contains 80% copper and 20% tin with traces of silver in its alloy.

FX ("Ethereal, Atmospheric, and Creative") – Special effects cymbals that include the Oriental and Azuka lines (designed by Alex Acuna), the spiral trash cymbal, and sound effects such as China cymbals, Zil-Bels, finger cymbals, and others. The FX series comes in both traditional and brilliant finishes.

Z3 – Cast bronze cymbals made specifically for louder music. Z3s have a particularly heavy weight, which make them very loud and bright. They were introduced to replace the Z-Custom Series. The Z3 name originates from this new series being the third range of Zs introduced by Zildjian. They were also named after their motto "Power, Projection, and Playability".

Avedis Zildjian (A Zildjian) ("Bright, Full-bodied, and Natural") – The original line of Avedis Zildjian cast bronze cymbals. These cymbals come in both traditional and brilliant finishes.

Armand Zildjian – A sub-series of the A Zildjian line introduced in 2007. They are similar to the A Zildjian line but they are made with a slightly lower profile to approximate the classic cymbal sounds of the late 1960s. The Armand Zildjian cymbal line only comes in a traditional finish.

A Custom ("Fast, Modern, and Shimmering") – Cast bronze cymbals developed with Vinnie Colaiuta. Based on the original A Zildjians, A Customs have a particularly medium-thin to thin weight, making them very responsive and bright. These cymbals come in a brilliant finish. Also has a sub-series itself, ReZo; which is featured to have sounds of the Jazz era/1920s to 70s.

K Zildjian ("Dark, Warm, and Expressive") – Cast bronze cymbals that stem from Kerope Zildjian's original hand-hammered line. The machine hammering on the K Zildjians makes them dark and dry. These cymbals come in both traditional and brilliant finishes.

K Zildjian Constantinople Made in order to duplicate the looks and sound of Zildjian cymbals made in the early to mid 1900s.

K Custom ("Rich, Dry, and Complex") – Cast bronze cymbals based on the original K Zildjians but are made with very complex machine hammering techniques. K Customs are dry and complex, making them popular among jazz drummers. These cymbals come in both traditional and brilliant finishes.

K Custom Hybrid – A subseries of the K Custom line developed with Akira Jimbo. K Custom Hybrids come in a traditional/brilliant finish, with the outer edge in a natural finish and the inner part and bell in a brilliant finish.

Discontinued cymbal products[link]

Sheet bronze cymbal lines[link]

Amir/Amir II (mid 1980s): Moderate/higher-end sheet bronze cymbals when compared to Zildjian's present-day lines. Amirs were released alongside the Impulse line.

Impulse (1982–1986): Non-Cast bronze cymbals designed for hard rock. The Impulse line were replaced by the original Z Zildjian line several years later.

Scimitar/Scimitar Bronze (late 1980s/early 1990s): Scimitars replaced Amir line.

Edge/Edge Plus (1990s): Higher-end sheet bronze cymbals; preceded ZXTs.

ZBT Plus (early 2000s): Released alongside ZBT, ZBTs, and ZBT Pluses, which replaced the Scimitar line. ZBT Pluses were discontinued shortly after Edge was replaced by ZXT.

ZXT Titanium (2003–2006): Silver-colored cymbals made without any titanium in the alloy, rather there was titanium plating. ZXT Titaniums were discontinued shortly before ZHTs entered production.

Pitch Black (2008) – Sheet bronze cymbals covered with a black proprietary coating process. The Pitch Black alloy contains the same alloy as the ZHT line (88% copper and 12% tin) and comes in an all-black coated finish. The cymbals were entirely coated, except for the high hats which were uncoated on the bottom. They are the first cymbals from Zildjian that are color coated, and were, for the most part, poorly received by the drumming community.

Cast bronze cymbal lines[link]

Z Zildjian (1986–1994): Heavy, unlathed cymbals designed for heavy metal and punk. Replaced in 1994 by the Z Custom series.

Avedis Platinum (1980s and 1990s): A Zildjians with a silver-colored coating and a blue or black logo.

Z Custom (1994–2009): Cast bronze cymbals made specifically for louder music. Z Customs had a particularly heavy weight, which made them very loud and bright. Replaced in 2009 by the Z3 series.

References[link]

See also [link]

List of drum makers

External links[link]

Category:1623 establishments Category:Companies established in the 17th century Category:Percussion instrument manufacturing companies Category:Cymbal manufacturing companies Category:Companies based in Plymouth County, Massachusetts

da:Avedis Zildjian de:Zildjian es:Zildjian fr:Zildjian id:Avedis Zildjian Company it:Avedis Zildjian Company nl:Avedis Zildjian Company ja:ジルジャン no:Avedis Zildjian Company pl:Avedis Zildjian Company pt:Avedis Zildjian Company fi:Zildjian sv:Zildjian tr:Zilciyan zh:蕭特知音公司

name	Jason Bittner
birth date	January 11, 1970
Birth place	Albany, New York, United States
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
genre	Thrash metal, metalcore, death metal, ska
occupation	Drummer
instrument	Drums, percussion
years active	1990–present
label	Century Media, Atlantic/Roadrunner
associated acts	Shadows Fall, Stigmata, Burning Human }}

Jason Bittner (born January 11, 1970 in Niskayuna, New York) is the drummer for the American metal band Shadows Fall. He has won numerous awards including ''Modern Drummer Reader'''s poll for #1 Up and Coming Drummer of 2004, and in 2005, #1 Best Recorded Performance for the Shadows Fall album ''The War Within'', #1 Metal drummer (2005/2006) #2 Clinician DRUM! magazine 2011. He is recognized for his tight playing, extensive skill with double bass drumming, particularly his ability to play complex patterns at high speeds, and his familiarity with numerous styles of drumming, including Latin, Afro-Cuban, and jazz.

Career[link]

Bittner started taking formal drum lessons at the age of ten years old, however he has stated that he "had been banging on pots, pans, and garbage cans since he was about five". A native of Schenectady, NY, he continued to take lessons and perform in his middle school and Linton high school jazz and orchestra ensembles before attending Berklee College of Music in 1988. After a year of intensive study, he left Berklee to pursue his musical career outside the educational environment. This led to playing in various metal and hard rock bands throughout the late eighties and early nineties.

In 1994 he joined the band Stigmata, a prominent hardcore band in the New York scene, and over the course of the next 7 years, recorded 3 albums, released a home video, and toured the U.S. and Europe with this outfit. Bittner also played in death metal band Burning Human. They recorded 7 songs that would appear on the album "We The People: A tribute to upstate NY's hardest". Most of these songs would be rerecorded for their first album which would not come out for another decade after Bittner joined Shadows Fall. Burning Human would eventually disband in the late 90's. Stigmata disbanded in 2001; the following fall, Bittner joined Shadows Fall. Initially, he had signed on just to do one tour of Europe with the band, but subsequently decided to remain as a permanent member.

In September 2002 the band released "The Art of Balance" and went on to tour throughout the US, Japan, and Europe. Over the course of 2005, following the release of Shadows Fall's follow up effort ''The War Within'', Bittner started establishing himself as a clinician, performing at the Modern Drummer Festival, the DRUMMER live festival in the UK, followed by a clinic tour of Germany, and also PASIC in November 2005.

In January 2006, filled in for Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante for two shows, who could not tour due to family obligations. He also made a surprise guest appearance at a show in Clifton Park, New York in November 2011. He also filled in for Charlie for two shows in February 2012, after Gene Hoglan had helped Anthrax out, after the passing of Charlie's mother. Hudson Music released a joint DVD with Bittner and Chris Adler of the American metal band Lamb of God, Pro-Mark introduced the Jason Bittner Signature model 5BX drumstick, and Meinl introduced the Bell Blast ride, designed in conjunction with Jason. He was the cover feature of the UK drum publications, DRUMMER and Rhythm, the cover feature of DRUM!, and participated on Magna Carta's Drum Nation 3 record. Shadows Fall released "Fallout From the War" on Century Media Records in 2006 and spent the remainder of the year writing and recording ''Threads of Life'' at Studio 606 in L.A. with Producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush). Bittner also won the Modern Drummer Reader's poll for #1 Metal drummer for the second year in a row.

In the early winter months of 2007, Jason spent much of his time writing and recording old and material for his original band, "Burning Human". Late March brought the beginning of the Shadows Fall tour cycle supporting ''Threads of Life'', which was released in April 2007. Also during this time period, Bittner started writing a monthly drum column for RHYTHM magazine in the UK, was a faculty member (along with Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, and Horacio Hernandez) at the 2007 Drum Fantasy Camp held at Seton Hall University, and won #1 Metal Drummer and #1 Rising Drumming Star awards in the 2007 DRUM! Reader’s Poll. His book, "Drumming Out of The Shadows", co-authored by Joe Bergamini, received the #2 award in the DRUM! Reader’s Poll for Best Educational Book, and he was also featured in the book "On the Beaten Path" by Rich Lackowski, the #1 Educational Book of 2008 in the Modern Drummer and DRUM! Magazine reader's polls. Bittner and Hudson Music launched his first ever instructional DVD entitled "What Drives the Beat" in October 2008, with a clinic tour following its release.

Jason played an acoustic set with George Lynch (Lynch Mob) and Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani) in the first ever acoustic performance of Lynch's Mr. Scary. The private event was hosted by US Music at the Hilton Hotel for NAMM 2010.

Equipment[link]

Bittner currently endorses Tama drums since 2002, however he cites that he has been using the company's products since 1981. Bittner has noted that he uses three kits: a Starclassic Maple, a Starclassic B/B, and a SC Mirage. He is also endorsed by Zildjian, Promark drumsticks, DW Pedals, LP percussion, Samson/Zoom and Remo drum heads.

Drums - Tama Starclassic Performer B/B, Custom Red Lacquer

*10"×9" Tom

*12"×10" Tom

*14"×12" Tom

*16"×14" Tom

*22"×18" Bass Drum (×2)

*14"×6" Warlord Praetorian Snare Drum

*20"×14" Gong Bass or 18"×16" floor tom or 15" x 13" floor tom (On left side)

Sticks - Jason Bittner signature series 5BX Pro-Mark

Cymbals - Zildjian

*20" K Heavy Ride

*14" K Mastersound HiHats

*16" Oriental China Trash

*18" K Dark Crash Medium Thin

*8" K Splash

*17" A Custom Medium Crash

*10" K Splash

*18" A Custom Medium Crash

*21" Z3 Mega Bell Ride

*18" Oriental China Trash

*13" A Custom Mastersound HiHats (auxiliary)

*10" ZHT Mini Hats (auxiliary)

Drumheads - Remo

*Toms - Clear Emperor | Clear Ambassador

*Bass - Clear Powerstroke 3 | Ebony Powerstroke 3

*Snare - CS Reverse Dot | Clear Ambassador

*Gong-Clear Ambassador

Hardware

*DW 9000 pedal (×2)

*Tama Iron Cobra Lever-Glide hi-hat stand

*DW 9550 remote hi-hat

*Tama Power Tower Rack System

Discography[link]

Stigmata - ''Hymns for an Unknown God''

Crisis - ''The Hollowing'' (1997)

Stigmata - ''Pain Has No Boundaries''

Stigmata - ''Do Unto Others'' (2000)

Shadows Fall - ''The Art of Balance'' (2002)

Shadows Fall - ''The War Within'' (2004)

Shadows Fall - ''Fallout From the War'' (2006)

Shadows Fall - ''Threads of Life'' (2007)

Shadows Fall - ''Retribution'' (2009)

Burning Human - ''Resurrection Through Fire'' (2009)

Shadows Fall - ''Madness in Manila'' (Live) (2010)

Stigmata - ''The Wounds That Never Heal'' (2011)

Marty Friedman - ''Tokyo Jukebox 2'' (2011)

Shadows Fall - ''Fire From the Sky'' (2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

Official website

Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:American drummers Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:People from Albany, New York

it:Jason Bittner pt:Jason Bittner

name	Peter Erskine
landscape	yes
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Peter Erskine
birth date	June 05, 1954
Birth place	Somers Point, New Jersey United States
origin	Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S.
instrument	Drums, percussion
genre	Jazz
occupation	Drummer, composer
years active	1972–present
associated acts	Stan Kenton Orchestra, Weather Report, Word of Mouth, Steely Dan, Maynard Ferguson, Kate Bush, Diana Krall, Eliane Elias, Queen Latifah, Linda Ronstadt
website
notable instruments	}}

Peter Erskine (born June 5, 1954) is an American jazz drummer and composer. He has enjoyed a long and successful career as a session drummer, recording and touring with many famous jazz and rock artists, including Steely Dan and Weather Report. Erskine also produces teaching materials, such as books, videos, and online content.

Biography[link]

Peter Erskine was born in Somers Point, New Jersey, U.S.. He began playing the drums at the age of four. He graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, then studied percussion at Indiana University.

His professional career started in 1972 when he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra. After three years with Kenton he joined Maynard Ferguson for two years. In 1978 he joined Weather Report, joining the legendary Jaco Pastorius to form a formidable rhythm section. After four years and five albums with Weather Report and the Jaco Pastorius big band Word of Mouth, he joined Steps Ahead. His big band recordings with the Bob Mintzer Big Band are excellent modern big band jazz/funk performances studied by many students of drums and drumming.

His music-style spanning talent also features on Kate Bush's 2005 album ''Aerial'', where Erskine teams with bass player Eberhard Weber. Diana Krall, Eliane Elias, Queen Latifah and Linda Ronstadt among many more still choose Peter for his multifaceted musicality. Even Scottish and Finnish Classical Orchestras have had him as a featured musician.

His playing style is characterized by a thorough dedication to time-keeping and swing, a great dynamic spectrum and an ability to play several styles of music very sensitively. These qualities may be the reason for his very wide use as a session drummer in musical settings of great variety. Hence he could also be labeled as an "all-around drummer", in terms of musical styles he is capable of playing with skill.

As a jazz drummer, his dedication to timekeeping makes his jazz playing sound quite modern, as he does not tend to play with "flexible" timekeeping as do most traditionalist jazz drummers. It remains a matter of personal opinion to be discussed whether he has thus brought jazz into the modern era of perfect timekeeping (a reference here is made to drum machines and electronic music with flawless metronomical timekeeping of today), or whether he diverges from traditional jazz drumming.

Today, Erskine splits his time as a musician and that of a professor at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California.

In 1983, he performed on the Antilles Records release ''Swingrass '83''.

In 2011 he appeared on stage at the Royal Opera House, London in the new opera ''Anna Nicole''.

Discography[link]

As leader[link]

1982 ''Peter Erskine'' (Contemporary/OJC)

1987 ''Transition'' (Denon)

1988 ''Motion Poet'' (Denon)

1989 ''Aurora'' (Denon)

1990 ''Big Theatre'' (ah um)

1991 ''Sweet Soul'' (Fuzzy Music)

1992 ''You Never Know'' (ECM)

1993 ''Time Being'' (ECM)

1994 ''History Of The Drum'' (Interworld)

1995 ''As It Is'' (ECM)

1995 ''From Kenton to Now'' (Fuzzy Music)

1998 ''Lava Jazz'' (Fuzzy Music)

1998 ''Behind Closed Doors, Vol. 1'' (Fuzzy Music)

1998 ''Juni'' (ECM)

2000 ''Live at Rocco'' (Fuzzy Music)

2002 ''Badlands'' (Fuzzy Music)

2003 ''Cologne'' (w/ Bill Dobbins and John Goldsby) (Fuzzy Music)

2005 The Lounge Art Ensemble: Music For Moderns (Fuzzy Music)

As sideman[link]

With John Abercrombie

''Current Events'' (ECM, 1985)

''Getting There'' (ECM, 1987)

''John Abercrombie / Marc Johnson / Peter Erskine'' (ECM, 1988)

''November'' (ECM, 1992)

''The Hudson Project'' (2000)

With Warren Bernhardt

''Warren Bernhardt Trio'' (1983)

With Randy Brecker/Michael Brecker

''Some Skunk Funk'' (2005)

With Gary Burton

''Times Like These'' (GRP, 1988)

''Reunion'' (GRP, 1989)

With Kate Bush

''Aerial'' (2004)

With George Cables

''Cables Vision'' (1982)

With Pino Daniele

''Passi d'Autore'' (2004)

With Eddie Daniels

''Benny Rides Again'' (1992)

With Al Di Meola

''Orange And Blue'' (1994)

''The Infinite Desire'' (1998)

With Marty Ehrlich

''Relativity'' (1999)

With Joe Farrell

''Sonic Text'' (1979)

With Maynard Ferguson

''Conquistador'' (1977)

With Alessandro Galati

''Jason Salad!'' (1997)

With Jan Garbarek

''StAR'' (ECM, 1992)

With Giorgio

''Party Of The Century'' (2010)

With Gordon Goodwin

''Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band XXL'' (2003)

With Don Grolnick

''Weaver of Dreams'' (1990)

With Bobby Hutcherson

''Un Poco Loco'' (1979)

With Marc Johnson

''Bass Desires'' (ECM, 1985)

''Second Sight'' (ECM, 1987)

With Rickie Lee Jones

''Flying Cowboys'' (1989)

With Stan Kenton

''National Anthems of the World'' (1972)

''Fire, Fury, and Fun'' (1974)

With Diana Krall

''The Look of Love'' (2002)

''The Girl in the Other Room'' (2004)

With Rolf Kühn

''Internal Eyes'' (2003)

With Christof Lauer

''Christof Lauer'' (1989)

With Nguyên Lê

''Miracles'' (1996)

''E_L_B'' (2004)

''E_L_B - Dream Flight'' (2008)

With Manhattan Jazz Quintet

''Funky Strut'' (1991)

With Mike Mainieri

''American Diary'' (1994)

With Vince Mendoza

''Start Here'' (1990)

''Jazzpaña'' (1992)

''Sketches'' (1993)

With Bob Mintzer

''Quality Time'' (1998)

With Joni Mitchell

''Mingus'' (1979)

With Jaco Pastorius

''Word of Mouth'' (1981)

''Birthday Concert'' (1982)

With Gary Peacock

''Guamba'' (ECM, 1987)

With Thomas Quasthoff

''Watch What Happens'' (2007)

With Steely Dan

''Alive in America'' (1995)

With Steps Ahead

''Steps Ahead'' (1983)

''Modern Times'' (1984)

With Christoph Stiefel

''Ancient Longing'' (1994)

With Ralph Towner

''Open Letter'' (ECM, 1992)

With Mark-Anthony Turnage/John Scofield

''Scorched'' (2004)

With Weather Report

''Mr. Gone'' (1978)

''8:30'' (1979)

''Night Passage'' (1980)

''Weather Report''

With Kenny Wheeler

''Music for Large & Small Ensembles'' (ECM, 1990)

''The Widow in the Window'' (ECM, 1990)

With Joe Zawinul

''Weather Update'' (2005)

Books [link]

''Time Awareness''

''The Erskine Method for Drumset''

''My Book''

''The Drum Perspective''

''Drum Concepts and Techniques''

DVD [link]

''The Erskine Method for Drumset'' (Alfred Publishing Company)

References[link]

External links [link]

Official website: Peter Erskine.com

Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Interlochen Center for the Arts alumni Category:Jacobs School of Music alumni Category:Thornton School of Music faculty Category:People from Atlantic County, New Jersey Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:American jazz drummers Category:American session musicians Category:Steely Dan members Category:Academics of the Royal Academy of Music Category:Grammy Award winners Category:ECM artists Category:Weather Report members

da:Peter Erskine de:Peter Erskine es:Peter Erskine fr:Peter Erskine it:Peter Erskine hu:Peter Erskine nl:Peter Erskine ja:ピーター・アースキン nn:Peter Erskine pl:Peter Erskine sv:Peter Erskine

name	Ronnie Vannucci, Jr.
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Ronald Dante Vannucci, Jr.
birth date	February 15, 1976
origin	Las Vegas, Nevada
instrument	Drums, percussion, guitar, vocals, piano, keyboards, bass
genre	Indie rock, Alternative rock, Post-punk revival, Alt-country, Country rock
occupation	Musician, songwriter
years active	2001–present
label	Island, Epitaph
associated acts	The Killers, Big Talk, Mt. Desolation
website	www.thekillersmusic.comwww.bigtalkmusic.com
notable instruments	Craviotto Drums }}

Ronald Dante "Ronnie" Vannucci, Jr. (born February 15, 1976) is the drummer of the American rock band The Killers. He is also involved in a side project called ''Big Talk''.

Personal life[link]

Vannucci was born to an American couple with Italian and German ancestry. He began drumming at an early age and continued to perform from age 6 on. He was a part of his junior high school's jazz ensemble and later attended both Clark and Western High Schools. He would finalize his B. A. with a focus on percussion at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on May 14, 2011 while The Killers were on hiatus.

Vannucci played in various popular local bands in Las Vegas including Attaboy Skip (which also included Branden Campbell) and Expert on October (which also included Taylor Milne and Ted Sablay). Vannucci was working as a photographer at Chapel of the Flowers, a wedding chapel on the Las Vegas Strip when he joined Dave Keuning and Brandon Flowers who had recently begun performing as The Killers. He had met the pair while playing drums for Romance Fantasy. They would practice at Vannucci's garage, and then in the UNLV band room after hours in 2002 and 2003.

He is married to Lisa Vannucci with whom he lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Park City, Utah. The Vannuccis were married May 2, 2003, they have one pet dog, a boxer named Archie. He goes ranching in his free time.

Vannucci has previously and does currently help write The Killers hit songs (including "When You Were Young", "Believe Me Natalie", "Spaceman", "Bones", "A Dustland Fairytale", "Human" "Somebody Told Me" "On Top", etc.).

Vannucci was featured on the cover of Drummer Magazine in June 2009 and on the cover of Rhythm Magazine in October 2006 (where he was dubbed "pop's dymanic showman") and again in November 2008. He has also been featured in Modern Drummer Magazine in March 2009, and in Drumhead Magazine in September and again in October 2008.

Vannucci won in the 2006 and 2007 Modern Drummers Reader Polls.

He was listed at #49 on the NME Cool List of 2011.

Big Talk[link]

It was announced on February 1, 2011 that Ronnie Vannucci Jr. had recorded a solo album during The Killers' hiatus. Fans were also notified via The Killers' fansite, The Victims, on February 2, 2011. Rumors formed stating that Vannucci was creating a solo album while The Killers went on hiatus well before that. The album is titled ''Big Talk'' aiming with tongue and cheek at the abundance of music being put out by labels before it's being fully prepared. NME named the album #24 on its Best Albums of 2011 list. The album was mixed by Alan Moulder and recorded in London with Joe Chicarelli as producer. Matt Sharp and long time friend Taylor Milne were enlisted to help record the album. Little Oil / Epitaph Records confirmed on May 5, 2011 the release of Big Talk will be July 12, 2011. The debut solo album by The Killers’ Ronnie Vannucci - and the name of his band as well as the record - Big Talk was preceded by a single, Getaways, on May 10.

Equipment[link]

Vannucci currently uses Craviotto Drum Company drums, DW 9000 Series pedals and hardware with Zildjian cymbals and Remo drum heads, his cymbals from left to right of his set-up are:

18" K Constantinople Crash/A Ride Hi-hats

22" K (Medium Thin) High Ride with rivets

24" K Light Ride

22" K Light Ride

Note: Craviotto, Drum Workshop, Zildjian, Remo, Protection Racket (drum cases), and Latin Percussion are currently some of Vannucci 's sponsors. Zildjian has also produced the Ronnie Vannucci Artist Series Drumstick in recognition of Vannucci's work as a musician to further drumming play.

Craviotto Set-Up: Identical Maple and Mahogany wood kits.

24x14 bass drum

14x6.5 snare drum

13x9 rack tom

16x16 floor tom

18x16 floor tom

Playing style[link]

Vannucci mainly plays with his kit set up using a jazz technique with a high stool and hitched-up snare stand. He attributes this to his 6'1" frame, a former teacher who whipped him, and the examples of great drummers including Mitch Mitchell and many jazz performers.

He is known for crashing his hi-hats, skillful sixteenth notes, and a fluid playing style. Drummer Magazine labels them a "few distinctive hallmarks [that] help characterize Ronnie's style".

Vannucci and his fellow band mate, bassist Mark Stoermer, have what they consider a rewarding relationship musically. Of Stoermer, Vannucci has said, "He almost intuitively knows what I am going to play and his parts are so rhythmic its a joy to dance around him I really enjoy thinking up parts with him. . . it works very well for us."

Influences[link]

Vannucci cites influences such as jazz legend Papa Jo Jones, Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Keith Moon of The Who, and John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. He also lists as influences The Cure, U2, Depeche Mode and more modern drummers including Charley Drayton, Steve Jordan, and Ahmir Thompson.

Other[link]

As a side project Vannucci, members of Mumford and Sons and Noah and the Whale collaborated with Tim Rice-Oxley and Jesse Quin, members of Keane to record a few tracks on the debut album of Mt. Desolation (side project of Rice-Oxley and Quin) released in 2010 on Oct 19 & 20 in the UK and US. He drums on track no. 7 and also features as a guitarist on the album.

In 2008, Vannucci heard the alternative rock band Neon Trees. Vannucci had been in a Ska band called Attaboy Skip with Neon Trees bassist Branden Campbell. He later offered them an opening slot for a handful of shows with The Killers tour and helped them sign to major label Mercury Records, which was announced in late 2008.

It was confirmed on BBC1 Radio with Zane Lowe that Ronnie played drums on Playing with Fire for Killers bandmate Brandon Flowers on his solo album Flamingo.

Other former Las Vegas based bands include Attaboy Skip, Expert on October, Romance Fantasy, Free Food, and Purple Dirt.

References[link]

External links[link]

The Killers official site, from Island Records

The Killers official site (U.K.), from the Vertigo label

Big Talk official site

Big Talk Facebook Page

Ronnie Vannucci Jr Facebook Fan Group

Category:1976 births Category:American rock drummers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Nevada Category:People from the Las Vegas Valley Category:The Killers members Category:American musicians of German descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American people of German descent

da:Ronnie Vannucci de:Ronnie Vannucci es:Ronnie Vannucci Jr. fr:Ronnie Vannucci Jr. it:Ronnie Vannucci nah:Ronnie Vannucci Jr. pt:Ronnie Vannucci ro:Ronnie Vannucci Jr. ru:Ронни Вануччи-мл sv:Ronnie Vannucci Jr.

name	August Burns Red
landscape	yes
background	group_or_band
origin	Manheim, Pennsylvania
note	DO NOT CHANGE GENRE. Make case on talk page before changing genre.
genre	Metalcore
years active	2003–present
label	Solid State, CI, Hassle
associated acts	Bells
website
current members	Jake LuhrsJB BrubakerBrent RamblerDustin DavidsonMatt Greiner
past members	Jon HersheyJosh McMannessJordan Tuscan }}

August Burns Red is an American metalcore band, from Manheim, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2003, the group began their first performances while a majority of the members were attending their senior year of high school, and soon began playing shows around Lancaster, before being signed to CI Records, and afterward, Solid State Records. The group is primarily known for their heavy breakdowns and odd-meter riffs. They cite Between the Buried and Me, Misery Signals and Hopesfall as their main influences.

History[link]

Formation and ''Thrill Seeker'' (2003–2006)[link]

August Burns Red was founded in March 2003 when all the members were attending high school. The original practice sessions of the band began in drummer, Matt Greiner's old egg house and basement on the Greiner family's farmland. After playing many local shows within Lancaster, they recorded their first EP, titled ''Looks Fragile After All'' with label CI Records in 2004.

Vocalist Jon Hershey eventually quit the band during the same year, which led to Josh McManness to take on the position as lead singer, and after several months of playing with McManness, August Burns Red signed to Solid State Records in 2005. Hershey would later go on to form post-rock band Bells. August Burns Red released ''Thrill Seeker'', their first full-length album, on November 8, 2005. In 2006, drummer Matt Greiner was endorsed by Truth Custom Drums following the release of the album.

''Messengers'' (2006–2009)[link]

McManness departed from the band in 2006, exhausted by the band's constant touring. He was replaced with Columbia, SC resident, Jake Luhrs during the same year. Bassist Jordan Tuscan also left the band in 2006 for similar reasons as McManness. He was replaced by bassist Dustin Davidson, a friend of the band. The band's second album, ''Messengers'', was released on June 19, 2007. Marking the debut for Luhrs fronting the group, it managed to become the band's breakthrough album, reaching number 81 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album has sold a total of 108,000 copies as of May 2011.

Throughout 2008, August Burns Red toured with several acts across North America and Europe to promote ''Messengers''. From April to May they toured with As I Lay Dying and Misery Signals across the United States and Canada. In September and October of that same year, they headlined a tour with A Skylit Drive, Sky Eats Airplane, Greeley Estates, and This or the Apocalypse in the United States. The band also visited Europe for a month-long headlining tour in November, playing in Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, The United Kingdom, Republic Of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and France.

After this series of tours, the band recorded two covers of popular songs. They recorded an instrumental version of the classic song, "Carol of the Bells" for the ''X Christmas'' compilation album, which was featured in trailers for the film, ''The Spirit'', released Christmas Day 2008. They also recorded a cover of "...Baby One More Time" by pop singer Britney Spears for the ''Punk Goes Pop 2'' compilation album, released in March 2009.

On February 24, 2009, the band released an EP, entitled ''Lost Messengers: The Outtakes''. It contains material that is related or was decided not to be included in the final, mastered version of ''Messengers''. August Burns Reds' first trip to the Middle East took place on March 6, 2009 with the band playing at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival. The band's last tour before their next album release took place in the United States, where they toured with metalcore band All That Remains throughout April and May.

''Constellations'' (2009–2011)[link]

To promote their upcoming album, August Burns Red released several new tracks and a music video during June 2009. The tracks ''Thirty and Seven'', ''Existence'', and ''Ocean of Apathy'' were all released on the 15th, 21st, and 29th, respectively. A music video for the song ''Meddler'' was also released during this month. On July 7, a week before the album's release, August Burns Red began streaming the full album on their Myspace profile for a limited time. August Burns Red released their third full-length album, ''Constellations'', on July 14, 2009. During the week of August 1, 2009, the album charted at spot 24 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Another United States tour was organized with August Burns Red headlining and support from Blessthefall, Enter Shikari, All Shall Perish, and Iwrestledabearonce. After this tour, the band joined a short tour in Australia with Architects in support of Australian band Parkway Drive. August Burns Red toured alongside Underoath and Emery in November and December 2009 as well.

The band released their first live CD/DVD, ''Home'', on September 28, 2010. The group co-headlined an ''Alternative Press'' tour throughout November. On February 23, 2010, ''Constellations'' was nominated for the Dove Award for "Best Rock Album".

August Burns Red toured Australia and New Zealand in December 2010 on the No Sleep Til Festival. The band played alongside Parkway Drive, A Day to Remember, NOFX, Dropkick Murphys, Suicide Silence, Megadeth, Descendents, Gwar and many others.

''Leveler'' (2011–present) [link]

On July 27, 2010, lead guitarist, Brubaker stated that the band would be taking time off tour to write their next record, On February 12, 2011, the band announced via their official Facebook page that they had completely finished writing their new record and that they would be entering the studio on Valentine's Day. which, following into March of the next year, the band announced that the record was finished, and that it was (at that point) time for mixing. On the April 5, August Burns Red revealed the name of this upcoming record as ''Leveler''. On May 16, 2011, the band released the song "Empire" as a preview before its release. They also later premiered three other songs: "Internal Cannon", "Divisions", and "Poor Millionaire", on May 31, June 6, and June 14, respectively.

''Leveler'' was released on June 21, 2011 in two forms; standard and deluxe. The deluxe version of ''Leveler'' contains four extra songs, including an acoustic version of the song "Internal Cannon". The album sold particularly well compared to their other releases, with 29,000 of its opening first week-copies being sold in the United States alone. These sales had the record land at position 11 on The Billboard 200 chart. After the release, August Burns Red took part on the main stage of the 2011 Vans Warped Tour.

August Burns Red headlined their own ''Leveler'' tour on the first quarter of 2012 with Silverstein, Texas in July, I the Breather and Letlive as support acts.

Characteristics and image[link]

Musical style[link]

August Burns Red is generally credited as a metalcore band, and have also been said to share traits of other genres such as progressive metal, and thrash metal. August Burns Red songs frequently feature technical or odd time signatures and heavy breakdowns, with a variety of influences including Meshuggah, Between the Buried and Me, Poison the Well, Symphony in Peril and Misery Signals.

While the group has stated that they don't mind being classified as metalcore, Brubaker has grown to a distaste in the genre's usual bands: "I feel like anyone who can pick up and play a guitar and learn to play a metalcore riff and any drummer who can learn to play a thrash beat over a breakdown is doing it. It's almost become very formulaic, and metal to me was never a formulaic genre."

Band name [link]

August Burns Red have been asked of the origin of their band name on many occasions and many different stories given in explanation to where it originated. The most popular story behind the name is an incident that revolves around the band's original vocalist, Jon Hershey wherein he dated a woman named August who burned his dog Redd alive in his dog house.

However, it was later revealed in a radio interview that this meaning (along with others) were simply comical stories created by the members and there is no actual meaning behind the band name. Drummer Matt Griener stated in the interview that "we just came up with the name to come up with a name."

Christian faith[link]

August Burns Red is a Christian band. JB Brubaker mentioned in an interview with ''Shout!'', an online magazine, that "Christianity is a religion, not a style of music" and he would "rather just let the music speak for itself." Brent Rambler commented on the fact that "It is important to us that people know that we are indeed Christians...without having us stand up there and ram it down people's throats."

Members[link]

;Current

JB Brubaker − lead guitar (since 2003)

Brent Rambler − rhythm guitar (since 2003)

Matt Greiner − drums, piano (since 2003)

Dustin Davidson − bass guitar, backing vocals (since 2006)

Jake Luhrs − lead vocals (since 2006)

;Former

Jordan Tuscan − bass guitar (2003–2005)

Jon Hershey − lead vocals (2003–2004)

Josh McManness − lead vocals (2005–2006)

Discography[link]

;Studio albums

Year	Title	Label	Chart peaks
			! style="width:50px;"	! style="width:50px;"	! style="width:50px;"	! style="width:50px;"
2005	''Thrill Seeker''	rowspan="4"
2007
2009
2011

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:Heavy metal musical groups from Pennsylvania Category:American metalcore musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 2003 Category:Solid State Records artists Category:Christian alternative metal groups Category:American Christian metal musical groups Category:Hassle Records artists Category:People from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Category:Musical quintets

cs:August Burns Red de:August Burns Red es:August Burns Red fr:August Burns Red it:August Burns Red nl:August Burns Red ja:オーガスト・バーンズ・レッド pl:August Burns Red pt:August Burns Red ru:August Burns Red sk:August Burns Red fi:August Burns Red sv:August Burns Red