mancegrady

Description:

Screen Name:

mancegrady

Sex:

M

Age:

57

Studio Musician:

Yes

Level Of Commitment:

Very Committed

Years Playing Music:

40

Gigs Played:

Over 100

Tend to Practice:

More than 3 times per week

Available to Gig:

4-5 time(s) per week

Most available:

Nights

I've been playing mostly Celtic music - from straight trad to more rocked out. I was on the cutting edge of the trad fusion scene in the late 70s bringing congas, bongos, djembe, etc. into Celtic music and also bringing the bodhran, for which I'm best known for, into other musical genres. My experience is diverse, having started studying classical snare, moving onto drum set and eventually to hand percussion. My interests in classical, rock, blues, big band, folk music has helped make me a versatile player with a great deal of strength in improvisation. Rhymically, I'm spot on, but am able to invoke a lot of passion and groove into my playing. Great music must feel good.

Influences:

I've always admired the ones who came before. With the bodhran whose use has had a rebirth since the 1950s, I've always had a great deal of respect for the playing of Kevin Conniff of the Chieftains and also Johnny Ringo McDonough. I've tried to pay homage to all those players, mentioned and not mentioned, but I've developed a destinct style of my own, taking full advantage of the tonal changes I get from the bodhran and I use it to compliment the melody line as much as possible, so that the bodhran goes far beyond a purely rhythmic instrument.

Equipment List:

Main instruments:
Bodhrans (diameters from 12-20" and varying depths - I make my own bodhrans),
LP Congas & Bongos,
Remo Djembe,
Premier Snare,
Tama Starclassic Drum Set,
Yamaha Manu Katche Drum Set, Bones and other percussion for texturing.

Audio/Video Downloads

No files available for download.