Phil Fewsmith
CONTACT

ABOUT

Even though I grew up listening primarily to classic rock and pop, (as well as classical and broadway show tunes), I later began to be influenced by a multitude of other genres. These days, my tastes are seriously eclectic!

I appreciate everything from Early Music and Baroque to World Music, Rock (pop, alternative, progressive, classic, metal,), Techno & Electronica, Jazz, Rockabilly, Blues, Rhythm and Blues, Soul, Funk, Gospel, Surf Culture Music, American Roots, Western Swing, Country, Latin, Brazilian Bossa Nova, Peruvian, Celtic.

As Duke Ellington once said: "There are two kinds of music. Good music, and the other kind.....If it sounds good and feels good, then it IS good!"

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I played drums for many local LA rock bands when I was in my twenties and thirties. I was very good and always got a lot of compliments on my playing from my musical peers. At the same time, I was beginning to pursue a career as a professional photographer and eventually went in that direction full time. I have been doing it for over four decades by now. If you look up my name on the internet, you'll find my website (fewsmith dot com) and tons of my images on Google's image search pages.

Along with photography, I also do graphic design, photo-illustration and art direction. Musically, I have gravitated towards compositions for various film soundtracks and other projects.

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CREEPAZOID: No comment. I don't know how to best describe this tune - except that I like it! An interplay of creepy and fun.

SYNTH GROOVE: A short experimental synth track that will have bass, drums, percussion and other instruments added later to give it an edge.

HIDDEN CITY: An opening credits composition made for the yet unreleased dystopian docu-drama "Hidden City."

ONCE UPON a CELTIC DREAM: A composition for a pending film project.

EIGHTIES TECHNO GROOVE: An experiment with loops, ending up with this composition as a spoof on eighties music, specifically Beverly Hills Cop, along with some Jon Lord organ thrown into the mix (and who knows what else).

MY DARK NIGHT of the SOUL: A composition for "Hollywood Halloween," a video montage of B&W stills I took throughout the eighties and nineties documenting LA's largest and most free-spirited annual street party of that time. Hollywood Boulevard was cordoned off from La Brea Avenue eastward towards Vine Street. Costumed partiers were allowed to wander freely for most of the night. Given the scale of the event and the Zeitgeist of those pre-9/11 decades, you will never witness anything like that ever again! The link to the video is on this page.

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Screen name:
Phil Fewsmith
Member since:
Feb 05 2012
Active within 1 week
Level of commitment:
Just for Fun
Years playing music:
15

Influences

JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER LISTENED TO HAS INFLUENCED ME ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. HOWEVER, IF YOU WANT SPECIFICS, HERE IS MY LIST:

CLASSICAL COMPOSERS: Vivaldi, Telemann, Schubert, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Haydn, Handel, Mozart, Paganini, Boccherini, Corelli.

CONTEMPORARY: The Beatles, Jeff Beck, Johnny Cash, The Traveling Wilburys, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, Pentatonix, Adele, Katie Perry, Lady Gaga, Pink, Incubus, Maroon 5, Jeff Buckley, Charlie Sexton, The Rolling Stones (especially with Mick Taylor), Led Zeppelin, James Brown, Rick James, Ray Charles, Lucinda Williams, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Imogen Heap, Ry Cooder, Mick Ronson, David Lindley, Link Wray, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Who, Focus, Golden Earring, The Black Crowes, Steve Marriot, Humble Pie, Foreigner, Queen, Brian May, Chicago, Terry Kath, Rod Stewart (with Jeff Beck and The Faces), The Dandy Warhols, Rachel Price with Lake Street Dive, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, The Laura Cox Band, Patty Smyth, Gretchen Menn (solo and with Zepparella), Nili Brosh, Lynn Carey Saylor, Ladyhawke, The Glitch Mob, Daft Punk, Moby, Evanescence, Mark Knopfler (solo projects and with Dire Straits), Procul Harem, Traffic, Edgar and Johnny Winter, The Gipsy Kings, Genesis, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Los Lobos, CSNY, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eddie Van Halen, Paul Gilbert, Jennifer Batten, Joe Satriani, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Chris Isaac, John Hiatt, Buddy Holly, The Pretenders, Supertramp, Heart, Diane Krall, Elvis Costello, The Everly Brothers, Patsy Cline, Frank Sinatra, War, The Beach Boys, The Ohio Players, The Zombies, Rod Argent, Brian Auger and the Oblivion Express, Nickel Creek, Neil Finn (solo and with Split Enz), Buddy Guy, Albert Lee, Carlos Santana, Steve Vai, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Cream, Deep Purple, Tommy Bolin, Jennifer Batten, Tom Waits, Joe Walsh (before, during and after The Eagles), Don Henley, Phil Keaggy, AC/DC, Gary Moore, Rory Gallagher, George Lynch, Red Rider, The Police, Mattias Eklundh (with Freak Kitchen and other projects), Porcupine Tree, Tonio K, Dave Matthews Band, The Cars, Lyle Lovett, Tommy Emmanuel, Marcin Patrzalek, Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell, 2 CELLOS, Li-sa-X.

70's - 80's NEW WAVE / SYNTH-POP / TECHNO-POP / ROCK: Roxette, Missing Persons, The Producers, The Motels, Yaz, Split Enz, Eurythmics, The Fixx, INXS, The Knack, Lene Lovich, Talking Heads, The Human League, Kraftwerk and Harold Faltermeyer.

JAZZ, LATIN, WORLD and CELTIC: Scott Joplin, Jellyroll Morton, Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Hoagy Carmichael, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, John Coltraine, Jerry Mulligan, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Clarence Clemons, Yo Yo Ma, Charlie Haden's Quartet West, Billy Childs, Strunz and Farah, The Afro-Cuban All Stars, The Buena Vista Social Club, Gotan Project, Cesaria Evora, Astor Piazzola, Paco De Lucia, Rodrigo y Gabriella, Jan Garbarek, Inti-Illimani, Loreena McKennitt, The Chieftains, Matt Malloy, Alasdair Fraser, Clannad, The Tannahill Weavers, Talitha Mackenzie and Mouth Music, Kevin Burke (solo and with Patrick Street), Arty McGlynn and Nollaig Casey, De Dannan, Seamus Connolly, Ad Vielle Que Pourra, Dougie MacLean.

. . . . and many more great musicians that I have either forgotten, or haven't heard of yet!

FAVORITE DRUMMERS (those who have influenced my playing, or those who I just appreciate for their skills, taste and the way their drums sound): John Bonham, Keith Moon, Mitch Mitchell, John Densmore, Ed Cassidy, Aynsley Dunbar, Neal Peart, Omar Hakim, Simon Phillips, Kenny Jones, Micky Waller, Mick Fleetwood, Louie Pérez, Buddy Rich, Phil Collins, Alex Van Halen, Stewart Copeland, Cozy Powell, Ginger Baker, Vinnie Colaiuta, Terry Bozzio, Dave Weckl, Ian Paice, Thomas Pridgen, Thomas Lang, Juan Carlos Mendoza, Dennis Chambers, Carter Beauford, Cesar Zuiderwijk, Tony Royster Jr., Aaron Spears, VADRUM (Andrea Vadrucci), Hugh Grundy, Narada Michael Walden, Manu Katché, Terry Williams, Richard Bailey, Jeff Pocaro, Joe Morello, Brando Khoo, Yoyoka Soma.

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Instrument experience:

Drums:
Advanced
Other Percussion:
Moderate

EQUIPMENT

Ludwig

MUSIC