Big Drum Thump

Bill Zildjian, son of Sabian founder Robert Zildjian, filed a lawsuit against his family and the cymbal company back in April, claiming that as a shareholder he was owed dividends. At the time, there was some talk that Sabian would be required to “wind up, dissolve and liquidate the company and assets as a whole” if necessary to pay up. That thankfully hasn’t come to pass, but a judge did recently rule against Sabian and award Bill $517,575 for dividends owed plus another $2,500 for court costs. No word yet on whether Sabian will appeal the judgment…or if Bill was invited over for Christmas dinner.

Update: Bill Zildjian was also awarded five percent interest on the outstanding dividend payments, which amounts to another $200,000. Sabian is definitely appealing the ruling. The lawsuit will likely drag deep into next year and get much uglier because Bill is alleging that “his father Robert misuses company funds for personal expenses and that his brother Andy actively undermines his position and influence on the business. He also claims his father has ignored established business regulations and protocols so as to maintain complete control of Sabian Ltd.”

Two of our favorite drummers, the incomparably funky John Blackwell and the understatedly awesome Ronnie Vannucci, have released some new wood with Zildjian. Blackwell’s whacker is 100% hickory, measures in at 16 1/8″ long with a 0.57″ diameter, and features a beefy neck, short taper, and a wood barrel tip. Vannucci has opted for a 16″ maple stick with a diameter of 0.610″. It features an oversized barrel tip and some artwork sketched by Ronnie himself.

Tommy Igoe will be answering questions in Zildjian’s Z-Club chat section tomorrow night at 8 p.m. (EST). He’s toured with name acts like Lauryn Hill, Art Garfunkle, and Blood Sweat & Tears, but most of us know him from the video Groove Essentials, which got many a beginning basher off to the right start.

Boston Drum Center has posted a little clip of a 17″ Zildjian Rezo in action. Fast-forward to the 0:12 mark.

Man, Zildjian is seriously busting out with the new gear lately. First Pitch Blacks, then Rezos, and now Dry Complex II rides in the K Custom line. They were designed in consultation with jazz guru Bill Stewart and feature a wider bell design with a lower profile that helps to control metallic overtones, hence the “dry” in the cymbals’ moniker. Three sizes are available: 20″, 22″, and a big old 24″.

Check out the promo vid, again not capable of being embedded, here.

Sigh.

Today is the day that Zildjian officially unveils its Pitch Black line (even though pics and prices and actual purchasable product leaked weeks ago). The promo vid, irritatingly unembeddable, is available here on the Zildjian site and features Diecast drummer Dennis Pavia bashing the new cymbals. Surprisingly, they don’t seem completely horrible…but there ain’t no way we’re trading in our A Customs. Sound quality, after all, is still the new black.