Abakua refers to a secret, Afro-Cuban, male society of percussionists - as I understand it, one had to be initiated into this society before they would be taught how to play percussion in their style. One of their hallmarks is to impose what I…

For this Mother's Day week, a conga improvisation dedicated to Saint Monica and all the other mothers who surreptitiously provide for and incessantly pray for their children. Thanks Mom! ** this could really use a tasty melody to go with…

CROSS-OVER POLYRHYTHMS This is actually a type of enharmonic polymeter, where 2 rhythms with **different meters** (i.e., a different numbers of beats/measure) are played at the **same tempo**: the measures do not line up each time. These rhythms…

Improvisation on congas and very fragile, clay Moroccan bongos (which my brother found for me from an African display at some zoo!). These bongos are basically clay pots with permanent, very thin goat skins stretched over the top - they can not…

You're just kidding yourself if you thought I could resist the chance to add a bit of percussion to this wonderful song by Osckilo & Launched. I used Paiste Sound Discs to create a 3vs.4 polyrhythm against the delightful underlying 4/4 Spanish…

This is one stereo track of 6 conga drums tuned, by ear, to roughly a chromatic scale (I don't know which one - perhaps I've gone micro-tonal!) coupled with a single track of ad-lib quinto (the high drum) and a "shuffle" groove on trap-set…

If you have the fever and the only cure is more tambourine, here it is. MORE TAMBOURINE SOLOS!! (But you should probably wait until you have the house to yourself...)

A Gon Bops conga improvisation with a cross-over rhythm. No tan lines. 4/4 200bpm.

Long drum solos aren't for everyone - I get it. Just do what many at Grateful Dead concerts did and look at it as an opportunity to go get another beer. On the other hand, if you are the sort of person who cheers at the fireworks show, I hope…

A 3 track improvisation on 7 congas roughly tuned by ear to a chromatic scale. LYRICS: I walked a mile with Pleasure; She chatted all the way; But left me none the wiser For all she had to say. I walked a mile with Sorrow, And ne…