“I just played two nights this past weekend at Jazz St. Louis (formerly The Bistro, I suppose, although it will always be The Bistro to me!) with Dawn Weber and Friends. Plain and simple, I was floored by the sound and feel of your house kit there. I played the 12 and 14″ toms with the 20″ kick (I brought my own snare). I immediately felt a connection to the toms – I personally own a set of 1975 Gretsch maple drums in the classic “bebop” sizes, and your kit came the closest I’ve heard to replicating the great tom sound that I enjoy with those (hopefully that doesn’t sound too boastful!). They were resonant yet restrained, with a great solid tone that didn’t waiver despite the single-ply heads.
As much as I enjoyed the toms though, I absolutely fell in love with the 20″ kick. The drum was either completely or mostly hollow, and had only a small dampening pad on the bottom edge of the batter head. The drum was stunning! It was tuned low- really low in fact, much lower than I would have thought to tune it- but once I hit it, I didn’t dare crank it up. The kick was somehow sloppy and bombastic, yet totally controlled and articulate. Whether I was playing a ballad with brushes, an uptempo swing tune, or an outright rock jam (all of which were called for during the set), the drums were unquestionably up to the task of inspiring me to play my best. I think the best compliment I can give is this: your drums helped me play such that I had no regrets afterward. They were a treat.”
-Jerry Mazzuca
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