This week’s guest is Paul Amorese! Paul is an American drummer and percussionist from Rochester, New York. He has performed and toured with a variety of musical groups, including Bacci, the WMDs, The Commuters, Jack Dishel and Only Son, Visible from Space, Bryan Scary, Hypnotic Clambake, Boutros Boutros, and goodbyemotel.

He also started a company called Buddi Systems.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Colin McNutt! Colin has instructed and arranged for the Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps and the popular stage production Blast! He has also written for and instructed the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps, Magic of Orlando, and the Madison Scouts. Colin has served on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he is an alumnus and received degrees in Classics and Music Education. Most recently, he was the Percussion Caption Supervisor and then Caption Head for the nine-time DCI World Champion Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps. This past year he became the Caption Head for the Boston Crusaders.
He hasn't only instructed, as McNutt started marching drum corps his junior year in high school in 1988 with the Boston Crusaders of Boston, Mass., then aging out with the Santa Clara Vanguard of Santa Clara, California, in 1992.
McNutt has made a career out of his passion for music and percussion, while in between completing his double major of music education and classics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1998. When not instructing drum corps, McNutt conducts clinics for the percussion companies Avedis Zildjian Co., REMO, Inc., and Vic Firth. He also writes music for marching bands in the United States, Canada, Thailand & Japan.

Happy Birthday to Gabo Lugo! Born in Puerto Rico, Gabriel “Gabo” Lugo’s production work has been nominated for multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.

Bachelor's degree, Electronic Production & Sound Design from Berklee College of Music From 2008 to 2012. Global Studies International Business Program at Berklee Valencia From 2012 to 2012. Gabo Lugo is skilled in: Sound Design, Audio Engineering education and more! This is the single he produced that came out summer of 2020.

Happy Birthday to Dafnis Prieto! From Santa Clara, Cuba, Dafnis Prieto’s revolutionary drumming techniques and compositions have had a powerful impact on the Latin and Jazz music scene, nationally and internationally.

Various honors include a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship, Up & Coming Musician of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association in 2006, a 2018 GRAMMY Award and Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album for Dafnis Prieto Big Band Back to the Sunset, a GRAMMY nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album for Absolute Quintet in 2006, and a Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist in 2007. Also a gifted educator, Prieto has conducted master classes, clinics, and workshops throughout the world. He was a faculty member of Jazz Studies at NYU from 2005 to 2014, and in 2015 became a faculty member at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

Since his arrival to New York in 1999, Prieto has worked in bands led by Henry Threadgill, Steve Coleman, Eddie Palmieri, Chico and Arturo O’Farrill, Dave Samuels and The Caribbean Jazz Project, Jane Bunnett, D.D. Jackson, Edward Simon, Michel Camilo, Chucho Valdés, Bebo Valdés, Roy Hargrove, Don Byron, and Andrew Hill, among others. He has performed at many national and international music festivals as a sideman and as a bandleader featuring several of his own projects and music.

As a composer, he has created music for dance, film, chamber ensembles, and most notably for his own bands, ranging from duets to big band, and including the distinctively different groups featured on seven acclaimed recordings as a leader: About The Monks, Absolute Quintet, Taking the Soul For a Walk, Si o Si Quartet: Live at Jazz Standard, Dafnis Prieto Proverb Trio, Triangles and Circles, and Back to the Sunset. He has received commissions, grants, and fellowships from Chamber Music America, Jazz at Lincoln Center, East Carolina University, and Meet the Composer. In 2016 Prieto published the critically acclaimed drumming instructional book, A World of Rhythmic Possibilities: Drumming Lessons and Reflections on Rhythms.

Happy Birthday to Will Fry! Will is a multi-percussionist based in Peckham, London. Will moved from his hometown of Brighton to London at twenty years old and quickly began working with a wide range of influential musicians, including Alex Wilson, Snowboy, Roy Ayers, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Nathan Haines, Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers, Sola Akingbola, Jamiroquai, Duffy, Roberto Pla and more.

Over the next ten years, he performed in over thirty countries across six continents, including Baaba Maal’s Blues de Fleuve festival in Senegal, Java Jazz festival in Jakarta and Fuji Rock festival in Japan. Will also took classes in Cuba, Brazil, Senegal and the United States with many of his favourite percussionists.

Later performance credits include Eliane Correa, Ola Onabule, Giovanni Hidalgo, Eliel Lazo, Joe Bataan, Dele Sosimi (Fela Kuti), Native Dancer, Femi Temowo, Ill Considered, Rene Alveraz and more.

Recording sessions include Sam Smith, Utada Hikaru, Human Nature, Mr Children (Jpn), Baaba Maal, Duffy, Ola Onabule, Nostalgia 77, Natural Self, Eliane Correa, M Ward, Sahra Gure, Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation and more.

Will has worked on several West End Shows including Motown the Musical, Thriller Live and The Lion King. He has performed on major TV shows including Later... with Jools Holland, The Jimmy Fallon, Jay Leno and the Ellen DeGeneres shows and recorded on the soundtrack to the 2009 film Nowhere Boy.

With a specialism in Latin American percussion, Will often incorporates his background on drum set, orchestral, electronic, West African and North Indian percussion (as well as the piano and violin) to create something unique.

Happy Birthday to Iain Moyer! Iain is the Director of Athletic Bands and Music Programs Recruiter at Widener University. As Director of Athletic Bands, he oversees all aspects of the Widener University Marching and Pep Band, which performs at home football and basketball games, along with other university events. In his role as a Music Programs Recruiter, he is responsible for recruiting high school students with a music background into Widener’s academic majors and placing them in one of the many Widener music ensembles.

Iain also serves as the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps' Front Ensemble Arranger. Prior to joining the Boston Crusaders, Iain served on the percussion staff of The Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps, where he served as Front Ensemble Arranger from 2009-2016. During his time with The Cadets, the corps won its 10th DCI World Championship in 2011, and the percussion section received the Fred Sanford Award for Best Percussion Performance in 2013.

Gig Alerts

Lollapalooza (Chicago) is happening this weekend August 3-6th.

Billie Eilish is going to have a “green” set and reduce her carbon footprint. -Article

Rock the Bells Festival is happening at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens on Aug 5th.

Hip Hop 50 Live is happening at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Aug 11th.

The DCI Eastern Classic is happening this weekend Aug 4-5 in Allentown, PA.

If you can’t be there in person, you can watch on Flo Marching.

The Jonas Brothers added 50 new dates to their tour totaling 90 shows in 20 countries.

The band Lawrence will be opening for the Jonas Brothers on part of their tour.

Damon will be playing on Nantucket from the 7th-13th with Billy Ruegger.

Educational Spotlight

The Percussive Arts Society is hosting a Keyboard Masterclass from Ivan Trevino at this year’s PASIC.

The deadline to apply is September 15. The Masterclass is open to high school and university students. Apply HERE.

Iconic Recording

The iconic recording was chosen by Paul. It is the song “God Bless the Absentee” by Paul Simon from the ‘One Trick Pony’ album. This album features Steve Gadd on drums and Ralph MacDonald on percussion, among other great musicians.

The honorable mention song for this week is “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” also by Paul Simon.

Music News

You can read winners of the 71st Downbeat Magazine Critic’s Poll by CLICKING HERE.

You can read the nominees for the Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll by CLICKING HERE. Winners will be announced in September.

According to a new report, Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster could face a federal antitrust lawsuit by the end of the year. Three people with direct knowledge of the matter told Politico that the Department of Justice is aiming to file a lawsuit as soon as this fall that claims the live entertainment giant abuses its power over the industry. Such a case would add to the company’s existing legal battles and, if successful, could lead to the breakup of the company. -Article

The Fix the Tix Coalition is joined by NITO and NIVA in applauding the fast-moving ‘TICKET Act’ as a step in the right direction for comprehensive ticketing reform.

The Fix the Tix Coalition, campaigning for new regulation of the ticketing market in the United States, has released a statement applauding the Senate Commerce Committee’s efforts on the fast-moving Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act, which the Committee passed last week. -Article

The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation formally introduced the ‘AM For Every Vehicle Act’ to the Senate floor.

On the morning of Thursday, July 27, the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation officially introduced the AM For Every Vehicle Act to the Senate floor in an executive session broadcast live. The bill was introduced by Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX). -Article

Paul Amorese Interview

The song leading into the interview is, “Catch Me If You Can” by Bacci, from the album ‘Smoke + Mirrors’.

Damon and Paul played with the Hip Hop cover band called Concrete Jungle out on Nantucket a couple of weeks ago.

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Damon talks about using electronics as a drummer/percussionist. Including the Roland SPD, Yamaha DTX, Alesis Sample Pad Pro or even the Nord Drum 3P.

Paul has a wikipedia page and talks about how he got it. Shout-out to the band Goodbye Motel.

Paul talks about being in magazines, including Modern Drummer.

Damon and Paul talk about how they met at the Rockwood Music Hall.

Shout-out to Ryan Vaughn and some of the NYC side-person scene. Shout-out to Tony Miceli.

Paul talks about the opportunities and connections made from the various Rockwood scenes.

During the pandemic Paul put out an album with his band Bacci.

Paul is from Rochester, NY.

Paul also does video production.

Paul mentions his hero is Steve Gadd (also a Rochester, NY native).

Paul was a member of the Empire Statesmen.

Paul tells a story about Steve Gadd’s car being detailed.

Paul is distant cousins with Chuck Mangione. Shout-out to Gap Mangione.

Paul almost went to the Santa Clara Vanguard drum corps.

Paul tells the story of when he first saw drums and his beginning lessons.

Shout-out to MTV and the rock videos.

Paul talks about how get got his first drumset. Shout-out to Keno.

Paul learned from Phil Fogerty.

Paul talks about how he got his nickname.

Shout-out to Brad Wood and Al Murray.

Paul talks about his new business venture called Buddisystems. The Buddisystems platform gives the ability for the bandleader and the freelancer to have transparency for the gigs, allows for musicians to find other musicians and also gives an idea on what bands are out there hiring. Musicians can scope out the Buddi Feed and reach out to others about gigs and just simply put it out there that they are available for hire. In terms of the 1099 and W9 work flow, it makes bandleaders lives so much easier by having the Buddi Wallet report payouts to the government as well as distribute 1099s at a low cost. It's compatible with Wave, Quickbooks, Freshbooks and Xero and is a really handy tool to track all payouts to musicians. You can even upload W9s and invoices that were not paid on Buddi and have them report those.

The other thing that is important is that a bandleader needs certain tools to operate for setting up their business and retrieving W9s and such. Buddi also does that for a band leader so they don't need to go around and collect all the W9s last minute. Also, why do they need to do this? For example, all too often, me as a bandleader would collect a check from a bride or groom and then have to figure out how much I would split all of that up so that I wasn't responsible for all of the taxes at the end of the year. Having a platform like Buddi is nice too because there are no payments ceilings that would prohibit me from paying out a band off of a $10K wedding for example.

Paul makes a joke about touring with Sting. Friend of the show, Zach Jones is actually on tour with Sting.

The three platforms Damon mentions that could benifit from adding Buddisystems that musicians use are Planning Center Services, JammCard and Master Tour.