I posted a story on my website about a battle of the bands I played in back in 1982 and how the song ‘Tom Sawyer’ by Rush helped me play ‘Evita’ on Broadway.
Yeah, it’s a weird connection, but it’s true!
An excerpt from The Black Neil Peart – My Manchester High School “Battle Of The Bands” Story
When I heard Neil Peart, I lost my marbles. The first song I listened to from Rush was probably Tom Sawyer. I might have been drawn to it due to the fact the song grooves pretty hard. It’s somewhat funky, yet it is progressive rock – especially when the song veers into the time signature of 7/8. The drum solo that is featured at the climax is still one of the greatest in recorded history. I quickly devoured Rush’s 1981 masterpiece LP “Moving Pictures” and found myself digging deep into their back catalog.
All of the various drumming styles I heard over the years were all part of the ingredients that make up my drumming style. I’ve been fortunate to be capable of grabbing a recipe from that cookbook of music whenever necessary to include a particular spice to a groove. Knowing the language of funk, metal, pop, and fusion has allowed me to play with several different bands. Believe it or not, this has helped me over the past 20 years of playing in modern Broadway musicals.
Why do I say this? If I didn’t have the knowledge and feel for…
Check out the full story HERE
Clayton Craddock is an independent thinker, father of two beautiful children in New York City. He is the drummer of the hit broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University’s School of Business and is a 25 year veteran of the fast-paced New York City music scene. He has played drums in a number of hit broadway and off-broadway musicals including “Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical and Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill. In addition, Clayton has worked on: Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q.