Cindy Blackman – Big Drum Thump

Cindy Blackman Joins Istanbul Agop, Has New Signature Cymbals

BDT — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:45:32 +0000

Cindy Blackman has joined forces with Istanbul Agop to create a new line of signature cymbals called the OM series. The cymbal line will be unveiled at this year’s NAMM show (stay tuned for our pics!) and will include a 20″ ride, three crashes (16″, 18″, and 20″), and a pair of 15″ hi-hats. From the press release:

The Cindy Blackman OM series was designed in conjunction with Cindy to capture the vibier, more dynamic cymbal sounds from the golden era of jazz. The 22″ ride has a clear, slightly metallic stick due to the unique blue/black finishing and intense hammering, and features a dry, trashy crash sound. The 15″ hi-hats are low, dark and sloshy, with a clear chick and a dark and mellow wash. Crashes are paper thin, with an explosive attack and a quick decay. The 20″ makes a dynamic, yet powerful and versatile left side or crash/ride.

[via Drummer Cafe]

Cindy Blackman and Power-Jazz

BDT — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 00:17:07 +0000

Bill Leikam over at All About Jazz has reviewed a recent Cindy Blackman show and coined a perfectly genius phrase to describe her playing: power-jazz. It’s a style marked by energy and passion, of course, but it’s also one in which the “drums become the lead instrument of the band and the other instruments most often support the drummer as a working unit, together.”

Awesome. Now we just need power-reggae, power-country, and (why not?) power-polka.

Cindy Blackman Loves Jazz

BDT — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:43:03 +0000

…Not really a news flash that, but it was apparently enough of a revelation to warrant an article in Canadian newspaper The Windsor Star. Blackman’s new jazz-oriented album, Music for the New Millennium, was released last month. We’re still waiting for our review copy (hint, hint publicity people), so until then, here‘s what allaboutjazz thought.