Sonor Steve Smith 30th Anniversary Tour

2008 marks the 31st year that Steve Smith has been with Sonor. Steve's 30th Anniversary kit has now been released and Steve and Sonor are celebrating this milestone with more than 50 clinics all over the world!

The kit includes: 8x8, 10x8, 12x8, 14x14, and 16x16” drums with a 20x16” kick and two snares (14x5 ½ metal and 12x5” beech) in 9 ply beech, finished in Birdseye Amber satin. It looks lovely and comes complete with an MP3 player with some of Steve's favorite tracks that he has played on, as well as some footage from the Drum Legacy DVD.

At the clinics, Steve wowed the audience with an extended solo piece that combined incredible technique, dynamics, and musicality. Playing with mallets, signature Tala Wands and sticks, Steve painted these incredible sounding drums and his array of Zildjian cymbals.

Steve also demonstrated some techniques from the recent Hudson video "Playing with Brushes." He then finished up with his version of "Mr. Hi Hat," always a crowd pleaser!

Only 100 of the 30th anniversary kits will be made. Contact your Sonor dealer directly if you are interested in owning one.

Play Along Jazz

Steve brings along an mp3 player filled with tracks from Vinny Valentino's Web site, Play Along Jazz, as well as tunes from Vital Information's latest CD, Vitalization. The audience gets to see a lot of different approaches to a lot of different music!

Vinny's site offers tons of great jazz tunes minus the instrument you're playing. One unique feature that is a big hit with drummers: many of the tunes include solo sections with a click! This enables you to be mindful of timing and the groove while soloing. You're right where you need to be when the music comes back!

Vinny offers free sample downloads and would love to hear your feedback. Go to www.playalongjazz.com to give it a try.

More Clinic Dates Coming!

The 30th Anniversary Sonor clinic tour will start up again in September. September dates will include: New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, Russia, Hungary, Andorra, Spain and Greece.

The first three weeks of October will be a USA tour with Steve Smith's Jazz Legacy. Late October/early November will see the clinic tour continue in the UK and The Netherlands. In mid-November, the clinic tour will hit the West Coast of the Canada and the USA. In late November, the tour will criss-cross Germany. In December the tour goes to Austria, South Africa, and ends in the Philippines.

Stay tuned to www.vitalinformation.com for all the details!

Clinic Tour Photos

The crowd gathers	Roger Jewell shows off new Zildjian cymbals	Sean Cox talks about the Sonor kit
Standing ovation after Steve's opening solo	Steve addresses the crowd	A little brushwork
Swingin' on the jungle kit	Talking to the crowd	Posing with a signed drum
Autograph session	Mr. hi-hat	Groovin'
Nashville Clinic	Montreal soundcheck	Montreal Audience

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