[JPL] Cindy Blackman

[Jazz Promo Services]

Cindy appeared at Iridium while back in a tribute to Tony Williams...

I saw Tony many times. I was at Slug¹s for the opening night of the Tony
Williams Lifetime with Larry Young and John McLaughlin.

I never forget it.  I sat right in front of Tony and was mesmerized by his
high hat...never saw anyone play it that fast...Joe Henderson was sitting
behind me.  After the set I overheard Joe say he dug the music, but had to
sit on 2nd Avenue to listen to it...Jim Eigo


Jim...
   
  Don't know who the other players are but one thing I do know is that they
aren't playing the song that is featured in the commercial. It almost sounds
like something she did with Lenny Kravitz...but without the vocal track.
Could 
be wrong with this. I was hanging with her a few weeks ago and she never
mentioned a word about doing this spot.
   
  She's getting some great play right now. She was featured on the cover of
the June issue of Modern Drummer Magazine. Brian Blade is on the July front
and Dafnis will be on the cover of the August issue. They are really giving
jazz a good run right now which of course is a good thing.
   
  I met Cindy when I was doing some work with Wallace Roney in the 80's. She
was very close with him at the time. I remember when I signed on with Sonor
Drums and she was playing Gretsch drums then. She called me and asked about
Sonor because they had approached her about signing with them. She switched
to 
Sonor...at the surprise of everyone. I say this because Tony Williams...a
Gretsch endorser his entire career... is her main source of drumming
inspiration. Now that she is away from Lenny Kravitz and focusing on jazz...
she's back with Gretsch. Sidebar...she actually has the ride cymbal Tony
used 
on the "Nefertiti" sessions. My guess is that Tony used it are many other of
those classic Miles sides. She said she never takes that cymbal out on the
road but for some reason she did this last tour...by accident. I touch,
smelled, caressed and embraced it. Hoping that some of the spirit of that
cymbal would rub off. Time will tell.
   
  Jae Sinnett