---------After NIU...... musical influences from Alumni......

Rich Holly          (for showing us all how to play FootStompers' Dixieland "slop")

Al O'Connor       (playing even more classic Spike)

Steve Bass        (how to use dynamics in a LOUD ROCK BAND - Shades of Deerfield, Illinois)

Paul Betz            (through observation; how NOT to fuck up)

Al Brolhom         (how not to drink!  Don't worry dude, I did the same thing at Whitewater!)

Jeff Brenner        (how to improvise with sticks as weapons, and yet make it look so real, also how to put on a good poker face)

Brian Deck        (how to stay fuckesed)

Scott Kovar        (for stopping a fight in the hall that never would have happened anyway, even though your gesture was sincere.  Thank you)

Jeff Kowalski      (for puttin' to me at auditions)

Dave Lang         (how to play time "around the set" with an electric big band - Rupert's)

Rodney Ledbetter    (how to treat the ladies, and how to play splash cymbals creatively and still not crack them.)

Ray McNamarra        (all about John Cage and drumset without all the busy fills - you invented a new "pocket")

Eric Montzka        (still kickin' my ass on set)

Paul G. Ross        (showing us how to do it)

Vern Spevak        (we never met, but, "Joe Varhula" still offers you as his best example)

Arnold Sykes        (through observation, how to practice for serious orchestra auditions)

Jim Widlowsky      (face it, you are "Wicked" !)

Lana Wordel        (thank you for understanding, when I dropped my sticks - oh yes, I did actually drop them! - at Glenbrook.  Of course I have never dropped them prior nor since!)

    Amazing drummers and others, and seen live:

Joel Spencer (with Kelly Sill and usually with a trio or quartet)

Gerry Brown (with Stanley Clark then Chick Corea Elektrik Band)

Bill Cobham, Jr.

Peter Erskine (with the Milikin/NIU Jam Jazz at Durty Nellies every Sunday in the back room, then on his very first gig with Stan Kenton at the Woodfield Mall, later with Steps Ahead during Wichita Jazz Fest, and many times thereafter)

Joe Varhula (Frank, Jr., Frankie Valley, and other Franks, as well as plenty of frank commentary on my playing)

Chuck Schwartz

Stewart Copeland (when you see him live, you realize he is NOT playing all those beats right-handed! beyotch! ; I saw him with The Police at Sarafin's Woodfield club WARMING UP for Nick Lowe and Rock Pile !!!  WARMING UP? - 2 weeks after the release of Roxanne, so let's just say that the crowd wasn't there for Nick too much (not that those who stayed for him were against him), and the atmosphere was just like Blarney's Island in the 80's on a really hot day - the AC broke down just before Sting let out his first piano notes and signing, "Just a little black spot on the sun today..."; also love Stewey's film scores - Rumblefish was the first I believe)

Bill Withers? (the Chicago drummer, when he was with Whisper/Trillian while Fergie Ferguson sang and Pat Leonard keyed, then later Dream Theatre)

Charlie Brown (Chicago)

Don _____   (Chicago Studio MASTER)

Joe Ludwig (Pit Orchestra Octopus for the Lincolnshire Marriott Theatre, although you can't really "see" him!)

Dave Jennings (duh, and I should move this name up near Cobham!)

Most of the Brite Set!  (Chicago lounge band daze - they all played drums!  And mostly rather well)

Ellis Marsalis, IV(?) maybe ,III (he's the drummer, at Chicago NAJE or was it IAJE? One of them anyway)

Isidro Perez

Alejo Poveda

Marvin Smith (even well before he moved to TV Land)

Rick Vitek (elsewhere spelled wrong by me) - had the pleasure of mixing live sound & Audio-for-Video for American Cable Local Access program called, "SHOT: AT SHADES" as Rick performed with Ernie Denov on Sunday=Fusion Night

Dave Derge (also seen with Ernie Denov & others)

Darvonte "Turbo" Murray* (let's flip a coin, dude!)

Mark Walker

Louis Belsone

Buddy Rich

Me (I saw a re-run of me on Public TV !  Pretty good)

Oscar Peterson (not a drummer, but who cares - he is a rhythmacat!)

Marion McPartland

Stan Kenton (at Elmhurst and Woodfield)

The Diz

NIU Jazz Band (1 O'clock AND the 2 O'clock - the same goodness, just different styles & charts)

The Marshall's Project 9

        Others good to listen to or read:

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band (latest August 2006 release only)

CLC RADIO . ORG

WDCB

....................................

The following is culled from Rich Holly's NIU Percussion syllabi pages.

            Rich's "found" and re-"known"  links:

                 Percussive Arts Society YOU MUST JOIN.

                Marc Z's Percussion Information  

                Drummerworld