What an artist... Will Calhoun

[APelletier]

I saw Will live at the close of Hartford's CT's Jazz on the Green series a few years back, I believe he was the final show of the season. He was using his yellow sparkle Mapex kit and I was close enough to watch him from the side and rear. Left bass was 18" and wide open - no muffling. On the right bass. he was using a custom pedal with a very elongated, flat footboard… I was amazed at his footwork in his solo. After the show he made himself available to mingle and talk on a beautiful pre-Autumn evening… a class act all the way. Unpretentious and a gentleman musician of the finest caliber.

 

[& You Dont Stop]

If you heard me play, you'd hear a LOT of licks I copped from those Living Colour albums.
I was 16 when Vivid came out...yeah Will hit me like a semi truck

 

[Doosh]

Really like his cymbal collection and that he used his crashes selectively.

I didn't know he had a signature cymbal with Sabian. I am in LOVE with both his ride and the large crash on the far right.

 

[tbart16]

wow his foot technique is awesome, great drum sound

 

[tbart16]

Really like his cymbal collection and that he used his crashes selectively.

I didn't know he had a signature cymbal with Sabian. I am in LOVE with both his ride and the large crash on the far right.

i have a set of his signature "mad hats" from the 90's they are super heavy great chick and wash lots of volume

 

[Mackermanesq]

I knew Living Colour at the time of the first album. I remember saying to their manager when Will joined the band, that he played differently than other drummers--if you listened to the radio at that time, all you really heard from drummers was hi hat, snare and bass drum (and maybe a crash here and there). Will used ride cymbals a lot, crashed a lot more than most drummers and used the hi hat bark--and I thought he'd have to simplify his playing to be more mainstream. What he did instead was, singlehandedly, open up what was acceptable in modern rock drumming in a commercial context. You can check me on this--listen to rock hits before "Vivid" and after "Vivid" and you will notice that post "Vivid" you hear a lot more cymbals and open hi hat than you did before. That's all because of Will Calhoun--an underrated game changer.

 

[mkelley]

Love that he uses the Sleishman double pedals

 

[Alan_]

Yea, that was nice. I saw him with Living Colour way back . He was impressive then, and apparently hasn't stopped loving his craft

 

[On the one]

Very good drummer and I love his style and ride selection.

 

[lawsater]

Don Sleishman always rated Will very highly he gave him a prototype double pedal and I think Will has used them ever since

 

[doubleroll]

Having had the opportunity to watch Wil in a friend's small Bronx basement studio play drums, not mic'd just his old Pearl MLX drums. You quickly realize that he is in a different league...his drumhead magazine interview brought back some great memories.