The Best Of Jimmy Chamberlin

Well I Never...

Timeshift

So, it was 5 years ago that I started this blog. Man. How time really does fly. But I'm afraid, it’s time for me to shut up shop.  I don’t have time to commit to maintaining this here blog anymore.  I mean, I know its design is about on the level of SP.com these days (which almost gets the prize for most poorly designed webpage in the universe, ever) so it’s not exactly the most time-consuming endeavour. But, to be honest, I just don't have the time.  It really is as simple as that.  There’s no bad blood or any drama or any of that stuff... 

It’s a shame, in a way, because to be honest Jimmy’s career is on the cusp of diversifying into a number of rather intriguing facets.  His recent musical endeavours for example have again thrown a fascinating insight into his work in Smashing Pumpkins and just how remarkable a musician he is.  But, alas, I simply don’t have the time to wax lyrical about how Resolution of Purpose recalls the bridge in Glass and the Ghost Children, or how in Psalm for John he is able to conjure a feeling of rhythmical cohesion stronger than some of his more distinctive, technical & busy beats, in an brilliant exercise in restraint and sublime subtlety.

I must say before I go though - to all those who were in and are still are in the SP community - it’s been a blast.  You might catch me lurking in the last crumbling wreck of the online community (as long as it still stands) and I might throw out a tweet or two (@drevpile) if I happen to catch that Jimmy’s doing something particularly cool, but really, I'm done. 

So, Jimmy, if you ever do stumble across this relic - thank you for your music and thank you for being an inspiration. 

But, for now folks - until we meet beyond the beyond or at the BC/JC reunion show, I’m out. 

Cheers. 

Drevpile

Jimmy Chamberlin and Frank Catalano's Love Supreme Collective Storms Chart...

Whilst Love Supreme Collective currently sits in the Itunes Jazz chart top 3 ,  head on over to Bandcamp to pre-order your copy in choice of formats.  Oh, and listen to Pursuance And Persistence in full! 

Love Supreme Collective - (alt. previews)

 http://www.junodownload.com/products/frank-catalano-jimmy-chamberlin-love-supreme-collective/2533223-02/

has a couple of alternative preview clips of the forthcoming EP. You can also get the tracks in Wav. unlike iTunes. I've still not seen a details of a physical release anywhere yet... Only a couple of days until it's released in full though anyway.

Love Supreme Collective - Promo

Frank Catalano Jimmy Chamberlin Love Supreme Coll…: http://youtu.be/bJUuLD6zjJI

LOVE SUPREME COLLECTIVE - PREVIEW / PRE-ORDER

It's been a long while coming, but just a couple more weeks and we'll new music from Jimmy Chamberlin.
 
Alongside Saxophonist Frank Catalano, Love Supreme Collective's - first release an EP (also seemingly titled) 'EP' - features Percy Jones|Bass (Brand X), Chris Poland|Guitar (Megadeath) and Adam Benjamin|Keys (Kneebody / Jimmy Chamberlin Complex).
 
Preview / pre-order here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/love-supreme-collective-ep/id895158505

also, here's an interview with Frank discussing the new EP: http://chicagojazzrevealed.podbean.com/e/04092014-frank-catalano-and-stacy-mcmichael/

Want Jimmy Chamberlin News...

Go here: http://chamberatics.tumblr.com/  or here

They are more on the ball than I...

Or I guess you could follow me on twitter where I might re-tweet a link or two.  Sorry folks, just been rather busy n that.  

Cheers.

Jimmy joins Super-Group for Chairty (again)

Hot Stove Cool Music Pays Homage to Chicago’s Rock, Soul & Blues with Tom Morello, Jimmy Chamberlin and John Stirrat as They Take the Stage at Wrigleyville’s Metro for 3rd Annual Hot Stove Cool Music Chicago Concert

more > http://wgntv.com/2014/05/13/hot-stove-cool-music/ 
Last year > http://themachinesomehow.blogspot.co.uk/2013_05_01_archive.html 

From Bad to...

...not quite as bad.

Tommy Lee is the New Drummer for Smashing Pumpkins

Reasons to be thankful

• PUBLICITY - Billy will be happy, his ego will be stoked as the band becomes a talking point again
• Tommy Lee is better than Mike Bryne
• It’s a new direction for the band
• Tommy Lee is definitely not a destructive human being

Reasons to be disapointed

• He might be better than Mike, but not by a lot

To get into it a little more - Motely Crue have some fucking awful music.  It is dreadful.  Really. It is. And Tommy Lee isn't that good. People like show-off drummers I guess.  

Based on my very limited knowledge, and it is rather limited, in terms of drumming style I can only guess Corgan heard in Lee’s limited phrasing - echoes of those kind of parts Chamberlin wrote which lean towards complementing the melodic leads of the music. But unfortunately he also seems to share some of the same over-indulgent, abrasive and tasteless fills that our old pal Byrne was so fond of.  I don’t know if he fucks up quite as often though. I image not...

Still - this move is a good one for the band though. I think. Maybe.

Well, it’s something different at least.  Billy has at least seen sense to hire a drummer who can do a specific job > a drummer who can sit in for a certain style of record.  Chamberlin’s skill set was so broad and is so strong in so many areas (which afforded the band the ability to flit across genre’s with ease) that it was fucking stupid of Corgan to think he could get in someone to replace Jimmy like for like.  What he got was a Jimmy clone, but without the skill to reach each end of the spectrum or the vision and/or ability to be able to lift the band beyond the mediocrity of his drumming.

It makes sense that if the band (re: Belly) wants to put out a “rock” album – he get an ‘experienced’ 'rock' (hair metal?) drummer to sit in. He might not be the best. He might be more show than ability – but if you can’t get one of the true greats who are able to go across genre’s with ease to join the band – better have someone that is ['good' at what they do] than middle of the road. Right? Get someone to embody that aspect of Chamberlin (or as Billy will put it the Smashing Pumpkins) and another drummer to embody another and so on and so forth... oh and ot also helps that he’s a name. Oh boy does it help. 

But anyway, the good thing is, even though he appears to be a terrible person and a rather shitty drummer, he at least has the potential to make the next album sound different. Which is good for SP from my point of view.  It’s all I hoped for in a new drummer following Jimmy.  The lazy rehash of the old tropes on Oceania was a corporate and safe album.  The opposite of what the band has been.  Billy said it himself.  It was too nicey-nicey.   

Anyway, I haven’t heard quite enough of Tommy Lee’s drumming to pin down what his style is per-se, but the good thing is his style certainly isn’t “trying to copy Jimmy Chamberlin, but failing” and that is something we should be thankful for.  I don’t think us drummers will get anything to write home about in terms of interesting parts or shows of technical skill – but what we shouldn’t get is something that sounds lacklustre and best and embarrassingly amateur at worst.

Don't get me wrong I do sort of think the band I once worshipped has become an absolute joke - but I guess I'm still holding on to a tiny shred of hope that once again Corgan will make something that I enjoy.

How can someone who once had one of the greatest drummers of all time in his band, keep hiring shit ones... meh

Sorry for the opinion piece. But whatevs. It is what it is.

You Know the Score...

Who is the Greatest Drummer of All Time? Slightly rhetroical if you're reading this here I guess - but I it also appears the readers of Consequence of Sound have equally discerning taste in music.  Naturally Chamberlin stolls in the top 16 Drummers of All Time in their recent readers poll - but will he be voted to the number one spot...

http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/05/whos-the-greatest-drummer-of-all-time-round-one/full-post/

Cory Chisel + Jimmy Chamberlin

Turn down your speakers...

Jimmy Chamberlin News (Weekly Round-Up)

As promised - here's some stuff > 

1.  Frank Catalano says that the shows him and Jimmy played in Chicago earlier this year have been filmed and not only that but him Jimmy are going back to the studio (doink) to record even more new music. 

2. As part of CIMMFEST - Jimmy will be appearing on a panel entitled "Live Streaming: From Consumption to Cache" on Saturday, May 3rd at 1:30 - 3:00PM (murica Time).  One presumes the panel itself will be live-streamed somewhere, though I can't see mention of it on the festival page.  Anyway,  this is in addition to Chamberlin's performance in his new band "Mary Shelly" and their scoring of the classic Battleship Potempkin.

3. In contrast Jimmy gives Tyson Meade's track Dusty Come Up for Air some old school bombast.  Chamberlin features on 3 of the forthcoming album's 10 tracks.

4. The day you have all been waiting for is here; Jimmy will be heading down to Vic's Drum Shop on the 23rd of April to celebrate REMO-DAY!

And lastly,   following the disappointment that the most recent Smashing Pumpkins' announcement wasn't the triumphant return of Jimmy to his throne  - in a series of rambling and vague posts, it has become apparent that Billy Corgan is using drum machines to write the parts for the next "Smashing Pumpkins" album.  Here's hoping this 'new' (re: old) approach to demoing yields more interesting results than those of Oceania- "Hey Mike, try and play like Jimmy might ok?"

Frank and Jim 'do some Jazz' (April 14)

Weekly Round-Up

Corgan Announces Plans to Finish Teagarden

Today Billy Corgan announced that his recent announcement about the forthcoming Smashing Pumpkin (version 4) albums will put the Teagarden era out of its misery.   Corgan explains that  “The whole concept of Teargarden seemed like a good idea at the time but when I didn’t get a rapturous response to what I even stated were, C-Pile (at best) songs - I realised this was the fault of the fans who were living in the pass. So, I’m going to wrap-up the era with the absolute opposite of the original conceit (releasing 1 song every 2-3 weeks to stand on their own merit) by producing two more “traditional (in the absolutely ground-breaking sense obviously) self-contained albums”. He went on to explain that the recent rumours that he had fired Mike Byrne were, in fact, true;   “[I] made the same misjudgement as I did with Matt Walker, I tried to make Byrne play like Jimmy Chamberlin. Well, turns out he can. Just not very well. But let me be clear here - It’s not that I was wrong about how good he was, it’s just my shaman told me to do it.” Byrne has been replaced by original Smashing Pumpkins drummer, Yamaha RY30.

Update: “Teargarden:  The Tears Burnz” will be delayed until 2017.



Byrne Announces New Musical Venture

Following his recent spilt from Smashing Pumpkins, Mike Byrne has announce a series of musical concerts based on a critically lauded animated series of films by acclaimed director Kirk De Micco. Following Art tea-House (re: art-school-student-esque) performances of Siddhartha by Billy Krogan and an upcoming live musical performance of the Battleship Potemkin by Jimmy Chamberlain, Burn stated in an interview that “yeah, man, although like I’ve been in Pumpkins and stuff like that, I’m not really that content with only having copied the drum style of Chamberlin.  What I’m really keen on doing is reproducing his and Billy’s other artistic ideas also; to that end I’ve designed a series of 7 concert suites around what I think is widely considered as one of the greatest animated films of all time, Space Chimps 2”

We were told by Byrne’s publicist that he was unable to commend on the spilt from Smashing Pumpkins due to “contractual obligations” but sources close to Mikey reportid that when the subject is broached “he just goes into a bit of a daze, repeating the phrase ‘empty party afternoons’ over and over”.

Battleship Chamberlin...

Sorry for the headline and apologies that there's not been much happening here of late.  I'm afraid that ain't going to change any-time soon.   Anyway, to cut a long story shot - I might take the blog to a weekly round up kind of format rather than try and post stuff "as it happens", I just ain't really got the time to search for stuff on a regular basis anymore.

So I know in the last couple of weeks, Jimmy actually seems to have been doing some relatively cool stuff with drums again and we have 2 new albums to look forward to coming out later this year that feature his licks.

So that's where we are. 

And this is what Jimmy has lined up next;

On May 2nd, Scott Lucas will team up with drummer Jimmy Chamberlin (formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins) and bassist Matt Ulery under the band name Mary Shelley for a unique live performance during CIMM (Chicago International Music & Movies Fest). The trio will score Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 silent film masterpiece “Battleship Potemkin” at 1st Ward (2033 W. North Ave.). More information about CIMM here: http://cimmfest.org/cimmfest-2014-initial-line-up-announcement/. Lucas, a film buff who also writes about movies for Chicagoist (see his work here:  http://chicagoist.com/profile/Scott_lucas), jumped at the chance to combine two of his biggest passions.

http://www.alternativenation.net/?p=45106

This is rather intriguing.  Should be cool to hear.

Here's them playing at some charity do at the Metro last year

Anyway, that's all for now.

Catch you later.

Cheers.

Live Review and Cherub Rock

FULL REVIEW GO

Howard Reich, from the Chicago Tribune writes;

...Chamberlin's playing encouraged the softer, subtler side of Catalano's music, the drummer crafting taut swing rhythm via thoroughly economical means. Chamberlin's less-is-more approach eminently suited the somewhat more controlled, more measured facets of Catalano's playing and showed a real sensitivity to jazz aesthetics... The soulfulness and blues-based phrase-making of Catalano's solos stood out, Chamberlin's delicate brush work enriching the music...

In addition to the live shows with Frank Catalano, following the set on Saturday night Chamberlin sat in with Umphrey's McGee - playing a version of Cherub Rock  > Listen (in part) to it here

Moar News

"Drum virtuoso and long time Smashing Pumpkin, Jimmy Chamberlin, joins forces with platinum selling saxophone powerhouse, Frank Catalano to headline the 3rd Annual Deer Park Jazz Patio and Wine Festival on August 9, 2014."

http://www.triplecrownagency.com/catalano-champerlin-headline-2014-deer-park-wine-jazz-festival/

Jimmy Chamberlin NEWS

Yes, it's true.

We actually have some actual news

1: Chamberlin will playing some more shows with Frank Catalano, in support of their forthcoming album

2: We asked Tyson Meade for an update on his album (feat Jimmy) and he delivered.  Intriguingly, the most recent* addition to Belly Corgan's persona non grata list, Bongo-Master and 'studiodog' Kerry Brown, is producing the record;

From the Kickstarter update: "The good news is that I go to LA next week to finish mixing the record with my pal Kerry Brown who just worked on the upcoming Afghan Whigs record.  The release date is April 22nd. Jimmy Chamberlain contributed three drum tracks to the record. To say that I got emotional when i heard the tracks he contributed is an understatement. They are GODLIKE! Hail all to Jimmy..."

*no official word that the current hiatus of the Smashing Pumpkins represents the addition to the list we're all hoping for.  But here we remain eternally optimistic that it's indicative that Corgan has finally come to his senses and fired Byrne.   

Jimmy Chamberlin Live

Thanks to reader Kris (again) we get a little taste of the forthcoming album from Frank Catalano and Jimmy Chamberlin.  This is from the show last night at Martyrs,  Chicago.

Feat; Frank Catalano (Sax), Jimmy Chamberlin (drums), Scott Williams (keys), Kurt Schweitz (bass)

Hopefully we'll get to hear a bit more from this show.  I'll keep my eyes peeled.

[Ed 09/01/2013] New Vid from Vic

Also, in case you missed it here's the spot on WGN TV

Frank Catalano and Jimmy Chamberlin, Live 31 December 2013

According to a post on Frank Catalano's Facebook page, he'll be playing with Jimmy Chamberlin on Tuesday the 31st of December, 2013 (that's New Year's Eve Sherlock) from 11am to 1pm CST - that's what, about 5PM GMT.

Watch here, I guess

(someone record it please. Ta)

Also Happy New Year, hope you all have a good one.

Cheers.

Drev

• ED > Watch the performance here (thanks Kris)