#491 Felipe Fournier- Vibraphonist, Percussionist, Composer, and More!
Photo by Krystal Pagan.
This week’s guest is Felipe Fournier. Felipe Fournier is a Latin Grammy-winning producer, vibraphonist/percussionist, musical director, arranger & educator from Costa Rica. He graduated from the Puerto Rico Music Conservatory, in Jazz and Caribbean Music. In 2017 Fournier won the Latin Grammy for Best Mariachi/Ranchero album for Las Caras Lindas by Flor de Toloache, as a producer. He was nominated before for Grammy & Latin Grammy; with Charlie Sepúlveda & The Turnaround (2008); Grammy & Latin Grammy with Nestor Torres Nouveau Latino (2009); Rubén Blades & Cheo Feliciano Eba Say Aja (2012); and Charlie Sepúlveda Mr. EP -A Tribute To Eddie Palmieri (2017). Based in New York City since 2013, Felipe is the musical director of Supermambo! A Vibes Tribute to Tito Puente; Luba Mason’s Triangle; Ballet Folklorico NEPANTLA; and the cabaret show The Mexican Affair among others. Fournier also plays as a sideman with Miguel Zenon’s SUR, Luisito Quintero's 3rd Element, Axel Tosca Quartet, Xiomara Laugart, Guillermo Klein, Consoul Big Band.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Shawn Pelton! Shawn has been the drummer for the Saturday Night Live band for 30 years. Playing in the SNL band has allowed Shawn to set deep roots within the NYC session scene and record with several top artists. Highlights from this list include Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Billy Joel, David Byrne, as well as several Grammy winning albums including Shawn Colvin, Brecker Brothers, and the Hank Williams tribute album. Shawn has become somewhat of a chameleon in studio sessions; He's freqently hired for his programming skills as well as his fantasic playing ability. Shawn has made appearances on Daryl Hall's internet concert series Live from Daryl's House. Pelton also served periodically as the substitute drummer in the CBS Orchestra on Late Show with David Letterman during regular drummer Anton Fig's absences. Pelton is also a founding member of the NYC-based band The Cringe.
Happy Birthday to Anthony Almonte! A singer and percussionist, Anthony Almonte was born June of 1992 in New York City. As a child, Anthony'ís parents placed him in many activities, one of those being music at the age of 6, after showing much interest in "bomba" and "plena" rhythms during the holidays in Puerto Rico. Since then, he has studied with music greats such as Angel Ruben Rodriguez, Little Johnny Rivero, and Charlie Lagond, as he began performing live in New York at the age of 10. In his young career, Anthony has incorporated the Latin percussion instruments with carious styles and genres. As a vocalist who plays percussion simultaneously, Anthony'ís energetic performance and stage presence offer a breathtaking experience to audiences.
He is currently touring with "Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul" (Steven Van Zandt), and toured over the past four years with Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Anthony has recorded as a percussionist/vocalist for Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Little Johnny Rivero & NY Cartel, Edwin Bonilla y Su Son, and New York-based salsa bands Grupo Arcano and Los Hacheros. Anthony also recorded on Little Steven'ís latest single and music video, Merry Christmas (I Don'ít Want to Fight Tonight). Anthony was featured in a weeklong series of shows, ending on New Year'ís Eve, with the Carlos Henriquez Octet at Dizzy'ís Club Coca-Cola in New York City.
At a young age, he has already performed with a wide breadth of artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Peter Wolf, Paquito D'íRivera, Andy Montanez, and Dave Valentin. He participated in August Darnell'ís musical "Cherchez La Femme". In 2013, he also performed alongside star-dancers D'íAngelo and Amanda on "America'ís Got Talent." At Thalia Spanish Theater, he performed in Cali Salsa Pal Mundo'ís sold-out hit "History of Salsa", as well as AfroTango with world renowned bandoneonist Raul Jaurena.
Happy Birthday to Dr. Alex Casimiro! Alex is the Associate Director of Bands and a lecturer at the University of New Haven, where he teaches the Chargers Marching Band, the Brazilian Drum and Dance Ensemble, and courses in World Music. He has performed with the Austin Symphony, the Omaha Symphony, and the Round Rock Symphony. Alex also served as the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at Duke University and was the percussion teacher at Creighton University.
Happy Birthday to Shawn Mativetsky! Dynamic performer Shawn Mativetsky is considered one of Canada's leading ambassadors of the tabla, and is a pioneer in bridging the worlds of Western and Indian classical music. Acclaimed as an exceptional soloist and a leading disciple of the renowned Pandit Sharda Sahai, Shawn Mativetsky is highly sought-after as both performer and educator, and is active in the promotion of the tabla and North Indian classical music through lectures, workshops, and performances across Canada and internationally. Based in Montreal, Shawn teaches tabla and percussion at McGill University. His most recent solo tabla album, Rivers, is rooted in the rich traditions of the Benares style of tabla playing. Shawn's new book, RUDIMENTAAL, features compositions for snare drum, inspired by the tabla drumming of North India.
As a practitioner of Indian classical music, Shawn regularly gives solo tabla performances, as well as accompanying kathak dance and instrumental artists. Since 2003, Shawn has been affiliated with the Pandit Ram Sahai Foundation (UK/India), and in the summers of 2006 and 2008, hosted tabla maestro Pandit Sharda Sahai's annual summer tabla workshop. Since 2011, Shawn has been hosting his own annual summer tabla workshop at McGill University. In recent years, he has been working closely with santoor player Jonathan Voyer, sitarist Uwe Neumann, and kathak dancer Sudeshna Maulik.
Shawn has performed numerous recitals around the world, and has been featured in the International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival (Cyprus), Clazz International Music Festival (Italy), Pontio / Music @ Bangor, Vale of Glamorgan Festival (Wales), Shastra Festival, the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (USA), Sound Symposium, Windsor Canadian Music Festival, New Music in New Spaces, Groundswell, Western Front, Open Space, VICO's Global Soundscapes Festival, Festival Montréal Baroque, Jusqu’aux Oreilles, Evolutions, Voyages: Montréal-New York, Festival International du Domaine Forget, New Works Calgary, and Music Toronto (Canada). As an ensemble musician, Shawn Mativetsky performs with trio Mativetsky, Amiri & Pagé, violinist Parmela Attariwala's cross-cultural Attar Project, Indo-fusion group Ragleela, very long cat, a tabla / electronic music duo with live coder David Ogborn, the improv trio Of Sound, Mind and Body, with Tim Brady and Helmut Lipsky, and percussion group Ensemble Duniya. A versatile studio musician, Shawn has appeared on albums by Elsiane, Joel Miller, Yann Perreau, Elephant Stone, Suzie Leblanc, Ramachandra Borcar, and Daniel Lavoie. Regular performances with Galitcha have led to concerts across Canada and the US, as well as tours to France and Tunisia, the chance to play with guest musicians such as Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Salil Bhatt, Harry Manx, and Yves Lambert, as well as a performance for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, during their visit to Canada. -More
Happy Birthday to Dr. Chris Hanning! Dr. Chris Hanning is a Professor of Percussion at West Chester University, a recording artist for NFL Films, and performs with the Peter Paulsen Quintet, the Bach Festival Orchestra of Bethlehem, and Philadelphia's premier contemporary music ensemble Relâche. His performing has taken him throughout Europe and the United States with engagements at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Royal Albert Hall in London. In 2006 he released Island Grooves, an instructional drum set DVD that received a 4 1/2 out of 5 star rating from Modern Drummer magazine. Chris has recorded several CD's with Relâche, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, David Liebman and the Manhattan Saxophone Quartet, and a new release with the Peter Paulsen Quintet titled Goes Without Saying. Chris performed on numerous recordings for NFL Films over the past twelve years including several Emmy Award Winning projects. You can hear Chris every year when the Lombardi Trophy music is played during the Super Bowl. He is currently co-writing music with long time NFL Films composer and producer Tom Hedden. You can check out some of his music at firstcom music . Chris is an artist/clinician for Vic Firth, Pearl/Adams, Remo, Zildjian, and Panyard and has presented clinics at Universities, conventions, and percussion festivals across the United States and abroad. Chris also chairs the Percussive Arts Society Contest and Audition Procedure Committee and serves on the PAS Board of Directors.
Happy Birthday to Joey De Leon! Joey is a classically and street-trained percussionist. He has held the bongo chair for Grammy Award winner Poncho Sanchez for the last five years and is now the band's timbalero and drummer. The band's latest album, a joint project with another Grammy Award winning artist, Terence Blanchard is a heartfelt tribute to two iconic figures: percussionist Chano Pozo and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. Both are largely responsible for creating the "Cubop" genre.
Gig Alerts
Friend of the show, Bryan Carter will be leading a band again for Jazz at Pride in NYC on June 10th and 11th.
The Power to the People Festival will happen October 3rd in Columbia, MD.
The Freedom 250 Music Festival looks like it will be cancelled or changed drastically. This is different than the America 250 celebrations. The current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is not happy.
Damon taped on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and will be heading on tour with Ziggy Marley!
Educational Spotlight
The spring issue of Drumset Magazine has been released. Friend of the show, Nate Smith is on the cover.
PASIC registration is now open. Prices increase on June 16th.
You can also renew your PAS membership to get a discounted price as well as reserve your hotel room.
Iconic Recording
This week’s iconic recording was chosen by Felipe. It is, “El Abayarde” by Tego Calderon from the album with the same name.
Music News
Friend of the show, Andy Akiho has written a timpani concerto. He talked about is in Episode #464, PASIC Recap #1 from last November.
Madonna pays rent for tenants of iconic New York rehearsal space: ‘A much-needed lifeline’. Singer teams with credit card company Bilt to cover the rent for musicians in the New York Music Building. -Article
The Yurt Rock Pocket Challenge is now LIVE! The contest is open to everyone, so feel free to submit your own video if you're feeling it. There are over $10,000 in prizes up for grabs including guitars from Heritage and Harmony, MONO backpacks, and tons of plugins from XLN Audio. Every instrument is welcome to enter… even drums (there are some great percussion loops to jam with). Shout-out to friend of the show, Ryan Gruss for putting it together (Episode #26 and Episode #85).
Shameless plug, Damon has a percussion library with Yurt Rock.
Drummer Omar Hakim has been hospitalized. For the immediate shows, Lenny White and Will Calhoun will step in to sub.
Felipe Fournier Interview
The song leading into the interview is, “DOCTOR SINCLAVE (feat. Rubén Blades, Jeremy Bosch & Felipe Fournier)” by SUPERMAMBO (Rubén Blades · Jeremy Bosch · Felipe Fournier · Marcos Torres · Camilo Molina · Danny Torres · Javier Raez · Germán Landaeta ·
Felipe is on tour with Joe Jackson and just got to meet Eddie Vedder in Seattle, thanks to drummer Doug Yowell.
Felipe is originally from Costa Rica and talks about the music he grew up with.
Felipe talks about what he uses on this tour, including the Pearl Malletstation.
Felipe recorded with Samuel Torres as part of the Trio Libre.
Felipe talks about a classical/contemporary approach versus a jazz or Latin jazz approach.
Felipe talks about the Cheo Feliciano tribute with Jeremy Bosch.
Felipe talks about the forthcoming release in July with the SUPERMAMBO project. He tells the back story about the super hero that is the protaganist.
Felipe mentions the Ruben Blades opera.
Shout-out to Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez and his comic book series La Borinqueña.
On this SUPERMAMBO album, shout-out to friends of the show, Marcos Torres and Camilo Molina as co-producers.
He mentions friend of the show, Marcos Lopez who played on the album too.
Damon mentions how Felipe and Marcos (Lopez) got to record with the legend, Steve Jordan, thanks to friend of the show, Sammy Figueroa.
Felipe talks about the studio they recorded at.
The Jazz Foundation of America had their benefit which featured the aforementioned Cal Tjader tribute.
Felipe was on tour for the benefit, so friend of the show, Juan Diego Villalobos subbed.
Felipe mentions the Caracas Trio that also features friend of the show, Daniel Prim on drums.
Damon mentions the Latin Side of the Vibraphone concert that is being brainstormed.
Felipe has already recorded another album for his group. It’s a Reggaton songbook.
Felipe mentions Edgardo Armando Franco, “El General”
Urbano: A Reggaton Songbook. Coming in 2027!
Felipe picks the iconic recording for the week.
Felipe uses Pearl Percussion, Malletstation, and Zildjian Cymbals.
Shout-out to Walter Flores.
You can follow Felipe on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.
The song leading out of the interview is “Supermambo” from the forthcoming album of the same title.
