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The wise Among uS
Photo : Lee Chomiak
Jeff Burrows ( con ’ t )
CM : What ’ s the most recent piece you ’ ve added to your live set up and why did it earn that spot ?
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JB : I seem to be upgrading a lot of my gear . The Roland SPD-SX pads get upgraded and I ’ m always upgrading my in-ears . Probably the most recent acquisition is a djembe stand , because when The Tea Party really dove into the world music and rock combination , djembes and more exotic skinned percussion instruments were really hard to come by . Now they ’ ve got these fantastic stands that make it so much easier to play when you ’ re going back and forth between playing the djembe in the middle of a song and going back to playing the kit .
CM : What is it about drumming that has satisfied your artistic drive ?
JB : Getting to play with a band that we put together in grade six , still with the same singer now , believe it or not , just fueled that creativity between us . I was in a position to play with so many bands in high school and being in that diverse culture of band situations allowed me to expand and not be a sit-back , spinal cord-of-the-band drummer , which I do enjoy , but I prefer to be a one-third part of the trio and I ’ ve just gotten off on that .
CM : Since you started playing at such an early age , how do you keep things fresh and exciting behind the kit ?
JB : You know what ? I don ’ t know . I mean you get inspiration from anything and everything . I always listen to jazz and go back to the greats . You have to be able expand yourself . You go see some of the great jazz drummers now and it just looks like they ’ re dancing on the kit and it ’ s just a different school . They have light-as-a-feather hands and that ’ s completely opposite from my style , but that doesn ’ t mean that I don ’ t get a lot of the swing inspiration . Our music , particularly with The Tea Party , has a whole lot of swing and swagger . If all you ’ re listening to is straight ahead rock , you ’ re not going to be able to get that .
CM : What are some of the benefits to playing different styles of music and playing in different groups ?
JB : I can almost separate the two processes of drumming into two different categories . For me , The Tea Party is usually about sitting back [ behind the beat ]. Even my fills come in back a sixteenth , back a thirty-second ; whereas , the Crash Karma stuff , the way [ guitarist ] Mike Turner plays , a very punk rock-style player , it ’ s very forward and I ’ m either on or even occasionally ahead of the beat . I think it actually made me a better player with The Tea Party because it expanded that horizon .
THE GEAR
DW Kit
• 24 x 16-in . Kick
• 18 x 16-in . Floor Tom
• 14 x 14-in . Floor Tom
• 12 x 12-in . Tom DW 14 x 5.5-in . Titanium Snare Ludwig Antique Wood Snare Ludwig Antique Metal Snare Roland SPD-SX Sampling Pad Sabian Cymbals
• 20-in . AA El Sabor Ride
• AAXplosion Crashes ( various )
• 13-in . AAX Hi-Hats
• 12-in . AAX Metal Splash
• 10-in . AAX Metal Splash Evans Drumheads
Promark Signature 5B Rock Japan Oak Sticks
Glenn Milchem
THE GEAR
Yamaha Pink Sparkle Maple Custom Absolute Hybrid Kit
• 20 x 16-in . Kick
• 14-in . Floor Tom
• 12-in . Tom Yamaha Pink Sparkle Snare Paiste Cymbals
• 22-in . Dark Energy Ride
• 19-in . Dark Energy Crash
• 18-in . Dark Energy Crash
• 15-in . Formula 602 Modern Essentials Hi-Hats
Blue Rodeo , Ian Thornley
The multi-talented and wellrespected Glenn Milchem is familiar with the ins and outs of the world of drumming , but always finds new ways to push himself and keep things fresh . He and his Blue Rodeo band mates are fresh from the release of their Live At Massey Hall collection and he also played on Ian Thornley ’ s new solo album , Secrets .
CM : What ’ s the one thing you can ’ t go without behind the kit ?
GM : With Blue Rodeo , I have these bundle sticks . They ’ re a bundle of bamboo rods made by HeadHunters Drumsticks called Rodeo Riders . We ’ ve had to drastically reduce our sound because of Greg [ Keelor ]’ s hearing problem , so they ’ re a little quieter but they still have a lot of attack on the cymbals , so they sound very similar to sticks .
CM : Besides some equipment alterations , how has your style or approach to drumming changed due to the sonic restraints ?
GM : I have to watch my volume . We have songs like “ Diamond Mine ,” for example , that have loud peaks and big rock climaxes , and basically I have to lower the ceiling of how hard I hit and how loud I get . As Greg has pointed out , it ’ s had an interesting effect and has made us a better band . We ’ re more dynamic and our live mix is better than ever .
CM : Considering how long you ’ ve been playing , particularly with Blue Rodeo , how do you keep things fresh and exciting behind the kit ?
GM : I just love playing , so it ’ s always fresh and exciting . Practicing is still really important for me . Also , I ’ ve always played with other bands as well as Blue Rodeo . I like playing with a variety of musicians because you learn something and you get something new from everybody you play with . Whether it ’ s having better time or learning a new groove , it stays fresh by always trying to do something that was impossible for me yesterday .
CM : “ Hasn ’ t Hit Me Yet ” is a beautiful and classic song , and the drums make a triumphant entrance . Can you recall how you came up with that part ?
GM : It was 22 years ago that we recorded that . It ’ s a little hard to remember how I came up with it . I think I just played what I heard in my head . That ’ s kind of what you do in the end . You learn your rudiments and you have little signature licks or whatever you might have , but I think I just played what I heard in my head for that intro . Some songs , we hammer away at them for hours , beating them into shape , but I don ’ t remember that one being a slow birth ; let ’ s put it that way . It ’ s just a great song and kind of plays itself .
[ 52 ] • CANADIAN MUSICIAN