HUDSON'S GREATEST HITS - A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR "CLASSIC" TITLES

When we founded DCI Music Video in 1982, we did so with the idea of documenting the contributions of great musicians by incorporating the emerging phenomenon of home video with music instruction. From the very beginning we wanted to create a record of the creative process behind the playing of musicians who would have a lasting impact on music.

Hudson Music started in 1998 and we have continued in our tradition of providing superb quality video and audio products for music instruction and entertainment. While most people know us from the likes of the Modern Drummer Festival, Mike Portnoy and Jojo Mayer instructional DVD's - we're proud of the wide variety of titles and artists that also exist in the Hudson Music catalog. Here's a quick look at some of our "classic" titles worth looking at again!

Neil Peart
Anatomy of a Drum Solo
This DVD, winer of the Best DVD in the 2006 Modern Drummer Reader's Poll, features in-studio footage of Neil discussing, in detail, his approach to soloing. Using a solo recorded in September, 2004 in Frankfurt, Germany, as a framework, Neil talks about each segment of this nine-minute tour de force that is a highlight of each Rush performance!

Also included are two “explorations” -- completely improvised workouts at the drums, each over thirty-minutes long; a never-before-released solo recorded in Hamburg, Germany in September, 2004 ("Ich Bin Ein Hamburger"); “O Baterista”, Neil's Grammy® Award-nominated solo (from Rush in Rio); two full Rush performances from Frankfurt ‘04, shown entirely from the perspective of the drum cameras; as well as interviews with Lorne Wheaton, Neil’s drum tech, and Paul Northfield, Rush co-producer and engineer! To top it off - a full-color booklet and photo gallery are also included. A must-have for any Rush fan!

Click here to go to the Anatomy page for more video and info!

Steve Gadd
American Drummer's Achievement Awards
Placing in the top 5 in the 2005 Modern Drummer Readers Poll, this DVD details the honor bestowed upon Steve by the Avedis Zildjian Company at the second American Drummers Achievement Awards (ADAA) at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston, MA.

The once-in-a-lifetime event was hosted by Mr. Bill Cosby and featured an all-star band that included, Vinnie Colaiuta and Rick Marotta, drums; Michael Landau, guitar; Jimmy Johnson, bass; Larry Goldings, keyboards; and special guest appearances by Will Lee, vocals and Tom Scott, saxophone. The evening culminated in an incredible performance by Steve with James Taylor.

This double-disc DVD features over six hours of footage, including the evening's performances; exclusive rehearsal footage; a 20-minute documentary on Steve's career narrated by Tony Levin; backstage interviews; rare, early film footage of Steve, and a video tribute to the late Armand Zildjian.

Click here to go to the ADAA Steve Gadd page for more video and info!

Steve Smith
Drumset Technique & History of the US Beat
Voted #1 DVD in the Modern Drummer Magazine 2003 Readers Poll! Featuring Steve Smith, who is quickly becoming the pre-eminent expert on druming styles and history in the US, this is the most in-depth study of drumming technique ever done on video, as well as a thorough and fascinating survey of the evolution of the primary drum set pulse in the music or the U.S., from Ragtime to Fusion. Drumset Technique/History of the U.S. Beat is a virtual encyclopedia of drumset techniques, concepts and styles.

Disc One (Drumset Technique) breaks down and explains hand and foot technique in great detail and gets to the core of what drummers need to know in order to improve their feel and technical skills. Also included are four extended solo drum pieces. Disc Two (History of the U.S. Beat) explains and demonstrates, along with a great band, the evolution of the drumset in U.S. music how incorporating a knowledge of drumming history can help drummers play current genres with more authenticity and depth. In addition, Vital Information, plays seven complete tunes, and Steve explains many of the complex rhythmic concepts that he uses in the band’s music.

Click here to go to the Steve Smith page for more video and info!

Gregg Bissonette
Musical Drumming in Different Styles
Yet another DVD placing in the top 5 of the 2006 Modern Drummer Readers Poll, Musical Drumming In Different Styles brilliantly showcases Gregg’s well rounded stylistic approach to drumming. With over four hours of essential insights that have helped Gregg make a career out of being a great all-around drummer. The main focus is on becoming a more musical drummer, and creating and performing the right drum parts for the song.

Ten stylistically diverse original songs that feature some of the world's finest musicians are performed and discussed in great detail. Styles and related topics include R&B Funk, Heavy Rock, Afro-Cuban, Elvin Jones type-Small group Swing, Classic Rock Grooves, Beat Displacement, Incorporating Rudiments, Texas Blues Shuffle, Cool Fill Ideas, Playing the Right Part for the Song, Big Band Drumming and Articulation, Song Form, Odd Times, Tony Williams type-fast bebop, Playing a Musical Drum Solo, Warming up and Cooling Down, Auditioning, Studio Drumming, and many other topics (!).

Click here to go to the Musical Drumming page for more video and info!

Tommy Igoe
Groove Essentials
One of the best-known educational DVDs of all time, Groove Essentials is based on the poster created by Tommy Igoe and Vic Firth. This DVD presents 47 essential grooves from Rock, Jazz and R&B/Funk to World/Ethnic music. Drum artist, teacher and author Tommy Igoe demonstrates each pattern at the drums and also with a rhythm track, featuring some of NY'S top musicians. Mastering these patterns will greatly expand your knowledge while allowing you to become a more well-rounded player with the confidence to perform in virtually, any musical situation!

Tommy thoroughly explains each groove breaking each down to it's basic elements and performing each one with and without a live band rhythm track at two different tempos. The release of the Grove Essntials Book, which features play along charts and music-minus-drums playalong tracks, has transformed this already legendary DVD into a complete drum education tool! A full-sized poster featuring all the Grooves is included in the package!

Click here to go to the Groove Essentials page for more video and info!

Buddy Rich
Live at the Montreal Jazz Fest and Buddy Rich: At the Top
Filmed at the 1982 Montreal Jazz Festival, when Buddy and his band were at the height of their popularity and influence! These seven arrangements display not only Buddy Rich’s virtuosity but his unsurpassed musicianship as well. Included is a rare example of Buddy on brushes and a brilliant rendition of his signature piece, the medley from West Side Story. Featuring 8 songs on DVD AND the included audio cd! Also featured is arare bonus clip featuring a great 1972 performance of "On Green Dolphin Street".

Click here to go to the Live at the Montreal Jazz Festival page for more video and info!

Recorded at the Top of the Plaza in Rochester, New York on February 6, 1973, At the Top remains one of the most sought-after and influential shows ever recorded by Buddy. He was in top form, roaring on definitive versions of the legendary “Love For Sale,”“Time Check,”“Norwegian Wood,”“Basically Blues” and “West Side Story.”

Click here to go to the At the Top page for more video and info!

Classic Drum Solos & Classic Drum Solos Volume 2
Classic Drum Solos presents fifteen of the true “legends of jazz drumming” in astounding extended solos and in rare, never-before-seen drum duels filmed over the last five decades. Among the highlights are uncut solos from big band legends Sonny Payne, Rufus Jones, Buddy Rich, Sam Woodyard and Louie Bellson; and small group giants Art Blakey and Joe Morello.

Rare drum battles include meetings between Gene Krupa and Cozy Cole, Buddy Rich and Ed Shaughnessy, Chico Hamilton, Gene Krupa and Lionel Hampton; Elvin Jones, Sunny Murray and Art Blakey; and a once-in-a-lifetime battle between Buddy Rich and Jerry Lewis! Bonus track is the original theatrical trailer for “The Gene Krupa Story,” never seen outside movie theaters, where it was shown in 1958. Click here to go to the Classic Drum Solos page for more video and info!

"Classic Drum Solos Volume 2 is filled with fun and inspiration for any drummer...some great moments [include] Gene Krupa's band practicing in a boiler room, only to have him solo on the pipes around the room…The Papa Jo Jones piece…is simply beautiful to watch." —Modern Drummer Magazine, Feb. 2003

Picking up where Volume 1 left off - Classic Drum Solos Volume 2 features fifteen thunderous, drum solos from legends like Buddy Rich, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, “Papa” Jo Jones, Art Blakey, Shelly Manne, Sonny Payne, Sam Woodyard, Rufus “Speedy” Jones, and others, spanning the years 1947 to 1989, many never before released on home video or DVD. Bonus clips include Bobby Troup’s “history of the jazz drum set,” from 1958 and a great segment featuring the Gene Krupa Jazz Trio impersonating Russian musicians from 1946!

Click here to go to the Classic Drum Solos Volume 2 page for more video and info!