Endorser Update
MARTHA REEVES
Grover Pro Percussion has signed the legendary Motown artist Martha Reeves as an endorser . Reeves , a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee , is known for her group , Martha Reeves and the Vandellas , who performed the hits “ Dancing in the Street ,” “ Jimmy Mack ,” and “ Heatwave ” among many others , as well as an incredibly successful solo career . Reeves , who will soon be receiving her Hollywood Walk of Fame star , has also performed on Broadway , during halftime at the Super Bowl , and collaborated with a diverse set of artists ranging from James Brown to Crystal Method .
Reeves has been playing Grover Pro tambourines since they first hit the market in 1980 . “ It makes me feel more comfortable on stage . My personal sound on my Grover tambourine is my musical identity , just like my voice ,” she says .
Hal Lindes is a prolific film and TV composer and the former guitarist for Dire Straits . Throughout his long career , he has been relying on the sound of Celestion speakers in his amps .
“ This is a personal view , and I ’ m sure a lot of people will dispute it . To my ears , a Celestion speaker doesn ’ t colour the sound . It allows the personality of the actual amp to speak for itself ,” Lindes says . “ Also , I play with my fingers mostly . So , I might run the amp higher and play softer so the amp is working harder and
HAL LINDES you ’ re getting more of its own colour than you would if you ’ re bashing away with a heavy pick and heavy right hand . What Celestion does for me here is , it allows the natural sound to come through . It ’ s like I can almost hear the flesh of my fingers in the tone .”
MAXI JAZZ
Maxwell Fraser , professionally known as Maxi Jazz , is an English-Jamaican musician , rapper , singer-songwriter , and DJ best known for his role as the lead vocalist of British electronic band Faithless . He also works with ethnic pop fusion group Jah Wobble ’ s Invaders of the Heart as well as British pianist Jason Rebello ’ s jazz group . When Maxi Jazz was looking to purchase monitors for his project studio , he opted for ROKIT G4s by KRK Systems .
“ I first came across KRK in Jamaica in 2005 while looking for some monitors for my room in my mum ’ s house in Kingston ,” says Maxi Jazz . “ They came highly recommended , so I took a chance , made the purchase , and have been using them ever since … My love of reggae and hip-hop music means that it ’ s critical I get an accurate bass response to keep me in check while mixing . Also , my voice is low and deep , so midrange accuracy is key . This sweet spot is lacking in a lot of other nearfield monitors that seem to be present in many studios .”
RON YOUNG
Ron Young , founder and frontman of hard rock band Little Caesar , has been traveling with his own wireless in-ear system since the components first became commercially available decades ago . With the release of the ASI Audio by Sensaphonics 3DME Music Enhancement IEM system , Young has significantly reduced the amount of gear he now has to carry to shows while also improving the quality and consistency of his in-ear mix and protecting his hearing .
“ I learned very quickly , especially when you play in a hard rock band , that earbuds serve two functions ; besides monitoring , they also provide ear protection by isolation ,” says Young , who began his relationship with ASI Audio parent company Sensaphonics 10 years ago . “ Sending my vocal with some reverb into the 3DME system gives me the most natural soundfield and sound reproduction of being out there with wedges that I ’ ve ever had .”
78 CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE